Locking out joints

[Craig Anthony Peters]

Always maximize time under tension by never locking out a lift.

[TitanCT]

Originally Posted by Craig Anthony Peters

Always maximize time under tension by never locking out a lift.

never say never.
there are uses for locking out...even in BB'ing.

[BendtheBar]

Interesting quote I found on the subject:

mechanically speaking, there is most likely more compression between the upper and lower arm at the parallel position in a skullcrusher than locking out a 100kg bench press.

The long lever arm will probably create a compression that's 10 times that of the weight you're lifting. In my biomechanics class we did a quit calculation on compression in the elbow during a curl.

With the numbers we used (which were realistic) holding a 10kg DB at 90 degrees would create a compression of 900 newton at the elbow, which the professor said was equivalent to putting 90kg (just using 10 instead of 9.81 as the g, don't shoot me) pressure directly on the elbow. This is probably what you'd get from locking out a 90kg db in a DB bench press or OHP. People don't seem to understand that muscle forces creates A LOT of compression, translation, etc, in our joints all around the body.

So the point in a movement where the highest compression occurs is most likely where the highest muscle activity occurs (assuming the direction of the muscle force would cause compression. It could also cause translation, for example the hamstrings in a squat will pull the lower leg backwards, creating an anterioposterior shear force, not compression)

That's the argument I usually use against the "don't lock out due to injury risk" crowd.

[MikeM]

Not a scientist or anything like that. But, I see somebody cutting short reps and I see a guy who wears a cut off t-shirt and flexing in front of a room full of men who could care less.

Finish your reps. Even for the bodybuilding crowd. You think judges will notice every extra calorie you ingest, but not notice your arms are weak at full lock out?

Eat and lock out, I say. Not a bodybuilder, I will admit.

You say keep full tension all the time, I say force those negative muscles to hold serious weights proudly.

Pump em or build em. I say build em.

[Kyle Aaron]

Originally Posted by TitanCT

the reasons bodybuilders dont lock out, typically, are...
1. removes the tension from the muscle and spreads it to the skeletal system.
2. can be damaging to the joints.

3. it makes the exercise harder.

Thus half-squats, bench press not touching the chest, half-presses, cheating curls, etc. And no deadlifts, since those can't be cheated.

There is exactly zero clinical evidence that locking out the joints in exercises causes injury. Zero. Logically a violent lockout could be injurious, but there has yet to be an instance of it reported in the literature ever, by anyone. And you don't have to lock out violently anyway.

[rammjet]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

I disagree. Most bodybuilders I've filmed and work with lockout. In fact, I think they all did.

I know some don't, but in my opinion they are a minority.

I agree with you BTB. Most of the ones i have encountered all lockout. I rarely have seen anyone that does not in bodybuilders that have done it for a while.

[TitanCT]

for the naysayers



3 strong and large men...
and not a single working rep was locked out.

I think I'll continue to do what John tells me

[leefarley]

i always use the full R O M on all my lifts including curls.

[Disciple X]

I see what that video shows as a different way to train. Not right or wrong. I sure hope they wouldnt call it bench press and say they did 20 reps at 205 or whatever though. I saw bench press partials for 20 reps etc. Its not a full range of motion. If that were the case, i should be able to claim my 2 board bench as my "bench press" lol. Its just not so. Some of that stuff was barely half reps... i've done this kind of stuff before and yeah, it really pumps the muscles hard, because they're basically just working the range of motion that targets what they're trying to work the most.

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by TitanCT

for the naysayers

There is no doubt it can work. That doesn't mean it's essential for everyone. Training is an art form, no? It's like a free jazz song. 2 beautiful physiques can be constructed using a lot of different notes and intricate structures.

Most great chests over the past 60 years were constructed with reps that were locked out. So that tells us that the locking/no locking debate is no different than the slow negatives debate, or the TUT debate, or the whatever debate.

All tools can work. Doesn't make them essential. I certainly think for the majority of gym rats who will never compete, which is 99% of humanity, they will never need to worry about things like this.

So there. That's my counterpoint. Or counterpoints. Or sharp stick to the eye. I still love ya. Come to the dark side. Just because I think it's non-essential doesn't mean I don't believe it has value.