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Reps vs Full Motion

DesignerBody Posts: 18 Joined: 2003/10/16	2004/03/06, 04:27 PM are there any advantages/disadvantages between doing just reps (not the full motion and not squeezing) and doing the full motion of a workout and squeezing? am i pretty much getting a workout by just doing reps.
7707mutt Posts: 7,686 Joined: 2002/06/18	2004/03/06, 06:08 PM Um doing a rep is doing a full motion. Not doing a full motion on each and every rep is cheating... -------------- LIFT HEAVY! BECOME STRONG, LIKE BULL! 7707mutt@freetrainers.com
Hellscream Posts: 272 Joined: 2004/02/25	2004/03/06, 06:34 PM What do u mean "full motion"? to do the rep you have to do full motion right?
Jdelts Posts: 1,218 Joined: 2003/10/19	2004/03/06, 06:36 PM Always do the full range of motion unless otherwise directed. Correct form is vital, NOT how much you can lift. -------------- I can beat Mario Brothers without losing a life. Jdelts@freetrainers.com
toba Posts: 6 Joined: 2004/06/02	2004/06/14, 03:35 AM what do you consider a 'full' range of motion? i have been told that it is 90 degree range of the knee/arm...but i see most everyone going to the limits of the joint. i.e. bouncing the bar off your sternum for a chest press. seems like that is cheating.
princesslodgey Posts: 1,748 Joined: 2004/02/21	2004/06/14, 07:33 AM bouncing is cheating but the only person you are cheating is yourself! If you go through the full range of motion, but slowly, you will get the most from your workouts. Leg presses it is best not to fully extend as you put a lot of strain on the knee joint doing this.
bb1fit Posts: 11,105 Joined: 2001/06/30	2004/06/14, 10:55 AM The object of what you are doing is to "feel" the muscle, not get a ton of reps. You will advance further with full range of motion always. This is a hard lesson to learn, and you will learn it hard if you ever decide to take things to another level. Without full range of motion, you will lack developement. Also, once you get into the habit of not doing it, it is very hard to break due to dropping down in weights. Do it right now, you will gain that much more over those who don't. ============ Quoting from DesignerBOdy: are there any advantages/disadvantages between doing just reps (not the full motion and not squeezing) and doing the full motion of a workout and squeezing? am i pretty much getting a workout by just doing reps. ============= -------------- If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything.... bb1fit@freetrainers.com
bigandrew Posts: 5,146 Joined: 2002/10/21	2004/06/14, 07:56 PM Not to mention, if you don't go full range, you don't stretch the muscle to its fullest and by doing partial reps. Say on pretcher curls....you do only top 1/3 of the reps......since you not going full range the muscle will adapt, and only make one area of muscle bigger, "shortening" the muscle. Ever see people who walk funny with their arms out like monkeys......more than likly the triceps and biceps aren't ballanced, and all they worry about is getting big biceps and lots of weight, so the arms hang at an angle, not straight. -------------- .......adversity causes some to break, but others to break records! ......minds are not vessles to be filled, but fires to be enlightened ......Confucious once said ,DO NOT play leap frog with a unicorn
david_s81 Posts: 543 Joined: 2004/04/09	2004/06/14, 08:08 PM yea, but they look cool. that seems to be the determining factor a lot of the time. I don't do my reps really slow. I use correct form, and hardly ever let my ego direct my workout, but I've never really bought the "slow" workout. -------------- A broken clock is right twice a day
toba Posts: 6 Joined: 2004/06/02	2004/06/15, 12:26 AM ...well i dont anyone is cheating themselves by working out. :) but i undestand your points. and i agree most with the need to 'feel' the muscle through out the range...but if move the entire range of motion of my joint i feel multiple muscles versus one. for example if i do a back row...and i relax my shoulders i feel intially in the rhomboid area...then as i move my arms he effort shifts more to the trap/ post delt area. if i do that every rep i intially relax the trap/p. delt and only stretcthing the rhomboids. it would seem to be a better lift if i held my shoulders in place and continually contract all versus going to a strething phase/moment. thanks for your help.
WAnglais1 Posts: 329 Joined: 2003/10/23	2004/06/15, 12:36 PM Amen to that, jdelts. I see this all the time. Guys swinging back and forth with a full weight stack or a loaded barbell and having the worst form. All that gets them is more work out time to make up for what they could have done all along. ============ Quoting from jdelts: Always do the full range of motion unless otherwise directed. Correct form is vital, NOT how much you can lift. =============
bigandrew Posts: 5,146 Joined: 2002/10/21	2004/06/15, 05:50 PM Toba, theres no "real" way to completly isolate a muscle, somthing is always coming into play helping out. NO matter what style you do on bench, your tris are gonna help out a lil bit. On any kind of row, cable or barbell the arms will helps, so will the back of traps, some of the rear delt and the lats. The point is, to do full range no matter WHAT. Shorten the reps to do more weight, your only cuting yourself short. -------------- .......adversity causes some to break, but others to break records! ......minds are not vessles to be filled, but fires to be enlightened ......Confucious once said ,DO NOT play leap frog with a unicorn
david_s81 Posts: 543 Joined: 2004/04/09	2004/06/15, 07:45 PM I try telling this to my workout partner, and he gives me the whole "form's for fags", "don't be a pansy" stuff... you know how that goes. I have to be strong, and LOWER the weight. -------------- A broken clock is right twice a day
toba Posts: 6 Joined: 2004/06/02	2004/06/15, 11:47 PM right on...i dont know if there is a right way? i prefer to do more of an isolated approach...but just like david said there is that "non-pansy" factor that is expressed by some that pushes us to do more regardless of thought or functionality. i have been sticking with a comfortable range of motion with as much wt as i can handle for my target reps...to get to a new level i would then break 'form' to get the next level. just wanted to see how others were approaching their lifting.
david_s81 Posts: 543 Joined: 2004/04/09	2004/06/16, 12:49 AM I have found that accentuating negatives will help get to the next level without injuring yourself. BB1 just posted in the newbie section about pullups, and how doing the "eccentric" motion a little slower, will help promote strength, so I think this fall under the same law. -------------- A broken clock is right twice a day
toba Posts: 6 Joined: 2004/06/02	2004/06/16, 10:07 PM yeah i saw that too...about the negs. im thinking that combining that while keeping the core engaged is a good combo!