Does stretching the muscle while lifting matter more than full movement?
Lengthened Partial Repetitions Elicit Similar Muscular Adaptations as a Full Range of Motion During Resistance Training in Trained Individuals
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Lengthened partials produced the same muscle growth as full ROM despite cutting out part of the rep.
Most fitness experts insist full reps are superior for hypertrophy. This study shows that when volume and effort are matched, the extra portion of the rep adds no measurable benefit.
Practical Takeaways
Incorporate lengthened partial reps (e.g., bottom-half of lat pulldown or curl) into your routine if you have joint pain or want to emphasize muscle stretch.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Lengthened partials produced the same muscle growth as full ROM despite cutting out part of the rep.
Most fitness experts insist full reps are superior for hypertrophy. This study shows that when volume and effort are matched, the extra portion of the rep adds no measurable benefit.
Practical Takeaways
Incorporate lengthened partial reps (e.g., bottom-half of lat pulldown or curl) into your routine if you have joint pain or want to emphasize muscle stretch.
Publication
Authors
Milo Wolf, Patroklos Androulakis Korakakis, Alec Piñero, Adam E. Mohan, Tom Hermann, Francesca Augustin, Max Sappupo, Brian Lin, Max Coleman, Ryan Burke, Jeff Nippard, Paul A. Swinton, Brad J. Schoenfeld
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Claims (5)
If you're already used to lifting weights, doing upper-body exercises for 8 weeks — whether you move your arms all the way or just partway — can grow your arm muscles about the same amount, as long as you go until you can't do another rep and do the same total work.
If you're already fit and lift weights, doing partial reps that focus on the stretched part of the movement works just as well as full reps for building arm muscle over 8 weeks.
If you're already fit, doing certain types of upper-body weight training for 8 weeks—focusing on the part of the move where your muscles are stretched—can boost your endurance just as well whether you test it through a full or shorter motion. This suggests the gains carry over no matter how far you move during the test.
If you're trying to build upper-body muscle and you're already experienced with lifting, it's probably better to focus on the part of the exercise where your muscle is stretched, even if you don't do the full movement. Adding in the part where the muscle is more squished doesn't seem to help you grow more.
If you're already fit, doing bicep and tricep exercises through a shorter range of motion—but pushing to your max—can build muscle just as well as doing full reps.