This alone casts much doubt to obtaining any valid conclusions. Where did he get those subjects? They were definitely not experienced with lifting weights.
Do any of you believe you lack the self awareness to know the difference between your 1 RIR and 5 RIR on any exercise in the 8 rep range. (This is the rep range that I trained my upper body for decades. There is absolutely no way I didn’t know what I could do 8 reps, such that I would stop at 7 reps [1 RIR] but would have been able to actually get 12 reps.)
I admit that I did not read the article, but that statement I quoted is in La La Land.
But since I am here now, what is your definition of reps to failure?
- Lifting until you cannot complete the lift with spotters lifting the weight to its completion?
- Guessing the last rep you can complete?
- Guessing the last rep you can complete in good form?
- Lifting until the last rep has broken form to complete?
- Or lifting until the weight comes back to its resting place?
Back in the old days (1970’s and '80’s) many trained using Weider’s Forced Reps. The Barbell Bench Press seemed to be the favorite Forced Reps exercise. Some would be going to failure and doing 5 more forced reps. Those rarely made much progress at all. The spotter got a pretty good upright row workout. Most all Forced Reppers did at least 2 forced reps. We all gave it a try, but the trial didn’t last too many months, before returning to sanity.