Elastic bands have been used to add resistance to the squat exercise while using barbell free weights to offer more dynamic resistance at the top of the squat movement as the resistance of the band is at its highest. No studies have directly compared the effects of squatting with elastic resistance versus free weights. In a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, researchers compared squatting with equivalent work loads of elastic-resisted and isotonic free-weight squats in trained weight lifters.