Partial reps
Squeezing shortened reps out of a set once full range of motion has gone
When the last full rep will not move, some lifters keep going with a shortened range: half reps, quarter reps, sometimes barely more than a twitch at the hardest point. The set ends when even that stops. Research on partial range work suggests it can build muscle, particularly at the lengthened end of a movement, and bodybuilders have used it for decades to finish machine and cable exercises where a failed rep costs nothing. It is hard on the target muscle rather than the joints, which is why it turns up on pulldowns and curls far more often than on squats. Lean on it too heavily and a session fills with fatigue that no longer buys anything.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Sam SulekDoes it
Bodybuilder and YouTuber · Spring Bulk gym vlogs
Once full reps are gone he grinds out partials, explaining that the little movement left is coming from scapular retraction through his lats. He treats it as the tail of the set, not a separate technique.
Source: Fitness Volt: Sam Sulek Full Day Of Eating And Back Workout
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