Why Full Range of Motion Training Is the Missing Link in Strength, Healing, and Longevity

Most people train to look good or get stronger. But what if the key to not just looking strong—but feeling indestructible—was in how you moved, not just how much you lifted?

That’s where full range of motion training comes in. And according to top coaches like Ben Patrick (Knees Over Toes Guy), Lucas Hardie (Range of Strength), and legendary strength coach Charles Poliquin, this might be the most important—and most overlooked—principle in modern training.

1. Healing Pain Through Full Range of Motion Training

Ben Patrick reversed his own debilitating knee pain through an approach (full range of motion training) that emphasized controlled, full range motion training. Exercises like ATG Split Squats, Reverse Sled Pulls, and KOT Calf Raises restored strength at length—helping ligaments and tendons heal rather than just avoid stress.

Lucas Hardie builds on this with a focus on long-range isometrics and loaded mobility, especially through the hips and spine. This creates a resilient body, not just a mobile one—helping people eliminate chronic joint pain and improve movement capacity for life.

“You’re not just strengthening muscles. You’re retraining the nervous system to be strong where you’re weak,” says Lucas.

Poliquin echoed this decades ago, stating that most injuries stem from a lack of strength in stretched positions, and that training through full ranges actually enhances joint integrity.

2. Bigger Muscles Come From Longer Ranges

Muscles respond best to tension at length. In fact, studies and practical experience show that the stretch position of a lift (e.g., bottom of a squat or dip) stimulates more hypertrophy than partial movements ever could.

Poliquin consistently used deep, strict movements—like full-range chin-ups, deep squats, and incline presses—to build elite-level athletes. Lucas Hardie emphasizes that full range equals full recruitment, which leads to superior strength and size gains, especially when paired with progressive overload.

3. Full Range = Full Health

Most gym-goers aren’t just trying to get strong. They want to feel good, move well, and live pain-free.

Full range movement:

• Improves blood flow and nutrient delivery to tissues

• Restores connective tissue elasticity

• Enhances coordination and balance under load

• Builds bulletproof joints by removing weak links

It's not about training harder. It’s about training better. Partial reps and ego lifting might work short-term, but long-term health and strength demand deeper work—literally.

Takeaway

If you’re dealing with joint pain, stagnant muscle growth, or feel “tight” even though you train, it’s time to go back to the basics: train full range.

Start lighter. Go deeper. Build from the ground up.

Your joints, muscles, and future self will thank you.