elliot

In case you didn't catch our blog post last week, we kicked off our CrossFit blog post series featuring modified CrossFit exercises you can do with your Rubberbanditz resistance band. CrossFit training has been used as a conditioning tool for groups like the Navy SEALS and pro athletes, but its also a great workout regimen for pretty much anyone who is dedicated to getting in shape. We turned to professional CrossFit trainer Elliott Schackne to give us some pro tips on how to modify CrossFit exercises to include your resistance band.

Today we will be going over the mechanics of squats and how you can incorporate your squat bands to harness ascending load. Barbells or dumbbells are a great traditional way to add resistance to a squat, but are often not practical for in-home or on-the-go fitness needs. With these modifications you'll be able to get your workout in wherever and whenever you want.

The mechanics of each squat are relatively similar. However, the way in which you position band will have a material effect on the secondary muscle groups engaged.

Resisted Air Squat

Give your air squats additional load by crossing two bands over your shoulders and hooking the ends underneath your opposite foot.

Pro Tips

  • Keep your feet shoulder width apart and your head in a neutral position looking straight ahead.
  • Balance your weight more towards your heels.
  • Make sure your lower back remains flat, chest up, and shoulders back.
  • Keep your knees tracking directly over your feet (push them out a little if they drift in).
  • Lower down as far as you can without pain while maintaining proper form.
  • Drive your feet into the floor to return to starting position.
resisted air squat

Front Squat

In the front squat the band should remain in front of you with the palms facing forward and the elbows bent

Pro Tips

  • Keep your upper arms parallel to the floor.
  • Hold the band near your throat and on the "shelf" created by keeping your elbows high.
Front Squat front squat

Back Squat

The back squat places the bands or the barbell behind your neck and shoulders. We provide two options: with just the resistance band or using the resistance band in combination with the barbell. For the first option, grip the resistance band in both hands and place it behind your neck and shoulders to perform your squat. For the second option, loop two resistance bands around the sides of a barbell and step on each end or anchor them to the bottom of a rack. This will provide an ascending resistance throughout your entire range of motion

Pro Tips

  • Keep the bar on top of your traps, not on your neck.
  • Keep your back arched and you gaze forward to protect the spine.
  • Before each rep, take deep breath and slowly exhale as you press through the heels back to starting position.
back squat

Overhead Squat

As the name implies, an overhead squat is a squat with the barbell above your head. Instead of using a barbell we modified the exercise so that you'll squat with a power band above your head. All the other squat form cues still apply here.

Pro Tips

  • Press up into the band, lock out your elbows.
  • Keep pushing up and slightly back. Try to keep the band directly overhead.
  • Make sure your entire body is stabilized before coming back up.
  • For an added challenge, try press the band up and out at the same time to engage lats and traps.

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