Use Full Range of Motion When Lifting Weights

This may seem like stating the obvious but most people starting out (or seasoned gym veterans) tend to neglect the range of motion that they use when performing an exercise. It’s something many people don’t even notice that they do, especially if they have been doing the same routine for months or years.

Reasons why people don’t use full range of motion:

• learned the exercise with incorrect form
• watched someone else in the gym doing the exercise (yikes!)
• they have to lighten the weight (let that ego GO)
• already tight, inflexible, lack of mobility
• joint pain

Did you see yourself in one of those reasons? It’s okay.

Now that you know that you may not be using full range of motion, you can correct it! The good part about this is you are about to make some big progress in both strength AND flexibility!

Improve your Strength

When you perform an exercise you develop strength through the range of motion you perform repeatedly. Anything outside that range of motion is generally going to be weaker since it’s untrained. Your body adapts to how you train it. If you skip a certain part of the movement the body doesn’t make progress there.

Example: you practice your pushups but only go halfway down and wonder why you fall flat when you go any deeper…it’s because you essentially left that part of your pushup undeveloped. This can be a bad thing especially where your joints are concerned. The joints rely on the muscles to keep them supported, if you have neglected a certain range of motion you are vulnerable and your joints will be lacking support. You want strong muscle that is able to support your joints through their full range of motions. No weak spots!

By increasing your range of motion to the correct limits you will actually increase your strength and eliminate those weak spots.

Weight Training to get MORE Flexible?

Weight training has numerous benefits. One little known benefit is it can help you increase flexibility and joint mobility. As we age we tend to lose muscle flexibility and joint mobility. Working a movement through it’s full range of motion helps to maintain or even improve your mobility. Working (or overworking) a movement in a shortened range of motion can cause that to be the new NORMAL (shortened) range of motion. You can make yourself TIGHTER FASTER. This can lead to a host of aches, pains, and potential injuries.

If you find you’re dealing with pain, only work through a pain free range of motion and definitely get it looked at by your healthcare provider.

How do I improve my Range of Motion?

The first step is to learn the proper form and have a great example of correct range of motion. The next step is to assess your own form and compare it to the correct form and range of motion. Start with a lighter weight than you normally use and see if you can perform the new correct range of motion. Make sure it’s pain free movement.  If you find that you are tight, you may need to perform some flexibility or mobility exercises prior to doing that movement to help loosen you up. If you feel you are just weak through the new range of motion, hang in there with that lighter weight until you feel more comfortable.

Be patient. It can be humbling but regressing a little to improve how your joints and muscles feel and move is very rewarding and your body will thank you in the long run.