Why are chains an overload movement.

Training Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hello!

I’m starting the 12 week strength version 2 after a very successful going of the bridge 3.0. My deadlift went from 330 to a whopping 385 which is very exciting for me. 405 is coming soon! Saw good improvements on the squat and bench as well.

I was looking at the overload options for the bench press and got a little bit confused. My understand of overload is this; a movement that allows you to handle more weight than the parent lift. Wouldn’t a chain or band bench be more difficult than a normal bench press at the same weight? As in if I could handle 100x1@10 I would not be able to handle 100x1 with chains. Any weight with chains added would be higher in intensity. Am I incorrect in this line of thinking? Why do we consider chains an overload?

By that line if thinking, are pin squats considered an overload squat? Or other pin variants for that matter. It’s been my experience that I can handle more weight with them.

Chains are available at my gym but I’ve never used them. I’ve always done floor press in the past. Thought it might be exciting to give them a test run.

Thanks for writing these awesome programs. You guys are doing good for the world.

2

The sum of the weight on the bar + the chains tends to be higher than straight weight on the barbell, hence the classification of an overload lift.

If you can lift more with a pin squat than your regular squat, I think that you’re either squatting high (with pins) or there’s a technique issue that needs to be sussed out on your regular squats.