Use of Resistance Bands with FT

[Scott Stevenson]

I have been using bands since my powerlifting days back in 2005 and I like them a lot in FT!
One especially good use for them IME is for the loading sets on calves!
I attach the black bands along with plates on the leg press and do raises.
Also muscle rounds on a chest hammer press work well.
I find it can be hard to get the weight moving smoothly from the get go on hammer presses (I have long arms and the bottom position stretches me quite hard!).
This way the initial few inches have less resistance which gets the set moving with ease.

As a time saver, its nice to add a good bit of band resistance for calf presses on a leg press (instead of plates).

Also, calf exercises are probably the most common example of when I need to add weight to machines when I've moved past the stack + plate(s). For instance, at the gym I train at now, I used a horizontal (body masters) squat machine (supine squat), but sit upright with the shoulder pads at my pelvis (a spacer pad in between). This makes for a seated ("donkey") calf raise that has a very smooth resistance curve (best in the gym).

However, if I want to do this exercise bilaterally the stack isn't enough and adding plates is a PITA (and not really enough either, except for pump sets), so a couple (orange EliteFTS) bands fill the bill nicely.

(I can video this if you guys like. It's a set up I've used previous at my old go-to gym in Arizona on the same machine.)

-S