Can Full Weight Training Range Of Motion Enhance The Risk For Muscle Injuries?

Bodybuilders seeking significant muscle building frequently focus upon range of motion when aiming to intensify a workout session, with some reducing the length of each rep in order to use more weight, with other bodybuilders focusing upon the widest range of motion in order to stimulate the greatest number of muscle fibers for each weight training workout rep. Obviously, the disparity between these two philosophies leaves most bodybuilders wondering which technique is more productive, and many bodybuilders, due to articles promoting the advantages of full range bodybuilding form, gravitate towards a lengthy range of motion, believing that they will achieve superior muscle gain.

This concept is perfectly acceptable when using relatively light weights and high reps for muscle stimulation, as the joint and tendon stress is minimal, and therefore forcing a muscle through a more lengthy distance each rep will not result in adverse consequences. Yet, for bodybuilders who seek maximum muscle gain, and decide to implement heavier weight lifting workout sessions, full range of motion for certain exercises can actually increase the risk for injury and discomfort, especially in relation to joints, which experience significant strain when they are placed under heavy stress in a full range of motion workout.

During low rep, high weight training sessions, range of motion is best trimmed, but not dramatically, as for example, a 50% decline in range of motion will lead to less muscle gain, and actually cause instability in muscles, potentially resulting in future serious injuries, including muscle tears. The best technique used to reduce the chance of joint inflamation when performing heavier, lower rep weight training workout sessions is to reduce range of motion slightly at the point of complete muscle contraction, which means, for example, avoiding full lock out of the knees during squat, and the elbows during the bench press, to reduce the impact on joints when using heavy weights. This leads to a slight decline in standard range of motion of about 10%, while still offering complete muscle stimulation.

Many bodybuilders believe that modifying squat range of motion at the bottom of each rep will reduce the impact of knee injuries, but this is not so, as squats with a complete range of motion, where you lower the body as far as possible, is more potent at increasing lower body muscle mass, and encourages stability in the legs that will not occur when substantially altering range of motion. The reason many experience knee discomfort when squatting is not because of excessive range of motion, but rather incorrect form which places unneeded stress upon the knee joint, as the deadlift and squat are two weight lifting exercises where form is especially difficult and crucial to the safety of each rep, and sadly, numerous bodybuilders aim to reduce squat rep range as opposed to solving the true source of knee discomfort, which is improper form.

The same idea applies to elbow pain, as muscles have been designed to function synergistically, and when a link in the chain begins to operate in a way that was not intended, other muscles attempt to assist in an unnatural way, and before long, joints are severely inflamed, and muscles begin to experience numerous injuries. Therefore, in addition to avoiding complete lockout on weight training exercises such as squat and triceps pushdown, if you are suffering from joint discomfort, you should make an effort to judge weight training workout form on all exercises to determine whether your body is executing each rep correctly, making any changes as necessary.

Those bodybuilders who attempt to rectify joint discomfort by greatly reducing weight training exercise range of motion are simply adversely impacting their long term well being, as muscles that are not encouraged to perform in their natural strength curve will eventually create instability in the tendon and joint regions, which will increase the risk for serious muscle injuries and nagging discomfort. Although reducing exercise range of motion enhances the amount of weight that can be used in each lifting movement dramatically, such artificial improvements do not produce extra muscle gains, but rather prevent the necessary stimulation for consistent improvements in muscle mass.