Too much range of motion

[MadChild]

I'm always watching my form and making sure I get the best ROM in my exercises, but I noticed something. I'll use chest exercises like flat dumbell press or incline press as an example. When I bring my arms all the way down until the dumbells are almost touching my chest, it feels as if they're not stretching or not being worked. On the other hand, if I go down just far enough to keep the tension on my muscles at the bottom of the rep, it feels like the muscle is being kept constantly under tension. I guess my question is: would it be better to keep my ROM at a tad less than physically possible in order to keep constant tension on the muscle, or should I just stick with a full ROM even though it feels like I'm getting a few seconds rest.

I've noticed this recently with a lot of exercises, like tricep cable pulldowns. When I lock my arms out at the bottom, there's a brief period where I feel the muscle isn't being worked. The same goes for when I bring my arm all the way to the top, my forearm ends up resting against my bicep.

Comments? Suggestions?
Thanks.

 

[lifted]

yea, i know what u mean bro. i ALWAYS make sure their is tension throughout the whole motion. not that my form was perfect to begin with, but im still working on proper techniques, etc.

i make extra sure that i do this with exc. like preacher curls, and other more strict motion, if ya know what im sayin.

however, im not so sure about the exact science, but it just makes sense to me.

 

[Biggs]

everybody's built differently of course, but this is where experience starts to come in, as you've obvioulsy been accustomed to the proper movements etc, it's now time to make very minor adjustments to ensure your muscles are worked more fully, and safely. I personally have to alter little things like grip width, angle, and as you mentioned ROM so that my muscles are worked properly but not at the expense of my joints, tendons, etc. for example, when performing cable pushdown movements I use a cambered attachment (not straight, as it fucks my wrist) and stop just before lock out (as it fucks my elbow).