Lengthened Partial Reps for Faster Muscle Growth

 

A new study finds 'lengthened partials supersets' can lead to 43.3% more muscle growth.    The study adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that doing resistance training sets and reps in extended positions emphasizing the stretched portion of a repetition enhance muscle hypertrophy (muscle growth).

Long muscle length partial reps focus on the stretched portion of an exercise’s range of motion where muscles are at their longest (right figure in graphic above).   7 out of 8 studies showed that training in the stretched position led to greater muscle growth compared to the contracted position when muscles are short.

Even more interesting is that 4 out of 5 studies found that long-length partial repetitions were superior to full range of motion for hypertrophy.   One study showed double the muscle growth in the hip extensors (think glutes and hamstrings) with lengthened partials compared to full Range of Motion sets (+6.8% vs +3.1%).

This enhanced hypertrophy from long-length partials may be due to:

Increased time under tension in the most anabolic part of the range of motion.

Greater mechanical tension on muscle fibers when stretched.

Three Methods to Incorporate Lengthened-Partial Reps into your Program

Start with full Range of Motion (ROM) repetitions, then switch to long-length partials when you can no longer complete full reps.   This extends the set and increases the volume.

Perform entire sets using only the stretched half of the ROM such as deep squat to halfway up only or bottom of bench press to half way up only.    This maximizes time under tension in the lengthened position.

While promising there are many benefits to full range exercise including the ability to handle higher loads and increasing maximum strength in the muscles shortened position such as to of the squat.