Tip Do Band Pull-Aparts Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip Do Band Pull-Aparts Here are three ways to do this exercise that' ll build your back make your shoulders feel good and even boost your bench press by Christian Thibaudeau February 25, 2016September 14, 2022 Tags Tips, Training My most successful bench-pressing phase involved doing band work between sets. I'd been experimenting with various types of band-only exercises for the back – slow pull-aparts and holds in various positions – with the goal of finding weak or sore spots and spending time contracting against the bands in those spots. I started to incorporate this band work between sets of bench pressing. There's a small track at the T Nation gym, so after each set of bench I'd perform various band holds while walking the length of the track and back, giving me about a minute under tension. I'd then take 15-20 seconds and set up for my next bench press set. During that time I made very rapid progress on my bench, but more importantly, my shoulders felt their absolute best. I recently began using this approach with a client who had shoulder issues. He went from doing 225-pound bench presses with shoulder pain to doing 275 pounds for 5 reps without any pain. It certainly works! There are many ways of doing pull-aparts. When I use them as extra work between sets I don't count reps or time – the goal is simply to put the muscles under tension, not to do a specific number of sets and reps. Once tension is established, simply do slow movements until you find a sore or weak spot. When you do, spend some time keeping that spot under tension until the pain/soreness decreases. The second approach is to do isometric holds in various positions. This is great to improve muscle control and transfers well to the bench press where the back muscles must work isometrically to create a strong base to push off from. The last method is to do regular reps, but slower than usual. This is more for muscle-building than improving weak spots or improving the role of the back in the bench press. Depending on your objective, you can vary the approach. It's practically impossible to overdo pull-aparts, so use them often. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training Tip The 10 Minute Deadlift Tutorial Here's just about everything you need to know about deadlift variations. Exercise Coaching, Tips Christian Thibaudeau March 8 Training Tip Sport Specific Skill vs Functional Exercise Here's why reenacting sports movements in the gym doesn't transfer to athletic performance. Athletic Performance, Tips, Training Dr John Rusin August 31 Training Tip Research Update – Time Under Tension TUT builds muscle. But what's more important, rep speed or set speed? A new study tested this out. Bodybuilding, Tips, Training Shawn Wayland November 16 Training Tip Before Your Leg Workout Do This Exercise Perform this exercise before squats, especially if you've been sitting a lot. Your squats will feel great! Check it out. Tips, Training Dr John Rusin June 24