A review of resistance band training

If you want to improve your reaction time and quickness, if you want to get to the ball first, if you want that all important hole shot boost that puts you ahead of your opponents in the first 5 steps, then resistance band training is what you need in your tool bag

You are limited to your imagination with these. Bands are easy to take where ever you go. They are better at providing horizontal resistance then other trainig tools. With a solid object to attach the bands to you can practice sprint drills or direction changing drills for agility.

And your not limited to just those. whatever exercises you can do with dumbbells and barbells, you can replicate with resistance bands. As a matter of fact you can even incorporate bands into those workouts and use them simultaneously.

You can incorporate resistance bands into bodyweight exercises to up the ante of the difficulty factor.

Bands can be used for assistance as well as resistance. Can’t do a dip or a pull-up? The bands can lighten the load until your strong enough to do the exercise on your own.

Resistance bands will really help to improve your speed and agility in any ball sport. Workout with resistance bands for a couple of weeks and see if the guys you play with aren’t amazed at how much faster and stronger you are.

Dave Schmitz, “The Band Man” has a great site and a free membership area with videos on training tips and drills for using the bands. there’s also a bunch of videos on youtube to get ideas from.

In addition to the bands, he has DVD’s & ebooks to show you how to use them. As a matter of fact, for all you ball players, he’s got one called “Accelerating to the Ball”. You will learn drills to improve your first step to be fast and explosive and then turn that initial step into acceleration that will leave your opponents in the dust.

There is a program on DVD called “Basketball band speed and conditioning” where he takes you through: speed strengthening, first step speed drills, vertical and horizontal jumping drills, 8 week vertical jump program and an 8 week workout program.

Resistance Bands Unleashed DVD series, is a 2 DVD set. You’ll get to learn the training drills and circuits the Dave teaches his clients and athletes.

If you want a dynamic stretching guide, there is a DVD, emanual package available called “Total Flexibility with resistance bands”, and it will take you, step by step, htrough the routine.

Whatever you are using for your physical conditiong program, resistance bands will compliment it, they are the perfect tool.

Bands are available in these ranges:

* Orange – Micro – X-Small Bands / 5 – 15 lbs. pull
* Red – Mini – Small Bands / 15 to 25 lbs. pull
* Black – Monster Mini – Medium Bands /25 – 50 lbs. pull
* Purple – Light – Large Bands/ 50 to 75 lbs. pull
* Green – Average – X-Large Bands/ 100 to 120 lbs. pull
* Blue – Strong – XX-Large Bands/ 120 to 175 lbs. pull
* Grey – Super Strong – XXX-Large Bands/ 175 to 225 lbs. pull
* Black – Mega Strong Bands/ 225 to 300 lbs. pull