your experience with chains and bands

[endpoint]

I havent had a chance to experiment with bands or chains.
I use non jumpstretch bands, to recover from bench days by doing 100 reps of pushdowns....but thats all (its a bit hard to do anything else with these bands......they are acctually tubes)

but i have been considering using both chains and bands on my lifts

how much have bands and/or chains inproved your lifting and what are your experiences with them.

would you recommend them.....and how do you recommend they be used.

we are talking personal experience here

 

[Screwball]

Chains & Bands...

Chains and bands will definitely accelerate your strength gains. I believe they offer the following benefits.

- The use of bands & chains approximate the strength curve more accurately than free weight. They deload weight at your weak points and overload weight at your strong points. Making any exercise more efficient and effective.

- They can be awkward when used and this forces your body to adapt by increasing strength and control in support muscles and stabilizers. Walkouts with a lot of band tension or multiple chains can be interesting.

- The use of chains and bands effectively increases the number of exercises you can use in your powerlifting arsenal.

- If you want to build compensatory speed then you need to work with chains and bands. Explosive power!

Personally, I like to use bands with dynamic movements and chains with maximum effort movements. I don't use them with accesory work much as it's easy to overtrain with excessive use of the chains & bands. I really haven't used them in a "reverse band" fashion yet. I highly recommend the use of chains and bands.

- Screwball

 

[brianmincher]

I use chains and bands and would recommend them to anyone. I use the tubes like you are referring to for extra workouts, I do 100 reps of pressdowns 3 times per week, and during that extra workout I also do curls with the tubes, and rotator work. I have just recently started doing this and I hope to get some good benefits from it. I do know already that it has helped immensely with shoulder pain.

On to the heavy stuff. I use chains with every dynamic workout, squats or bench. I will also throw on some jump stretch green bands for 3 week cycles in addition to the chains, periodically. On the bench I tie the bands together by running one inside the other, kind of looping them together rather than tieing a knot, and then I just put one band on the olympic bar outside the plates, run the bands under the bench support bar, which is about 3 inches off the floor, and around the bar on the other side. Then I do my 8 triples.

On squat day, I use a about 160 lbs of dumbells on each band to hold them down, and once again loop the band over the bar outside the plates, then do my 10 doubles.

I have also used the green bands for a reverse band press, by moving the catch bars in the rack up to one of the higher holes, and choking the band around the bar, looping the other end around the olympic bar outside the plates.

B

 

[Adam MacKinnon]

I have not used chains yet but i do use bands every week. I love them! I cycle them in on speed bench days and i found it helped a ton with my explosion. I use them every speed squat day too. Its fun to pile on bands on ME excercises too, Bands make for good recovery workouts too.

 

[endpoint]

Brian, do you ever do dynamic workouts without chains? do you feel this has benifited you?

also my little welding project is 95% finished.

we had big joe (he weights like 275) on it last night......the machine held him up with no sign of strain. so my welding is all good, you are right its not rocket science you just need practice)
thank for you help

 

[brianmincher]

Before I aquired to chains I did all my speed work without the chains. Now that I have them, I never do a speed bench without them. They are great. Many people have become very strong without using them, but they have helped me out a ton with my bar speed. Speed kills. Get some chains.

Great to hear about your welding project, very glad I could be of help. To Endpoint, and any one on this board, if I can ever be of help in any way, feel free to ask. Besides knowing a bit about welding and such I am a trial Attorney, or Barrister to you Endpoint.

Lift big, think bigger,

B

 

[Prometheus]

Another powerlifting lawyer! That's great - I had assumed that I was the only one...

 

[Deciever]

where you can you buy these bands and chains

 

[Exodus]

www.elitefitnesssystems.com

X

 

[Deciever]

thanks

 

[xtreem]

i bought some chains at a marine supply place in town yesterday.2-24" 3/8" . 2-7ft 1/2" .
2- 7ft. 5/8". 2- big spring clips $135.00 including the glorious 9% tax. they had 3/4" also...but i'll wait and see if i ever need to add the 3/4".

 

[endpoint]

im going to a scrap metal yard for mine, its a hell of alot cheaper

 

[brianmincher]

hey there Prometheus,

I was wondering why you and I always seem to have the same brilliant thoughts. From what I saw in Law school, and since then in practice, there are very very few powerlifting lawyers. Most of them that I know are a bunch of pussies. Little geeks who got their asses thumped growing up. Now I thump their asses!!!!
Rahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!!!

Seriously, Prometheus, what do you do? I recently left private practice to be a public defender. Lots of court time, and a lot of fun, just not a lot of money. Good to hear about another powerlifting lawyer. There are only two in Tulsa, out of like 4000 lawyers.

Stay strong brother,

B

 

[Deciever]

what kind of chains and bands would i need to get ..
bench - 190
daedlfit - 315
squat - 250..

im new to all this, so i need help!

 

[bigokie]

Chains and bands

You always start out with the miniflex bands for dynamic bench. Don't go above these!
For chains, you could probably use the 5/8 but they might be a bit big. You should probably use the 1/2 and then later on work up to the 5/8.
Elitefts.com has the bands and toppers supply has the chain setups, although they are somewhat pricey. Good luck.