For a long time, it was thought full ROM training was always better than partials.

For muscle growth. Strength gains. And, of course, looking like you know you sh*t in the gym (you've probably done your fair share of eye rolls 🙄 at obnoxious grunters in the gym barely half-repping ten plates on the leg press — like, maybe lighten the load and actually work your quads?)

Turns out, all that sass may be misplaced.

Because a growing number of studies have found partials produce better hypertrophy outcomes than full ROM.

And, since strength is somewhat associated with muscle mass, this also means partials are likely to make you stronger than full ROM training.

What in the world …

We know. We’re shocked, too. So, let’s look at the research and figure out what it means for our workout sessions together.

The body of evidence showing full ROM < partials

As of writing, there are 4 studies investigating the relationship between ROM training and resulting muscle growth. Since that’s still a number countable on 1 hand ✋, we’ll briefly run through each:

Not just any partial ROM will do …

😮‍💨 Woo, catch a breath. Now, carefully examine the studies; do you see the pattern?

Here’s a hint: it has to do with the type of partials that led to either equal or even better muscle growth results than full ROM. That’s right. They’re all initial ROM training.

Really quickly, think about how the target muscles behave in the initial ROM during …

• Skull crushers (triceps): Lengthened
• Leg press (quads and glutes): Lengthened
• Knee extension (quads): Lengthened
• Calf raises (calves): Lengthened

Lengthened*4.

Meaning? The evidence only supports lengthened partials as better than full ROM training.

In fact, if you went ahead and checked out those 4 studies yourself in more detail, you’d find that full ROM consistently led to better hypertrophy results than final partials (e.g., performing leg presses from the mid-range to full contraction).

Default: lengthened partial range of motion instead of full ROM?

Right. So, moving forward, does this mean you should always strive for lengthened partials in your training program? Well, you could — but it might not always be practical. Or safe.

Case in point: the barbell back squat.

What do lengthened partials look like for that? You'll get from the most difficult bottom position to the mid-point of your rep. You'll never complete the rep. You'll never catch a break.

Plus, most people "re-set" their brace at the top, meaning you'll probably have to skip that too. If you haven't already inferred, it's pure agony 🔥

At this point, all we’re trying to say is this: lengthened partials may give you equivalent or better hypertrophy results than full ROM, but they’re not always suitable for every exercise. Generally, a great rule of thumb would be only to emphasize lengthened partials for single-joint, isolation, or machine-based exercises.

Examples include (note: this is a non-exhaustive list):

• Biceps: Behind-the-back cable or dumbbell curl
• Triceps: Skull crushers and overhead cable triceps extension
• Shoulders: Machine shoulder press (focus on the bottom to mid-rep range)
• Back: Seated cable row (get a really good stretch without letting your shoulders round forward)
• Quads: Leg extension
• Glutes: Cable kickback
• Hamstrings: Choose the seated hamstring curl over the lying version where available (the former puts your hamstrings in a greater stretch than the latter)
• Calves: Calf raises

Also, please do not chase lengthened partials when you don’t have the mobility for it 🥲

Learn why here:

Is More Range of Motion on Your Exercises Always Better?

More range of motion through your exercises is always better because it results in more gains. True or false? Find out for yourself here.

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And if you need mobility help …

Is It Necessary To Do Mobility Work?

Do you have to fix your mobility issues? Find out how mobility affects your muscle and strength gains in the gym - and how you can improve mobility here.

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3 Thoracic Mobility Exercises You Need to Start Doing

You know hip mobility. The same goes for ankle mobility. But thoracic mobility? If you’ve never heard of it, start doing these 3 exercises ASAP.

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Need help with the big picture?

OK, knowing the specific type of partials to do (and the exercises you could do) is great.

But what's the use if you don't know how to apply it to your training? Or what if you aren't even working with a documented workout program — and are just hacking it all together when you get to the gym?

That won’t do.

“Bu – but … I don’t have the luxury of hiring a personal trainer/I don’t know enough to plan my own workouts/I struggle with motivation!”

We hear you (and many others like you).

This is why we created GymStreak, the smart AI-powered workout planner + tracker (not powered by ChatGPT, btw) that’ll tailor your training program to your specific needs, from your lifting experience to schedule availability. It’s waaaaay cheaper than getting a personal trainer and helps you easily keep track of your progress so you stay motivated.

Plus, we're constantly hard at work adding new features to support your fitness journey better (we introduced the nutrition tracker feature a while back!)

So … what do you say? If you’re interested, here’s a peek at our app 👀: