The Partial Rep Mega-Workout

Shortcut to Super Size and Strength

Governor Arnold- in his first mainstream movie "Stay Hungry"- said, "You must burn to grow." He was right- you have to push your muscles to the max if you want to build size and strength. Are you going through the motions at the gym, or does your training program need a jump-start? Maybe it's time to try something different.

See if this sounds familiar: You train hard but don't seem to make progress anymore. You've hit the wall with big muscle lifts, such as curls, squats and bench presses. In fact, you can't seem to make lifts you made easily only a month ago. You're in bodybuilder's hell and can't seem to get out. More than likely, you need an intensity boost in your program to get you back on track. Few methods overload your muscles better than partial rep training. They let you to use more weight than usual and create maximum tension that increases muscle size and strength.

What is Partial Rep Training?

You may not be familiar with this tried and true technique if you're a novice bodybuilder. The method involves doing exercises in only part of the range of motion: at the beginning, middle, or lockout portion of the lift. The power rack, blocks and Smith machine are useful for doing partial movements.

The partial rep method is incredible for overloading muscles and helping you overcome sticking points in your lifts. It can stress your muscles much more than full range of motion exercises. Partial reps are important tools in your training arsenal- whether you're a bodybuilder or power athlete who depends on weightlifting for your sport. They get you over the hump when progress stalls and allow you to use much more weight than possible during full-range exercises.

Partial reps can help you gain strength in difficult parts of the lift and overload your muscles more than full range of motion exercises. During partial reps, you can do isometrics at specific points along the groove of the lift. You can also do partial rep eccentric exercises (i.e., negatives) if you use a spotter or power rack, without worrying about crushing your chest or blowing out your knees and back. Handling heavier weights using the partial rep technique will help build muscle size and strength rapidly.

The Science Behind Partial Reps

            Muscle tension builds muscle size and strength. The two most important triggers of muscle growth are peak tension and the amount of time you can maintain it. Partial reps can help you with both. Use this technique to increase your max strength and to overload all the fibers in your muscles.

Many bodybuilders make the mistake of doing only high-rep, "go for the burn" exercises using light weights. While you will make gains this way, you will make even faster gains if you create muscle burn using heavier weights. The principle is the same in economics, where the rich get richer. Using heavy weights makes you stronger and bigger, which allows you to use heavier weights.

Few studies have examined the effects of partial reps (partial range of motion) on strength and size. We know that high muscle tension builds strength and promotes hypertrophy. You can use more weight doing partials, so it makes sense that this will create more muscle tension and promote strength and size. Unfortunately, logic won't make your arms, legs, or chest bigger.

University of Southern Mississippi researchers, led by Dr. Duane Massey, found that doing partial reps was no more effective than doing either full range of motion reps or a combination of full range exercises and partial reps. Partial reps did no harm and produced the same effects as full range of motion exercises.

Theoretically the program should work, so why didn't it in their study? They used college students as subjects, who are notorious for not working very hard during research studies. But most people don't train very hard either, so the results are probably accurate and apply to the average person in the gym. That doesn't mean the technique won't work for you. You are not the average person; push hard when doing partials and you will make better gains.

Studies on isometric training can give us some ideas about the effectiveness of partial rep training and how to use this method best in the bodybuilding workout. Isometrics (static) exercise involves creating muscle tension with no movement or muscle shortening. Classic studies from the 1950s and ‘60s showed that arm strength increased by about 15 percent and arm size increased by five percent following six weeks of isometric training. The effectiveness of isometric training varied between muscle groups. Strength gains occurred at the joint angle used during isometric training.

For example, if you do isometric curls with your arms fully extended, you gain strength in that position, but not in other points in the range of motion. Strength gains from isometrics were greatest when the muscles were trained at an angle closer to full contraction. So, isometric bench presses near lockout will increase strength greater than doing the exercise at chest level. Finally, isometric training at one joint angle does not increase performances in movement skills, such as jumping, sprinting and throwing.

Partial Reps on Blocks, Power Rack, or Smith Machine

Use blocks, power rack, or Smith machine so you can do partial reps with heavy weights. Many gyms have wooden blocks that can help you do partial deadlifts, cleans, or snatches. Placing the weights (Olympic bar and plates) on the blocks gives you better leverage so you can lift more weight with less risk of injury. Racks serve the same purpose when doing squats and overhead presses.

The power rack is a dynamite piece of equipment that is useful when using the partial rep technique and will help develop maximum power in your major lifts. The rack consists of a base and four columns (the columns are supported on top with cross braces). Each column has a series of holes drilled through it so long steel pins can be placed through them at different levels. The pins can be used to support a barbell or prevent movement through a range of motion. Most power racks also have moveable "J" hooks that support the barbell.

An excellent power rack technique is to place the pins progressively at different points along the range of motion. Start with the bar in the "down" position (deep squat position in squats or bar on chest for bench). First, train using the full range of motion. After you max out at that position, move the pin up one to two notches, then max out again. The number of reps you do at each pin setting depends on your training goals. If you want to develop max strength, do repeated sets of one to two reps at each pin setting until you can't lift any more weight. If you're trying to exhaust the muscles, go to failure at a low pin setting doing at least eight reps, move the pins up, then go to failure again.

In the bench press, place a flat bench inside the power rack. For the first part of your power rack bench press workout, place the pins so that the barbell rests just off your chest. Warm up as usual by doing approximately 10 reps using a light weight. Go to 80 percent of max weight and do 10 reps. Do fewer reps (one to five) if your goal is to increase bench press strength. Raise the pins one to two holes so the bar is now placed in the middle of your bench press groove. Start with the weight you completed when the bar was directly off your chest and repeat the procedure. Increase the weight if you can. Next, raise the pins so the bar is placed near the end of the range of motion for the bench press. Now you're only pushing the weight a few inches. You will be able to handle much more weight than you can during the normal exercise.

You can use this progressive pin placement technique for the squat, incline press, military press, upright row and deadlift. Make sure you use good technique because the extra weight can place a lot of stress on your back and knees. For deadlifts, particularly when working in the upper part of the range of motion (i.e., near lockout), use wrist straps so you can handle the extra weight.

The Smith machine is a high-tech power rack. It consists of a bar connected to a track. The bar has a hook on each end so you can begin or end an exercise anywhere along the range of motion. This machine is useful for partial bench presses, incline presses, seated presses, squats, lunges, standing rows and deadlifts. Be comfortable and confident working with the hook mechanism before attempting heavy weights.

            Be Safe and Protect Your Body

            Most bodybuilders use more weight than usual when doing partial reps, which increases the risk of injury. Don't use this technique if you're untrained or inexperienced. Also, it's a good idea to use a spotter when doing most partial rep exercises- particularly for squats, bench presses and incline presses. Try to do your lifts strictly, even though cheating sometimes helps you get a better overload.

Give Partial Reps a Try

There are obviously hundreds of variations of partial rep exercises. This article described some particularly effective methods. Experiment with blocks, Smith machine and power rack and find out how to best fit it into your workout. Do the partial reps in one isolated range of motion (e.g., lockouts) or at the beginning or middle of the motion. Try using this technique once a week or once every other week. You should notice a significant jump in your lifts within a month. Give it a try. You will be amazed at how fast you progress.

The Partial Rep Mega-Workout

            Warm-up each muscle group before doing a partial rep workout. Do three sets of each exercise: partial reps for the first two sets and one set of full range exercise for the third set. Try to use about 10 to 30 percent more weight than normal during the partial sets and then decrease the weight for the third set using the full range of motion. During partials, do each rep as instructed on the chart below. Complete three sets of each exercise before moving on to the next exercise. Use a spotter for safety and assistance.

Partial Rep Training on the Power Rack or Smith Machine

            Use the power rack or Smith machine to push your muscles beyond failure. The rack allows you to decrease the range of motion during your lifts. When you push your muscles to the max, pushing through the full range of motion, you will find they can still manage a few more reps if you decrease the distance they have to move the weight. Here is an example of a failure workout on the bench press. The same principle applies to any lift. Place a flat bench inside the power rack or Smith machine and adjust the stop bar so the Olympic barbell barely touches your chest when you're lying on the bench.

• Warm up doing 1-2 sets of 10 reps using a light weights.
• Load the bar with a weight for which you can barely complete 10 reps. Start with the bar in the down position; bench press the weight for as many reps as possible.
• Raise the stop bar one notch and repeat the above procedure until you max out.
• Raise the stop bar another notch and repeat.

            Have your training partner help you get off the bench because you will feel like a truck just ran over your upper body. But it will hurt so good.

References

ACSM. Position Stand on Progression Models in Resistance Training for Healthy Adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 34: 364-380, 2002.

Brooks, G.A., T.D. Fahey, and K. Baldwin. Exercise Physiology: Human Bioenergetics and its Applications. New York: McGraw Hill, 2005.

Fahey, T.D. Weight Training Basics. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005

Massey C.D., J. Vincent, M. Maneval, M. Moore, and J.T. Johnson. An analysis of full range of motion vs. partial range of motion training in the development of strength in untrained men. J Strength Cond Res, 18: 518-521, 2004.

Muller, E A and T.W. Hettinger.   The effects of isometric exercise against isotonic exercise on muscles.  Arbeitsphysiology, 15: 452, 1954.

Mookerjee, S. and N.A. Ratamess. Comparison of strength differences and joint action durations between full and partial range-of-motion bench press exercise. J Strength Cond Res,13: 76-81,1999.

Rennie M. J., H. Wackerhage, E. E. Spangenburg and F. W. Booth. Control of the size of the human muscle mass. Ann Rev Physiol, 66: 799-828, 2004.