Accommodating resistance

[lennarn]

What are your experiences with using accommodating resistance such as bands and chains to increase the rate of force development in your barbell lifts? Have any of you used it with TB?

[J-Madd]

What are your experiences with using accommodating resistance such as bands and chains to increase the rate of force development in your barbell lifts? Have any of you used it with TB?

I experimented with chains and bands quite a bit when I was powerlifting, mostly as part of the general Westside approach I took. I never felt like I got a a lot bang out of either method. I'm not saying it doesn't work; of course you are aware of the legions of powerlifters who have made massive progress with bands/chains.

As far as incorporating it into TB goes, I'm not sure how or whether it's even a good idea. One method that comes to mind would be to keep your training max the same at the start of a new block, but instead of the usual forced progression add some (rather light) chain resistance.

[Barkadion]

You can use it for SE, HIC, and assistance work you need that.
Resistant bands/chains push-ups, unilateral hip thrusts, face pulls, band pull through, unilateral rowing and pressing, dips, chin-ups, band pull aparts, etc..

Could be cheap useful solutions.

[K.B.]

In terms of maximal-strength (not SE,HIC, rehab/physio, etc.), these are tricks of the trade for specialists that are nearing the limits of their strength. Weight lifters, powerlifters. Not for novices, intermediates, or tactical athletes. Here's how I look at it:

1. Have you reached respectable strength standards in the main lifts through basic programming? i.e. 1.5 - 2xbw Bench press, 2-2.5 x bw squat, 2.5bw deadlift. Roughly.

If the answer is no, then you're wasting your time worrying about bands, chains, and automobiles. Get the basics down first. Chances are your time will be better put to use on nutrition, rest, recovery and consistency in training. This is the typical beginner mindset, thinking that tools, hacks and specialized techniques get you to the top. Think of your training like a pyramid. Everything but the very tip of the pyramid should be labelled "THE BASICS". Once you near the tip of that pyramid, start considering specialized techniques and tricks to get you over that last little hump.

2. Are you a powerlifter/weightlifter/competitive lifter of any sort? Is that your end goal?

If the answer is no, your time would be better spent training other domains. You won't get much bang for your buck trying to gain a few lbs by playing with bands and chains. Shift some of that extra time and energy to your lagging domains - can you do a hundred push-ups yet? How about running a sub 40 minute 10k? I'll take someone that can run a 39 minute 10k, do 30 pull-ups with a 1.5bw bench press over someone that has a 600lb bench press and nothing else - in a heartbeat.

If the answer to #2 is yes, then TB is not the right program for you. You should look into material put out by the likes of people that spend their lives getting strong and only getting strong. The Louie Simmons and the Sheikos of the world.

[J-Madd]

In terms of maximal-strength (not SE,HIC, rehab/physio, etc.), these are tricks of the trade for specialists that are nearing the limits of their strength. Weight lifters, powerlifters. Not for novices, intermediates, or tactical athletes. Here's how I look at it:

1. Have you reached respectable strength standards in the main lifts through basic programming? i.e. 1.5 - 2xbw Bench press, 2-2.5 x bw squat, 2.5bw deadlift. Roughly.

If the answer is no, then you're wasting your time worrying about bands, chains, and automobiles. Get the basics down first. Chances are your time will be better put to use on nutrition, rest, recovery and consistency in training. This is the typical beginner mindset, thinking that tools, hacks and specialized techniques get you to the top. Think of your training like a pyramid. Everything but the very tip of the pyramid should be labelled "THE BASICS". Once you near the tip of that pyramid, start considering specialized techniques and tricks to get you over that last little hump.

2. Are you a powerlifter/weightlifter/competitive lifter of any sort? Is that your end goal?

If the answer is no, your time would be better spent training other domains. You won't get much bang for your buck trying to gain a few lbs by playing with bands and chains. Shift some of that extra time and energy to your lagging domains - can you do a hundred push-ups yet? How about running a sub 40 minute 10k? I'll take someone that can run a 39 minute 10k, do 30 pull-ups with a 1.5bw bench press over someone that has a 600lb bench press and nothing else - in a heartbeat.

If the answer to #2 is yes, then TB is not the right program for you. You should look into material put out by the likes of people that spend their lives getting strong and only getting strong. The Louie Simmons and the Sheikos of the world.

Perfect post K.B., and a great reminder to all of us about the fundamental principles of this programming.

Another thing to note with respect to #1 is that even in the Westside world, chains and bands are not thing you do as a beginner or even an intermediate. These are plateau busters, ways of adding new forms of adaptation for max effort sessions, addressing weak points, specifically preparing to work with the differential of resistance when lifting in supportive powerlifting gear, and increasing bar speed. None of those are really issues for beginners typical T.B. users. If you look at Pavel and Dan John's Easy Strength, you can see some of the original Westside templates, which I believe they apply to beginners even today (though certainly Louie Simmons's methods are a moving target). Guess what? They are higher frequency, submaximal, periodized schemes. Sound familiar?

I remember Dave Tate saying or writing somewhere about how he laughs whenever he goes to a gym and sees relatively new lifters straining under 315lbs max effort goodmornings with 70lbs of added chain weight. He said he always wants to ask "Did you get everything you can out of 135lbs before you started adding all that weight?" His point is that probably what happens is that a newbie gets bored and impatient with 135 even though he is still making progress with that weight, and that's why he starts looking for different techniques, more weight, etc. etc., etc. This applies to me now because I find myself asking "Should I force progression, or test, or some such? Have I a really squeezed everything I can out of my current training max?" Likewise: "Should I switch to weighted dips instead of OHP?" Did I get everything I can out of the OHP yet?

My point in all this rambling is really really something K.B. said: however well these advanced techniques work, there is no need to touch them until you have absolutely exhausted the basics. Even then, there's not much reason to do so unless you are just in this for strength maximization at all costs. Keep in mind that I have been lifting for nearly thirty years, and my current cluster is plain old SQ, OHP, WPU, and DL in Operator.

Lennarn, I don't mean to pile on here. Your question was perfectly legit.

[lennarn]

Are these points equally valid with an end goal of maximum acceleration of movement, such as banded squat to increase vertical jump? Is it just a waste of time and energy unless you already squat 2xbw? Is compensatory acceleration a waste as well?

J-Madd: Don't worry, I'm just curious and love the long answers.

[DocOctagon]

Are these points equally valid with an end goal of maximum acceleration of movement, such as banded squat to increase vertical jump?

This is a really vague term. Be specific with what you're asking. Maximum acceleration in terms of what movement? Sprinting? Swimming? Increasing vertical jump? Much easier to understand and address if the question's phrased like "Will bands help me jump higher?" or "Will bands help me sprint faster?"

The answer is yes, no, and maybe. Many things contribute to speed or explosive power (such as jumping, which is explosive power). Some of this is covered in TB. Maximal Strength gets converted to power with the right drills. Therefore having a large reservoir of maximal strength should make you more powerful (explosive) with the right conversion drills. Google Ben Johnson's lift numbers, pretty strong guy in terms of max-strength.

What KB and JMadd outlined in their posts apply to power development as well. If you want to work on jumping higher, build maximum strength --> then jump/do jumping drills. If you want to get faster, build maximal strength ---> then sprint/sprint drills. Do some basic power development drills like plyos. Years down the road when you can't milk anymore speed out of your boring ole sprints, weights, and plyos, then go out of the box and do parachute sprints, bands, chains, or what have you.