Long resistance bands for the strength work most amateur footballers skip: hips, glutes, and the chain that keeps knees and ankles honest across a season. Use them in a warm-up (banded walks, monster walks, clams) or as a short extra block after a pitch session. Different colours are different loads — start light if you have not trained bands before, then move up when the last reps are slow rather than sloppy.

This is training kit, not match protection. Keep Shinplex pads for games. A band will not stop a stud. It will not rehab a diagnosed tear. If a hip or knee locks, swells, or gives way, see a clinician instead of loading it with a thicker band.

Pack them in the same bag as a ladder or a ball. They take almost no space in the boot of the car. Loop around the knees for lateral walks, around the feet for kickbacks, or as an anchor for pall-of-style core work if you have somewhere solid to attach. Check the band for nicks before you stretch it. Do not stretch a band toward your face. Do not stand on a frayed band.

Shop bands from Training when you already own the pad and you want midweek load. Pair with the skills mat or SAQ ladder if you want a driveway session that is not just shooting. Free UK shipping over £45. Designed as football kit, not a generic gym pack with no context for a match week.