Accommodating Resistance

Accommodating resistance involves using chains and bands to alter the loading during an exercise's range of motion.
While some argue against it due to potential conflicts with dynamic correspondence principles, it remains a potentially valuable tool when used judiciously.

Accommodating resistance uses chains and bands to change the loading throughout the range of motion.
Challenge: It can unload where the athlete is weaker and load where the athlete is stronger, misaligning with force application in sports.
Key Consideration: Is the method's benefit worth the effort and financial cost?

Chains have a mass based on their diameter; the length dictates load.
- Example: A 22mm diameter chain that is 200cm long may weigh 43.2 kilograms.

Lifting with chains: As the barbell is lifted, the load increases as more chain hangs.
Squats with chains: As one squats down, the chain coils on the floor, reducing the load.
Dr. Dan Baker's method: Chains hang and rapidly unload upon descending, reloading quickly when pushing off the floor, utilizing a stretch-shortening cycle.

Dan Baker's research indicates improvements in peak concentric velocity with bench press plus chains.
Eccentric velocities showed slight differences between bench press with and without chains.

Compared chains and bands, finding no significant difference in EMG activation during the concentric phase.
Chains and bands did not enhance muscle activation compared to traditional squatting; subjects felt the activity was harder, but the effort was not worth the cost and time to calculate loads.
No real difference was found in mean or peak vertical ground reaction forces across squat conditions.

Mike Israel's master's degree work showed bands having greater force than without during 25% of the eccentric phase and the last 10% of the concentric phase.
The band was less than without the band during the last 5% of the eccentric phase and the percent of the concentric phase.
Bands showed greater velocity values during a portion of the eccentric phase and later portions of the concentric phase.
Increased power values were observed with bands during the lift's portion and the latter parts of the concentric phase.
Greater EMG activity was noted with bands for the vastus lateralis during 20% and the last 5% of the phase.

Demonstrated a significant difference in peak velocity, where concentric velocity is higher with no band.
Peak velocity eccentric is also statistically higher than without the band.
Mean velocity concentric is statistically higher with no band.
The rate of force development was significantly greater with bands during a specific phase (section C) of the movement pattern.
There is a significant difference with the bands having a greater rate of force development during that phase.

Examined elastic bands and chronic responses in back squats, power cleans, deadlifts, dumbbell walking lunges, Romanian deadlifts, dumbbell step-ups, and sprint training.
Fast accommodating resistance training showed a 17% improvement in power output.
Changes in strength indicated a 9.4% change with fast eccentrics, but this wasn't statistically different from slow eccentrics or other movement patterns.

Bands offer some benefit but are used only with athletes who have mastered the basics.
Bands are used to reinforce keeping their elbows up as they come out of the bottom of the front squat.
Bands load needs to be calculated correctly to determine the load applied to the system, using a correction coefficient.
Most companies provide load information based on band width using this equation:
- Tensile Strength = f(band width)