Why Resistance Bands And Chains Are Different To Weights

There is a huge difference between resistance bands and chains and regular weights, yet some people just don’t ‘get’ it. Those people miss out big time. In fact, the most sophisticated and cutting edge coaches and training programs make extensive use of bands and chains because they fully understand how different they are, and the benefits they provide which regular weight cannot, and never will. Take the time to read and digest the material in this article and it’ll change everything for you and take your training to unthinkable heights.

The ‘flaw’ with regular weights…

Regular weights are the most basic tool used to build strength and muscle. Yet, it’s by no means perfect. In fact, it has a severe flaw which most people aren’t even aware of yet it holds everybody – without exception – back from reaching their true potential. The problem: The resistance is constant.

If you are attempting to bench press 300lb with regular weights, you’re lifting 300lb at the bottom, 300lb at the middle, 300lb at the top and 300lb every millimeter in between.

The problem with this is, most people are weakest at the bottom of a lift, and strongest at the top. The result is you’re ultimately limited by how much you can lift out of the bottom – even if you can handle far more in the middle and the top! What a waste of potential!

One method is to use partial repetitions. But another method which allows for full range is to use a mixture of bands or chains and weight.

Here’s how bands and chains work…

Chains add more resistance to the bar as more links are lifted off the ground, and bands add more resistance to the bar as the elastic stretches. This is something the constant-resistance of regular weights can never do.

Using the 300lb bench press example again, you could set a combination of bands or chains and weight so at the bottom you are lifting 300lb (or less) of resistance allowing you to get out of the bottom with a weight you can handle, and at the top provide over 300lb of resistance to challenge you more than regular weight alone could.