A few months ago, I quit my job. I did this to allow myself time to pursue my opportunities, devote time to my online clients, and start an apparel company. This allowed my husband to pursue his dream and open a powerlifing club and gym, The Region Barbell Club. However, when I left my job, I lost access to the typical machines that most bodybuilders use when training to build mass and size. Most powerlifters can make do without this kind of equipment, but bodybuilders go nuts.
I said goodbye to the leg press, chest press, hack squat, and leg extension, and said hello to creativity. With some basic elitefts™ equipment, bands, and chains, you can do quite a bit.
Many of these movements are done in addition to my big movements. Some are used as finishers, some for pump work and some for pre-fatiguing. These are my new favorite movements.
Leg Extensions
Perform these leg extensions by getting into a shortened push-up position with your feet elevated on a bench. Place a light band around the back of your knees and hold it in place on the floor with your hands. Extend your legs into a straight position and return to the start for one rep.
Banded Chest Press with Fat Gripz
To perform this exercise, first place a 0-90 bench several feet away from a rack, facing outward. Attach a band to each upright of the rack and place a Fat Gripz on each band. Perform the exercise as a typical chest press.
Banded Pulldowns
Use a carabiner to attach one end of a light band to the top of a rack or monolift. If you do not have a carabiner, you can single-choke the band. Take any pulldown handle and attach it to the bottom of the band. Sit inside the rack and perform as a typical pulldown.
Strip-the-Rack Rows
For this row, I like to use a cambered bar, but any bar can work. Perform these as standard rows, but during the entire movement pull the bar into the rack. The goal here is just like the name of the exercise: you want to strip the paint from the rack.
Strip-the-Rack JM’s
Similar to the strip-the-rack rows, the goal with this exercise is to put as much pressure against the rack as possible. Set a bench inside a rack and do a typical JM press off pins with the strip-the-rack variation.
DB Banded Leg Curls
These curls are performed from a lying position, face down on a bench. Attach one end of the band to a nearby rack and the other end to a dumbbell. Hold the dumbbell between your feet and perform the exercise as a typical lying leg curl.