The Effects of Combining Elastic and Free Weight Resistance on Strength and Power in Athletes

Abstract

This study was undertaken to determine whether combined elastic and free weight resistance (CR) provides different strength and power adaptations than free weight resistance (FWR) training alone. Forty-four young (age 20 +/- 1 years), resistance-trained (4 +/- 2 years' experience) subjects were recruited from men's basketball and wrestling teams and women's basketball and hockey teams at Cornell University. Subjects were stratified according to team, then randomly assigned to the control (C; n = 21) or experimental group (E; n = 23). Before and after 7 weeks of resistance training, subjects were tested for lean body mass, 1 repetition maximum back squat and bench press, and peak and average power. Both C and E groups performed identical workouts except that E used CR (i.e., elastic resistance) for the back squat and bench press, whereas the C group used FWR alone. CR was performed using an elastic bungee cord attached to a standard barbell loaded with plates. Elastic tension was accounted for in an attempt to equalize the total work done by each group. Statistical analyses revealed significant (P < 0.05) between-group differences after training. Compared with C, improvement for E was nearly three times greater for back squat (16.47 +/- 5.67 vs. 6.84 +/- 4.42 kg increase), two times greater for bench press (6.68 +/- 3.41 vs. 3.34 +/- 2.67 kg increase), and nearly three times greater for average power (68.55 +/- 84.35 vs. 23.66 +/- 40.56 watt increase). Training with CR may be better than FWR alone for developing lower and upper body strength, and lower body power in resistance-trained individuals. Long-term effects are unclear, but CR training makes a meaningful contribution in the short term to performance adaptations of experienced athletes.

Kinematic and Kinetic Analysis of Maximal Velocity Deadlifts Performed With and Without the Inclusion of Chain Resistance

“…The majority of longitudinal studies that have investigated the effects of combining variable resistance material with freeweights have used rubber bands (2,13,19,21,35). The results have clearly demonstrated that the addition of rubber bands can significantly improve measures of strength and power and those improvements are generally significantly larger than those achieved when using a constant resistance (2,13,35). However, on the basis of the mechanical differences highlighted in the present study it would be inappropriate to generalize the more positive results obtained for rubber bands to the use of chain resistance.…”

Volume estimations for combined free-weight and rubber-band resistance exercise

“…Both the type of band and method of applying rubber-resistance to free-weight exercise can vary (Anderson, Sforzo, & Sigg, 2008;Mcmaster, et al, 2010;Shoepe, et al, 2011). For the SQ, two bands are used on opposite sides of the bar with the free end affixed with choked knots to the squat rack support beams as displayed in Figure 2.…”

“…Oppositely, a hypothetical underestimation occurs if the resistance provided by the rubber-band at the start of the concentric phase is used in work volume estimations ( Figure 3B). Using a method of average resistance, as suggested by Anderson et al (2008), would minimize error seen with either extreme, but due to the shape of the length-tension curves of rubber-bands, a systematic underestimate would still occur ( Figure 3C). This underestimate is further exaggerated at lower band lengths when the loading curves are steeper.…”

Efeito do treinamento de força com resistência elástica sobre o desempenho da flexão de quadril em bailarinas clássicas

“…In the A et al 16 study, basketball and hockey players experienced a 7 weeks of training with elastic tubes associated with habitual routine of high intensity resistance training (85% of one repetition maximum). In that study both groups performed normal routine of speci c training, but the control group did not perform elastic resistance to the resistance training.…”

“…ese kind of material has a progressive resistance as the implement extends, generating more tension when the deformation is larger [12][13][14][15][16] . Previous studies that…”