Exercise of the Week – Band Resisted Chest Press

Bands can be a great tool in a lifting program.  In the video below, you’ll see me using a band to make a standard dumbbell

chest press (slight incline chest press, in this case) more difficult.  The band matches the strength curve.  In other words, when the lift becomes easier (the top portion of a chest press), the band stretches which adds tension/load to the exercise so that it is very difficult through the entire range of motion.  This is known as accomodating resistance (a concept that powerlifters have mastered).  Bands can be used in a number of ways.  Me and my clients incorporate bands in one way or another at nearly every lifting session.

I think later on in the week or next week I’ll film a bunch of exercises/ideas for you to check out as far as how to use bands in your program.  I got my bands @ Perform Better.  If you are interested in picking up some bands, just click on the Perform Better link down and to the right of the screen.  Type “superbands” in the search engine and it’ll take you to all the options.  I suggest getting the 1/2″ and 1″ bands to start with. I am using the 1″ inch band in the video below…

Tomorrow I’ll be back with a clever way to make the most out of the equipment that you have available.  If you train at a place that has 2,384 different pieces of equipment, then this post won’t be for you.  Stay away, we don’t want you back!  Kidding, kidding.  But if you are training out of your house (like I currently am), or train at a gym with limited equipment, this exercise/post will be right up your alley.

See you tomorrow…