Accommodating resistance

Accommodating resistance uses bands or chains to change the load through a lift’s range of motion, adding resistance as the bar rises.^{1Helms et al., The Muscle & Strength Pyramid: Training, 2nd ed., p. 161.} Chains lift off the floor and bands anchored below the bar stretch, increasing resistance toward lockout.^{1Helms et al., The Muscle & Strength Pyramid: Training, 2nd ed., p. 161.} This suits lifts that get easier near the top: the squat is usually hardest just out of the hole, and the bench press a few inches off the chest.^{1Helms et al., The Muscle & Strength Pyramid: Training, 2nd ed., p. 161.}

In a squat, the aim is less resistance at the bottom, where the muscles produce the least force, and more as the client stands up.^{2Haff and Triplett (eds.), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed., p. 429.}

In practice

• Calculate the bar load using the average band or chain resistance at the top and bottom, then subtract that average from the target load.^{3Haff and Triplett (eds.), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed., p. 430.} For a 120 kg five-rep max bench press with chains adding 0 to 11.1 kg, the bar gets about 114 to 115 kg.^{3Haff and Triplett (eds.), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed., p. 430.}
• Keep chains for intermediate and advanced clients with stable technique, since the changing load can disrupt form.^{2Haff and Triplett (eds.), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed., p. 429.}
• Expect modest returns for maximal strength: the meta-analytic data Helms and colleagues discuss show no average advantage over traditional loading, though it may help a client who is weak near lockout.^{1Helms et al., The Muscle & Strength Pyramid: Training, 2nd ed., p. 161.}

Where sources differ

Helms and colleagues call bands and chains “variable or accommodating resistance.”^{1Helms et al., The Muscle & Strength Pyramid: Training, 2nd ed., p. 161.} The NSCA’s strength and conditioning textbook puts bands and chains under variable resistance.^{2Haff and Triplett (eds.), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed., p. 429.} It reserves “accommodating resistance” for devices that control movement speed through the range of motion, which it describes as having poor external validity.^{2Haff and Triplett (eds.), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed., p. 429.}