Locking Out vs. Not Locking Out On Exercises

[danieltx]

Conventional bodybuilding dogma (which is often shit) tells us to never lock out on exercises, that locking out shifts tension from muscles to joints and sets us up for injury.

Where did this come from? How true is it?

Personally, I lock out on everything - presses, pushdowns, leg extensions, squats, leg press, etc. For years I didn't, and once I did my progress jumped significantly. I can't get a full contraction in the target muscle if I don't lock out. And I don't have joint issues. Everything feels great despite the heavy weights I use.

Squats are a great example - the vast majority of pro bodybuilders I see squat only go 85-90% up. Jason Lowe posted a squat video 2 days ago using that ROM. I asked him if by squatting like that he was trying to hit quads or hams because I can't get a good contraction in my quads without locking out. He replied, 'Everything here is focused on the quads. Locking out I'd be shifting the weight onto my joint, staying in this range keeps the tension on the muscle.' Again, this is not my experience at all. I'd never claim to have a pro physique but everyone here has seen my quads and if there's any body part I could hang with pros on it's quads. So I don't get how our experiences can be so different. Craig Titus is the only pro that comes to mind who locked out on squats.

I want this to be a general discussion thread so here are some questions to get us started:

• Do you lock out on exercises?
• Do you notice joint issues when locking out vs. not locking out?
• Does locking out vs. not locking out impact how good your muscle contracts?

 

[ALPHALIFEFITNESS]

NO.
Yes, my elbows and knees start to throb.
Most definitely, I definitely feel more TUT when not locked out, which is what I need

 

[Cito33189]

It sounds like you answered your own question.
If you have made better progress by locking out as you call it then there you go. You did an experiment on yourself and you found out which one yielded better results. Stick with what works. If your not hurting yourself and your joints don’t hurt then nobody on here can give you better advice then your own research you did.

Everybody grows different if I lifted like branch warren I’d end up in the hospital before growing that’s for sure.

 

[Alzadosghost]

Not locking out maintains constant tension on the muscle. Which is desirable for growth. And locking out depending on how forceful it’s done can and most definitely WILL cause joint damage. Don’t confuse full range of motion and locking out for they are not the same thing.

 

[Fit2Serve]

imo if u r locking out its giving u a moment of rest from tut.
so MAYBE that little rest is getting u another rep or two...
but imo its about tut no reason to lock out. risks injury

 

[ass2grass]

i lock out everything except legpress.
no joint issues. (maybe my joints are conditioned?)
i feel like locking out allows for that squeezed contraction. like the bench press for pecs and triceps i feel and squat, i def feel it in the glutes and core but i understand the point of TUT if thats what youre going for

 

[ass2grass]

imo if u r locking out its giving u a moment of rest from tut.
so MAYBE that little rest is getting u another rep or two...
but imo its about tut no reason to lock out. risks injury

i wouldnt say its a huge injury risk.. i mean there are tons of powerlifters and strongmen who have to lock out for the sake of the sport and for the rep to count in competition and theyre fine. fishoils might be their best friends tho

 

[qbkilla]

Not locking out maintains constant tension on the muscle. Which is desirable for growth. And locking out depending on how forceful it’s done can and most definitely WILL cause joint damage. Don’t confuse full range of motion and locking out for they are not the same thing.

Pretty much my thoughts, and I've been injury free. I don't think locking out is horrible, as long as the muscle is being worked with proper form and your getting stronger. Just feel like the constant tension hits the muscle better.

 

[heavyhitter]

I don’t do an actual hard lockout, but I do go to end range of motion on most exercises. Except shoulder presses. It just feels better in my shoulders. I do reach full extension on things like leg press, chest pressing, tricep exercises etc. i would not recommend doing a hard, snapping lockout like you see some guys do where they very forcefully lockout. Never had any joint issues and I’ve been at this for 19 years.

 

[thethinker48]

Depends on the exercise tbh

I've never paid attention to lock out vs dont lock out. Just on how the muscle moves during a range of motion, and how it's firing.

For example; on incline smith I don't completely lock out, I stop 2 inches short of touching the upper pecs, and 1-2 inches before locking out, and descending again. But on hack squats, I come up all the way, especially during high rep sets to catch a breath or two before going back into it.

A lot of injuries happen due to improper strength displacement within a range of movement, the stronger you get on certain movements, the greater the risk of that. That's why rotating movements, and finding newer variations and getting stronger on that is important as you get more advanced. Also mobility work, the bigger one gets, the more their range of motion becomes limited to the uniqueness of their anatomy and its important to maintain a certain level of it if you want longevity.

Most of this is applicable to more advanced folks. In my gym, I see a plethora of tiktok teeny boppers doing 20 mins of mobility work for something like shoulders while they weigh 150 lbs lol

 

[Muay Thai]

same dude

I don’t do an actual hard lockout, but I do go to end range of motion on most exercises. Except shoulder presses. It just feels better in my shoulders. I do reach full extension on things like leg press, chest pressing, tricep exercises etc. i would not recommend doing a hard, snapping lockout like you see some guys do where they very forcefully lockout. Never had any joint issues and I’ve been at this for 19 years.

 

[b-boy]

TUT! I never lock out, I have never trained with someone who does lock out, the only time I see people lock out is when they can't take the pain of the set and lock out to give the muscle a break from the immense burn and pain!

If locking out works for you then ROCK ON!

 

[MasteroniPepperoni]

I never fully lock out on certain exercises. Always get a better squeeze and pump from avoiding full lock out. Definitely keeps better tension on the muscle. Sometimes on something like dumbbell presses I will in order to emphasize the contraction, but I try to avoid it. Locking out on the leg press scares the &*^% outta me lol

 

[MasteroniPepperoni]

TUT! I never lock out, I have never trained with someone who does lock out, the only time I see people lock out is when they can't take the pain of the set and lock out to give the muscle a break from the immense burn and pain!

If locking out works for you then ROCK ON!

Putting the pain on the joints, though

 

[fisther69]

I do powerlifting. I lock out when doing max effort work.

I do NOT lock out when doing dynamic or rep work

 

[grizzly978]

Never lock out anymore. I’ll use medium weight for benches etc and get a pump but locking kills your joints.
Also love using bands and cables to top off everything, that constant tension really gets you pumped and I find it easier on the joints.

 

[rAJJIN]

Is there a difference between full range and locking out? Deadlift for example I would guess “most guys are “locking out.
Bench press I often see a lot of short strokes

 

[Elvia1023]

It depends on the exercise. Most of the time (90%) I don't lock out to keep constant tension but occasionally I will if I feel it benefits me.

 

[275bills]

Is there a difference between full range and locking out? Deadlift for example I would guess “most guys are “locking out.
Bench press I often see a lot of short strokes

Actually I believe Eddie hall recommends not locking out on deadlifts unless its max effort

I also remember watching eric spotto using constant tension on most of his bench work

 

[buck]

No locking out here other then to extend the set out. As i see it the closer ones get to locking out the more the weight shifts from the muscle to the skeleton for support. Hence walking a weight out of the rack or doing half squats can be done with far more weight then full reps.