STAY/GET BACK IN SHAPE VOL 3.0 -- A New Niketalk = A New Thread

[tokes99]

always wondered how people set up the chain for lifts, like i assume there are different weights? how do you insure that they are balanced on the bar?


got 510 up for a couple singles, can’t really manage reps once i get around that max effort territory…grip ain’t there

 

[Beruseruku Desu]

me when I see the same people in the gym 5 years later with no gains

 

[aNYone]

always wondered how people set up the chain for lifts, like i assume there are different weights? how do you insure that they are balanced on the bar?


got 510 up for a couple singles, can’t really manage reps once i get around that max effort territory…grip ain’t there

I always assumed the with the added weight the drag on the weight was more consistent like on a smith machine.

 

[mplsdunk]

It’s heavier with higher you lift it.

So if you’re getting stuck mid dl or struggling with locking it out you can use chains to break the plateau.

You can use it for any lift, same concept. Bands work too.

 

[Tank Top Master]

me when I see the same people in the gym 5 years later with no gains

The Law of Conservation of Mass and Aesthetics:
The Law of Conservation of Mass and Aesthetics states that mass is neither created nor destroyed, just transferred from one gym bro to another. It is a physical law that not everyone can be brolic.

Everyone can't be shredded or jacked just like everyone can't be rich.

The ones going to the gym and making zero gains for years are helping to keep the gym lights on for the ones that are really bout that life.

 

[tokes99]

I always assumed the with the added weight the drag on the weight was more consistent like on a smith machine.

tho not like the smith machine, that’s sort of the idea, as the added chain kinda matches the strength curve where it is adding/removing resistance to the top/bottom of the lift making the overall effort of the lift, in theory, more consistent across the lift

It’s heavier with higher you lift it.

So if you’re getting stuck mid dl or struggling with locking it out you can use chains to break the plateau.

You can use it for any lift, same concept. Bands work too.

i just wonder when setting up how/if the chains stays balanced?

 

[mplsdunk]

Just split the 50/50 with the bar.

 

[6 Rings G.O.A.T.]

 

[DonRafa]

 

[ICE CITY CF]

This why all the 2.5lb plates is gone.

 

[WASPS ANDD ASPS]

Im just starting out bros.......
Ima stay consistent this year

Im an orb shaped human.

If that NTer with the tiny shoes and red socks that dressed like Farnsworth Bently can change....so can I.

I forgot his name. But in my head he is "Mr Polo Bear"

 

[datznasty]

Im just starting out bros.......
Ima stay consistent this year

Im an orb shaped human.

If that NTer with the tiny shoes and red socks that dressed like Farnsworth Bently can change....so can I.

I forgot his name. But in my head he is "Mr Polo Bear"

luckyluchiano he probably looks like a beast if he ever went on a cut

 

[Tank Top Master]

Im just starting out bros.......
Ima stay consistent this year

Im an orb shaped human.

If that NTer with the tiny shoes and red socks that dressed like Farnsworth Bently can change....so can I.

I forgot his name. But in my head he is "Mr Polo Bear"

 

[WASPS ANDD ASPS]

luckyluchiano he probably looks like a beast if he ever went on a cut

Thats him!

 

[ICE CITY CF]

Lmao luckyluchiano an OG why y’all going at him like that.

 

[mplsdunk]

He’s my guy because he likes old three 6 but idk why he felt the need to wear Dorothy’s shoes from wizard of OZ.

 

[agoatnamedsally]

tho not like the smith machine, that’s sort of the idea, as the added chain kinda matches the strength curve where it is adding/removing resistance to the top/bottom of the lift making the overall effort of the lift, in theory, more consistent across the lift




i just wonder when setting up how/if the chains stays balanced?

Bands and chains essentially do the same thing; weight gets lower as your rep does and gets heavier as you complete the rep. Great for getting through sticking points on the way up/overloading at the top of the rep.

If you have access to a power rack, you can get the same effect by using the "Future Method," which means you use bands around the top of the rack to hold the weight up (but still has the same effect - rep is heavier at the top and lighter at the bottom as the band engages and provides tension). That's normally used in more advanced programming, though.

In terms of how chains stay on, I've seen metal collars that have chains welded on, so you just put them on after the plates like you normally would. The place I'm at has carabiners/D rings that allow you to slip them over the collars (outside the weights) on the bar.

As long as your reps are symmetrical and you double check to make sure the weight/bands/chains are symmetrical before starting your set, they don't move. And if they do, it's generally a sign you have tightness/weakness on one side.

Edit to add: If you want to try DLing with bands, but don't have a platform that allows you to use bands/can't find 4 heavy dumbells to keep them in place you can also use a single band around your feet (the band should be around the middle of your foot for optimal efficiency) and neck (the bar will be in between your shins and the band) and train "heavier" lockout weights without straining your grip. It can be awkward to learn to get into position, but it's great for forcing you to drive your chest/shoulders up and back during the rep.

 

[tokes99]

Bands and chains essentially do the same thing; weight gets lower as your rep does and gets heavier as you complete the rep. Great for getting through sticking points on the way up/overloading at the top of the rep.

If you have access to a power rack, you can get the same effect by using the "Future Method," which means you use bands around the top of the rack to hold the weight up (but still has the same effect - rep is heavier at the top and lighter at the bottom as the band engages and provides tension). That's normally used in more advanced programming, though.

In terms of how chains stay on, I've seen metal collars that have chains welded on, so you just put them on after the plates like you normally would. The place I'm at has carabiners/D rings that allow you to slip them over the collars (outside the weights) on the bar.

As long as your reps are symmetrical and you double check to make sure the weight/bands/chains are symmetrical before starting your set, they don't move. And if they do, it's generally a sign you have tightness/weakness on one side.

band assisted squats are super fun, why is that considered advanced? haven’t been able to use the bands i have for additional resistance due to the way the racks are set, i would think there is a bit of difference between bands & chains?

 

[agoatnamedsally]

band assisted squats are super fun, why is that considered advanced? haven’t been able to use the bands i have for additional resistance due to the way the racks are set, i would think there is a bit of difference between bands & chains?

They're definitely fun and one of my favorite exercises. I normally use 2 of these for squats/DL/bench/warming up/stretching.

I used a digital scale with a hook (like at a produce section in a grocery store) when they were new and, for my squat ROM, they were about 65-70 lbs at the top and 30-35 lbs at the bottom EACH. So just the a regular 45 lb bar + bands was ~100 lbs at the bottom and 175+ lbs at the top... It also requires a super consistent walkout (again, the bands should bisect the middle of your foot and consistently doing that efficiently can be difficult under heavy loads) and good stabilization muscles/bracing.

You can definitely use lighter bands (and they get weaker as they get used/stretched out), but all bands require honesty, technique, and mobility.

Most people (and this applies to most gyms I've been to outside of elite strength training gyms) in my experience aren't honest with themselves and bands offer an increased risk of injury if you don't respect them.

For instance - you generally can't use safety arms when squatting with bands and spotting any type of banded movement is sketchy...

The first time I used bands, I tried a 365 lb squat + red bands (my PR was 380 at the time). 315 + reds flew beforehand, so I tried it and realized on the descent I wasn't coming back up (and I couldn't use spotter arms with bands on that rack). Luckily, I practice heavy paused squats regularly, so I was able to sit down fully, take a second to compose myself, and dump the weight off my back with no injury.

Bands can be a great tool, but, like everything else in the gym, they have a time/place and risk/reward balance.

 

[tokes99]

The first time I used bands, I tried a 365 lb squat + red bands (my PR was 380 at the time). 315 + reds flew beforehand, so I tried it and realized on the descent I wasn't coming back up (and I couldn't use spotter arms with bands on that rack). Luckily, I practice heavy paused squats regularly, so I was able to sit down fully, take a second to compose myself, and dump the weight off my back with no injury.

Bands can be a great tool, but, like everything else in the gym, they have a time/place and risk/reward balance.

was this an assisted or resisted squat?

i was doing assisted squats to be faster out of that bottom position on (mostly heavy) squats…the feeling the weight getting light from of pull of the bands did inspire a bit of false confidence with just how fast it moved the weight.

is there a difference between the way the resistance bands progressively get ‘heavier’/add resistance and the way the chains feel as they come off the floor? i’d imagine the chains are smoother & the bands (potentially based on the strength of the band) harder?

 

[agoatnamedsally]

I don't train future method (assisted from what I hear you saying) since I don't have access to a power rack most of the time.

All my banded lifts (bench, DL, and squat) are done with the bands being held down by DBs/specific part of the rack/platform to put tension on the top of the rep (rather than removing tension at the bottom, like future method/assisted).

Chains feel a little different then bands because they pull straight down (compared to bands that pull you towards whatever they're attached to - which is why a symmetrical walkout/equal bisection of the foot compared to where the bands are secured is so important with them).

Chains also make a pretty loud sound (which can be distracting if you're not anticipating it) and can also sway from side to side if your walkout/rep isn't as controlled as it should be.

My bench setup from tonight:

Worked up to 4x4 at that weight, then did close grip with bands + a plate for 5x10

 

[ahat]

 

[DonRafa]

 

[WASPS ANDD ASPS]

 

[mplsdunk]

Imagine thinking yoga would have any hierarchy over deadlifts.

You can just do that at home.