I am currently a college student and been around the weightroom for awhile and thanks to T-Nation, have made some quality gains. Recently, I have noticed that our football team’s program involves lifting with 25 pound chains on each side of the bar. They say it helps with explosion because as the lower the bar the their chest the weight gets lighter as the chains hit the floor. What do you guys think of this, is it effective. Should I consider trying this to gain some bench strength.
Thanks
This is a very popular method with powerlifters to increase strength in the bench squat and deadlift. Check out this article by Dave Tate. He talks about bands as well, but they are along the same principle
My weight lifting coach made us use them when we messed around too much,he’d make us max with them…but I like them,cause 180 with 30lb chains on bench is nasty
I also enjoy having someone remove/add weight while i hold the bar in the air(no racking here) when I bench,though I dont do it often
We use chains and bands frequently on both bench and squat. They’re a good tool once you’ve got your form down. I wouldn’t recommend them till you’ve got a lot of solid experience with standard movements. That goes double for bands, both bands and chains change the dynamics of the lift and can be dangerous if not done properly.