BMX is won in seconds: a relaxed set up on the gate, a sharp beep reaction, and an easy-fast first pedal. You don’t get that by grinding heavy lifts alone. You get it by teaching your body to create force and changing direction quickly with seamless blend between eccentric and concentric contractions. That’s what Dynamic Band Training does, it turns strength into power you can feel on the bike.
What is Dynamic training
Dynamic training (popularised by Louie Simmons at Westside Barbell) means moving sub-maximal loads with maximal speed. It’s not “light day”—it’s fast day! We use resistance bands attached to the bar to create accommodating resistance: the load is lighter at the bottom and heavier at the top, so you must keep accelerating through the part of the lift where most people slow down. Bands are the tool; speed is the method.
How does it work?
Bands reshape the resistance curve and sharpen the qualities BMX rewards:
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Ascending resistance: As the bar rises, band tension increases. You’re forced to drive through the entire lift, no deceleration in the middle, and accelerate all the way to the top of the lift.
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Over-speed eccentric: Bands pull you down faster than gravity. When squatting, you arrive at depth pre-loaded to explode out of the bottom of the squat. It’s like throwing a ball down so it bounces higher.
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Reversal strength & the stretch–shortening cycle: Using bands allows your muscles to store elastic energy and release it quickly. That’s the same “snap” you need going from stillness to first pedal.
The result is faster bar speeds and a nervous system that’s ready to fire, without the fatigue and damage to your body from constant max attempts.
How can you implement it into your training?
Box squats are our preferred choice for banded squats because the seated position lets you do something a conventional squat can’t: briefly relax the hips while the abs stay braced to support the load. Yes, you can still carry kinetic energy off the box, but the difference is this deliberate relax → re-contract window. It interrupts the continuous rhythm of a normal squat, effectively breaking the eccentric from the concentric, so you’re not relying on a bounce out of the hole at the bottom, you’re generating power from the bottom. Anchor bands to the rack or platform, attach to the bar, and stick to simple compound movements (Box Squats, deadlifts and Bench press). At HRVfit we keep the reps short to avoid fatigue and consequently, the bar slowing down. 3 reps × 10 sets with 60 seconds rest. Short reps keep every lift fast without fatigue; more sets ensures we are still hitting the right amount of reps.
How does it cross over to BMX?
Dynamic band work trains rate of force development, it teaches the body to create force quickly, the same as BMX. Unlike a lot of other sports, BMX racing has a resistance, so we need to train in a way that makes the athlete strong enough to push against the resistance of the gearing, as well as dynamic enough to create phenomenal leg speed for halfway down the first straight. Ascending resistance teaches you to keep driving where leverage improves, it changes the strength curve and allows the athlete to create force through the full range of the exercise. Over-speed eccentric training helps to build recoil within the muscles of the athlete and teaches them to be more explosive when the body is under load.
The benefits you will see from using bands
Expect faster bar speeds, more explosive reversal strength and a more dynamic athlete. You will find your athletes can train more often without soreness and without frying their CNS, so they can still sprint and ride. Hamstrings feel quicker, ankles and legs feel springier, translating to more metres for the same effort. I have found this style of training to be so beneficial for so many athletes, even older riders that have been stuck and plateauing for years.
Want to learn more about band training?
If you want to learn more about Dynamic Band Training and how we use it at HRVfit, send me an email or a message. I’m happy to chat about your training and look at mapping out how we can make you faster.
Tony HRV