At Matheny Muscle House we implement bands and chains into our client's workouts. They operate on the principle of accommodating resistance—meaning the resistance changes throughout the range of motion. As you lift, the tension increases at the top, where you’re biomechanically strongest, and decreases at the bottom, where you’re weakest. This allows an increase in safety of the lifts- adding more tension where you're strongest and decreased tension where injuries are more common. This dynamic resistance pattern ensures that every part of your movement is challenged, leading to greater strength gains and improved performance across lifts.
Another major benefit is Central Nervous System (CNS) overload. Training with bands and chains allows your body to handle heavier loads at the top of the lift, mentally and physically preparing your CNS for future max lifts without placing excessive strain on your muscles and joints. For example, if you're bench pressing, the bar may feel heavier as you near the top, forcing your nervous system to adapt and recruit more muscle fibers. This type of training primes you to lift heavier weights over time without the same wear and tear that full-range max lifts can cause.
Another reason bands and chains are so effective is that they help improve bar speed and explosiveness. By reducing resistance at the bottom of a movement, they encourage you to accelerate through the lift. This teaches your body to move powerfully, which translates to better athletic performance and faster gains.
