The Truth Behind Half Reps

[BABY1]

TweetHalf Reps is the technique of doing a push or pulling exercise in the gym but only using 1/2 the total movement distance. The half rep technique can be done for a variety of reasons, mostly the wrong reasons. A rep (short for repitition) means a full range of movement with a weighted object, like a barbell or dumbbell. For instance a full rep on the Bench Press would mean moving the weight from full arm extension down until the bar touches your chest (ie cannot go any further) then back up to full arm extension.

Benchpress Full Rep

Half Reps are an advanced technique that all beginners should stear clear of, unless they want a slap in the back of the head from me... why?....

Half Reps - Right Or Wrong?

Half Reps are a legitimate training technique to get past sticking points and to target weaknesses in your training. Half Reps are also used by beginners in the gym or those with ego problems to use more weight than they could normally and to satisfy their own incorrect valuation of their personal strength.
Unfortunately I also see many professional personal trainers teaching their clients how to do these incorrectly, I feel sorry for these people paying good money to these fools.

Correct Half Rep Technique

The right way to do half reps is to do the HARD part of the movement only, then stop 1/2 way up and go back down and do another 1/2 rep in the hard part of the movement range.
For example half reps in a benchpress would be from touching your chest with the bar to 1/2 way up, then back down to touch your chest, 1/2 way back up then back to touching your chest, etc.
Half reps for squats would be to go down until your butt is touching the backs of your calves then come up to the bottom of your hamstrings being parallel to the ground then back down.
You always do the hard part of the movement as a half rep, this will help strengthen the weakness in that area and generally targets the main muscle you are training better.

The Wrong Way To Half Rep

Half reps are more often done incorrectly so that the person doing them can put more weight on the bar than he can handle. ie for Benchpress you will very often see guys load up the bar then they bend their elbows and let the weight down maybe 30% of the way then push it back up and call that a rep for their chest training. Doing this will only put stress on the triceps and will not develop and chest size or make strength increases.
The other time I have seen this very, very poorly performed is in Squats. One time at the gym I watched this guy loading up about 600lbs on the bar then he strapped his knees very tightly with elastic knee wraps and put on a weight belt, then amongst a great deal of noise and his large group of friends around he then got under the weight lifted it out from the rack and proceeded to do knee bends. I kid you not. The guy barely went down 10% of the movement, he more or less just bent his knees then pushed back up again. Tosser.
Many people do squats with this bad half rep technique, usually not this badly but still badly. Previously myself included.
I used to do my Squats until my legs were parallel to the ground then push back up again. I was doing 400lbs at the time and I started training with a group of New Zealand bodybuilders who came from a powerlifting background. Harry, Womens National Champion Powerlifting Coach, saw me Squatting in this manner and told me to put the bar up after a few reps.
Then he said "You are not allowed to use that weight anymore, we are going to start with 1 plate (135lbs) until you can do that properly then you can work your way back up"
He then got me under the olympic bar with one 50lb weight either side and taught me to Squat a full rep, all the way down until I could go no further.
3 months later I was back to Squatting 400lbs but of full reps and my legs were much bigger and mush stronger - noticably so during my wrestling - it was much easier to pick up my opponents from a low crouch.

Should You Do Half Reps?

No. If you have to ask this question then no. You should concentrate on getting a all round development in strength and size.
Advanced weight training techniques like half reps are for getting beyond sticking points or for addressing muscular weaknesses not for beginners to much about with. Beginners and intermediate trainers are much better off sticking to the main mass/strength builders like bench, squats, deadlift, etc and doing full ranges of movement to get total body growth.
Though an occassional workout with half reps is a nice way to mix things up, and a good way to stress the muscle if you do not feel like going ultra heavy that day.
If you choose to do half reps do them with the correct technique for the correct reasons and you will get good gains, do half reps for the wrong reasons and people will laugh at you.

[guns01]

Tweeti like to use half reps/partials after positive failure has been reached. it is also a great technique to hit different areas and angles of the muscle, not to move more weight and look cool lol