How to Do Partial Reps
Step-by-step Instructions
Here is what you need to do...
Step 1
When you've given a set everything you got and it feels like there's not much left, what do you do to keep the Gains going? Partial reps. Partial reps allow the body to push past its normal limit, and they force the muscle to operate in a different way, making it change and ultimately making it grow.
Step 2
You should wait to perform any partial reps until you've reached the end of a set, and you can't get another full rep out. You then shorten the range of motion to fit your current potential of lifting power. So, for bench presses, you would do 10 reps normally, then you would only push the weight halfway back up and immediately drop it down again. These partial reps allow the muscle to keep on working after it feels like it should be done.
Step 3
An important part of partial reps is the speed at which you do them. Partial reps, since they deal with a highly shortened range of motion, require you to do them with a lot of speed and serious intensity. This way you're forcing the muscle to use every last bit of energy.
Step 4
In order to tax the muscle in this fashion, you might need a bit of help. Personally, I use MuscleTech platinum Creatine. This stuff gives me a boost and lets my muscles push long after they're tired. Once I've exhausted myself on a set, the Creatine works to allow my muscles to perform tons of partial reps at a high speed and intensity.
Step 5
Partial reps are great because they give your body a chance to push past its normal limit. In weightlifting this kind of extra pushing correlates directly to increased muscle size. On top of that, partial reps are just plain fun to hammer out.
Special Attention
Difficulties people often experience or parts that need special attention to do it right.
The hardest thing about partial reps is making sure that after you've done enough you still have the ability to re-rack the weight. If you're doing partial rep bicep curls this won't be an issue, but if you're doing partial reps on the bench press you should highly consider having a spotter nearby.
Stuff You'll Need
| Brand | Product | Price |
|---|---|---|
| MuscleTech platinum 100% Creatine | No Price |
Suggested Further Reading
| Author | Title | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Cathe Friedrichs Intensity Muscle Endurance | No Price |
This Student Author
This Student Author's Background
Funny or interesting story about this topic...
I was training this older gentleman who liked to throw up as much weight as he could. He didn't let age hold him back, and he constantly pushed himself to the limit. When I introduced him to partial reps he got so gun-ho that he did an uncountable amount of reps. He was on the bench press going after a bunch of partials when, out of nowhere, he sharted. Funniest moment of my life
When did you first do this & how did you get started?
I started doing partial reps pretty much when I started lifting weights. For me, they allow my body to push past normal limits, which always means more muscle. Give them a shot and let me know how it goes,
J