What are the benefits of using chains and bands on your lifts when working out with free weights such as dumbbells or barbells?

The main benefit of using bands and chains lies in the resistance curve of the exercise being performed!

For all exercises, the peak of tension is reached when the most involved joint reaches 90 degrees.

Gravity is going to be the strongest in this position and this is why most of the tension resides in this part of the range of motion.

For instance, the biceps is going to get most of the work when the elbows are bent at 90 degrees during curls.

Then, you will have moderate tension at the bottom of the movement and moderate tension at the top.

Using bands and chains changes the peak of tension of the exercise due to the way they act!

The more you lengthen the chain or the band, the more tension it provides.

Let’s now use the bench press using chains to change the tension profile as an example.

Usually, the peak of tension occurs when the arms are bent at 90 degrees as mentioned before.

With the use of chains, there will be more weight during the top half of the range of motion.

Consequently, utilising chains and bands is fantastic to correct weak points during a movement.

If we reference the same example, bench pressing with chains will put more load on the triceps making them catch up with the pecs.

A lot of athletes use those to build explosiveness which is also useful for heavy lifting.

Grinding for too long under the bar requires a lot of energy and is a mental battle that could be avoided if more explosive power was used!