The Best Tool to Become Strong & Athletic Regardless of Genetics - Long Range Exercises (Tendon Training Part 3)
Using “long range” exercises to build the foundation that elevates a body into elite performance capacity, durability, and athleticism
Contents:
• “Long range” defined
• Advantages over “shorter range” exercises (most exercises) & “remodeling the body you were born with”
• Proxy for finding & identifying “long range”
• “Extreme” long range
• List of common long range movements for all major joints
• How to program long range movements for maximum athletic development
• Troubleshooting progress to *be able* to perform long range movements if current ability is limited
Long Range Defined
We have defined “tension range“ in parts 1 and 2 - it is highly suggested you read those posts first if you have an already so that you can understand this post and it’s purpose fully. If you do not get those concepts clear first you will not extract maximum benefit from this post.
Simply put, exercises defined to be long range tension are exercises that place their peak mechanical tension within their resistance profile at or near the most lengthened position in a muscles range of motion.
Like we have discussed prior, an example may include a preacher curl versus a spider curl.
While the spider curl’s (second pic) peak tension (peak “difficulty” of the exercise) is at the “squeeze“/end of the curl, a preacher curl (first pic) is maximally difficult when the bicep is extended.
Exercises that place maximal tension on a joint in its length and position are considered long range.
Identifying Long Range
Identifying a long-range exercise in contrast to short can be done with a few proxies:
A) as a general rule of thumb, the length of the muscle during an exercise’s range of motion where the joint’s moving bone is parallel (or reaching parallel) to the ground is usually what will define its point of maximal tension. (This mostly relates to free weight exercises only)
To use another exercise example, A triceps kickback has the moving bone (forearm) parallel to the ground when the triceps is fully contracted. Thus, because it’s peak resistance in the exercise is at the “end” or “top” of the movement it is a very short-range exercise.
In contrast, a JM press has the moving forearm parallel to the ground when the triceps is at near full extension. Thus, making its peak resistance at the “bottom” or “beginning” of the concentric movement, making it a long-range exercise.
With free weight exercises you can almost always assume that peak tension is in the “long position“ if the moving bones are parallel to the ground at the “bottom”/“start” or lengthened position. (Hence “long” range)
For those of you who are more technically inclined → if the “moment arm” is greatest in the lengthened part of the exercises range of motion, it is long range (And vis versa for short).
B) another proxy is if the exercise feels like a “stretching“ exercise. If you feel the exercise is a long range of motion and provides a great stretch, it is likely long range.
C) An inverse proxy is if the exercise feels “crampy” or feels like more of a “squeeze” at the top it is probably a short-range exercise and therefore not “long”.
Supreme Benefits of Long-Range Movements
As short-range movements were described for their niche benefits in the previous post as “rewiring“ movements, long range exercises have been labeled as the primary “remodeling“ movements.
While short range exercises have benefits for “low stress” movement & neurological adaptations that have less stress and thus affect on your “structure”, long range exercises that place tension in lengthened positions are the key to driving the greatest remodeling adaptations to the muscle and connective tissue in the body.
Since the foundation of your athletic potential will be the “hardware“ that you possess - and thus the limitations of your hardware are the ultimate limitation of your athletic ability - long range exercises are key as they are the most effective exercises to holistically upgrade the full spectrum of physical hardware at each joint level.
The stress that long range exercises place on the muscles & connective tissue of the working joint due to the nature of their lengthened position and tension that produces provides the necessary stress for the body to create profound adaptations in tendons, ligaments, and muscle tissue makeup. *THESE ARE THE MOVEMENTS THAT MAKE BAD ATHLETES GREAT. *
Specifically, long range exercises primary benefits can be summated as follows: