Poll _How often do you train to failure??

[SpyWizard]

on my last set. always

yep, or a drop set is the last set.. works for me..

 

[hyp]

I train to failure about half the time,not every set.
but admittedly I do go to failure pretty often especially when working arms.

 

[Slyder190]

Since I've been studying for my NSCA Exam, I've switched to still using a low volume, but only going to failure on single joint movements and only on the last set for multi-joint movements. I also hit each muscle twice a week now, but with a lighter load for the multi-joint movements for the 2nd workout of the week. I'll let you know how it goes. Gettin some small strength increases here and there4 so far, now if I can just keep up on the calories.

 

[snower6]

If you go to actual failure on your first working set, you'll never get as big as you can be. You need to end each exercise with the highest weight, even if you only get a few reps in or else your muscles never grow to adapt to heavier weight. Going to failure on every set is more of a cutting/carido exercise than a mass building one. Also, if I'm starting my chest exercise with the incline barbell and I go to failure on my last set there, my flat bench won't be too good, and those fibers won't get a comparable workout as the incline fibers.

The only time I do til failure is after I do my 5 sets of incline, 4 sets of flat bench and some fly's, I'll go to the dumbell incline, take 90-100s and go til I can't move anymore each set. Then your workout is done. Or when I isolate tris or bi's i'll go til failure.

But going to failure on exercise 1, set 1, you will never get equal building of your muscles because the other muscles won't get the same workout

 

[AnabolLecter]

If you go to actual failure on your first working set, you'll never get as big as you can be. You need to end each exercise with the highest weight, even if you only get a few reps in or else your muscles never grow to adapt to heavier weight. Going to failure on every set is more of a cutting/carido exercise than a mass building one. Also, if I'm starting my chest exercise with the incline barbell and I go to failure on my last set there, my flat bench won't be too good, and those fibers won't get a comparable workout as the incline fibers.

The only time I do til failure is after I do my 5 sets of incline, 4 sets of flat bench and some fly's, I'll go to the dumbell incline, take 90-100s and go til I can't move anymore each set. Then your workout is done. Or when I isolate tris or bi's i'll go til failure.

But going to failure on exercise 1, set 1, you will never get equal building of your muscles because the other muscles won't get the same workout

I go by the same set of principles.

 

[gautho]

I totally believe in the Mike Mentzer theory. Dorian proved that to be extremely effective, he also added that rest/pause principle.

 

[Guinness5.0]

Failure is more of a nervous system event than a muscular one -- the nervous system (which causes the muscles to contract via signals from the brain) cuts you off before the muscles are truly 'done'. The real problem with going to failure with regularity is that the nervous system takes longer to recover than the muscles. You can train much more frequently (i.e. squattng 2-3x/week instead of once) by doing more sets short of failure. More frequency = more workload = more stimulus.

I wouldn't say that one should never go to failure, but to do so at nearly every workout is counterproductive. I almost never squat less than twice per week, and I use heavy weight and decent volume. I have made the best gains of my life by avoiding failure for the most part (unless really pushing for a PR or something) and relying on constant, incremental improvements on the big lifts.

Failure is less detrimental on smaller lifts by nature, as there is far less nervous sytem activity involved in a curl than a deadlift or squat.

 

[jochensa]

I try and get 3 x 10 reps on all my lifts. it usually results in going til failure. if i get 3 x 10 on all sets i move up in weight.

 

[Nelson Montana]

There's no such thing as "failure" unless you drop dead.

There are many ways to stress a muscle -- repping until you can't complete another full rep with a similar weight is just one of them and not necesarily the most exhausting or growth inducing.

 

[UA_Iron]

There's no such thing as "failure" unless you drop dead.

There are many ways to stress a muscle -- repping until you can't complete another full rep with a similar weight is just one of them and not necesarily the most exhausting or growth inducing.

I'd consider a muscle failing if it tore in half.

You checking out EF again Nelson?