however, would you agree that then you would be doing an exercise called "partial bench presses" as opposed to "bench presses" which would assume a full ROM?
kinda like my take on "bench pressing" in a smith machine... i call it "Smith machine chest press"
bench pressing is defined by it's competitive mechanics like the clean or the deadlift... variations should use a variation on the name
No, for the following reasons:
1/ Partials are generally shorter portions of ROMS, which is not the same as removing a couple of inches of movement from the top or bottom of the ROM, which can increase effectiveness and reduce injury potential (as in avoinding the very bottom part of a preacher curl both to avoid tendon stress and to avoid the sticking point at the bottom that will prevent the weight from being lifted through the rest of the ROM). Removing a few inches of ROM is more similar to cheats done with reasonable form.
2/ I used to follow the book which calls for full ROMs & specific exercises ie benches. Nice waste of time if it's not as effective and/or injurious -
find out what is felt in the muscle through trial & error.. Not what the book says..experiment with different ROMs, different angles, variations on an exercise involving cables, DBs or machines.
3/ Smith machine's a good example: for some exercises it might be more effective, for others it's not as good. Case by case, as in Yates using it instead of free weights for front squats.
