Locking Out vs. Not Locking Out On Exercises

[Muay Thai]

dorian said in his DJ interview last year that people sometimes thought he was locking out, but he was often just experiencing full ROM etc

 

[danieltx]

I want people to watch the 4th video of Lowe squatting. What is this considered? Not locking out? 90% ROM?

https://www.instagram.com/p/CaBRttHL4jM/

 

[airman]

I want people to watch the 4th video of Lowe squatting. What is this considered? Not locking out? 90% ROM?

https://www.instagram.com/p/CaBRttHL4jM/

He's not locking out. Just coming up what I would consider full ROM almost to lockout.

 

[danieltx]

He's not locking out. Just coming up what I would consider full ROM almost to lockout.

Interesting. I look at that and say it's 90% ROM.

I squat like Titus in this video - all the way up with knees locked and quads flexed at the top. If Lowe is full ROM then is this locking out?

 

[airman]

Interesting. I look at that and say it's 90% ROM.

I squat like Titus in this video - all the way up with knees locked and quads flexed at the top. If Lowe is full ROM then is this locking out?

Yeah that's full lock out. He might flex his quads at the top, but the tension is not really on the quads. In regards to Lowe, what I mean by full ROM is that he is coming up as close to lockout as he can without actually locking out. He's focusing on keeping the weight on his quads the entire time. For sure they are burning. Like others said, when you stand up and lock out, you get a bit of a break on the muscle. But like also others say, if that's the way you do it, and it's been working for you (without any pain or issues) then if I were you, I would just keep doing what's been working. But on the other hand, I'm suspect if you try it the way Lowe is doing it, you will notice a much more intense burn on the muscle.

 

[beast405]

I never lock out on any of my exercises. I feel it lowers risk of injury and keeps tension on the muscle.

 

[TheOtherOne55]

Exercise dependant. On legs, never lockout. For me, it was the 1/2 second for rest i didnt need.
For upper body — and its probably from my football and PL days —i lock stuff out. And thats probably why im such a tricep dominant dude.
But im cognisant of it now and know that im not training my tris on Sh Press so i need to find the groove that allows me to shift all focus onto the shoulder head.

The older I get, the more I can feeeeel whats being works. So within that first hard set, i can kinda notice whatever natural tendency im doing. "Oh im making this much more of a hip dominant thing....shift to quads." And all that. For legs especially. Ill be in the groove and can kind of FORCE my body to move mind muscle connect to quads thru diff techniques. If that makes any sense.

 

[TheOtherOne55]

LOL also because i just mentioned it in another thread, go watch Dr. Mike Israetel do ANY lift.
His overly dramatic lockouts and stretched pauses have literally done nothing to his physique for 5+ years now lol
Dude still looks the same. Not saying that wont work for others....but not him.

The goal should be to get full ROM, but juuust shy of lockout. At least in my perspective.

 

[blmcgee81]

It all depends on the exercise and goal. Some sets I only lockout when doing myoreps. I don't lockout leg press, shoulder press, any DB press, or any lever presses. If I'm lifting for strength like in a 1-3 rep range then I will lockout. If I'm in a higher rep range, I don't lockout to keep a certain tempo with tension. Basically, for me, pumps = constant tension + high reps + volume. Strength = low reps + full ROM + lockout

 

[165StateChamp]

If you can only feel a full contraction when completely locked out I think you need to work on your mind muscle connection. Think about posing on stage. Muscles are maximally contracted in many poses but not with knees/elbows fully extended.

But, like others have mentioned, I go for ‘full ROM’ while not locking out to ensure I’m not taking any stress off the muscle.

 

[method2madness]

Never locking out to maximize TUT combined with either high rep or low rep days all while doing my reps slow to further maximize neuromuscular activity and conditioning. This my combination to successful growth, but if locking out works for you than keep at it!

 

[alfresco]

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

Can you ‘lock out’ on pulling movements? What would that be called if you could by another name(?) when the stretched position is held by ligaments and tendons and not the ‘actual’ joint if I am making myself clear.

Myself, I stop just short of locking out, keeping the tension on the muscle regardless of the movement all the while striving for the greatest range motion.

And I never ‘lock out’ when deadlifting. I stop short of perpendicular, keeping tension on the low back and hamstrings.

 

[alfresco]

Interesting. I look at that and say it's 90% ROM.

I squat like Titus in this video - all the way up with knees locked and quads flexed at the top. If Lowe is full ROM then is this locking out?

Remember ‘breathing squats’? 3 X 20. With a couple of deep breadths between reps.

That type of squatting has produced remarkable (old school) results. I was a favorite of most of the greats of that era, claiming that protocol being mostly responsible for their leg development.

Platz locked out

 

[rAJJIN]

Can you ‘lock out’ on pulling movements? What would that be called if you could by another name(?) when the stretched position is held by ligaments and tendons and not the ‘actual’ joint if I am making myself clear.

Myself, I stop just short of locking out, keeping the tension on the muscle regardless of the movement all the while striving for the greatest range motion.

And I never ‘lock out’ when deadlifting. I stop short of perpendicular, keeping tension on the low back and hamstrings.

In my mind, sure you’ll lock out on a deadlift. For example…
When you see guys struggling and shaking, then they finally get it up and lock there hips
they seem to hold it at ease at that point.
I would think in any competition that it would have to be a full lift, all the way up, all the way down? Including squat and bench press. I would call all
Of that locking out? But I am no expert and still learning and open to hear otherwise.

 

[COdiak]

The thought of locking out makes me cringe personally. I like to keep in motion and the effort on TUT. There is more than one way to do things but if your going to induce growth id say don't lock out. That being said, everybody is different. If your experiencing progress, don't fix whats not broke. Just my 0.02

 

[alfresco]

In my mind, sure you’ll lock out on a deadlift. For example…
When you see guys struggling and shaking, then they finally get it up and lock there hips
they seem to hold it at ease at that point.
I would think in any competition that it would have to be a full lift, all the way up, all the way down? Including squat and bench press. I would call all
Of that locking out? But I am no expert and still learning and open to hear otherwise.

Yes.

In competition powerlifting I understand the significance of locking out but in bodybuilding, in some movements there is a time and place for partial movements, i.e, time understand tension and the philosophy behind it, that I understand and the thought process behind it; the results being undeniable in many cases.

Take Jason Huh as one example, watching him working out and his explanation for short (relative) movements (in his case very short), it is obvious it works for him.

 

[rAJJIN]

So if we all agree that a competition style of lift is full range of motion, all the way up, all the way down, then I would call that 100%
Full range of motion. Anything less I would think is depending on the range.

Maybe you can get full range with no break in momentum or tension taken off the muscle is the question?

 

[FrancisK]

I don't lock out to save my joints I go just to the point where I'm about to, but if you told me you lock out to get a full extension I wouldn't fault you for it. Now if you're that guy that rests for 10 seconds between reps locked out....yea that's a whole other story and you should probably just be using less weight.

 

[OuchThatHurts]

Can you ‘lock out’ on pulling movements? What would that be called if you could by another name(?) when the stretched position is held by ligaments and tendons and not the ‘actual’ joint if I am making myself clear.

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.

 

[OuchThatHurts]

This is the difficulty in trying to design a one-size-fits-all training program. BBer and PLer goals and training are (and should be) entirely different. A BBer shouldn't be concerned with weights other than as possibly an indicator that progress is being made in size. A powerlifter isn't concerned with muscle size other than as possibly and indicator of load capacity. They both train differently, they both eat differently they both live differently.

This is why it's so difficult for a bodybuilder to switch over to powerlifting and a powerlifter to switch over to be a successful bodybuilder. Neither is any better or worse than the other, just different. Getting away from powerlifting when I joined this board to do more bodybuilding was the most difficult transition I ever had to make. The philosophy is just entirely different. I still haven't fully made the transition and as a result, I was never highly successful as either.

Better to decide which you want to be now and put 110% into that goal.

There's a lot to go into with it all with plyometrics, kinesiology, diet, that would require a set of volumes of books to cover all facets of both lifestyles. I guess the one benefit I did come away with is that I have a decent grasp of both. But then, oh no! Clock says I'm 50. Womp Wooomp..