Benefits Of Understanding Short Vs Long Range for an everyday coach:
- Knowing what sequence and repetitions to use to overcome a sore tendons.
- Knowing how to use high or low inflammation training based on the goals of the individual.
- How to safely progress strength and volume to optimise strength and longevity.
Benefits Of Understanding Short Vs Long Range for an elite athlete coach:
- Healthier muscles and greater overall strength gains.
- Tolerance to more training volume.
- Better understanding of how to bring up position specific strength for specific sports positions and actions.
SHORT RANGE
Short range training emphasises the muscles. It connects the brain to the body and brings circulation to the area without causing a lot of tissue damage.
In the extreme these movements are "crampy" (cause cramps) and will cause the muscle to adapt to stop cramping as the muscles learn to work in positions that were previously inaccessible.
LONG RANGE
Long range training emphasises the connective tissues and creates more hypertrophy by creating more inflammation and more tissue remodelling against the threat of a future tear.
In the extreme these movements are one step short of being on the rack... natural knee extensions, slant board jefferson curls and lying bicep / sefto curls are some great examples of movements that pull the fascia across multiple joints and cause serious remodelling when load and speed are used.
Getting the most from the muscle at both ends seems to support tissue health and function.
Check out the library of Short, Mid, Long and Extreme Long Range movements:
Movement Library - Short / Mid / Long Range <<<
MANIPULATING THE TOOLS
By playing with LOAD, LEVERAGE and SPEED we can create a lot of TENSION with short range movements also like Poliquin Step-ups and Romanian Rhythm Squats.
Long range movements can be made gentle by going very slow and using light loads.
ELIMINATING THE WEAKNESS
Structural balance was a great progression in strength training.
This was a progression on the idea that the back squat should be a certain percentage of the snatch and the bench press etc.
Structural balance took it one step further to balance each muscle (isolation movement) of the shoulder, arm and forearm versus those bigger movements.
Great reductions in injury and increases in performance were the result.
Hidden within the ratios was a balance between short, middle and long ranges.
But the concept wasn't as well applied or understood for the lower body as it was for the upper body.
ATHLETIC RANGE or MUSCLE BALANCE are the terms I've used for this idea.
I've seen it work over and over again across all joints of the body.
Combined with other ATG principles like the pain free pump and progressive speed miracles have become everyday occurrences.
There is more work to do with systemising and sharing this knowledge with the world.
Now you have it and you're probably one of very few coaches in your city / state / country who has it.
Ben and I have used this knowledge to get previously unreachable results... now it's yours.
I hope that understanding and applying the difference will change your training and coaching career like it has for me and many other coaches.
1a. Short Range Strength (Rewiring)
How To Use Relative To Long Range
Higher repetitions
Higher total volume
Higher frequency
Blood flow (healing and recovery)
Low tendon damage & strain
Pumps the muscle
Increases mind muscle connection.
Start the session with them to connect the mind to the muscle and prepare the tissues for high tension training.
Consider them using at the end of session to increase work capacity and to flush the muscle.
CAUTION: If short range is used exclusively and in isolation it will shorten the muscles and cause relative muscle dominance. This increases the risk of tendon pain and injuries.
Sleds are the foundation of knee healing. They are a short range concentric only movement.
With sled work you’re also getting a low intensity step-up or joint dominant knee movement like a low depth Petersen / Poliquin / Patrick step-up.
The same principle works for other joints.
1b. Long Range Strength (Remodelling)
Understanding the difference in adaptations will help you program for the results you want.
Long range exercises cause:
- Increased inflammation
- More tendon strain
- More muscle damage
- Are slower to recover
- Are better for hypertrophy of muscles and tendons than
We use them for lower repetitions, less volume and less frequency.
A movement is long range if the target muscle is under stretch while contracting.
Extreme long range movements pull on whole fascial slings like the Slant Jefferson Curl and Reverse Nordic.
These concepts have helped me and other coaches achieve new gains in strength and mass and overcome previously hard to solve strength and tissue quality challenges.
Another article by top ATG Coach Greg Pignataro:
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