Q: I think you’ve said that partials should not be performed on more dangerous stretch exercises, like stiff-legged deadlifts. So I should just keep doing all of my stretch sets with full-range reps?
A: I’ve said that X-Reps, stretch partials at the end of a full-range set, can be dangerous. That’s because the muscles are fatigued from the full-range work, so those end-of-set partials can be harder to control. However…
An entire set of stretch-partials is fine on just about any stretch-position exercise from the Positions-of-Flexion selection (see pages 42 and 43 in Old Man, Young Muscle).
The range I like on semi-stiff-legged deadlifts is from about knee height to just above the ankles…
If you have tightness in your hamstrings, the lowest point may be higher than what’s shown above. That’s not me in the photos, by the way.
I even do dumbbell pullovers using stretch partials over the entire set. You can feel the anabolic drive in the lats and even upper chest and triceps. Just be sure not to lower the dumbbells below head level.
Why entire sets of stretch partials? In case you missed the study, it compared stretch partials to full-range reps and contracted-position partials. [Eur J Sports Sci. Pedrosa, et al. 2022]
Stretch partials built more muscle hands down. And the bonus is that you create less damage thanks to shorter-stroke negatives. That leaves you with more recovery energy for hypertrophy.
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 Magazin
X-Rep.com
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