Chains while Bench Pressing

[UFGatorDude30]

Back in high school, our coaches had us strap extra long chains around the bar while benching so as we were doing the eccentric portion of the exercise, part of the chain would rest on the ground making it lighter. Obviously as you lift it, you are lifting the chain up off the ground which also makes it heavier. I guess the whole point was to make it get harder and harder towards the latter part of the concentric.

After looking around here, it seems this is kind of useless since it is making the eccentric part of the lift get easier and the concetric get harder.

Anyone got any thoughts on this as to whether it's a good idea or not.

 

[scientific muscle]

It is not really a good idea unless you are a powerlifter and use a benching shirt.

 

[Totentanz]

Not for HST, but if you are working on lockout strength, then sure.

 

[scientific muscle]

Exactly, most 'raw' benchers have no problem locking out. With a benching shirt, the shirt helps get the bar off the chest, but helps very little with the lockout. The shirt allows heavy loads that you normally couldn't get off the chest, that is why you see powerlifters working on lockout strength all the time, doing board presses and chain work. They don't have to worry too much about the lower portion of the lift since they wear a shirt.

 

[Totentanz]

One of my friends went to a meet this weekend. There was this angry somoan there who benched 700 lbs with a shirt, after warming up with supposedly 500 raw. Crazy.
Then there was some real fat girl in a shirt who failed on 190. Heh.

 

[the_dark_master]

I don't know whether to laugh or cry... Chains/bands allow the load/tension to be maintained in the muscle whilst leverages become more favourable (ie top of a squat/dip or the bottom of a pulldown etc) Depending on the actual chain weight of course.
So it's a win-win situation allround; both for strength & HST.

And at least the "fat lass" stepped up to the plate(s)

 

[scientific muscle]

...and if you get advanced enough you don't even need plates....you can buy a padlock, wrap the chains around your body and the bench and bar and then press until the chains snap. For progressive overload start out with thin chains and buy thicker and thicker ones as you get stronger!

 

[scientific muscle]

<div>
(the_dark_master @ Apr. 29 2007,15:13)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">

 

I don't know whether to laugh or cry... Chains/bands allow the load/tension to be maintained in the muscle whilst leverages become more favourable (ie top of a squat/dip or the bottom of a pulldown etc) Depending on the actual chain weight of course.
So it's a win-win situation allround; both for strength &amp; HST.

And at least the &quot;fat lass&quot; stepped up to the plate(s)</div>
I guess that is a useful idea TDM, maybe I will try chains one day for bench/deadlift, etc. It would probably be a great trapezius/upper back/quadriceps builder to use heavy chains deadlifting so the load gets heavier as the bar gets closer to lockout!