Struggling to Finish Pullups? Here's How You Can Still Build Muscle.

Struggling to Finish Pullups? Here’s How You Can Still Build Muscle.

Posted by author January 22, 2025 Fitness

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PULLUPS ARE HARD. Managing to rip through reps of the bodyweight exercise with good form is no small feat, especially on the tail end of a set. You’ve probably found yourself straining to pull your chest up to the bar, fighting to eke out just one more—and you’ve probably found yourself tapping out before hitting your rep goal.

The good news: You don’t have to feel like a failure when you’re unable to finish your set. You can still make muscle gains without working through the full range of motion for pullups (and other exercises, too), according to Dr. Pat Davidson, PhD., the exercise physiologist and strength training coach responsible for the hellacious Recomp Blitz workout.

“For a vertical pull or any kind of movement where you’re trying to get a little bit more out of it, lengthened partials at the end of that set is a really good option,” he says.

‘Lengthened partials’ are exactly what the name implies: Fractional reps performed with the target muscle in its stretched position (think the bottom end of a pullup, biceps curl, or leg curl, with your arms or legs extended). By putting in the effort, you’re still putting the muscle under tension—and there’s evidence that even that limited stimulus can result in more gains.

“Even if you can’t get all the way to the top of that pullup and you’re down at the bottom, any kind of movement down there, the research is showing that will give you a similar response to doing the whole rep,” Davidson says.

He’s referring to a growing body of evidence, like this small study, that indicated lengthened partial reps can be effective for building upper body muscle, and this one that indicated the same for lower body movements.

Davidson warns that you can’t just do any brand of partial reps and expect results. The lengthened position is important for the process. “Don’t do it in the short position, which is what most people do,” he warns. In other words, don’t give that extra effort from the top of a rep, when your joints are flexed. You won’t get the same effect.

“In my mind, the whole thing is like a big spreadsheet, and if you’re doing more reps, you’re going to create more adaptation,” says Davidson. Follow his guidance, and the next time you fail on a set of pullups, perform a pair of lengthened partial reps before calling it quits. “It’s basically the equivalent of getting two reps at full range.”

Want more next-level tips like these so you can crush your body recomposition goals? Check out our entire program at Body Recomp Central, available only for MH MVP Premium members.

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