You can only build muscle tissue if you can generate progressively stronger muscular contractions, so this calls for an emphasis on finding ways to increase exercise intensity. This should not be confused with exercise duration as maximum training intensity will actually shorten the time needed to achieve maximal muscular growth.

In an earlier article I outlined the ways in which you can intensify your training. Here we'll focus on the role that partial repetitions have to play in intensifying the training effect.

One of the biggest dangers confronting serious bodybuilders is the tendency to overtrain. Bodybuilders at the advanced level must resist the temptation to seek improvement by simply adding more exercises or extra workouts to an already demanding schedule.

One way to maintain progress yet avoid overtraining is to make constructive use of partial

1. Use a much heavier weight than you would for the full range version of the same exercise.

2. Perform partial reps only from the halfway stage or mid-point of the exercise.

3. Use this method primarily on lagging body parts.

4. Perform only one exercise for one set per body part.

5. Use only as a supplement to full range movement exercises, not instead of.

Richard Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding Advice to learn more about the issues covered in this article.

• Add Intensity To Your Muscle Building Workout


• Increase Your Training Intensity - Training To Failure


• Increase Your Training Intensity - Pre-Exhaustion


• Increase Your Training Intensity - Forced Repetitions


• Increase Your Training Intensity - Negative Repetitions


• Choosing The Right Bodybuilding Supplement


• The Importance Of Creatine In Building Lean Muscle


• The Role Of Whey Protein In Achieving Significant Muscle Gain


• The Role Of L-Glutamine In Building Muscle


• Can Growth Hormone Boosters Enhance Muscle Growth?


• What Causes Muscle Growth?


• The Role Of Repetitions In Your Muscle Building Program


• The Importance Of Sets In Your Muscle Building Program


• How Long Should You Rest Between Muscle Building Sessions?


• Creating An Anabolic State That Supports Muscle Growth