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Can Full Weight Training Range Of Motion Increase The Likelihood For Muscle Injuries?

Bodybuilders seeking maximum muscle building frequently focus upon range of motion when attempting to improve the effectiveness of a workout, with some abbreviating the length of each rep in order to use more weight, with other bodybuilders opting for the largest range of motion in order to recruit the greatest number of muscle fibers for each weight lifting workout rep. Obviously, the disparity between these two philosophies leaves most weight lifters wondering which technique is more effective, and many bodybuilders, due to articles promoting the virtues of full range bodybuilding form, gravitate towards a lengthy range of motion, believing that they will achieve superior muscle gain.

This concept is valid 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 longer distance each rep will not result in adverse consequences. Yet, for bodybuilders who seek maximum muscle growth, and decide to cycle low reps and heavy weight with higher rep 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 greater strain when they are placed under heavy stress in a full range of motion workout.

During low rep, high weight lifting sessions, range of motion is best trimmed, but not to the point where many bodybuilders gravitate towards, as for example, a 50% decline in range of motion will lead to far less muscle gain, and actually cause instability in muscles, potentially resulting in long term injuries, including muscle tears. The best method used to reduce the risk of joint pain when performing heavy weight lifting workout sessions is to trim range of motion slightly at the point of complete muscle contraction, which means, for example, avoiding full lock out of the knees during leg press, and the elbows during the triceps pushdown, to reduce the impact on joints when using extremely heavy weights. This leads to a slight reduction 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 chance of knee injuries, but this is a misconception, as full form squat, where you lower the body as far as possible, is more potent at building lower body muscle mass, and encourages stability in the legs that will not occur when substantially reducing range of motion. The reason many experience knee discomfort when squatting is not because of excessive range of motion, but rather incorrect exercise form which places unneeded stress upon the knee joint, as the deadlift and squat are two weight training exercises where form is especially difficult and crucial to the safety of each rep, and unfortunately, numerous bodybuilders aim to reduce squat rep range as opposed to solving the true cause of knee discomfort, which is improper form.

The same concept applies to elbow discomfort, as muscles have been designed to work together in systematic fashion, and when a link in the chain begins to operate in a way that was not intended, other muscles attempt to compensate in an unnatural way, and soon after, joints are inflamed, and muscles begin to experience frequent injury. Therefore, in addition to avoiding complete lockout on weight lifting exercises such as bench press and squat, if you are suffering from joint discomfort, you should make an effort to analyze weight lifting workout form on all exercises to determine whether your body is performing each rep properly, making any adjustments as necessary.

Those bodybuilders who attempt to rectify joint discomfort by greatly reducing weight lifting exercise range of motion are clearly mortgaging their long term well being, as muscles that are not encouraged to perform in their natural strength arc will eventually cause instability in the tendon and joint regions, which will increase the risk for serious muscle injuries and annoying discomfort. Although abbreviating exercise range of motion increases the amount of weight that can be used in each lifting movement dramatically, such artificial improvements do not produce extra muscle growth, but rather prevent the necessary stimulation for dramatic increases in muscle mass.

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