Ever feel stuck in a rut with your weightlifting? Grinding away at the same weights, seeing little to no progress? You might be experiencing accommodation, where your body adapts to the training stimulus and plateaus. But fear not, there’s a solution: accommodating resistance.
Westside Barbell, a renowned powerlifting gym, swears by accommodating resistance to keep their athletes progressing. One of their favorite tools? Chains.
Why Chains?
Chains add variable resistance throughout the lift. Unlike a regular weight, chains start off light and get heavier as you lift the bar. This mimics the natural strength curve of the body, where you’re strongest at the bottom and weakest at the top. By using chains, you can:
- Overload the top portion of the lift: This area often gets neglected due to increased leverage in the bottom part. Chains force you to work harder at lockout.
- Develop explosive strength: The variable resistance challenges your nervous system to generate more power throughout the lift.
- Improve starting strength: Chains make it harder to lift the weight initially, forcing you to develop more starting power to overcome this resistance.
How to Use Chains
The article describes how to use chains for three main lifts: bench press, squat, and deadlift. Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Bench press: Attach chains so that half the chain rests on the floor when the bar is racked. As you press, the weight gradually increases, forcing you to drive through the entire lift.
- Squat: Similar to bench press, use chains that lighten the weight at the bottom and increase it as you stand up. This helps build starting strength while overloading the top.
- Deadlift: Chains can benefit lifters with a sticking point near the top. As you lift the weight, the chains gradually come off the floor, increasing the resistance and forcing you to work through your weakness.
The Westside Barbell Experiment
The article details an experiment where lifters used chains for squats. After just one set with chains, they were able to perform subsequent sets with the original weight (without chains) with more explosiveness! This highlights the immediate benefit chains can provide.
Beyond the Basics
The article also mentions using bands alongside chains for even greater accommodating resistance. It emphasizes experimenting with different chain weights and finding what works best for you.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to break through a plateau and take your lifts to the next level, consider incorporating chains into your training routine. With their ability to overload the top portion of the lift, develop explosive strength, and improve starting strength, chains can be a valuable tool for any weightlifter.
Check out our previous post about How to Fight Accommodation in Weightlifting.