Chains, Bands and Force - Part 2

In the second part we will mention a few notes on the use of training with chains and bands. I've seen various uses of the training and a couple of times I've had the impression that the trainee is not entirely clear on the principles of use. Yet it is clearly a great tool for improvement. It just has some differences depending on what we are trying to use it for.

Dynamics, dynamics, dynamics

An absolutely invaluable aid is the use of adaptive load in dynamics training. The ever-present recommendation of the best lifters for the last 15 years is dynamics, dynamics, dynamics. Dedicate a portion of your training to dynamics, it will pay off! If I use an adaptive load in my dynamics training, I get a very positive amplification effect because I teach my muscles a different work pattern. When switching to a "normal" barbell, my muscles will impart the usual acceleration to the load (usual in training), unusual when using a non-increasing weight load. This knocks the dumbbell into the starting position much more aggressively.

Main recommendation for dynamics training:

1. Don't increase the load unnecessarily. The weight of the dumbbell should allow you to deliver the most aggressive and visually maximal acceleration possible. Recommended weights are around 45%-55% for the bench press and 50%-65% for the squat. The more advanced the lifter, the LOWER the weight percentage! More important than the weight is the speed on the barbell.
2. Keep the adaptive load at the same intensity level, meaning same chains, same differences between bottom and top position. The generally recommended loads mentioned in the previous chapter work very well. For squats, use a four-week wave with increasing loads on the barbell - from 50-65% of the max.
3. Press against a load with a force equal to your max! You don't care about anything other than dumbbell acceleration in your momentum training. Every momentum workout is only one job: to increase your dumbbell speed!
4. Divide dynamics training and max training into two different units. They are different work stereotypes. By splitting them, you reinforce your dynamic execution habit.
5. Still, even on the dynamics training, perform a couple of onsets with a weight equivalent to about 80-90% of the max about once a month after the workout. This is especially useful when tuning into strength. The task is completed at a satisfactory level of speed on the barbell at this load.
6. Use low repetitions. For squat 2, for bench 3. You're subordinating everything to achieving maximum acceleration on the barbell. Higher reps may be manageable, but they are not conducive to aggressive dumbbell acceleration! The total number of reps is 16-24 for the squat; 20-27 for the bench.
7. Keep your breaks at 30-45 seconds. If you are pushing or squatting aggressively, you should get a burning sensation towards the end from the acid build-up in the muscle. Still, try to train with maximum focus on maintaining aggression.
8. Don't do a stopwatch on the bench; both the decline and the lunge are fast, dynamic, but controlled. Try locking the dumbbell over your chest with an immediate transition into the push-up. For the squat, the ideal is to use the squat to seated position and vice versa to disconnect the eccentric-concentric chain.
9. After the dynamics training, it is good to supplement the remaining muscle parts trained by the bodybuilding method, i.e. around 6-8 repetitions to the point of exhaustion.
10. Especially the proponents of Russian cycles find the load and volume of training low. Test yourself if after a dynamic squat you can do a bench press just as aggressively. The important thing is to keep the aggressiveness of execution at the highest possible level.

Chains and working to the max

If you're working at a maximum intensity level of around 90-100% in your training units, adaptive loading can be a crucial boost to improvement. If I use an adaptive load in my max workouts, as with momentum, I will achieve a positive momentum in the form of maximum intensity throughout the dumbbell movement. Since I am working at a higher intensity, it is defensible to use much higher load differences between the bottom and top positions, as shown in the first chapter.

Main recommendations for training maxes:

1. Monitor your own recovery very carefully. This kind of training is very demanding. I recommend to include a maximum every two weeks rather less frequently.
2. Instead of squatting, use the squat to sit-up box. For the bench press, use a grip between the width of your shoulders and the maximum distance allowed on the marked dumbbell rings.
3. Remember that the maxes for the seated squat are different than for the classic squat. But after a while, you can get a very good idea of the current max for the classic squat based on your performance.
4. Keep a sparring partner handy. While staying pinned under the barbell may be comical for those around you, it's less funny for you.
5. If you're working with a max in the form of reaching your current "record", increase the load by gradually adding chains until the weight is impossible to handle, say a few attempts from 90-100% of your current max.
6. Divide momentum training and max training into two different units. These are different work stereotypes.
7. Use reps in the 1-2 range. Only do one when you fail to do two.
8. The difference in weight between the bottom and top position is higher than in dynamic training.

Working with additional weight is beneficial not only for lifters but also for other athletes. For example - in basketball and volleyball for the jump, in rugby and hockey for contact, in sprints for starting acceleration. Different goals imply different applications of the principles of such training. In lifting in particular, there is the possibility of trying to "underweight" and "overweight" the differences between the bottom and top positions. Personally, I have heard of using much higher differentials than those I recommend. The question is whether in a particular case this is a targeted and well thought out strategy, or just an unbearable overload without the desired effect of improvement. One of the "concerned" has also suffered medically.