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Range of Motion



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Old 01-04-2009, 12:35 AM
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Default Range of Motion

So i have recently been watching some training/lifting videos of powerlifters and just athletes in general and have noticed that alot of heavy lifters arent completing the full range of motion but rather just the range where the muscle is contracted. I know there are several reasons that could account for this but i was wondering if anybody had an opinion on this. Do you get more bang for your buck by lifting heavier and just using this shorter range...or going full out?

Thanks in advance
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Old 01-04-2009, 06:08 AM
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If they aren't using a full range of motion, it's typically because they're so bulky that they can't or their flexibility is crap. Definitely use a full range of motion.
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Old 01-04-2009, 06:42 AM
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It also depends . I know some powerlifters that do it so they can go heavier and help them get past there sticky points when they drop the weight , ie: 3/4 squats or Board Presses ( 2,3,4).

But yes you should be doing full range of motion in all your stuff.
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Old 01-04-2009, 01:46 PM
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ok thanks guys. when i asked my friend why he only does the shorter ROM he said that everything else is just wasted energy and is useless. I had always heard to use full ROM to reap all of the benefits so i appreciate the input.
Oh and Talo, yea he definitely was trying to do it to lift heavier and them eventually just kept it that way all the time.

thanks again!
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Old 01-04-2009, 01:59 PM
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I like to vary it. I don't do any type of 1/4 rep stuff, but I also don't "Lock Out" either.
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Old 01-04-2009, 02:16 PM
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I believe bodybuilders like to use less than full ROM to increase time under tension of the muscles. I believe this increases growth but not necessarily strength. For ex on bench they will bench almost to the top and almost to the bottom.
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Old 01-04-2009, 03:26 PM
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When perfroming a movement you should always be looking for 3 factors such as stress, tension, and overload.
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Old 01-04-2009, 05:09 PM
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I was thinking if you are just working in the shorter ROM where the muscle is contracted then you would be able to lift heavier but for less reps correct? i was thinking this because when you are working in the full ROM theres a point where you are stressed and contracted (thanks gary) so if you are constantly contracted you are missing out in the 1-2 seconds of "rest". For example a bicep curl, at the bottom of the curl when your arm is almost fully extended the muscle is stressed but not contracted and therefore you get a slight break before returning back to the curl and contracting the muscle fully. So you would therefore fatigure faster and tear the muscle and in turn develop growth but not strength like IW mentioned.
Hopefully that made sense because i was typing as i was thinking. Anyways my bf tried it out in the gym today and he said that he felt like he got a better workout and could definitely lift heavier and get the same number of reps. However, from what the responses are....it sounds like full ROM is still the better option.

thanks guys!
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Old 01-04-2009, 05:33 PM
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If you're able to lift a heavier weight at a certain point, that means more muscle fibers would be activated at that point. If you can't do as many reps, your ATP is being depleted more quickly.

Like you said, full ROM is the better option.
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