Kenny Croxdale
Level 7 Valued Member
Long-Length Partial Reps
This was posted on this forum. I would give them credit for it but I cannot rememeber who posted it.Stretching For Hypertrophy Training
Long Length Partials falls inline with some earlier research that determined Stretching was effective for increasing muscle mass.
Stretching Bird Wings
The Most Painful Way to Build Muscle
Double muscle thickness? A new study showed that one training method may just be able to do it... if you can handle the pain.
Jose Antonio that subjected quail (yes, birds) to an extreme stretching protocol that involved hanging weights on their wings for 28 days. During the month-long study, weight was progressively added. Ultimately, the birds experienced size increases of more than 300 percent in the stretched muscles.
Dr Jacob Wilson, University of Tampa Human Performance Lab
Wilson's Lab had athletes stretching between Hypertrophy Traiing Set and found there was an increase in muscle mass.
Chris Thibaudeau
Chris Thibaudeau (Strength/Bodybuilding Coach) written some article that promote it and outline the protocol.
Loaded Stretches For Hypetrophy
Antonio, Wilson and Thibaudeau's Stretching for Hypertrophy Protocol is referred to as Loaded Stretches.
Examples
1) Dumbbell Bench Presses
Holding Dumbbells in the bottom part the Bench Press; Dumbbell provide a greater lower stretch that a Barbell.
Stretches Pecs, Triceps and Anterior Delthoids.
2) Full Squat
Sitting in a Full Squat with a Loaded Barbell.
Streches Quads.
3) Hanging Pull Ups
Lat Stretch.
Are Long-Length Partial Reps the Secret to Hypertrophy? | BarBend
Natural bodybuilder, powerlifter, and BSc-qualified biochemist Jeff Nippard released a YouTube video on Nov. 11, 2023, hailing long-length partial reps as “The World’s Smartest Intensity Technique for Muscle Growth.” That’s a bold claim, but he presented evidence to back it up.
Traditional reps typically require the lifter to move the weight through their full range of motion (ROM). Long-length partial reps focus only on the first half of the rep where the muscle is at its longest, hence the term “long-length partial.” Nippard used a biceps curl as his first example, demonstrating that the long-length partial rep would begin in the same place as a traditional rep but would end halfway through the concentric rather than at the fully contracted position.
The World's Smartest Intensity Technique For Muscle Growth
The title to this video (World Smartest) is over the top.
The same is true for any promoting something as "The Best", which is trite.
If something were truely "The Best" it would be the only thing used.
If something is really that great, it should be labed as "One of The Best.
With said, Long Length may be one of the most effective for Hypertrophy Training.
Long-Length Partial Reps
Nippard detailed that seven out of eight studies comparing long-length to short-length partials showed that the stretch rather than the contraction compels the most muscle adaptation. While many lifters believe that a full ROM is always best, Nippard showed four out of five studies favoring long-length partials over the full ROM for muscle growth. None of the studies referenced found a different ROM to be better than long-length partial reps. (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)Nippard isn’t alone in his favoring for long-length partial reps. Leading researcher Dr. Milo Wolf told Nippard that Wolf uses long-length partials for all of his hypertrophy training. “We expect an improvement in growth of maybe five or 10 percent using lengthened partials versus full range of motion,” said Dr Wolf. “[For] maximizing hypertrophy; that’s meaningful. I’m pretty confident that lengthened partials should be included in your [hypertrophy] training.”
3 Long-Length Partial Rep Methods
Nippard explained that there are three ways he uses long-length partials in his current training.Method One: Intensity Technique
Nippard mainly uses this technique on his hamstrings and back to extend the number of reps per set. He begins with the full ROM but prolongs failure by switching to long-length partials when he can no longer complete full reps. He terminates a set when he can no longer lift the weight halfway through his ROM.“Usually, this will allow me to get another three to six partial reps,” Nippard explained, noting that endpoint consistency for long-length partials is important. This intensity method is not necessarily suitable for every exercise as fatigue could limit or hinder training sessions due to insufficient recovery.
Method Two: Every Single Rep of a Set
Advised by Dr. Wolf, Nippard shared that his current programming requires long-length partials for the entirety of his several exercises’ last sets. This enables more total time spent in the most anabolic part of the ROM. Nippard aims to fail at around the 10-rep mark, noting that others may need to tweak the weight to achieve the same. Nippard believes long-length partials are particularly suited for exercises dumbbell flyes since the top of the movement where there is a little resistance is easy to cut out.Method Three: Integrated Partials
“As a slightly different technique, try something called integrated partials,” shared the fitness influencer. “Rather than leaving all lengthened partials until the end of the set, sprinkle them in throughout the set.” Nippard prefers this method on the pec deck, for example, where he alternates full ROM reps and long-length partial reps until failure. Once again, this method allows the lifter more time in the most anabolic ROM, but integrated partials include full contractions. “I find [integrated reps] keep the set more engaging and cause a crazy pump.”Long-Length Partial Rep Mistakes to Avoid
- Don’t lose control of form. These are not “cheat reps.”
- Don’t slip back to full ROM. Maintain half reps.
- Don’t throw out all other types of exercise. Use a combination of ROMs.
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