Exercise amplitude: what it is, examples of exercises with high and low amplitude

personal trainer of the Spirit Fitness chain of fitness clubs

“In the world of fitness and bodybuilding, movement amplitude often goes unappreciated. However, it is the foundation of the training process, which largely determines the effectiveness and safety of exercises. Let’s break down what movement amplitude is and how to incorporate it into your training.”

Table of Contents

What is movement amplitude?

Amplitude is the range or span of motion that a body part undergoes relative to another body part or a projectile. Also, when talking about training with athletic apparatus, amplitude is characterized as the distance the apparatus travels from the beginning to the end of the movement. It can be measured in degrees and linear measures.

Types of amplitude

Depending on training goals and specific exercises, the amplitude of movement can be full or partial (incomplete).

Full amplitude

In this case, the projectile (or part of the body) travels the maximum distance from the starting point to the end point. In this case, “maximum” refers to the range of motion that is physiologically available to a joint (or group of joints) without risk of injury. For example, in pull-ups, it means lowering until the arms are fully stretched and lifting until the chin passes the level of the bar.

In classical strength disciplines such as weightlifting and powerlifting, the full amplitude of the movement usually involves dynamic loading – alternating phases of tension and relaxation. For example, when performing a deadlift, in the positive phase (lifting the barbell) the muscle shortens under load, and in the negative phase (lowering the barbell) it gradually lengthens, yielding to the weight of the projectile (“yielding movement”). The final point of this exercise is complete relaxation when the barbell is placed on the floor.

Advantages

Using full amplitude movements helps to increase muscle length and elasticity, which allows you to effectively increase working weights and, as a result, strength and mass. Typically, full amplitude exercises are performed for one to six repetitions.

Partial (incomplete) amplitude

This refers to an incomplete range of motion when performing an exercise. In this case, the muscles are in constant tension: the trainee works without a relaxation phase with a short amplitude – for example, squatting without standing up all the way, or working with a barbell on the biceps without fully bending the arms.

Advantages

With this approach, the muscles work in a statodynamic mode – they do not shorten or lengthen completely. This helps to increase endurance, strengthen blood vessels, and reduce wear and tear on joints. However, such training can fatigue the muscles quickly, as there is no relaxation phase. Therefore, this method is not suitable for strength training with heavy weights, but it will be effective for fat burning and endurance building.

In addition, the use of partial amplitude allows you to work in detail on individual muscle groups and form muscle relief. But since the trainee is under a long-term load, it is necessary to reduce the working weight and increase the number of repetitions – usually in partial amplitude work in the range of 8 to 16 repetitions.

Full amplitude with constant tension

This is a subspecies of full amplitude. It differs from the classic one in that it is performed without an obvious relaxation phase, and the distance of the movement is slightly shorter. For example, in the upper block pull to the chest, we do not fully straighten the arms, but leave a few centimeters until the arms are fully straightened, while maintaining tension.

Advantages

This mode of work is more energy-consuming, allows you to simultaneously develop both strength and endurance, and helps to avoid jerky uncontrolled movements that can lead to injury. Therefore, most athletes build their training process on the basis of full amplitude with constant tension, and the variant with a relaxation phase is performed in a short cycle or during the period of strength development.

Each type of amplitude has its own advantages, and regular inclusion of both full and partial amplitude exercises in training contributes to more balanced and harmonious muscle development.

What affects amplitude

A number of factors influence the amplitude of movement.

The anthropometric data of the trainee. The length of the limbs, body, torso, arms and legs affects how the exercises are performed. For example, a person with long arms and legs will have different movement mechanics compared to a person with short limbs.

Joint anatomy. A person may engage different joints during exercise – shoulder, hip, knee, elbow, wrist and ankle. Each of them has its own anatomical limitations on mobility in the plane in which they are involved. For example, the knee joint in extending and flexing the shin is limited by its structure, so overextension or strongly bending the legs will not work.

Muscle elasticity. The amplitude is also affected by muscle elasticity – their ability to stretch and contract. The more elastic the muscles are, the greater the distance the projectile can travel relative to body parts (or body parts relative to each other). For example, if you take a squat to a right angle with your own weight or a barbell, then to perform the movement to a right angle with full amplitude, the posterior surface of the thigh and lower leg muscles must have high elasticity. If their ability to stretch and contract is limited, only two-thirds of the amplitude will be achieved.

Health and fitness level. Injuries, chronic diseases or weakness in certain muscle groups can limit range of motion. For example, if an athlete has a shoulder injury, he or she may be forced to limit the amplitude of the bench press or temporarily exclude this exercise from the training program.

How to Use Amplitude in Training

To effectively utilize different amplitudes in your workouts, you should adhere to the following principles.

Use full amplitude to build proper technique. In the initial stages of training, do exercises with full amplitude movements. This will help to form the correct technique and a base for further progress, as well as prevent injuries. Start with light weights.

Load Progression. As you get stronger and improve your technique, gradually increase the weight while maintaining full range of motion. Regularly increasing the load will help build muscle mass and improve strength.

Consider your individual differences when selecting amplitude. When choosing amplitude, consider your natural flexibility, limb length and any existing injuries or limitations in movement. Amplitude should be adjusted to suit the individual.

Use full amplitude to work on strength and mass. Full amplitude can be used perfectly in classic split workouts for different muscle groups (back, legs, pecs and arms) to develop strength and mass. The classic basic movements are the bench press, squats, deadlifts and pull-ups.

Use partial amplitude to burn fat and build endurance. Incomplete amplitude is effective in circuit training to burn fat and increase endurance. It is good to use it when working in machines with equipment such as dumbbells or with your own body weight.

A good example is twisting on the bench, when the shoulder blades do not touch the surface, the body is bent all the time and the movement is in constant tension until failure in partial amplitude without relaxation.

You can also consider the classic barbell biceps lift – it can be performed with incomplete flexion and incomplete extension, acidifying the muscles well. This will help develop their endurance and relief.

Use partial amplitude to accentuate muscle work. In split workouts, partial amplitude will help to work well on muscle relief. For example, you can use half squats to emphasize the quadriceps or partial pull-ups to focus on the upper back.

Work through “problem” areas using partial amplitude. Imagine doing a full-amplitude bench press, but having a lot of difficulty with the starting movement or the mid-to-top movement. When one phase is difficult, we often lose control of the entire exercise, twitching muscles or moving jerkily and unevenly.

To correct the situation, we can work on the problem area using partial amplitude. To do this, we can leave the working weight and concentrate on performing the exercise only in the range in which we are having difficulty. This approach will help to improve strength and technique in a specific part of the amplitude. The work can be slowed down or we can increase the number of repetitions in the weak area. Over time, this training will improve full-amplitude performance.

Combine different types of amplitudes. Full and partial amplitudes do not compete with each other, but complement each other in the training process. Incorporate both full-amplitude and partial-amplitude exercises into your workouts to fully develop muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility. For example, you can start your workout with full-amplitude exercises to work the major muscle groups and then move on to partial-amplitude exercises to emphasize specific muscle areas.

If you have health limitations

If you have health limitations, it is important to approach the training process with special care, choosing exercises and amplitude of movements in accordance with medical recommendations. However, there are a number of general rules that are commonly used for various conditions.

In the rehabilitation process after musculoskeletal injuries, work with an incomplete amplitude of movements is often used. This helps minimize the risk of additional damage, while gradually strengthening muscles and ligaments. For rehabilitation purposes, resistance bands and light dumbbells of 1-2 kg are often used in LFC.
For overweight people use the full amplitude of movements on exercise machines in combination with incomplete, as it is useful to increase overall physical activity and promotes weight loss without excessive pressure on the joints.
If you have blood pressure and cardiovascular problems, it is advisable to consult your doctor, but usually incomplete amplitude of movements may be preferable. Dynamic exercises with incomplete amplitude help strengthen blood vessels and maintain circulation while minimizing the risk of high blood pressure.
In cases where there are health restrictions related to the spine, it is important to avoid axial loads. In these situations, you can use exercise machines that allow you to control the load and avoid additional pressure on the spine.
When creating an exercise plan while recovering from an injury or if you have a serious health problem, it is important to consult with a rehabilitator or primary care physician and only then begin exercising.

Why it is important to develop flexibility

Many exercises require a large range of motion to be performed effectively. For example, this is the case with deep squats, push-ups and pull-ups, where a large range of motion helps activate more muscle fibers and increases the intensity of the workout.

Greater amplitude requires good flexibility, which not everyone has. But it can be developed. To do this, regularly include stretching exercises in your training: this will not only expand the range of motion, but will also help to increase muscle mass. Yoga, Pilates and other types of training aimed at increasing flexibility and body mobility can also be useful.

Developing flexibility also helps reduce the risk of injury, as more flexible muscles and joints are better able to handle the stresses of exercise. In addition, improving flexibility works with posture and reduces muscle tension, which has a positive effect on overall health.

Common mistakes

At full amplitude

Violation of the technique of performing the exercise. One of the most common mistakes is breaking technique, especially when performing compound exercises such as squats. Trying to sit down too far in a squat can lead to knee injuries and pinched intervertebral discs, as the hip joint will be excessively twisted forward.

Lack of control. Lack of control over the movement, especially at the lowest point of the exercise, can lead to abrupt and uncontrolled movements that increase the likelihood of injury.

With partial amplitude.

Overloading. Quite often trainees try to take a heavier weight. However, it should be understood that with partial amplitude the muscle is under load for a longer time than with full amplitude. Because of this, it is more fatigued, which can lead to rapid failure and shutdown with loss of control over the projectile. Therefore, you should not use a heavy weight in this mode of operation: all movements should be controlled and performed smoothly.

Risk of transition to statics. Incomplete amplitude is a statodynamic mode of muscle work, which is very close to static. And during the finishing movements, many may linger in a static immobile position in the zone of maximum tension. It is better to avoid such a format of work, because the static load raises blood pressure. If during the exercise you feel that you have no more strength to move, finish it – do not wait in a static position when the pressure rises and you begin to “inflate” like a balloon, with reddening of the face.