How To Build Strength With Hanging Resistance Bands

TLDR

• Stability training, or the Hanging Band Technique (HBT), can be used to increase the difficulty of a barbell exercise. It is an advanced training technique and should be exercised with caution.
• HBT is when you hang weights via resistance bands to the end of a barbell. This let’s the weight hang freely under the bar leading to instability as the weight bounces and sways back and forth.
• HBT is superior to regular lifting techniques as it sparks a higher amount of muscle fiber activation.
• If you want to build size, increase strength, and train insane HBT is the way to go!

Hanging Band Advanced Lifting Technique

The idea of making an exercise more difficult by focusing on the stability factor is nothing new. You’ve probably seen people squatting while standing on Bosu balls and swiss balls. Ridiculous, right?

Welllllll, turns out it’s not that crazy of an idea after all. While the execution was wrong in the above scenario, the idea is solid. 😉 hahaha, get it?

That’s why I took a closer look at stability training, or more commonly known as the Hanging Band Technique.

The most effective power and strength building technique ever.

If you are looking to taking your strength and power to a new level, look no further. This stability method is proven to increase muscle fiber recruitment. It also increase Time Under Tension which is one of the most CRUCIAL ELEMENTS to building size and strength. 

We detail this TUT concept in our Time Under Tension blog article.

Want to increase time under tension at home? Check out our resistance band set!

For LESS THAN THE PRICE OF A GYM MEMBERSHIP you can get our premium resistance band set and get a full body workout. It's like a whole gym in a bag!

"There's no better way to increase time under tension for building muscle than to use resistance bands." But don't take our word for it, here's what the science says!

What the science says about resistance band training.

• "One study from the 2004 National Conference proved that athletes who did band-resisted bench presses had a significantly greater increase in their bench press max as well as power produced compared to athletes that only trained with straight bar weight."

• "Another study from the University of Wisconsin found that athletes had 25 percent more leg power after using bands to do weighted squats as compared to athletes that performed the squats without bands."

• "A study conducted by Ithaca College demonstrated that athletes combining bands with bench presses and squats more than doubled their strength gains as compared to participants that only used free weights without additional bands."(source: https://www.issaonline.com/blog/index.cfm/2017/jump-on-the-bandwagon)

So what are you waiting for? Get yours today!

What is the hanging band technique (HBT)?

The hanging band technique is when you use resistance bands to hang weight from the end of a barbell. This method drastically increases the amount of muscle fibers activated to lift the same amount of stabilized and secured weight.

How to do the hanging band technique.

The HBT can be executed with plates, dumbbells, or kettlebells. You can add all the weight to the barbell by hanging them from resistance bands or you can only add part of the weight by resistance bands with the rest placed on the barbell normally.

The lower you let the weight hang, the harder the exercise will be because the free hanging weight can swing and bounce more than if it were tied up tight to the barbell.

Also, the more weight you add via hanging with resistance bands, the hard it will be.

Who uses the hanging band technique?

The hanging band technique is not for the average lifter. It can be a dangerous technique to utilize and should only be used by experienced athletes..

From professional sports athletes like James Harrison to powerlifters to crossfit athletes to gym bros, this method is widely known and utilized and for good reason!

While it may look like a circus act, it is effective!

The hanging band technique is widely used by many athletes around the globe. This could mean it’s just a fad or that it’s actually effective. I lean more towards the latter.

My first set of squats using the hanging band technique was all the proof I needed, and I was sold!

The amount of strain it put on my body was way more than the typical back squat. I HAD to move slow, I HAD to control the weight, I HAD to work hard.

Use HBT to train through sticking points.

One of the highlights I notice with the strength stability training technique was the extra work I had to do when moving through a sticking point, or more specifically getting out of the hole in my squats.

As I started to explode upwards the hanging weights sagged and tried pulling me back down. This made me work extra hard to get through the sticking point, or out of the hole. This is important because it trains my strength curve to look more like a check mark.

I learned this strength curve from Dr. Fred Hatfield from my time earning my personal training certifications with the International Sports Sciences Association.

Dr. Hatfield is known as Dr. Squat as he was one of the first men to squat 1,000 pounds. Check it out!

He says the ideal strength curve looks like check mark. You lower the weight slowly and under control then explode upwards.

This check mark strength curve is “the signature of a great athlete,” Dr. Hatfield says. I believe, no matter what your goals, you should be working towards this check mark like strength curve.

To read more, check out Dr. Hatfield’s entire article here (https://www.drsquat.com/knowledge-base/fresh-look-strength/)

What exercises can I do with the hanging band technique?

Pretty much any barbell exercise can use the hanging band technique. Squat, flat bench, incline bench, overhead shoulder press, the possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

So there you have it! The Hanging Band Technique is a way to increase strength, size, and power. Give it a shot and let us know what you think! Be sure to tag us on social media so we can give you a shoutout.

CAUTION

This is an advanced lifting/training technique. For a safe, alternative method of resistance training, use our premium resistance band set to add resistance in a more controlled method.