Stivers Strength

Lifting through a full range of motion with a lighter weight is superior to lifting through a partial range of motion with a heavier weight in almost every instance.

There’s inherently less risk due to the lighter weight involved.

You’re strengthening the entire range of motion vs only part of it.

You get a loaded stretch on the muscles involved which research has shown to be just as, if not more, effective as static stretching for increasing mobility/flexibility.

You’re placing less strain on tendons and ligaments which take longer to adapt than muscle tissue.

Basically you want to lift through the greatest range of motion you can control AND you don’t feel pain with.

The only cases where we purposefully choose to limit range of motion are:

•when a person simply isnt strong enough yet to use full range. We start a lot of clients out with box squats to the depth they can currently control and then work the height down over time.

•when a certain range of the lift is slightly uncomfortable but the rest of the range feels fine. Sometimes it doesnt feel good initially for someone to lock their knees out fully on a hack squat OR it doesnt feel good to extend the elbow all the way on a bicep curl. Oftentimes this improves with warmth and joint lubrication due to movement in the workout and over time. If simply lowering the weight doesn’t provide relief here then you can try limiting range of motion.

•if youre a lifter trying to work on a weak spot on a competitive lift like a squat or bench press then partial range of motion can make sense as supplemental work to your main lift. This isnt applicable to almost all general population clients but if someone has been training a long time things like rack pulls, pin presses, and pin squats at various heights can be fun and provide somee novelty and variety in training.

Sure, if you limit the range of motion you’ll be able to lift more weight but unless you have a valid reason for doing so this is more often than not just ego lifting.

Lower the weight on the bar, control the entire range of motion you’re moving through and get the most muscle and neural adaptation you can from an exercise.

I’m at a public gym lifting right now and what I’m seeing is dumbfounding…

Everyone over the age of 60 spends more time wiping the machines down than actually training.

They move from one machine to the next like they’re just haphazardly crossing off a to-do list.

They’ll do one maybe two sets of a weight that is far too easy and then move on to the next machine like they somehow accomplished something.

It saddens me honestly.

Because while they ARE at the gym this sort of training is NOT going to build muscle and bone density.

This is not the type of training that improve your quality of life, dignity and independence as you age.

You have to (safely) challenge yourself in the gym and strive to lift heavier and heavier over time and take your sets closer to failure (2-3 reps away).

No wonder most people are frustrated with their lack of results from going to the gym.

They just simply don’t know.

This is why Stivers Strength Gym exists.

We ensure that you are safely challenging yourself enough to see bone, muscle and strength increases while avoiding injury.

If you currently go to the gym but aren’t seeing the results you’d like OR you simply don’t know where to start, we’d love to help you out.

We offer a FREE trial week of training for you to test drive working with us to see if it’s a good fit for you.

If you contact me before the end of November you’ll still be eligible for our Black Friday deal which is the ONLY deal we offer on coaching all year long.

DM me if you’re interested 💪

I just had a business owner contact me to sign up for coaching.

When I asked him what made him reach out he said it dawned on him that he had a business coach to help him with his business and it only made sense to hire a fitness coach to help him with his fitness.

So many people fail to realize how much a coach can accelerate your progress, save you time, energy, frustration and help you unlock your potential.

We don’t become who we’re capable of in isolation.

Mentors, coaches, friends (hopefully) bring out the best in one another.

A good coach can look at your situation and quickly identify the big rocks to address to get you the biggest return on your time and investment.

Athletes at the top of their game have coaches.

Business owners doing millions in revenue have mentors and guides.

You could spin your wheels going it alone and try to sift through a mountain of conflicting nutritional information on the internet…

Or…

You can hire a coach to help you reach your goals in significantly less time and less frustration.

If you’re tired of not making the progress you want to make or you don’t know where to start, reach out and let’s talk.

My FREE 7 day challenge is a great way to get started at absolutely no risk to you.

DM me, let’s chat 💪