When necessary I can consolidate my training philosophy into “Pick up heavy shit.” To me, this includes “Move well, perform compound movements, and focus on developing full-body strength. If we were training together and you got us matching shirts, I’d probably give you a lifetime of free coaching:
As much as I love lifting heavy things, and I encourage that you do the same, it isn’t always possible or practical for you to have heavy weights in your hand. I’ve noticed this more than ever in the last few weeks, as I’m writing more and more programs that have people split their time between the weight room and the track, or cycle, or using at-home workouts to supplement their lifting. It’s important to use a program that’s optimal for you.
Using a movement-based approach to programming, I’m comfortable modifying most exercises for a home gym. I say most, because I’ve struggled to load lower body exercises with appreciable weight outside of gyms. Body weight squats get boring really quickly, don’t they?!
Thanks to Jordan Syatt of Syatt Fitness, I now have a great variation, the Band Resisted Trap Bar Deadlift. I love me some resistance bands, and I’ve typically used them to increase resistance through the top of the range of motion, either for lock-out or speed work. Here’s an example from Ben Bruno:
While adding the band to the trap bar is simple and intuitive, taking the trap bar away never crossed my mind. Silly me! Below, you’ll see an awesome explanation of the exercise from Jordan Syatt himself:
It’s an awesome variation that can really smoke you depending on the specifics of how you set it up. I’ve implemented it several times, and have worked on two simple tweaks that seem to make it more enjoyable less awkward for most. These tweaks include placing the band under a plate, and using Fat Gripz as handles.
The Fat Gripz make the band more comfortable to hold, and you’re less likely to feel like your pointers and pinkies are getting pulled off. Simple, effective, awesome.
The plate set-up came about while I was deadlifting in socks, and heavier bands made me feel like I was about to roll an ankle. The plate helps minimize the band yankin’ on your sock or pulling on your foot. Here’s a picture of Amy using the plate set-up:
All of the ‘normal’ deadlifting cues still apply, but I like to emphasize speed off the floor, to really take advantage of the accommodating resistance that the bands offer. If you have access to resistance bands either at home or the gym, it’s a great addition or modification to your current training to include some level of band resistance into your training. Trust me, and Jordan who I’m stealing borrint it from; you’ll like this a lot.
Harold Gibbons 