I’ve always done every one of my sets until I could not complete another positive rep, and occasionally I’ll go even further than that.
Now I’m reading that you can train shy of positive failure and be able to train more frequently, ergo more results.
Personally the thought of lifting weights to anything less than failure sounds . . . not fun. How have your results been in whatever method you’ve used?
I never go to failure, read what CW says about failure in his latest article.
Good advice from Tflex, man. You don’t want to train to failure unless it’s gonna be the last rep of your last set. Too many metabolic consequences, and not enough payoff. It’s really the exercise equivalent of “the point of diminishing returns”. The program I’m doing now has me leaving a few reps in the hole so I can do 10 good sets. Sometimes that last set gets pretty damn close to failure, though. One minute rest periods can wear you out, dude!
Before I found T-mag a year ago I trained for 90minutes at a time doing everything to failure. I suppose it worked in some way because I was a fatty and just needed to burn a tonnes of calories. I found ABBH very unusual at first but it is very effective. I think that training to failure on a regular basis isn’t the way forward.
NateN:
There are as many ways to train as there are stars in the sky. At this point in time it is not fashionable to train to failure. There have been studies that show it will deplete your body and increase your recovery time, among other well “researched” negative things.
Then again there were studies done a few years back that stated you could eat all of the carbs that you wanted and that you had to reduce your fat intake. Stick around a few more years and there will be studies conclusively proving that training to failure is in fact the best way to train.
Personally, I don’t always trust the latest research (not always). I do trust what I have seen work for me, and those I have assisted in the past. I have found that relative to the training to failure issue that like any powerful technique, if it is over used it will back fire, which makes the “never train to failure” people correct.
However, if used sparingly, I have found that training to failure works great! For example: Last set of the day; Once per week With every set of just one body part; Once or twice per month with every movement in your routine. This means that the “never train to failure” people are wrong.
In general I think you have to be careful of those who say “never” do this, or “always” do that. If you have trained a while I think the body needs a good shake up. A shifting of routines and strategies is the best way to go, at least that’s what I have found has been working for me, and others.
Whatever you decide to do I hope that you do what works best for you!
Good Luck,
Zeb
That’s some solid advice by Zeb! Like Zeb said, training to failure should be done sparingly but can be useful.
training to failure, i believe is also different for every person at different situations. It’s easy to write a program and do it at first, the hard part is to keep making gains in the program. there are so many variables to take into account combined with the fact that it is difficult to replicate those variables every time you perform a given routine. With that being said, as far as strength goes, it’s just easy to measure performance by trying to beat your previous personal best. Also a lot of people have a certain fear to push themselves and then feel that they hit a plateau. the slow down in progress is not because of overtraining but because of fear of the weight and of failure.
Point is that if you are consistantly making gains and have the fire burning inside you to improve then keep pushing yourself even if you feel you are training to failure over and over again. laters pk
you have to find out whether you have slow or fast twitch muscle fibers. Then ask yourself what your training goal is ? Once you have a goal, design a program that meets the needs of yourself. Keep in mind magazine workouts do not work for everybody.
Against what you’ve all said
(except Nate), I am all for training to failure. My best training results have come (after 13 years of lifting) from lower volume workouts where every single set is to muscle failure. I also do not agree with the assertation that you cannot workout as frequently, with full recovery, on a total body high intensity workout. I currently and for the past 2 years have lifted 2-3 times per week with every single set being to complete muscle failure. I am confident that I have full muscle recovery within 48hours of completing a workout.
I guess I’m curious as to why you asked for an opinion when you really did not want one unless it agreed with your own. Davies, Stanley, Thibaudeau, Waterbury and Tate have all gone on record numerous times that routinely training to failure is not the way to go for a multitude of different reasons. In fact, I suppose if you did a search on the phrase “never train to failure” you would see the names above throughout the results.
Can you train to failure each time? Sure… Should you - I defer to those with a whole lot more expertise than me!
[quote]DJHMcKinney wrote:
…Davies, Stanley, Thibaudeau, Waterbury and Tate have all gone on record numerous times that routinely training to failure is not the way to go for a multitude of different reasons. In fact, I suppose if you did a search on the phrase “never train to failure” you would see the names above throughout the results.[/quote]
Tate and the Westside boys advocate training to failure on a regular basis–that is, if going for a one-rep max is considered “training to failure.” They’re the only powerlifters I know of how advocate hitting a 1RM every week (on max-effort day). Maybe I’m wrong, but I would guess that none of the guys you named, with the possible exception of Waterbury, would use the word “never” in cautioning against training to failure.
I think Zeb got it spot on! just for the record I think CT said in one of his recent issues of Modern Strength that going to failure on a fairly regular basis (although not all the time) can be very productive from a size perspective.
I have been tranining to failure on at least half to 3/4 of all my sets in every workout for at least 8 years now and have had the best gains of my life during that time. Once again I think it goes back to the fact that we are all different and we have to find what works for us as individuals. I seem to recall that Arnold did the same workouts over and over once he found the exercises that worked for him. Other then a few 4 to 6 week periods over the last 8 years my training routine has stayed the same also. I do between 20-25 sets per workout with shoulders and biceps day coming in at about 50 minutes and leg day taking about 75. Back and trap day and chest and tricep day take about an hour. I found what worked for me and have plugged ahead with it. Particulary on leg day I take every lift except squats to failure. Somedays it takes 4 reps, other days it takes 20 depending on how I feel and how much weight I decide to use. I am leaner at 260 now than I was at 190 when I really started hitting it about 8 years ago. So for me it works.
Thanks for all the awesome replies. I know plenty of people use a 5 x 5 routine which goes to failure only on the last set and then there’s twenty rep breathing squats which is certainly beyond failure (but low volume).