Full reps vs. Half Reps

[996GT2]

Every workout website I read advocates doing full reps (touching chest on bench, going past 90 deg on squat...etc), but my friend who works out a lot says that his training is focused on doing half reps, especially at the higher weights

He weighs 135 lbs, and on bench press he can full-rep 225 lbs. His training is a little strange, though:

On the bench press, his training goes something like:
135x6 full rep
155z4 full rep
185x4 full rep
205x2 full rep
215x2 full rep
225x2 half rep
245x4 half rep
265x6 half rep
265x6 half rep
285x6 half rep
305x2 half rep
135 x 22 full rep

What are the advantages of doing this as opposed to something like Stronglifts 5x5, where you are only doing 5 sets of full reps?

 

[SlitheryDee]

I dunno, but it sounds like an excuse to load up on heavier weights than he can really do...

Him: "Oh, yeah I can bench 305".

Me: *looks at tiny skinny 135lb dude*

Me: "Uh huh"

Benching 225 "the right way" is pretty damn good for a guy that small though. Maybe the half-reps contribute to that, but I honestly think his time would be better spent doing whatever weight he can do with a full range of motion.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

It's like doing rack pulls with deadlifts. A limited range of motion can sometimes strengthen the weak parts of a movement and allow for greater overall weight to be used. However, focusing on bench like that is pretty awkward. He probably would've moved quicker on his weights initially on a linear program though. This would be for more advanced users, which he seems to be approaching nowadays (225 at 135 is pretty impressive). Are you sure he can do 225 for a full 1RM?

 

[crt1530]

Your friend has no idea what he's doing.

 

[Kipper]

Twelve sets flat bench press?

Reminds me of my "arms day" back when I started and had no idea what I was doing. I'd do something like 20 sets for biceps, 20 sets triceps...

 

[996GT2]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged
Are you sure he can do 225 for a full 1RM?

Yes, I've seen it before, which is why I was so impressed.

He also does every bodyweight exercise with a ton of weights piled on. I think he adds 55 pounds of plates to his body for dips and something like 45-50 for pull-ups. Crazy stuff.

 

[RESmonkey]

/facepalm

I usually don't browse this place, but just hopped in on this thread. Half reps (especially at weights beyond 1RM) or even negative reps definitely help. Gets your muscles/nervous system used to heavier loads.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: RESmonkey
/facepalm

I usually don't browse this place, but just hopped in on this thread. Half reps (especially at weights beyond 1RM) or even negative reps definitely help. Gets your muscles/nervous system used to heavier loads.

Yep, they're awesome until you go too far and fail with weights beyond 1RM. 305 dropped on your chest sounds like a rip-roarin' time

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: RESmonkey
/facepalm

I usually don't browse this place, but just hopped in on this thread. Half reps (especially at weights beyond 1RM) or even negative reps definitely help. Gets your muscles/nervous system used to heavier loads.

Yep, they're awesome until you go too far and fail with weights beyond 1RM. 305 dropped on your chest sounds like a rip-roarin' time

Ribs heal fast. *shrug*

 

[brikis98]

If you're training to be a competitive powerlifter, where the aim is to lift the maximum weight possible, partial reps can be a very useful tool to complement full reps. Partial reps allow your muscles, bones, tissues and CNS to get used to handling heavier weights and can help strengthen certain parts of the full movement. For example, if you struggle locking out the weight in deadlift, doing rack pulls can be a very helpful assistance exercise.

On the other hand, if you're training for functional strength (ie, general fitness), partial reps tend to be much less useful. In general strength training, the goal is not really to lift the maximum weight, but to become as (functionally) strong as possible. While the two goals are related, they are not the same. For example, training to squat the maximum weight typically leads people to use a very wide squat stance. However, squatting to become as strong as possible typically uses a narrower, more athletic stance, as that tends to produce strength that carries over better to real world activities. You can squat more weight with a wide stance, but you build more functional strength with a narrow stance.

In general, exercises that improve real world performance, aka "functional exercises", have the characteristic that they allow you to move large loads over long distances quickly. Full reps of compound exercises like the squat, deadlift, press, clean, etc fit this definition beautifully. Partial rep exercises allow very large loads to be moved, but not particularly quickly and, by definition, not for very long distances. In short, if you're doing general strength training, full ROM is typically the way to go.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: RESmonkey
/facepalm

I usually don't browse this place, but just hopped in on this thread. Half reps (especially at weights beyond 1RM) or even negative reps definitely help. Gets your muscles/nervous system used to heavier loads.

Yep, they're awesome until you go too far and fail with weights beyond 1RM. 305 dropped on your chest sounds like a rip-roarin' time

Except you'll have a spotter and more than likely the drop will be slow and close to your chest.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: RESmonkey
/facepalm

I usually don't browse this place, but just hopped in on this thread. Half reps (especially at weights beyond 1RM) or even negative reps definitely help. Gets your muscles/nervous system used to heavier loads.

Yep, they're awesome until you go too far and fail with weights beyond 1RM. 305 dropped on your chest sounds like a rip-roarin' time

Except you'll have a spotter and more than likely the drop will be slow and close to your chest.

If he's doing 305 for two and goes too far the second rep, the spotter better be able to curl well over 100 pounds because after all that work, he's gonna fail hard. Also, the drop - it's not called a half rep because it gets close to your chest.

 

[RapidSnail]

Is he doing partials in the lower half or upper half?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: RapidSnail
Is he doing partials in the lower half or upper half?

The bottom part of the ROM is usually the weakest so I doubt he's doing 305 from chest to halfway up. I imagine it's from fully extended to halfway down, not getting anywhere near his chest).

 

[Capt Caveman]

nvm

 

[presidentender]

So y'all have changed your minds?

 

[gramboh]

It's perfectly legit for advanced lifters trying to focus on certain parts of the movement, but I don't like the way he is using them for such a long weight range, 225-305. He is obviously strong if he can bench 225 @ 135 but I think he'd get more bang for his buck doing 3's and 1's full range trying for progressive overloading.

It's like this guy I know who deadlifts something around 225 (I think he weighs 190ish) and regularly does rack pulls around 300lbs. What's the effing point of rack pulls until you have at least 2x BW deadlift, other than trying to look big int he gym, it's just a stupid waste of time and overcomplicating your training.

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: RESmonkey
/facepalm

I usually don't browse this place, but just hopped in on this thread. Half reps (especially at weights beyond 1RM) or even negative reps definitely help. Gets your muscles/nervous system used to heavier loads.

Yep, they're awesome until you go too far and fail with weights beyond 1RM. 305 dropped on your chest sounds like a rip-roarin' time

Ribs heal fast. *shrug*

hehe you should see how I bench press then

He isn't really doing 12 sets. Anything below 185lbs for him doesn't really count as 'training sets' as the weight is so light. They are warm ups.

There are some merits to half reps like board pressing on the bench press. Some guys do it to help their 'sticking points'.

BUT if he does 'all the time' is half reps then he probably using the half rep range to help him out much or is he even aware of it?!

I see guys in the gym bench pressing but the bar hoovering about 3-5inches off the chest for some bizarre reason .

Koing

 

[MrMatt]

sounds like he's basically doing rack lockouts lol

 

[IceBergSLiM]

sounds like a great way to develop injuries

 

[Insomniator]

Jesus 225 @ 135?!

I can do 205 @.... 175

The best I ever did was I believe 225 @ 165 and I think that was more like half reps anyway.

How the hell do people get so strong...