Range of Motion

ROM (Range of Motion) for an exercise is different then ROM of the Joint

If you’ve been lifting for any length of time you have likely been told to lift through a full range of motion. We need to clarify the difference between a joint’s range of motion and an exercise’s range of motion in order to understand it properly.

Performing your exercises through a full range of motion is supposed to be how you place the maximum amount of tension on the muscles that are working in that exercise. That is not true however. In some instances, the continuation of a joint’s full range of motion actually takes all of the tension off of the very muscle you are trying to work and grow.

For instance, with the triceps kickback with dumbbells on an inverted bench, how many times do you see someone lift the dumbbells at the top of the movement almost into a curl. What exactly is this part of the exercise doing for your triceps besides letting them rest while you actively contract the biceps. In order to perform this exercise correctly, the “full range of motion” is actually half of the full range of the motion at the elbow.

Make Sense? It will!

The elbow is capable of flexing and extending. You can bend your elbow until your wrist touches your shoulders or you can extend it until it is straight and in line with the upper arm. Of course, you can stop at any range in the middle of that path as well. Just because the full range of motion of the elbow is that it doesn’t mean that a triceps kickback should be performed like that.

For the kickback to be effective, you have to use just half of the range of the elbow in order to keep maximum tension on the triceps. In this case, you would stop with the dumbbell pointed towards the ground and the elbow perpendicular to the floor. Squeeze up to the top by extending your elbow fully and come back down again to the half way point. Full range of motion for the exercise would be half the range of the elbow joint.

 

The take-away.
The key is understanding that full range of motion is only pertinent to an exercise and not the joint involved in the exercise. If you want to make your best gains you need to stop letting the two overlap when they are not supposed to.

… Just do something. The results will Come!!!!

Call Steve, In-Training Sports | 561-281-8330
In Training Sports
www.intrainingsports.com
Personal Trainer, servicing West Palm Beach, Palm Beach, Wellington and Jupiter Florida
3131 Village Blvd, #305
West Palm Beach, FL 33409