Questions about Bands for Benching

[WalkingBeast]

Hey everyone! I was thinking of buying some bands for extra resistance to strengthen my bench press. Not sure exactly the purpose of them, or how exactly they work, how to use them etc. Also what type to buy and where to get good ones. I see they come in different colors which seems to offer different resistances, and also heard of Mini Bands, is there a difference between mini's and regular bands? Any help would be much appreciated! ThanX!

 

[coolcolj]

Hey everyone! I was thinking of buying some bands for extra resistance to strengthen my bench press. Not sure exactly the purpose of them, or how exactly they work, how to use them etc. Also what type to buy and where to get good ones. I see they come in different colors which seems to offer different resistances, and also heard of Mini Bands, is there a difference between mini's and regular bands? Any help would be much appreciated! ThanX!

Bands stretch - ie like rubber band, so as they stretch they add more resistance, so the top end gets harder, ie lockout area and then they slingshot the weight down on the way down so that also increases eccentric forces (can increase DOMS)

Since they get harder at the top, you have to keep exploding all the way through to lockout the weight. Trains power and speed
Whereas normally you slow down near the top, becuase it gets easier.

Get the jumpstretch ones, http://www.jumpstretch.com or www.elitefts.com
there as also these Bungee system which is much easier to setup and adjust resistance
http://www.strengthcats.com/BNS-squat-bench.htm

since with jumpstretch bands, you need to anchor them with dumbells/plates on the floor (can be a pain), with the bungee system it's made to fit on a bench unit/power rack and adjusting band tension is very simple. Adjusting band tension on the jumpstretch bands is a bit hit and miss IMO.
But Jumpstretch bands can be used in other things like stretching and with dumbell exercises etc

mini bands - thinnest
monster mini - slightly thicker than minis
Purple Light bands - wider than monster minis, more tension
Green Average bands - wider than light bands, more tension
Blue Strong Bands - even more tension still etc

I use the mini and purple ones the most, followed by the green ones for squats. I don't have any blue ones
I use the Mini and Monster minis for upper body stuff, purple and greens for squats mostly. I have used the purple ones for bench before, just kicking in aboput halfway up -worked well

I would get a set of minis and purples as the bare minimum

 

[coolcolj]

Found this article on Elitefts.com i figured it might help w/ some band tension questions.....

".....

Anyhow here's my band tension findings . . .

Tension Values of Jump-Stretch bands with different cinching and
anchoring systems.

I spent the better part of a Winter day doing this - so I hope ya'all
appreciate it!

"Slack" measures distance from nearest part of anchor to end of band
held to furthest length.

"Single-cinch" means one end or loop fed through another loop around
an anchor,

"Double-cinched" means one loop feed through other loop twice around
anchor. Third option is self-explanatory.

"Double-looped" refers to draping band over bar so that the two loops
of each band are used as a single suspension point.

The meaurees after the slack tell you how much extra stretch from the
slack point (=0) the poundage gives you . . . i.e. if 45 lbs stretchs
a band 4" then 45 lbs of pressure will stretch it 4". In the case of
the double-looped anchorings the use of four loops to hold the barbell
took up enough band so that the bottom of the barbell was actually one
inch higher than the bands hanging slack - hence the "-1.0" for the 45
lb measure.

The bands were looped around the outside of the barbell collar in
every case. I assume that you would place weights on the outside of
the band as you add them.



Blue Bands - (single-cinched)
Slack = 33.0"
w/ 45 bb = 1.5"
w/ 135 = 15.25"
185 = 27.5"

Blue Bands - (double cinched)
Slack = 27"
w/ 45 bb = 1.5"
w/ 135 = 12.5"
185 = 22.5"
205 = 28"

Blue Bands - (single-cinched around two dumbells)
Slack = 19"
w/ 45 bb =2.75"
w/ 135 = 12.75"
185 = 21.0"
205 = 24.0"
235 = 30.0"

Blue Bands - (double looped)
Slack = 18"
w/ 45 bb = -1" (less than slack)
w/ 135 = 2"
185 = 4"
205 = 5.25"
235 = 6.5"

Green Bands - (single-cinched)
Slack = 32.5"
w/ 45 bb = 3.0"
95 = 15.0"
115 = 21.5"
125 = 25.0"
w/ 135 = 28.5"

Green Bands - (double cinched)
Slack = 25.0"
w/ 45 bb = 2.75"
95 = 11.5"
115 = 17.75"
125 = 22.5"
w/ 135 = 23.5"

Green Bands - (single-cinched around two dumbells)
Slack = 18.5"
w/ 45 bb = 2.25"
w/ 135 = 16.5"
185 = 28.5"
205 = 34.5"
235 = 41.5"

Green Bands - (double looped)
Slack = 18"
w/ 45 bb = -1.0 (less than slack)
w/ 135 =2"
185 = 5.5"
205 = 7.25"
235 = 10"

Pink Bands - (single-cinched)
Slack = 35"
w/ 45 bb = 7.0"
65 = 13.75"
85 = 22.5"
95 = 28.25"

Pink Bands - (double cinched)
Slack = 29.5"
w/ 45 bb = 5"
65 = 10.5"
85 = 17.5"
95 = 22.5"
105 = 26.75"

Pink Bands - (single-cinched around two dumbells)
Slack = 20.5"
w/ 45 bb = 6.0"
95 = 20"
w/ 135 = 32.5"


Pink Bands - (double looped)
Slack = 18"
w/ 45 bb = -0.5 (less than slack value)
w/ 135 = 5.0"
185 = 11.5"
235 = 19.5"
235

I also measured the minis -

New Greens or New Blues should be equal and should be measured
double-lopped

Slack = 18.5"
45 = 3.75"
65 = 8.25"
85 = 14.0"
95 = 18.5"

I have learned that a heavily-used (for over a year) miniband will
stretch 50% more than its new counterpart. i.e. 95 pounds will
stretch 27" instead of 18.5"


Minis Doubled
50 at chest
80 at lockout

Average
looped
35 at lockout
no tention at chest
Doubled
170 at lockout
115 at chest

Greens or mediums
looped
50 at lockout
no tention at chest

doubled
280 at lockout
didn't measure chest as i will never need this much tention

Floor presses
Greens or mediums
110 at lockout

Revers band bench from 7' rack looped Greens or mediums
-65 at lockout
-95 at chest.

Hope this helps

 

[Exodus]

im not sure im even close to right......... but here is what i know,....

mini bands
single loop bench - add 25lb tension
double loop bench - add 50lb tension
squat - 50lbs tension

Light's
single loop bench - add 50lbs tension
double loop bench - add 100lbs tension
squat - 100lbs tension

Average's
single loop bench - add 75lbs tension
double loop bench - add 150lbs tension
squat - 150lbs tension

Strong's
single loop bench - add 100lbs tension
double loop bench - add 200lbs tension
squat - add 200lbs tension.

go to www.elitefts.com and click on shop or products..... go to accessories and you'll find the bands.

bfold told me of another way to gage how much the bands are addding.

what ever size db is holding them down. think about it. if you have whatever kind of bands on each side and the 60'lb db's keep coming up on each side. then you go higher to the 65's. if they stay down........ then you know 65lbs of tension on each side for a total of 130lbs.

so think about the tension bfold just had with the 2 light bands double choked down for a triple bench with 135 bar weight. lol....

X

 

[coolcolj]

I did that once with the deadlift, 2 double up purple bands, with 135lbs, was a bastard to lockout!

I could deadlift around 405lbs back then so, possible around 500lbs up top

 

[Exodus]

I did that once with the deadlift, 2 double up purple bands, with 135lbs, was a bastard to lockout!

I could deadlift around 405lbs back then so, possible around 500lbs up top

ive done something similar.

doubled down green (average bands) on a 3 inch plat form 365 rack pull from knee height for a triple.

it felt like around 500....lol

X

 

[WalkingBeast]

ThanX X and CCJ!! You guys have been extremely helpful! Not sure what Im going to do yet. I see some of the bands or 60-80$. They had some for 20$ also, but you have tto fasten them to something Im guessing. Can they be tied to the botttom of tthe bench?

 

[Exodus]

ThanX X and CCJ!! You guys have been extremely helpful! Not sure what Im going to do yet. I see some of the bands or 60-80$. They had some for 20$ also, but you have tto fasten them to something Im guessing. Can they be tied to the botttom of tthe bench?

if you have a power rack that works best if not here is what you can do with a regular flat bench.

where the uprights go that you rack the bar on a bench press. wrap the bands around a dumbell the roll the dumbell up so that the handle is in the corner of the upright. the slide a 45lb plate up to sandwich the db inbetween the plate and the uprights...... and your all set.

mini bands cost 10 bucks each. the strong ones are 30 bucks each.

there not that bad........ start off with the mini's and the lights.

X

 

[WalkingBeast]

if you have a power rack that works best if not here is what you can do with a regular flat bench.

where the uprights go that you rack the bar on a bench press. wrap the bands around a dumbell the roll the dumbell up so that the handle is in the corner of the upright. the slide a 45lb plate up to sandwich the db inbetween the plate and the uprights...... and your all set.

mini bands cost 10 bucks each. the strong ones are 30 bucks each.

there not that bad........ start off with the mini's and the lights.

X

Awesome! ThanX brother!! I think Ill pick up a pair of Minis. Do they sell them in the Elite store?

 

[coolcolj]

They sell em at the www.elitefts.com store

which has nothing to do with this site

this is how I set mine up for full squats and sometimes bench - plates on the floor, but mostly use dumbells with bench. Although I haven't used bands with bench all that much - 2 times so far