Bands are an advanced and very effective way to increase your vertical leap. There are several advantages to using bands:
1. Bands descend faster than gravity providing an accelerated eccentric. Lifting against the resistance of high velocity trains your muscles to react faster!
2. Bands have variable resistance curve. Like a rubber band the resistance of the band get more difficult as you move through the range of motion. This forces your body to work HARDER as you perform the exercise. Contrast this with dead weight that gets LIGHTER because the inertia of the weight makes the weight "float" and allows your body to relax.
3. Bands reduce deceleration. With traditional dead weight you have to slow down at the end of the lift to avoid throwing the bar off your shoulders. With bands the tension mounts allows you to press harder and harder (read faster and faster) without decelerating. You CNS can accelerate to the very end of the lift, which is more conducive to jumping higher.
Bands FEEL different because of the velocity they force upon your muscles and contractions. This training stimulus translates into greater and faster results.
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