What technique can improve overall lifting performance through variable resistance?

Employing bands and chains is a technique that effectively enhances overall lifting performance through the principle of variable resistance. This method involves attaching resistance bands or chains to weights, which allows for a progressive increase in resistance as the lifter moves through the range of motion.

As the lifter lifts the weight, the bands or chains become increasingly taut, thereby adding extra resistance at the peak of the lift. This approach not only challenges the muscles differently than a constant weight would but also improves strength throughout the lift's entire range of motion. It encourages better force production and can help develop explosive strength, as well as muscle stability and control.

Using free weights exclusively mainly focuses on fixed resistance and does not apply the variable resistance principle, making it less effective in this context. High-rep training targets muscular endurance rather than the increases in strength that variable resistance aims to achieve. Lastly, limiting lifts to a single type restricts the adaptation and overall development of strength and muscle, as it does not take advantage of the benefits derived from varying resistance during training.