Band Crawling
For Your Abs - Increase Your Abdominal Explosiveness
If that ain't the strangest
name for an exercise...
We'll, I suppose I've come
up with stranger!
This one has 4 different variations
I'm going to show you - basically, you're going to do what
the title says...you're going to attach bands to a solid
object and onto yourself and crawl on the floor against
their resistance.
Sound crazy? Have a look first,
then decide :)
First off, here's some info
on the bands. I get my training bands online (click
here to see where I get 'em).
For attaching bands onto a
solid object, I use what's called a Bale Hitch. You basically
pull one end of the band through it's own loop. These pics
are taken on a chin-up bar but it's the same concept when
you attach them to any similar object like a vertical pole,
for example (which is what we'll be using for these exercises).
The first step is attach two
bands to a solid object down near the floor. I'm using the
upright pole of a cable cross-over machine but anything
solid will work, like a machine or power rack, for instance.
These two bands are both looped onto the same solid object.
Band Crawling
1 - Bands On Knees
The first version is knee
by taking that initial setup and looping the bands over
your knees. Once the bands are looped over your knees, start
crawling forward.
Obviously, the further out
you crawl against the bands, the more tension you'll get!
Just crawl forwards and backwards
a few time and you'll be toast. I'm using medium bands for
these (the dark blue striped ones, if you have a set of
those same bands).
This is an excellent one for
targeting the lower abs and hip flexors.
This variation
is also going to involve the bands on your arms - instead
of holding them in your hands, you're going to loop them
over your wrists. The reason you won't hold them in your
hands is because your grip will give out and you'll lose
the bands before your abs are fully worked.
So kneel down
facing away from where the bands are hitched then loop
the bands around your wrists.
Now just walk
your hands away!
To start with,
I'm pushing against the foot of the machine with my feet.
Then I crawl forward a bit to get more tension.
This comes
at the abs with a different type of tension (pushing instead
of pulling) and hits the shoulders, too.
This last version is very
similar to the first one in that you're going to loop the
bands over your knees. The difference here is that instead
of crawling forward, you're going to perform an explosive
start movement, like you see sprinters doing off the blocks.
Loop the bands around then
move forward a bit to keep tension on the bands so they
don't slide down your legs.
Then EXPLODE forward like
that sprinter out of the blocks! Since you've got bands
on, it won't quite that fast but you should try and power
forward for sure!
The other difference from
you and a sprinter is that you're going to be crawling while
you're exploding :) - still on your hands but up on your
feet this time.
Go as far forward as you can
and make sure the things you're anchored onto is SOLID.
Explosive starts aren't as effective if you pull a wall
down behind you or something. Or if you tie onto a heavy
dumbell and you slingshot that for a cold steel enema...use
something that's not going anywhere!
Do as many of these as you
can while maintaining explosiveness - when you start to
lose that burst, end the set. No need to drag it to total
fatigue - it won't be as effective in training your body
for explosiveness.