{"id":189937,"date":"2025-06-02T14:43:42","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T19:43:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/?p=189937"},"modified":"2025-06-02T14:43:42","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T19:43:42","slug":"accommodating-resistance-chains-bands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/health-fitness\/fitness\/accommodating-resistance-chains-bands\/","title":{"rendered":"Chains, Bands, and Bigger Gains: A Weightlifter\u2019s Guide to Accommodating Resistance"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve probably seen powerlifters deadlifting or squatting with chains draped from their barbells.<\/p>\n

It looks and sounds badass \u2014 but it\u2019s not just for show.<\/p>\n

Putting chains (as well as bands) on your barbell is called accommodating resistance, and it can be a useful tool to help you break through lifting plateaus and hit new PRs.<\/p>\n

As you lift a barbell to which chains have been attached, the chains gradually rise off the floor, increasing the load as the barbell gets higher.<\/p>\n

You can also get this variable resistance by using elastic bands. You attach one end of the band to the barbell and the other end to an anchor near the floor. At the bottom of the lift, the bands are slack, but as you raise the barbell, the band stretches and increases tension, making the barbell feel heavier as you get to the top of the lift.<\/p>\n

Back in my powerlifting days, my barbell coach, Matt Reynolds<\/a>, incorporated chains and banded lifts into my programming quite a bit. I really enjoyed them because they added variety to my training and helped me get past some sticking points in my lifts that had plagued me for months.<\/p>\n

To help walk us through the benefits of accommodating resistance and how to incorporate it into your programming, I hopped on the horn with Matt to get his insights and advice.<\/p>\n

A Brief History of Accommodating Resistance<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The idea of varying resistance through a lift\u2019s range of motion has been around since the early days of strength training. Early 20th-century strongmen would use chains in their exercises to vary the load during the lift. In the mid-20th century, Soviet powerlifting legend Vasily Alekseyev<\/a> would do his lifts in waist-high water to add some accommodating resistance to his exercise.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until the 1990s that accommodating resistance became a popular tool among powerlifters. And the man who had the biggest impact in spreading its use was Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell.<\/a><\/p>\n

Simmons began attaching heavy chains to barbells to accommodate the body\u2019s changing leverage throughout the lift. He later started using elastic bands with his lifters as an alternative way to provide accommodating resistance.<\/p>\n

Why Use Accommodating Resistance<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Here\u2019s what accommodating resistance offers:<\/p>\n

Matches Your Strength Curve. <\/strong>The biggest reason you would use accommodating resistance is that it makes the lift match your strength curve: you\u2019re stronger at the top of lifts like the squat and bench press than you are at the bottom.<\/p>\n

As you lift a barbell outfitted with accommodating resistance, the chains gradually rise off the floor or the bands stretch, increasing the load as the barbell goes higher and higher and getting the heaviest at the top of the movement. Thus, the lift is lighter at the bottom, where you’re weakest, and heavier at the top, where you’re strongest. \u201cBy increasing the resistance as you move into the stronger parts of your lift, you recruit more muscle fibers, which helps with strength and hypertrophy,\u201d Matt told me.<\/p>\n

Increases Power and Bar Speed.<\/strong> “Accommodating resistance forces compensatory acceleration,” Matt says. “You\u2019re kind of in a race to the top. The bar gets heavier as you lift it, so it teaches you to push harder all the way through.” This develops explosive strength by requiring a high rate of continuous force.<\/p>\n

Overcomes Sticking Points. <\/strong>At some point in your training career, you\u2019ll discover you have sticking points \u2014 places in the lift where you can\u2019t seem to go any further. For example, I had a period where I was having trouble locking out my bench press. I started adding chains to the lift and because the barbell got heavier as it moved up, I was able to really train getting through lockout. Once I took the chains off, the barbell just felt super light throughout the lift.<\/p>\n

As Matt explains, because accommodating resistance overloads the parts of a lift where you\u2019re strong and keeps the weight light where you\u2019re weak, you get \u201cmore velocity going into the sticking point; you often get higher up and in a better leverage position before the sticking point really catches up with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Challenges your muscles in a different way. <\/strong>Accommodating resistance, especially in the form of bands, forces you to stabilize the bar. It also improves bar control and requires you to stay tight throughout the lift.<\/p>\n

Chains vs. Bands: Pros, Cons, and Best Uses<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There are two ways to add accommodating resistance: chains and elastic bands. Each one has its pros and cons:<\/p>\n

Chains.<\/strong> Chains provide a resistance curve that deloads and loads in a more linear way compared to bands. As Matt explained, “They don\u2019t actively pull down on the bar; standard gravity applies.” That makes them easier to control and more forgiving. Chains are easy to set up. Just hang some chains from the bar. (I\u2019ll show you how below.) They\u2019re ideal for beginners and excellent for matching the strength curve while still helping with sticking points.<\/p>\n

Bands. <\/strong>Bands offer more extreme variable resistance. “Bands actually increase the speed of gravity,” Matt said. “What I mean by that is if you let go of the bar, it would fall faster than gravity alone because the band is actively pulling the bar down.” Bands also introduce horizontal forces, so if your form is off, you\u2019ll know. They\u2019ll yank the bar out of alignment, making them less forgiving but more effective for exposing weaknesses.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re also more intense, which makes them better for advanced lifters seeking explosiveness. The other upside of bands is they are cheaper and quieter than chains. You can use bands at a public gym without causing a clanging metallic ruckus.<\/p>\n

One of the downsides of bands, I think, is that they\u2019re kind of a pain to set up. You need a squat rack that will allow you to use band pegs. And you have to make sure you place the bands on the barbell evenly so that everything remains nice and smooth during the lift and you\u2019re not getting pulled in different directions.  <\/p>\n

When to Use Chains or Bands<\/strong><\/p>\n

Start with chains if you\u2019re new to accommodating resistance. They\u2019re more forgiving and help you build confidence in your lockout without compromising form. Bands are better for experienced lifters who want to train explosively and work on bar control and speed.<\/p>\n

“When you’re really trying to get fast and explosive, bands are probably the better choice,” Matt noted. “But for hypertrophy and learning to get through sticking points, chains are awesome.”<\/p>\n

How to Program With Accommodating Resistance<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Here\u2019s Matt\u2019s guidance on programming:<\/p>\n