Is accommodating resistance better for raw strength gains compared to straight weight?

Research suggests that while accommodating resistance is effective for strength gains, it does not appear to be more effective than training with straight weight for maximizing one-rep max raw strength development. The main limitation point for strength is often at the bottom of the lift, where accommodating resistance is typically lighter.

Why is accommodating resistance more beneficial for explosive performance and jump height?

Explosive performance, like jumping, requires maximizing force throughout the entire range of motion, not just at the weakest point. Accommodating resistance helps match the exercise's resistance curve to the natural strength curve, ensuring the lift is challenging throughout, thus building strength more effectively across the full range of motion needed for jumps.

What is the recommended band tension when using accommodating resistance for jump height?

Studies that found benefits used band tension equal to about 30-40% of one-rep max, replacing 15-20% of the total straight weight. This setup aims to make the entire lift similarly challenging rather than inverting the resistance curve too much.

What is exercise energy compensation?

Exercise energy compensation refers to the adaptive changes in non-exercise energy expenditure that occur when someone increases their physical activity. It means that the total increase in daily energy expenditure due to exercise is often less than the calories burned during the exercise itself, as the body might reduce energy spent on other activities.

Does the constrained total energy expenditure model mean exercise doesn't help with weight loss?

No. The constrained model indicates diminishing returns at very high activity levels and compensatory reductions, but it does not mean exercise is ineffective. For individuals going from sedentary to moderately active, exercise can significantly increase total daily energy expenditure. The compensation is generally well below 100%.

How do activity level and energy balance affect energy compensation?

Low baseline activity levels and being in a neutral or positive energy balance are associated with lower compensation values, meaning added exercise leads to a greater net increase in energy expenditure. Conversely, very high activity levels and being in a negative energy balance tend to increase compensation.

What is the MacroFactor Exercise Calorie Calculator and how can it be used?

It's a free online tool that estimates the net impact of an exercise session on your total daily energy expenditure, accounting for individual characteristics and compensation. It can help adjust nutrition for weight goals, accommodate atypical exercise bouts, or proactively fuel training changes.

Why should the MacroFactor calculator NOT be used for 'earning' calories for treats?

The hosts strongly discourage using the calculator for transactional bargaining with food (e.g., 'burn off' a candy bar). This perspective is psychologically problematic, reinforces guilt around eating, and is physiologically irrelevant for long-term body composition goals. It's perfectly fine to enjoy treats without needing to justify them through exercise.

Accommodating Resistance for Power; Net Energy Cost of Exercise (Ep 101)

Stronger By Science

Sports3 min read101 min video

Oct 24, 2022|3,317 views|130|14

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Key Moments

TL;DR

Accommodating resistance boosts power; energy compensation varies. A new calculator helps estimate exercise impact.

Key Insights

Training with accommodating resistance (bands/chains) can enhance power and explosiveness, particularly for jump height, by better matching resistance to natural strength curves.

While accommodating resistance is beneficial for power, research suggests it doesn't offer significant advantages over straight weight training for maximizing maximal strength (1RM).

Exercise energy compensation, the body's adaptive reduction in non-exercise energy expenditure, is dose-dependent and varies with individual activity levels and energy balance.

The magnitude of energy compensation is not 100%, meaning exercise does increase total daily energy expenditure, but the precise percentage varies and is not dictated by biological sex.

A new, free online calculator from MacroFactor estimates the net impact of exercise on total daily energy expenditure, accounting for compensation and providing a probable range.

The calculator is intended for informed dietary and training adjustments, not for 'earning' calories or justifying indulgences, discouraging unhealthy transactional views of food and exercise.

ACCOMMODATING RESISTANCE FOR POWER DEVELOPMENT

The discussion begins by exploring accommodating resistance, achieved through bands and chains, as a method to enhance explosive performance and power, particularly for movements like jumping. This training strategy allows the resistance to increase as the lift progresses, better matching the user's natural strength curve. While beneficial for power, research indicates it doesn't significantly outperform traditional straight-weight training for increasing maximal strength in raw powerlifting.

THE NUANCES OF ACCOMMODATING RESISTANCE RESEARCH

While practical application suggests benefits, scientific research on accommodating resistance for maximal strength gains is mixed. Early meta-analyses showing benefits were later found to have statistical errors, and updated analyses suggest it's no more effective than straight weight for 1RM improvements. These findings are intuitive, as maximal strength is typically limited by the weakest point in the lift, usually at the bottom, where accommodating resistance doesn't necessarily add the most challenge.

BENEFITS FOR EXPLOSIVENESS AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION

The calculus changes for explosive performance, where strength throughout the entire range of motion is crucial. Accommodating resistance allows for a more challenging stimulus across a greater portion of the movement, potentially leading to greater improvements in power output. Studies, primarily using bands, have shown larger increases in jump performance compared to straight-weight training, though the effect may be specific to jump-based movements and not necessarily translate to sprinting or agility without further research.

UNDERSTANDING EXERCISE ENERGY COMPENSATION

The conversation shifts to exercise energy compensation, a phenomenon where the body adapts by reducing energy expenditure in non-exercise activities when exercise increases. Herman Pontzer's 'constrained total energy expenditure' model suggests that while exercise does increase total energy expenditure, the effect is not purely additive, especially at higher activity levels. This compensation helps to offset some of the caloric cost of exercise, preventing a linear increase in total daily energy expenditure.

FACTORS INFLUENCING ENERGY COMPENSATION

Energy compensation is dose-dependent and influenced by several factors. While not dictated by biological sex, it is significantly affected by an individual's baseline activity level; higher activity levels tend to elicit greater compensation. Current energy balance also plays a role, with individuals in negative energy balance potentially exhibiting higher compensation. While an association with BMI has been observed, its practical application is unclear due to potential confounding factors like dieting and body composition differences.

A NEW TOOL FOR ESTIMATING NET ENERGY EXPENDITURE

To make the concept of energy compensation more actionable, a new, free online calculator from MacroFactor has been developed. This tool estimates the net impact of a specific exercise bout on total daily energy expenditure by considering exercise type, duration, intensity, body size, and predicted compensation value. It offers a probable range rather than a single precise number, acknowledging the inherent variability and providing a more realistic estimate for users.

RESPONSIBLE USE OF ENERGY EXPENDITURE CALCULATORS

The developers strongly discourage using the exercise energy expenditure calculator for transactional purposes, such as calculating exercise needed to 'burn off' calories from food, especially around holidays. This approach reinforces unhealthy perspectives on food and exercise, creating a sense of 'earning' calories. Instead, the tool is intended to help inform dietary and training adjustments to achieve goals, promoting a balanced and guilt-free relationship with food and activity.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Software & Apps

●Companies

●Organizations

●Studies Cited

●People Referenced

Common Questions

Accommodating resistance involves using bands or chains to vary the resistance throughout a lift. Bands increase resistance as they stretch, and chains add weight as they lift off the floor, making the top portion of the lift harder. This contrasts with traditional free weights where resistance is constant.

Topics

Accommodating Resistance Bands Chains Explosive Performance Jump Height Vertical Jump Energy Compensation Total Daily Energy Expenditure MacroFactor App

Mentioned in this video

studyCaro and colleagues

A paper that found compensation levels seemed to vary based on BMI, with higher BMIs correlating with higher compensation values, though the causal relationship remains unclear.

studySoria-Gila et al. (2015)

A meta-analysis published in 2015 suggesting that accommodating resistance improved strength gains more than straight weight, later found to have calculation errors.

companyWest Side Barbell

A well-known powerlifting gym associated with training methodologies that include accommodating resistance.

personDave Tate

Host of the Table Talk podcast where Greg Nuckols previously discussed accommodating resistance.

studyAinsworth et al. (2011)

The authors of the 2011 compendium of physical activities, from which the MacroFactor exercise calorie calculator pulls MET values for various exercise types.

personJacob Marley

A character from 'A Christmas Carol' whose chains are referenced in a comparison to the sound of lifting with chains.

studyWillis et al.

A paper that investigated how energy compensation varies with energy balance, finding that people in neutral or positive energy balance showed minimal compensation, while those in negative energy balance showed increased compensation.

studyJoy et al.

A study on collegiate basketball players finding nominal differences in vertical jump improvement between band-assisted and straight-weight squatting, leaning towards band benefits.

studyBroski et al.

A study on individuals with obesity that found higher-dose aerobic exercise led to less weight loss than mathematically expected, due to compensatory reductions in non-exercise energy expenditure.

softwareMacroFactor Exercise Calorie Calculator

A new tool on the MacroFactor website that estimates the net impact of an exercise bout on total daily energy expenditure, customizable to individual body size and activity levels.

studyDos Santos et al. (2018)

A research group that identified miscalculations in the Soria-Gila meta-analysis, leading to an update concluding that accommodating resistance is effective but not superior to straight weight for raw strength.

studyShi et al.

A study on collegiate basketball players that found squatting with bands led to larger increases in squat jump and counter movement jump improvement compared to straight weight.

mediaBad Sisters

A show on Apple TV that recently had its finale, recommended as a 'fun romp' by Greg Nuckols.

personCameron Gill

Author of a new article on the Stronger by Science website about neck strength training.

studyAnderson et al.

A study on trained women where a very high amount of band tension might have inverted the resistance curve, making the bottom of the lift too easy and reducing transfer to deeper knee flexion jump heights.

softwareStronger by Science Research Spotlight Newsletter

A free weekly newsletter offering two-minute breakdowns of a single research study relevant to exercise and nutrition.

organizationMASS Research Review

companyApple TV