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Accommodating Resistance: Using Bands & Chains, What Does The Science Tell Us?
Does the science back up the use of bands and chains in training? Do they deliver superior results?
Mark Christie
October 21, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
Lets face it, using bands or chains attached to your barbell just looks hardcore… The extra clanging of the chains while the bar is lowering and lifting, just sounds great.
Does the scientific evidence backup the use of accommodating resistance as a viable training variable?
The use of bands and chains is much more mainstream now, chances are you have tried implementing them or have seen others use them. They have grown in popularity from people seeing the strong dudes over at Westside Barbell and Elite FTS utilizing them. In Fact, if you have ever stepped foot inside a serious powerlifting gym, they will be as much of the common landscape as plates and dumbbells.
Here at Strength Framework, we break down what the evidence has to say, with no bias, into easy to digest snippets of information and some common sense along the way. We do this to present you with the best educated conclusions we can, to help you on your journey, with all our sources here for you to fact check if you so wish.
IN THIS ARTICLE:
UNDERSTANDING THE STRENGTH CURVE
Why Use Bands or Chains?
The idea behind using bands or chains is to add accommodating resistance to a movement.
In an exercise with an ascending strength curve, where the movement is hardest at the bottom of the movement, such as the barbell squat or bench press, the addition of chains or bands helps match the resistance curve to the strength curve, by adding more weight in your stronger positions of the movement.
Movements and exercises in the gym have a strength curve, and not all have an ascending strength curve. Below are some examples:
Ascending - Squat, Bench Press
Descending - Rows, Pullups, Hamstring Curls.
Bell Shaped - Curls.
A Descending strength curve typically feels hardest and requires the most force as you reach full flexion, meaning the force required to finish the movement increases throughout the range of motion.
The Bell curve typically means movements feel easiest at the end point of the movement, think- bottom and top of a bicep curl. The hardest point with the most force required is the middle point of the lift.
Figure A: From (Wallace et al., 2018)
Now that we have an understanding of strength curves and why bands and chains are used in the first place to add accommodating resistance… (to match the strength curve to the resistance curve)… let’s take a look at what the results show.
EVIDENCE
The Science Behind Using Accomodationg Resistance
A systematic review and meta-analysis by (Lin et al., 2022), which included 14 studies, looked at the effects of using variable resistance training (VRT) versus constant resistance training on maximum strength.
The forest plot below from the systematic review shows pooled results on maximal strength development in trained subjects. With “experimental” being VRT.
Figure B: From (Lin et al., 2022) Maximal strength response in Trained Subjects.
Interestingly, the below forest plot showed pooled results for maximal strength in untrained subjects.
Figure C: From (Lin et al., 2022) Maximal strength response in Untrained Subjects.
From the results and shown in the forest plots in figures B & C, the overall pooled results show improved maximum strength with VRT, which was significantly higher than that with CRT for all the subjects.
During sub-group analysis of the results, it was found that VRT training at or over 80% of 1RM load in trained subjects delivered the best results, while VRT training at or under 80% of 1RM delivered greater results in untrained subjects included in the studies.
When VRT is used, the resistance of weak muscle points is reduced, which, in turn, reduces the probability of weight lifting failure. At the same time, the resistance gradually increases in the latest stage of the action and exceeds the maximum weight that could be lifted when CRT is used, thus producing greater stimulation of the target muscles. Therefore, it is likely that the concentric stage of VRT is the most favorable component to facilitate the development of maximum strength, especially in the latest stage of the concentric action
A study published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning research by (Ghigiarelli et al., 2009), included a 7 week band and chain accommodating resistance program on upper-body strength and power in the bench press in Division 1-AA Football players.
36 males from Robert Morris University football team participated, with week 1 establishing baseline 1RM bench and 5RM speed bench performance. Following this they were split into 3 groups.
Band
Chain
Traditional
During the 7 weeks, they followed the below prescribed training program
Figure D: From (Ghigiarelli et al., 2009)
The results of this study found some (but not significant) increases in peak power output in the bench press for the band and chain group over the traditional group, with no difference in results in maximal strength between any of the groups..
A Study by (Rivière et al., 2017) on 16 elite youth rugby league players was carried out to investigate the effects of variable resistance training (VRT) using bands V traditional resistance training on upper-body strength, power, and velocity over a 6 week training study.
Both groups performed the exact same training program, except that the VRT group performed the bench press with 20% of the prescribed load coming from elastic bands.
The results showed that while both groups improved their bench press strength, power and velocity, the VRT group experienced larger increases in both absolute and relative bench press 1RM.
The VRT group also tended to experience greater improvements in mean power and velocity.
Figure E: From (Rivière et al., 2017)
COMPARISON
Bands vs Chains
So which is better to use? Bands or Chains?
A study by (Jones, 2014) took 24 NCAA collegiate baseball players who has at least 1 year formal strength and conditioning experience on a 5 week training study during their 14 off season training phase. They were split into two groups, either utilizing band or chain compensatory acceleration training (CAT) and its effects on bench press strength, while benching twice per week with a 1RM test at the end.
Compensatory Acceleration Training (CAT) is a term used to describe training where you focus on moving the weight as fast as possible during the concentric phase of the lift.
Both groups increased their bench pre-to-post 5 week training cycle, with no difference between the groups.
TLDR
Key Takeaways & Practical Applications
Accommodating resistance is used to match the resistance curve to the strength curve, by adding more weight in your stronger positions of the movement.
Bands vs Chains can both provide similar results.
Studies have shown that VRT can improve strength and power results in trained and untrained subjects (most studies have been done specifically using VRT on the Bench Press and Squat)
Using bands and chains seems to be (from the research) a viable tool in your training program tool box and can be used effectively.
It seems like the strong guys over at Westside and Elite FTS may be on to something while they have been incorporating accommodating resistance for the last 10-15 plus years.
There may be the added benefit of novelty when including bands or chains within training, adding some interest to your program and increasing motivation.
Till next time,
Keep Training & Keep Pushing.
Mark ✌️