Like issues of form, technique, rep ranges and training intensity, ‘range-of-motion’ is another training principle that can divide gym trainees. Interestingly, you can often find people with great physiques on both sides of the debate, which begs the question — does it matter? Great physiques can come from a range of variables, including genetics and ongoing commitment. Some people can achieve great results no matter what training philosophy they adhere to.
For us mere mortals, understanding the tried-and-true training methodologies and techniques that are going to give you the best chance of reaching your physique goals is critical. And range-of-motion is certainly one of those. But as we explore the latest research, one simple philosophy for range-of-motion might not be the best approach.
What is Range-of-Motion?
The range of motion of an exercise refers to the full movement potential of a joint or a group of joints during a particular exercise. In short, it involves the ability to move a body part through the whole range, from the full extended starting position to the end contraction position of a particular exercise. So, for a bicep curl, it’s seeing your elbow joint moving from full extension (straight arm), all the way through to full contraction. For those who don’t train with a full range of motion, they might not fully extend on the eccentric or concentric phase, depending on their goals, and will instead perform shorter ranges on each rep.
What the two groups say
Range of motion groups will argue that a complete range of motion ensures that the targeted muscles are fully activated throughout the movement, leading to better muscular development. They might also argue that by training through the full range of motion, you’re also giving the muscle group the benefits of the extra flexibility through the stretch position of the rep.
Those who make the case for shorter ranges of motion make the argument that progressive overload, and thus progressive growth, comes from moving heavier weights and progressively working at and just beyond your capacity. Shorter rep ranges enable you to target the stronger segment of the repetition, and thus, heavily overloading that portion of the rep is what matters. Additionally, many say it’s a safer way to train because often the fully stretched position of the rep is where you’re most vulnerable for joint pain and injury, such as the full squat position, or with the arm at full extension on the bicep curl.
What does the research say?
A review study by Otinger et al., (2023) looked at muscle hypertrophy responses to range of motion training. The purpose of the study was to seek clarification around some of the conflicting data in the research. The reality has been that not all studies have supported the consensus position that a full range of motion is better for hypertrophy.
What the researchers found was that not all muscles are created equal, and that muscles that are active on the descending limb appear to see greater hypertrophy from using larger ranges of motion than those that don’t.
For example, the findings suggest that biceps and triceps training does not benefit from a full range of motion, because the muscle is not fully under tension through the full range. On a bicep curl for example, the tension and intensity of the muscular contraction varies greatly from the full extension, straight-arm position, to when in the rep sees the elbow joint at 90 degrees, where the muscle is working heavily.
However, training the quadriceps and hamstrings showed greater hypertrophic benefit when a complete range of motion is employed. This, the author’s speculate, is because both the hamstrings and the quadriceps are far more engaged during the descension phase of the exercise. Therefore, the art of manipulating range-of-motion techniques in the gym comes down to understanding which muscles benefit from more or less range of motion.
But hypertrophy is not the only goal of a training program, and another recent study showed that the benefits of training with a full range of motion includes, well, improvements to range-of-motion itself. That is, training to the full stretch position with weights can be as beneficial to your flexibility as stretch training is.
The study showed that there were no significant differences between resistance training versus stretch training when it comes to measures of flexibility.
Although “trained or active people” increased range of motion “untrained and sedentary” individuals had significantly higher magnitude range of motion changes.
Implications for training
Ultimately, if hypertrophy is the goal of your training program, then understanding which body parts and which muscle groups benefit more from a complete range of motion than others is critical. However, a full range of motion offers additional physiological benefits than just muscular growth, such as increased flexibility, and increased strength through the joint itself.
