Don’t Make This Sacrifice!
No, not that kind of sacrifice. I am talking about Range of Motion (ROM).
In your training, it is important to be employing some type of progressive overload. Often this is in the form of additional weight used during an exercise. If you can add weight and maintain the same technique and volume, wonderful!
However, what we do not want to see is your ROM getting shorter and shorter for each pound you add to the barbell. Be honest, you’ve done it before. Or if you have not, then you’ve likely seen it if you spent any time in a gym. It’s the bench presser who stops 8 inches away from his chest and then tries to press it back up. It’s the person squatting who you think just did a rep but it was so small of a ROM you are not sure if it actually was a repetition or if they were just getting comfortable.
With some exceptions for certain body types and those dealing with injuries, let’s describe full range of motion for the two exercises mentioned above. The bench press (after lifting off of the supports) starts with arms fully extended, but not locking out/hyper extending the elbow joint. The descent should take the bar to mid chest, ideally touching the chest to maintain consistency from rep to rep. Do not bounce off the chest, reverse motion be initiating the press with your pushing muscle.
The squat (again, not including the lift off/walk out) starts with legs and hips fully extended but not forcefully locked out. The descent should finish with your thighs ideally parallel to the floor as in the image above. Reverse motion with the glutes and quads while maintaining a braced midsection and back.
Do not sacrifice your ROM just to add a few pounds. Take some video (video link), or have someone watch you in the gym to make sure you are not making this mistake. If your squat looks as high as Motivational Speaker Matt Foley above, then it’s time to reassess!
