Partial Reps

[mrdave100]

Whether a guy does 1/4 reps, full range, or somewhere in between should depend on what their goals are or I guess the training effect they are after. If a successful bodybuilder or power lifter finds value in partial reps then that’s how they should train. Personally I have been training full range pullups recently (pulling as high as possible) using GTG as my goal is to go indoor rock climbing with my son as I’ll need pulling strength from less advantageous positions and my intuition tells me that partial reps aren’t the ideal way to develop that skill.

As for that guy who claims true pullups are to the sternum, I get where he’s coming from as I am never impressed by guys who post videos doing 100 1/4 rep pushups or the girl benching 270 lbs but arch so high that a toddler could crawl underneath and spread her arms so wide they end up moving the bar 1”. (*eye roll*) But the governing bodies of those contests allow it so who’s to criticize? Besides who gets appointed to decide how an exercise is to performed and what the acceptable range of motion is? Again, I think training goals should dictate what methods and rep ranges a person uses.

Not long ago I posted how I have been using the Knees over Toes guy routines where squats and lunges are done so that the back of the legs touch the calves. After 3-4 weeks my knees were improving, but I progressed too quickly and fell back into not touching the calf and back of the leg and my knees starting aching more than ever so I’m going to have to reset to easier resistance levels. So squatting below parallel is right for me because after all I’m training for the game of life. 😄

[mr potatohead]

I'm keenly aware NOT to suppress, catch, hold or restrict my breath at any time of physical exertion.
I must breathe freely during ALL times, especially during any applied tension. I don't even hold my breath to pick up piece of popcorn that fell on the floor.

[fredhutch]

Really short partial reps could also be considered isometrics...Bob Hoffman in "Functional Isometric Contraction" says some men preferred to move a weight up and down slightly rather than holding the weight motionless. More recently Steve Holman in IronMan magazine wrote that while iso holds with weights were good, moving the weight up and down a little bit worked better, Steve opined that the nervous system is designed to produce movement and so ultra short range partials may be more "natural"...and funny thing, Little and Sisco got into iso holds with weights because many of their trainees for Power Factor Training were doing such short reps that Little and Sisco wondered if the range of motion could be reduced to zero. Funny thing too that Little and Sisco didn't know that all this had been done decades before during the Great Isometric Craze of the 60's...

Most martial artists that use static postures try to hold them as still as possible, but there is a minority view expressed in Christopher Kilham's book "Inner Power" in which he states that the correct and best way with postures is to make small movements, ie up and down or side to side...I think Furey is doing something like this with his recent "Power Postures" course...

[gruntbrain]

Lately I've been doing partials and timed holds with high resistance bands but I haven't given up on weighted partials(yet).

[Michael]

I've been doing what John Meadows recommended with side laterals and bent laterals recently, DB Swings. Which are partial reps. Doing them for high reps, 30 reps x 3 sets. Definitely feel them working.

[Deuce Gunner]

I don't think my wife would let me sleep in the bedroom (maybe not the house) if I did lunches like these. 

[Michael]

, if I eat 2 boil eggs a couple days in a row you can't be in the same room with me.

[brothersteve]

Mar 3, 2024 22:56:47 GMT Deuce Gunner said:

I don't think my wife would let me sleep in the bedroom (maybe not the house) if I did lunches like these. 

Wow!  Huge hi-FAT diet and that's only lunch.  Wonder what goodies he has for breakfast and dinner? Actually, I don't think I want to know.

[BigBruvOfEnglandUK]

Mar 3, 2024 20:01:55 GMT Michael said:

I've been doing what John Meadows recommended with side laterals and bent laterals recently, DB Swings. Which are partial reps. Doing them for high reps, 30 reps x 3 sets. Definitely feel them working.

These side laterals? I was doing them for a while last year and could really feel them. I keep thinking about going back to them so maybe I will on the next workout, m8s.

[stuke]

I do Doug Brignole versiom of side laterals - laid down on my side. It is a partial movement too, of course, as you stop when you feel the resistance tail off, but the advantage here is there is more reaistance at the stretched position than normal side laterals.

[Michael]

Mar 5, 2024 8:15:19 GMT BigBruvOfEnglandUK said:

Mar 3, 2024 20:01:55 GMT Michael said:

I've been doing what John Meadows recommended with side laterals and bent laterals recently, DB Swings. Which are partial reps. Doing them for high reps, 30 reps x 3 sets. Definitely feel them working.

These side laterals? I was doing them for a while last year and could really feel them. I keep thinking about going back to them so maybe I will on the next workout, m8s.

Yes. I start with bent lateral swings than go to the side lateral swings. I started doing this twice a week. Today I superseted full range bent laterals with the swings. Also superseted full range side laterals with the swings. I'm trying to improve my shoulders aesthetics. I really like this.

[Michael]

Mar 5, 2024 10:50:09 GMT stuke said:

I do Doug Brignole versiom of side laterals - laid down on my side. It is a partial movement too, of course, as you stop when you feel the resistance tail off, but the advantage here is there is more reaistance at the stretched position than normal side laterals.

Yeah that's a good one. Another good side lateral, even though it's not a partial, is sitting on the floor with legs out in front. You're not letting the tension off while doing the side lateral because You can only go to the floor.

[stuke]

Mar 5, 2024 11:42:08 GMT Michael said:

Mar 5, 2024 10:50:09 GMT stuke said:

I do Doug Brignole versiom of side laterals - laid down on my side. It is a partial movement too, of course, as you stop when you feel the resistance tail off, but the advantage here is there is more reaistance at the stretched position than normal side laterals.

Yeah that's a good one. Another good side lateral, even though it's not a partial, is sitting on the floor with legs out in front. You're not letting the tension off while doing the side lateral because You can only go to the floor.

Sounds good. I used to rig up a band attached to my dbells so when doing one arm sidexlaterals, laid down, the resistance from the band would kick in as the resiatance from the dbell would fade due to poaition of the arm and gravity. Made for a HUGE range of motion, probably too much, which is why I stopped doing it.

[BigBruvOfEnglandUK]

I had not done pushups in months but after watching the ex-con guy demonstrating partial pushups I decided to give them a go again.
I only did them from about half way and not to lockout. I've not done partial pushups in lower positions as I'm a bit bothered that my dodgy shoulder would complain about it.
I've been doing these every 2-3 days since the video was posted and so far my shoulder has been good.
I've also applied this technique to squats and chins and so far it's been good for these too. I've always been able to lower myself down into an Asian squat position no problem but to do this for reps either under load or freehand will set off the bursitis at the back of my right knee so I don't bend my knee more than 90 degrees for leg exercises as any lower than that causes the bursitis to flare up. I had been going all the way to the top for leg work but not now. It's a very limited range and my knees feel much better for it.
Couldn't resist adding back in the John Meadow's style lateral raises after Michael mentioned them in this thread.

[stuke]

Mar 17, 2024 8:19:21 GMT BigBruvOfEnglandUK said:

I had not done pushups in months but after watching the ex-con guy demonstrating partial pushups I decided to give them a go again.
I only did them from about half way and not to lockout. I've not done partial pushups in lower positions as I'm a bit bothered that my dodgy shoulder would complain about it.
I've been doing these every 2-3 days since the video was posted and so far my shoulder has been good.
I've also applied this technique to squats and chins and so far it's been good for these too. I've always been able to lower myself down into an Asian squat position no problem but to do this for reps either under load or freehand will set off the bursitis at the back of my right knee so I don't bend my knee more than 90 degrees for leg exercises as any lower than that causes the bursitis to flare up. I had been going all the way to the top for leg work but not now. It's a very limited range and my knees feel much better for it.
Couldn't resist adding back in the John Meadow's style lateral raises after Michael mentioned them in this thread.

ll Nice work, let us know how it goes. After dabbling with partials for a while I am convinced of their value, so I incorporate them alongside full reps. Maybe stretch position partials are best, but only if they suit your body, if they don't, well whatever works.