Partial rep training has been used to supplement full range of motion training for decades. It has several benefits:
But it's always been just that – a supplement. Now a new study shows how this could be a primary training method if your main goal is muscle growth.
The study took 44 men with at least a year of resistance training experience and separated them into two groups. Each group did triceps extensions (skull crushers):
They both completed 3 sets of 8 reps at an 8 RM. The reps were performed with a 1-second eccentric (negative) and a 1-second concentric (lifting) cadence. Rest was one minute between sets. They trained three times per week for 8-weeks.
At the end of the study, estimated triceps cross sectional area increased significantly in both groups, but there were huge differences:
So, the partial range group saw nearly twice the hypertrophy gains!
Partial range of motion lifting is no joke. For exercises like the lying barbell triceps extension – where it can be difficult to keep tension throughout the rep – partials might be a better option.
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