Using chains for lifting

[Eric K]

There are a few wombats in the hill.

Am I considered a wombat? Someone needs to make a "badass wombat" video to go along with the "Badass Honeybadger" video, now...

[AriSuper]

If CF "coaches" allow the use of chains and/or bands(especially bands) to novice lifters, for me that will be the final proof that they're the nautilus machine for the 21 century - but then again adult people should be allowed to live out their stupidity to the fullest, I had such an example yesterday at my Boxing training, there's a light barbell set in the gym and I had to stand by and observe 10 people bench press with their elbows almost parallel with their shoulders, I tried to point out that's the best way to fuck up your shoulders but "it hits the upper pecs better" answer made me just give up.


I use bands for pushupps, I tried chains, didn't really like them.

[kpoff]

I read in 5/3/1 that chains and bands are effective for geared lifters since they mimic what its like to lift in gear. That being easier at the bottom and harder in the lockout portion of the lift. I dont know that they are very useful for raw lifters.

[PFerrari]

Funny chain story: I saw a "bro" at at the gym (to paint the picture - he had a wife beater, some pretty boy workout pants from a matching workout suit [jacket removed at this point], waxed eye brows, shaved legs, hair perfect, etc). He decides to use chains on the incline bench. He sets the chains up, but when he does the lift, the chains don't even touch the fucking ground! Even if he thinks he needs the chains, he's not using them the way they're even intended. Fucking idiot. Then he did bicep curls and calf raises for the remainder of his workout.

[veryhrm]

Two pairs of chains appeared at the gym where i work out about 3 months ago. I think they're ~45lbs per chain, but i didn't see any markings on them. People at my gym are not particularly strong. Every once in a while i'll see someone DLing 3 plates but it's mostly a cardio, group exercise and high rep circuits kind of place.

So far i've seen the chains used 3 or 4 times:

1) trainer added them to a 135lbs bar for his client to do 3/4 HB squats w/. But due to the range of motion and the lack of boxes only a small fraction of the chain weight ever came off so the effect was minimal anyway. Also, this guy usually does 225# 3/4th squats so there was no extra load to begin with.

2) Once i saw them attached to an otherwise empty bar on one of the bench press benches (didn't see who was working it). Another time they were attached to a BP w/ some generally small amount of weight.

3) Finally i saw a trainer use them to load a client for some sort of push-up / plank combo thing by draping a chain over their back.

[quagmire]

there's a light barbell set in the gym and I had to stand by and observe 10 people bench press with their elbows almost parallel with their shoulders, I tried to point out that's the best way to fuck up your shoulders but "it hits the upper pecs better" answer made me just give up.

A dude at my gym tried to "correct" my form telling me elbows should be parallel to the shoulders


I do use chains ---- as fractional 1lb weights.

[Michael Wolf]

Two pairs of chains appeared at the gym where i work out about 3 months ago. I think they're ~45lbs per chain, but i didn't see any markings on them. People at my gym are not particularly strong. Every once in a while i'll see someone DLing 3 plates but it's mostly a cardio, group exercise and high rep circuits kind of place.

So far i've seen the chains used 3 or 4 times:

1) trainer added them to a 135lbs bar for his client to do 3/4 HB squats w/. But due to the range of motion and the lack of boxes only a small fraction of the chain weight ever came off so the effect was minimal anyway. Also, this guy usually does 225# 3/4th squats so there was no extra load to begin with.

2) Once i saw them attached to an otherwise empty bar on one of the bench press benches (didn't see who was working it). Another time they were attached to a BP w/ some generally small amount of weight.

3) Finally i saw a trainer use them to load a client for some sort of push-up / plank combo thing by draping a chain over their back.

Do you really live in San Fran? Cause it sounds like you lift at the gym I used to work at in NYC.

[LaHabra]

Chains are cool. Whether they help or not is irrelevant because of how much cooler you feel using them.

[Dave 321]

It's all about using chains and reverse bands... That's what the cool kids do.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Chains are cool. Whether they help or not is irrelevant because of how much cooler you feel using them.

Heh. I've seen a grand total of 2 Steven Segal movies (two too many). The last one was On Deadly Ground where a bad guy character fold the stock of his assault rifle before shooting and comments how it makes him feel good about himself when he does that. Chains seem to fit that same bill as you have so nicely observed.

As strange as it might sound, I've only seen them used by one person a few times in Golds' here in SoCal. She had an aura coming off her like she was between video shoots (you may well surmise what type) and criss-crossed her upper torso in an X-configuration that Frazetta would have really done justice to in some of his women warrior art work, may he rest in peace. She was wearing strategically slashed tights and spandex tops and did lots of 1/4 rep pull ups with those chains embracing her. She came in complete with an entourage of late teen early 20's dudebros with their noses wide open fit to bust.