The vast majority of strength trainers and programs incorporate traditional weights like barbells and dumbells to gain strength across many different positions, and for almost all cases, it works. But what if there was a more effective way to enhance strength that matched our bodies natural movements?

What Is Variable Resistance Training?

Variable resitance training is when the resistane during a movement is manipulated at different positions of an exercise. The resistance throughout the movement therefore varies depending on the position you are in, and can be used to put the right amounts of resistance on the body at the right times. Things like barbells and dumbells offer a constant resistance throughout an exercise meaning the weight never changes and therefore the amount you’re pushing against never changes. This can be suboptimal when we think about the idea of the sticking point that’s found in all lifts. That bottom portion of a squat or deadlift where we really have to push to get through that bottom portion of an exercsie before it gets easier and we have more leverage. This idea of the sticking point can be a negative as it means our positions of leverage at the top of the exercise, or the Strong Range, are using below maximal resistances. With variable resistance, however, the resistance is constantly chaning to accompany the positions we’re in. By using the tension of bands to push against instead of the unchanging weight of barbells, the resistance at the bottom of a squat will be less than the top portion where we have more leverage, and therefore more strength. Think about a rubber band. Say you hold one end in each hand and you’re pulling it and stretching it out. If you only travel a short distance the band isn’t going to snap back to it’s resting position very fast, but if you pull that band near the point of breaking, that band will have a powerful contraction and snap back into place. That’s exactly what’s happening when we use bands to create resistance in our training. If we anchor the bands to the floor, at the bottom of a position the bands will be closer to their unstretched state giving us less resistance, and at the top of a squat where the bands are stretched, that rubber will have much more tension stored within it giving us the right resistance at the right time.

What Is the Strength Curve?

Every exercise we perform has something called a strength curve that marks the trajectory of force as the movement progresses. DIfferent movements can have different types of strength curves that fall into these three categories;

1. Ascending Strength Curve
   • This is the most applicable to athletic performance training as it explains the trajectory of force throughout compound movements like squats, deadlifts, bench press, etc. Ascending strength curves mean that as the movement progresses strength increases with the weakest portion of the movement coming at the beginning and the strongest coming at the very end.
2. Descending Strength Curve
   • Exercises like pull-ups, lat pulldowns, and hamstring curls have descensing strength curves that correlate with the strongest portions of the exercises coming at the very beginning and force decreasing accordingly as the movement continues.
3. Paraboic Strength Curves
   • Exercises like bicep curls, leg extensions, and lateral raises have parabolic (or bell-shaped) strength curves that begin and end with relatively weak ranges and have increased strength capabilities in the middle portions of the movements.

When we use variable resistance training we are manipulating the resistance applied during exercises to match that of our natural strength curves. When we apply banded resistance to squats, the resistance is lowest in our weakest ranges, and highest in our strongest ranges. This type of pressure on the body allows us to increase strength and force production optimally thoughout the entire movement.

Does Variable Resistance Really Lead to Increased Strength Gains?

Because variable resistance training matches the natural strength curves of the movements we’re performing, we’re able to increase strength and force more efficiently than constant resistance training that is typically performed. In a 2022 meta-analysis that examined 14 studies inquiring about variable resistance it was found that “VRT (variable resistance training) favored a significantly higher improvement of maximum strength than CRT (constant resistance training” (Lin et al. 2022). This finding is inline with much of the resarch done on variable resistance training with another study also from 2022 done on collegiate basketball players concluding “VRT… showed a significant increase in the SJ (squat jump) and a tendency toward a higher CMJ (counter movement jump otherwise known as vertical jump) compared with… CRT” (Shi et al. 2022). With research concluding variable resistane training being a valuable enhancer of both maximum strength and vertical leap, it’s a no-brainer for athletes looking to improve in competition.

How to Implement Variable Resistance Training?

Using banded movements is the most practical and efficient way to incorporate variable resisted exercises into your training to match your natural strength curve and increase resistance in your strongest ranges. Traditional exercises nearly always have 1:1 substitutes using bands as resistance, but in order to understand more on how to use variable resistance to your advantage, Change Performance incorprates banded movements throughout their programs to give you the most complete athletic developement plans possible.