"Partial reps are only ego boosters;" "partial reps are for idiots;" "partial reps are the ugliest form of cheating that there is." Ever hear any of this? Ever been guilty of believing any of it? If so, the old man is here to throw some light on the subject and to drag you out of the darkness of that way of thinking...

What is so good about doing partial reps in strength training? I'll throw up three points about the positives of doing them. Point Number 1 is that partial reps, like singles, are an excellent way to overload the muscles. As we have already established, singles with max or near-max poundages are a great way to build strength because they allow the weight to build the muscle and not the amount of reps (not to say that reps don't build strength, but being more reliant on the weight used and not the reps performed is the ultimate way to train for strength). Using that principle, doing partial reps with even MORE than max weight puts even more overload on the muscles, pushing them to the hilt, making the body even more stressed and thereby building strength.

Point Number 2 is probably the best point I can make for partial reps. When you perform partial reps, the muscles used to perform the same lifts in the normal, full-motion manner have been strengthened by the overlaod of handling a heavier poundage. It's like warming up in the on-deck circle with more than one bat or shooting jumpshots in basketball practice with ankle weights. When it comes time to fully unload in each particular situation, the body can perform better because it has been previously conditioned to taking on more than it is currently handling.

Say you do partial deadlifts (lockouts) with more than your max weight; when you do a regular deadlift, the grip will be better, the back will able to give you that last burst of power at the end of the rep. Say you do partial squats with more than your max weight; when you do a regular squat, your body will be more stable because it is used to movement with a hevaier poundage, your shoulders will hold up better because they are used to being topped with a greater weight.

Point Number 3 is that partial reps are a unique and gut-wrenching challenge. It is amazing how pumped up you can get from preparing to move something that you know you couldn't move in a full range-of-motion. You are skipping through the lift right to the climax- the hardest part of the movement. AND you are adding much more weight to increase the intensity.

Some call partial reps "ego boosters." They are partially correct. When I do partial reps, my lifts improve when I do the lift in regular fashion; and nothing boosts my ego more than lifting alongside some guy who tells me that doing something won't build strength, yet when I do it and then lift as he does, I am stronger.

Just some useless thoughts from a narrow-minded, still sadly impersonated, old man!