Study Finds Lengthened Partial and Full Range of Motion Resistance Training Produce Similar Muscle Growth in Trained Men
A crossover study of 24 resistance-trained men found that lengthened partial range of motion (LP) and full range of motion (FULL) leg training produced similar acute molecular signaling and chronic muscle growth in the vastus lateralis over 8 weeks. The research involved muscle biopsies and MRI scans to measure hypertrophy and cellular adaptations. The findings suggest that range of motion choice may matter less than previously thought for lower-body muscle development, though hamstring responses showed some variation by protocol.
Researchers conducted two experiments to compare lengthened partial versus full range of motion resistance training in previously trained males. The first experiment measured acute post-exercise molecular signaling in eight men through muscle biopsies collected at multiple timepoints after single training bouts, while the second involved 16 men completing an 8-week twice-weekly lower-body program where one leg trained with partial range and the other with full range. Both protocols produced similar increases in vastus lateralis muscle cross-sectional area (approximately 9.3 cm²) with no significant differences between conditions across multiple cellular measures including fiber size, myonuclei content, and satellite cell numbers. Secondary analyses of hip and thigh muscles suggested that hamstring hypertrophy may have been slightly greater with lengthened partial training, indicating that differential responses could depend on which exercises are included in a training program.
What's missing
The study does not discuss practical implications for athletes or gym-goers regarding exercise selection, nor does it address whether findings generalize to untrained individuals or other muscle groups beyond the lower body. Additionally, the mechanisms explaining why hamstring responses differed from vastus lateralis responses are not explored.
How coverage differed
This is a preprint from bioRxiv presenting primary research findings with neutral scientific framing. The study's null findings regarding the primary hypothesis (no difference between protocols) are reported transparently, which is characteristic of academic research reporting but may receive less media attention than studies showing clear superiority of one method.
What different sources said
- bioRxivCenter
Acute molecular and chronic vastus lateralis adaptations to lengthened partial versus full range of motion resistance training in previously trained males
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