alfresco
Featured Member / Kilo Klub Member
Staff member
Super Moderators
Moderator
Featured Member
Kilo Klub Member
Registered
Board Supporter
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2006
- Messages
- 4,955
If you had to pick one, which one is easier on your joints?Interesting question. My 'no full lockout' rule of training applies to both push and pull movements. And I'll tell you how (none of this applies to competition lifts because lockout is required). But the difference between push vs pull is one simple distinction:
Push: Muscles are locked out at the top of the *concentric* phase (ex. knees on squats and leg presses, elbows and shoulders on bench presses) putting all weight *resting* on joints and connective tissues = bad
Pull: Muscles are "locked out" at the top of the *eccentric* phase (arms fully extended on chins and pull downs, arms fully extended on rows, weight on the floor or lower on deadlifts) with all weight *pulling* on joints and connective tissues = bad
So whether cramming the weight into your joints or the weight pulling bones out of your joints, both are bad.
Remember this applies to multiple repetition training where TUT should be maximized. Don't jam your bones into their sockets with 100's of force *or* pull your bones out of their sockets with 100's of lbs/kg of force. It's just bad policy. If powerlifting, with low repetitions, you must lockout and have no choice. But powerlifting is far harder on joints than progressive training with higher volume work and training for size. Not strength training or 1RM. Sux but based on powerlifting competition rules, there's no alternative.
Standing, locked out with 1,000 lbs on your shoulders or doing squats with 500 lbs. x 50 reps without locking out?