glen@gtpersonaltrainer.co.uk
standard 1 inch barbell weightlifting chain collar
standard 1 inch barbell spinlock weightlifting chain collar
With the ever increasing popularity of using weightlifting chains, and resistance bands, during workouts, I found it frustrating that every chain collar I came across was only made to fit Olympic barbells, with an end / 'sleeve' which is approximately 2" thick; and that no-one seemed to cater for standard 1 inch thick barbells.
A large percentage of barbells and dumbbells sold worldwide are 'standard' - 1 inch thick.
Used by millions, myself included, within their own 'Home Gyms'; as well as within countless gyms.
This being the case, I decided to design and make, 2 different weightlifting chain collars to fit the millions of 'standard' barbells.
I also decided to make these collars to fit both 1 inch smooth barbells and 1 inch spinlock barbells.
Each collar has an extended hook component, on which to loop up to 50kgs of weightlifting chain(s), or your resistance bands.
My smooth chain collars can be easily slipped onto the end of a smooth 1 inch standard barbell, and tightened in place via the grub lock with the allen key provided.
My spinlock chain collars can be screwed onto the end of a spinlock 1 inch standard barbell, just like the spinlock collars which come with your spinlock barbells to lock the weight discs in place.
Chains are an amazing addition to anyones gym. With the aid of the weightlifting chain collars they can be safely used with a wide variety of exercises e.g. Deadlifts, Squats, Chest Presses, Shoulder Presses, Lying Tricep Extensions, Barbell Curls etc.
I have found that there are two main problems when using chains which are not attached to chain collars, and instead are just slipped onto the barbell:
1: the chain isn't secure and can slip off at any moment. This can mean that your set is constantly being interupted whilst you ensure the chains are properly on the barbell. This can also seriously knock your confidence during lifts, as you are never 100% sure that one, or both, of the chains aren't going to fall off mid-way through the movement because you aren't keeping the barbell travelling perfectly straight.
Just imagine performing a barbell bench press and having to get up off the bench and sort your chains out after every rep! or half way through the concentric phase of the lift one of the chains falls off!
2: during deadlifts in particular the chain will gather as you lower the barbell back to the floor.
If the chain starts off too near the weight discs, or you move slightly during the lift, this could mean that the chains have gathered in the spot where you intend to return the weight discs to the floor. Again, this has an effect on your confidence during the lift, and can result in you starting the next repetition from a position where the barbell is not straight.
If used during barbell or hex bar deadlifts, these chain collars simply attach to the end of the bar and enable the chain to stay far enough away from the weight discs. As the chain gathers on the floor, during the eccentric phase of the movement, you are confident knowing that you will always be able to return the bar/weight discs flat onto the floor.
If used during any other exercise, you are confident in knowing that the chains won't slip off the end during any part of the movement.
Each design of chain collar is sold in pairs.
These are currently on sale on my ebay site for £30 a pair plus £3.00 p&p.
Or you can email at glen@gtpersonaltrainer.co.uk and I can arrange the payment direct through a bank transfer or through Paypal.
Weightlifting chains works for three reasons:
1) They help
match the resistance curve of an exercise with the strength curve of a
muscle;
2) they prolong the time under tension of an exercise;
3)
they increase the intensity of an exercise.
A strength curve, or force curve, is a mathematical model that
represents how much force an individual can produce at a specific joint
angle. This is in contrast to a resistance curve, which is how difficult
an exercise is at specific points of the exercise.
There are three
basic types of strength curves: ascending, descending, and
ascending-descending.
An ascending strength curve refers to being able
to display more force when you extend a joint;
A descending strength
curve refers to being able to display more force as you flex a joint;
An ascending-descending strength curve means you can display more
strength at the midrange position of a joint.
Lifting chains are best
used for exercises that involve ascending strength curves; because the muscle tension required decreases throughout the range of motion, so the
weight feels lighter as you get close to the end range of the exercise.
Examples include squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and military presses.
The muscle tension during a descending strength curve increases throughout the range of motion, so the weight feels heavier as you near full flexion.
The muscle tension during an ascending-descending strength curve increases then decreases; due to the fact that the point of most resistance is predominantly at the beginning of the range of motion.
In effect, what lifting chains does is provide variable resistance so
you can match the strength curve of a muscle with the resistance curve
of the exercise.
Before chains became popular, partial movements were
often used as a practical way to match the resistance curve of an
exercise. For example, because a lifter is stronger at the finish of a
deadlift, he/she might perform deadlifts in a power rack with
safety rods set up so that the barbell is positioned at knee height. As
such, someone performing a 250kg deadlift from the floor might be
able to use 300kgs with the bar set at knee height. With this in mind, using weightlifting chains
remove the requirement to perform two variations of the same exercise, because the weight of the barbell increases as more of the chain
links are lifted off the floor.
Another advantage of using
chains is that they slow down the concentric portion of the exercise,
prolonging the time the muscle is under tension.
It has the same effect
as doing dropsets, which serve to increase the time a muscle is placed
under tension.
Generally, to stimulate maximal muscle growth, a muscle
needs to be under tension for 40-70 seconds per set, another important factor in
using the variable of workout intensity to your advantage. Intensity is
defined according to how much an individual can lift in relation to how
much weight they can lift for one repetition (1RM). High levels of intensity
are necessary to work the fast-twitch muscle fibers, which must be
activated for an individual to achieve the highest levels of muscular
hypertrophy. Because lifting chains increases the amount of weight
lifted during certain portions of an exercise, the intensity of the
exercise is higher.
Chains are also excellent for helping trainees squat lower. If you want to achieve maximal
muscle size in your lower extremities, you need to perform full range of motion squats, with your hamstrings touching your calves at the bottom of the motion.
Chains work on your subconscience to get you to squat lower, because the
weight feels lighter as you go deeper.
As a general guideline, you want
to use chains that are roughly 10% of the barbell weight (bar + plates +
collars). So if the loaded barbell weight is 100 kgs,
each chain should weigh 10 kgs. However, you can go slightly lighter or heavier.
