Can bands replace weight training? I wouldn’t look at it that way, both have their place and are effective tools. Weight training is a great way to improve strength and power, but bands offer an alternative way to train movements with speeds closer to what we encounter on the pitch. With weights, you can measure exactly how much load is being used, while bands are a bit harder to quantify. Weights are generally loading against gravity, while bands can be used to load horizontally. In a sport like soccer, this is huge since we must stop and go frequently and the direction of force is horizontal.