The use of resistance bands and chains have become very popular over the years. Once only seen in the weight rooms of athletic programs, they are now becoming widely available at local gyms and performance facilities. If you are going to begin using these to your program, its important to understand the “why” behind their addition to training protocols.
What is Accommodating Resistance?
Accommodating resistance is the term used for training with resistance bands or chains. This refers to accommodating the advantageous range of motion of an exercise. As the chains unfurl off the ground or the bands get stretched out- the tension increases. Think about the bench press- you train through a full range of motion, you always touch your chest, but there’s always a “sticking point” about halfway up. Normally if you push past the sticking point, you can finish the press with ease. The bands and chains help to target a different range of motion in the exercise.
Who Can Benefit from Using Accommodating Resistance?
If you are general population training for aesthetics and adding strength, the implementation of accommodating resistance can help you push past plateaus if you’ve been stuck at the weight on your bench/squat/etc. It can also give a feeling of freshness to your training and keep things interesting. For athletes, they’re often used for building explosive power. Training through a full range of motion is important, but few athletic motions are performed at the “90 Degree, parallel to the floor” squat. Thus, for athletes, this at certain times in the yearly cycle is a key addition to their preparation. The unloading of weight (bands become lax, chains furl) can also be of great use in-season as this decreases the eccentric stress- liking leading to less muscle soreness. Whatever you do, just don’t be the guy below.
What Weight Should be Used?
This is the hard one to answer for most. Much of it depends on displacement of movement. Someone who is 5’5” is obviously not going to move the bar as far as someone who is 6’3”. So use of the same equipment is not smart for these two when squatting as the weight of the chains unfurls off the ground or the bands become stretched and hit a different end range. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research and Science for Sport posted this graphic from a study that helps to understand “If the desired accommodated weight added to the back squat is to represent ≥20% of the athlete’s 1RM, then this weight should correspond with the chain which provides this load at the end position of the athlete’s lift.” Take a look below:
My Final Thoughts:
I have always preferred the use of chains over bands due to this: you know the exact weight of the chains, and they are not changing over time. Bands often get used for more the barbell squatting and benching. Even though you purchase a pair together it is easy for the resistance to have an imbalance if over time one band has gotten more use than the other and become stretched out. That said- the bands are cheaper, and more easily stored. If you are looking to add either of these, consider the cost-effective analysis.
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