When you think of working out, long heavy chains probably aren’t the first thing on your mind. That’s because they’re not a common tool among commercial gyms (probably because they make a lot of noise, and they can be awkward to use if you don’t know what you’re doing). They’re mostly used by strength and conditioning coaches, because athletes need to be as strong as possible. You can make incredible strength gains using chains for numerous different exercises.
The Strength Curve
When you’re lifting weights you’ll notice that the resistance is hardest to handle when your muscles are in the most extended, or stretched position. It becomes easier as the muscles are more and more contracted.
This is called the “strength curve”, which is due to how the muscle fibers are structured. The muscle fibers are made up of myosin and actin filaments. They overlap and slide back and forth in order to lengthen and contract.
An easy way to thing of this concept is by comparing it to a zipper. When the sipper only has a few interlocked pieces it is much weaker than a zipper that is fully locked together.
Chains Break The “Strength Curve”
When you’re squatting, benching, or deadlifting with a chain you want to set it up where most of the chain is laying on the floor in the start position.
As you lift the weight up, more and more of the chain will be lifted off of the ground. As the chain is pulled up, more weight will gradually be added as your muscles contract. This will make the lift equally difficult throughout the lift…..BOOM! The “strength curve” is busted.
When you defeat the strength curve you push your muscles to a new limit by slightly intensifying every movement.
More Fun With Chains
There’s plenty of other ways to use chains to make workouts more exciting. If you’re doing dips you can hang a chain around your neck or your feet to increase your weight…..
If you can’t find a good battle rope that’s within our price range, some chains might be a perfect option. You can do tons of different exercises involving your entire body. It’s also a nice combo of strength and cardio.
Investing in some chains might be a good idea if you’re trying to make some incredible strength gains and add some versatility to your workouts. If you liked this article, please take a second to share this article on facebook. You might also be interested in other unconventional, yet useful training tools.
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