I would like to ask one question. when do you actually reach a fatique? is that when you just can`t complete another rep, you just cant get it up, or when you can complete that last rep but with big effort and maybe with worse form?
I follow Waterbury’s technique, which is not train to failure. Today I completed dumbbell chest press with really hard last rep, or maybe hard few last reps, I completed that last reps, but the form was a little worse and the execution of the last few reps was a little slower? Do you consider that as a fatique or not?
I read one of CT`s articles where he talks about failure, for presses he says: “One to two reps short of failure. Accept some speed loss but don’t go to failure.”
I think I did just that, I lost the speed and I was able to complete the last rep, although the execution wasn`t perfect. But I still wonder if my CNS is OK?
Most people get best results when terminating sets while they still have at least one or two more rep in the tank except on perhaps the last set. Pyramiding up in weight and reaching failure on the very last set is also a common and effective method.
Terminating a set when your form breaks down is advocated by some coaches but I don’t think this is necessary unless you are nearing a peak in your training where injury risk is higher or if you are already dealing with a borderline over trained or injury prone movement or body part.
I think the greatest value of terminating at form loss is teaching people to concentrate and strive for better form while training in the fatigue zone. Most form degeneration can be greatly improved by intense concentration and developing will power.
An advanced training partner or coach will teach you more about willpower and concentration in just a few workouts than most guys ever learn. Certain other sports especially fighting or anything where you sense a risk to your life if you fail to perform is helpful as well.
Nothing quite like the fear of death to motivate your will and concentration.
Well it depends which rep-range you are using, so if you are reping lateral raise for 12 reps the fatigue will occur when lactic acid build happen an that is the fameous “burn” so you stop set.
Or when training low rep CNS cancels it’s obedience and becomes trashed so you reach failure. Sensible reaching failure should be dependent of the muscle group worked since - larger muscle group = more motor units = more trashed your CNS will be, and CNS overdrive is much more common in weight training than popular overtraining.
You can basically go beyond failure but this is another story that involves low volume.