Yesterday’s newsletter contained an overview of a new study…
“Partial Range of Motion Training Elicits Favorable Improvements In Muscular Adaptations When Carried Out at Long Muscle Lengths.” [Eur J Sports Sci. Pedrosa, et al. 2022]
It looked at the muscular effects of contracted-position partials vs. full-range reps vs. stretch-position partials…
It found that stretch loading appears to be the biggest key to optimal hypertrophy.
The researchers also suggested that partial range of motion training at longer muscle lengths, or stretch-position partials, may even be superior to full-range-of-motion training. (Larry Eklund illustration)…
An interesting finding in that same study was this: The shortened, or contracted-position, partials promoted more proximal, or upper-quad, hypertrophy, with almost zero distal, or lower-quad, growth.
Not what you’d expect. Bodybuilders have always believed that the top contraction is what builds more muscle around the knee—but the stretch-position partials blew away both the contracted partials and full-range reps for lower-quad growth.
The fact that contracted-position partials showed more upper-quad growth in the vastus lateralis, however, shows that there is benefit to training the contracted position for added overall muscle growth.
Suggestions on how to apply all of this eye-opening info tomorrow.
Note: For a chart of stretch-position exercises for each muscle, as well as the ideal and contracted-position moves, see pages 42 and 43 of Old Man, Young Muscle.
Sculpt your perfect physique: Get the ideal exercise for each muscle, the best stretch and contracted add-on moves for ultimate mass, complete 35-minute workouts, exercise start/finish photos, and details on building muscle fast and efficiently in Old Man, Young Muscle.
And you still get The Muscle-On, Belly-Gone “Diet” ebook FREE for a limited time when you add Old Man, Young Muscle to your mass-building library. Go HERE.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman
Former Editor in Chief, Iron Man Magazine
www.X-Rep.com
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