• A new study suggests that performing partial reps at long muscle lengths from the start of a set may be more effective for calf muscle hypertrophy than full range of motion reps followed by post-failure partial reps.
• Both training methods (initial partials and full ROM with post-failure partials) resulted in medium to large increases in muscle size in the medial gastrocnemius.
• The study emphasizes that while initial partials showed a slightly greater average increase, further research is needed to confirm these findings and their generalizability.

A study published as a preprint on SportRχiv compared two resistance training methods to determine which is more effective for increasing the size of the medial gastrocnemius (inner calf muscle) in trained individuals. One group performed partial reps at long muscle lengths at the beginning of the set (initial partials), while the other group did full range of motion reps until failure, followed by partial reps (post-failure partials). The study aimed to contribute to the understanding of the optimal use of lengthened partials for muscle growth.

• What: The study compared initial partial reps at long muscle lengths to full range of motion reps followed by post-failure partial reps for calf muscle hypertrophy.
• Who: 23 trained participants completed unilateral calf raise training.
• When: The training intervention lasted for 8 weeks, with participants training twice weekly.
• Where: The study took place in a research setting where participants performed calf raise exercises on a Smith machine.

The study provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of different resistance training methods for calf muscle growth. While both initial partials and full ROM with post-failure partials led to hypertrophy, the slightly greater average increase observed with initial partials suggests a potential advantage. The article correctly points out that this new study adds nuance and helps map the landscape for future research. It also correctly puts this study in context of previous research showing a stronger effect for post-failure partials, which used untrained participants, while this study used trained participants.

'The findings of this study support – albeit with limited evidential strength – the greater effectiveness of initial partials for promoting medial gastrocnemius hypertrophy. While both training methods resulted in appreciable increases in muscle thickness, initial partials appeared to enhance hypertrophic adaptations to a greater extent. Further research is needed to confirm the robustness and generalisability of these findings.'

The study suggests that performing lengthened partial reps from the beginning of a set may be more effective for calf muscle growth than full range of motion reps followed by post-failure partials. However, both methods led to appreciable gains. Further research is needed to solidify these findings and determine their applicability across different populations and muscle groups. The study contributes to the ongoing debate on optimal training techniques for hypertrophy.