So, a gym bro came up to me today and commented on my half-rep. And this led to a discussion about what I was doing. He told me half reps do nothing and if I am going to lift, to do it right the first time. He couldn’t be more right about this, but what he thought that was a half-rep was actually, a failure.
Half-Rep
A half-rep is when you knowingly only do half the full extension of your exercises. Some people will say there is no merit to a half-rep, others will say they help work th finer muscles or build endurance, etc. Etc. Truth is, moving the weight works, you just won’t get the result you want from half-reps.
Failure
A failure is when you are doing full reps, and then finally cannot get the weight moved to the proper full extension of the exercise . I.e. a half-rep or less. You simply cannot move it anymore. You muscles are fatigued and failed to do the movement to completion. This failure is good, as it sparks more muscle development. Or so I am told by every gym/muscle magazine in history that has commented on this.
End-Game
At the end of the day, they both have merits, however you should always attempt a full rep, if you’re working above your normal weight for half-reps, don’t, just go down to a weight you can do properly and work that, increase your reps and eventually you’ll be able to go up to the weight you’re half-repping.
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