What’s the Big Deal with Partial Lifts?

By Sam Cox

For www.EliteFTS.com

I’ll come right out and say it—I’m a big fan of partial lifts. Some say they’re dangerous while others say they’re unproductive. Why do a partial lift when you can do the whole lift? These dissenting views are always from people who have never done them or haven’t seen or read about them used properly to their fruition. Most people don’t know anyone who uses them properly. And more so, hardly anyone writes about how to dissect and implement a partial lift to pay off in the long- and short-term.

An athlete needs to sit down and really think about the partial lift. I know for a fact they can help fighters, football players, soccer players, swimmers, gymnasts, Strongmen, and pretty much anyone else who plays a sport. You see, in your sport, do you ever really do a full range of motion? When you fight, you do partial twists. There is partial extension of the arm and partial flexion of the hips in a kick. When you do Strongman events, you pick up those farmer’s walk implements and that yoke from a partial position. You do the same when lifting a stone from your lap onto the platform or flipping that tire. More power with the same mass of muscle always means better efficiency. It means that the muscle has become metabolically superior. Your body has also developed a finer muscular nerve connection facilitating better contraction and response times. The endurance that builds from a full, partial workout means that you have more strength in the trenches, when you’re tired, and at the end of competition.

The partial lift, from my own experience, is probably the best stability and joint and tendon strengthener that there is. There is no way to build the core strength that you need as a Strongman or a football player without them. When was the last time you played football and came from a full range of motion from any position? There is no way to build the twisting and hip and lower back power that you need as a fighter without them. There is no better way that I can think of to build the shoulder power and stability you need as a gymnast without them.

As a 17-year-old, I did partial deadlifts regularly. I worked up to 900 lbs or more, and at my first Strongman competition, I was able to easily match the teenage record in the Silver Dollar deadlift. Circumstances kept me from breaking it. But, looking back, I also didn't get tired. I practiced partial deadlifts as well as partial squats, and the endurance that they built was evident where it counted. I won my first competition decisively.

Obviously, they have the most possible benefit for powerlifters and Strongmen. If you don't compete in these sports, they have obvious benefits for you too though. You need to find out how to implement them successfully and still do the other type of training that is necessary for your sport.

Back to the powerlifters and Strongmen…weight sensitivity is a competition win or lose factor. I know this from experience. I am a state champion powerlifter, and I can tell you that how the weight feels out of the rack is a massive confidence booster. If you want to implement partial lifts as a powerlifter, Strongman, or football player or if you do squats on a regular
basis, I suggest two-week cycles. Do full squats for one week for no more than three reps. Let the endurance work be done elsewhere. In the next week, set the power rack so that you can’t do more than a quarter of the full lift. Set the bar on the safety bars and load it up. Use the first four sets as warm-up sets as you work up to a working weight or a new max.

Here’s a sample day from when I was doing them:

135 X 5 reps
225 X 5reps
315 X 3 reps
405 X 2 reps

After 405 lbs, I worked in single repetitions—495 lbs for one rep, 585 lbs for one rep, and so on. At about 675 lbs, I tried for a new max without my belt and then for a new max with it. I got up to 845 lbs without a belt and 1015 lbs with it.

When I recommend using the two-week cycle, it’s just an estimate. That’s what I had to do, and sometimes I had to take a week off because the cycles can be quite stressful when done regularly. Listen to your body. If the weight that you did last time for a max or near a max feels heavy, you haven’t fully recovered. You should take the week off.

The same thing can be followed with the partial deadlift. Set the power rack to where you do a quarter of the movement and follow the same type of training. I suggest doing partial squats and partial deadlifts on the same day to build the endurance that you need. Do the squats first. Or you can alternate the weeks for each—quarter squats one week and quarter deadlifts the next.

Andy Bolton, a 1000-lb full deadlift holder, recommends doing them the same day as well. I think he knows what he’s talking about. A word of warning—the quarter deadlift could very well pack so much muscle on your back that you look kinda funny. Deformed almost but in a good way. You know what I mean.

A last word on the injury prevention benefits of partials. The three full years that I practiced them, I never suffered an injury in any way. The people I trained with did, and they never did them. When your joints, tendons, and muscles are used to handling much more weight than they
experience in competition, every day life is a walk in the park to them. Just a thought.

Sam Cox is owner and founder of Fearless Training Systems, which is dedicated to providing world class coaching to athletes and individuals hungry to be their best.

Elite Fitness Systems strives to be a recognized leader in the strength training industry by providing the highest quality strength training products and services while providing the highest level of customer service in the industry. For the best training equipment, information, and accessories, visit us at www.EliteFTS.com.