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 Training Discussion Board
 Must you train to failure?
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| Author | Topic: Must you train to failure? | ||
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Novice 
Posts: 3 |
hey i was wondering if you HAVE to train to failure to gain a lot of mass and strength. I'm doing one set to failure for every exercise. If you dont have to go to failure, how do you know when to stop? thanks a lot     | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder 
Posts: 111 |
I like to train with the heaviest weight that I get 5-6 reps with on my last 2-3 sets. I usually only go to complete failure on certain exercises like chins and dips. | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 196 |
You don't HAVE to.....but I do on everything....I like it better. | ||
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Pro Bodybuilder 
Posts: 330 |
Yes, I think you have to!!! If you don't then your not working out, your "exercising" this ain't know beauty parlor. I work out in a GYM and that means your busting your ass and your going to failure!!!!!!!!!  | ||
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Novice
Posts: 3 |
hey thanks for your replies! are u doing more than 1 set to failure? thanks again
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 86 |
hey also consider what failure really is. this little 'fantasy' used to really get me up for a set. imagine that you are doing preacher curls, you do six and say "whew thats it" then a guy walks up to and press a 9mm in your side and says "DO 5 MORE OR ILL BLOW YOUR FUCKING KIDNEY OUT YOUR ASSHOLE" and he is serious, you do not 5 more but 8 more. You didn't go to failure originally. I have trained with several guys who think they are going to failure but it is really their mind balking at such stress overloads not their muscles. Oh, and yes I think you need to go to failure. I can see someone saying you dont have to go all the way, perhaps 90%. But then the problem arrises, how do you measure 90% of your ability; the only measurable effort levels are 0% and 100%, choose the best. | ||
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Novice
Posts: 3 |
you're right man but are you doing more than 1 set to "failure"? interesting thought, what is failure... thanks HOT HOT | ||
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Novice
Posts: 5 |
Hey bro The core of my routine = big '3'(deads, bench, squats). All the other exercises in my routine (leg presses, chins, curls, etc) are done with 1 or 2 warmup sets and then 1 or 2 sets with dropsets to complete failure. Replay | ||
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Pro Bodybuilder
Posts: 330 |
failure is not a fantasy. it is the closest thing to "real" that exists in life. If you are not pushing yourself hard enough, then so be it: but If you are, then you KNOW what failure is. | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 238 |
Why do people go to failure? Probaly cause they asociate failure of a muscle to pain which leads to progress. If you can progress without failure do that. Progression is the key to making gains. | ||
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Cool Novice 
Posts: 23 |
Px1138, that was an outstanding damn answer. Very very few people can actually get to failure. You always have something left. Its tough to kick your own ass hard enough to reach your real physical limits. Listen to real loud death metal, works for me. | ||
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Pro Bodybuilder
Posts: 330 |
[QUOTE]Originally posted by mac sloan: [B]Why do people go to failure? Probaly cause they asociate failure of a muscle to pain which leads to progress. If you can progress without failure do that. Progression is the key to making gains. How the hell do you progress if you don't go to failure? You need to push your body to do what it previously could not, that is progression. failure is your bodies limit (with the nervous system's safety in tact) you need to train to failure to increase your capacity. | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 53 |
i agree with mac sloan the key to make gains is progress. failure doesnt mean more growht but maybe mean less, since taxing of the system occurs. from my personal experience i�d say that training to failure made me slow a lot my gains after i had been constanly gaing in big spurts without traing to failure. every time i progressed in weight, not to failure but far form it, i got huge growht gains. | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 238 |
Valdez before you attacked my statement did you think of what failure means??? I do not train with a partner and can progress fine without training to failure,so can most people but because of this no pain no gain propaganda it is now thought that training to failure is the most effective way. What does Muscualar Failure mean ???? | ||
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Cool Novice
Posts: 14 |
i do one set of becnh press until failure 2 times a week... is it possible for me to increase my max from 225 to 300 in 6 months.. i 'm tryint ot get stronger fro football | ||
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Pro Bodybuilder
Posts: 330 |
to Mac Sloan: how much muscle have you gained in your training career (no steriods) time: and lbs gained: seriously, how much have you gained? | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 66 |
mac sloan why dont you train to failure you workout alone so do i in my home gym but i use different tech to take each excercise to failure like drop sets and partials i have also bought a power rack and modified my bench so i can take each set to failure i dont make as good gains if i dont take it to failure i tried cycling my workouts didnt like it because it seemed like i was wasting the early part of the cycle but if you workeach set to failure you will progress in stregnth each and every workout but you peak on excercises in 6-8weeks.than you drop that excercise and plug another in and take it to failure until you peak on that excercise you allso vary your rep scheme and rep speed example;benchpress 6-8weeks3-5reps inclines 6-8 weeks 7-10reps declines 6-8weeks 12-15reps bench press 6-8weeks 3-5reps this type of training works for me hope this helps big bear | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 238 |
Valdez the problem with spouting off a number is that you have no idea if I'm bullshitting you or not. So why ask? I'll give you how much muscle I have gained in the last 4 years I have been training(no gear) I started at 145 and have gained, just muscle now,....... 70 pounds.Just pulling your leg,actually I've gained about 21 pounds of muscle. That has nothing with not going to failure. Point I'm trying to make is that failure is not a must whem training for muscle size. Big Bear I work out at a gym but can not find a partner that has the same schedule as me. | ||
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Pro Bodybuilder
Posts: 330 |
Mac Sloan, I just wanted to see if you had made any progress and how long you've been lifting. I feel it is absolutely necessary to go to failure on your heaviest set. Your body grows to adapt the new stress load. If you don't go to failure and try and breach the "safety barriers" The body has no need to grow because the stress load in which you gave it was easily accomplished. agree to disagree then I guess, but failure is a must. | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 66 |
wo wo wo wo Failure is completely unneccasary for tissue remodeling and adaption to occur. All that is required is progression. If I take a weight that i can squat 12 reps with to failure, and i mean falling to the ground with the bar failure, but only do ten reps, this will still provide enough of a neuromuscular overload to trigger my body to respond. Next week I add 2 kilos and do ten reps again. I am still 2 reps short of failure with this set, but i have made 2 kg worth of progress. Do this enough times and I will squat a huge weight for 10 reps, without having ever gone to failure. Think about it in terms of general adaptation to stress, eg Hans Serle (sp)? and those guys. Think of it in terms of the cardiovascular system for an even more obvious answer. Is it possible to work the heart to failure? Yes, but the consequence is death. Therefore we can deduce that no one is working the heart and lungs to failure when they do their aerobics. But do there hearts and lungs get more efficient? Yes, of course they do. Does the trainees fitness improve? Yes, of course it does. The same thing goes for muscular strength. it can be gained without ever going to failure. Interestingly enough, the system that is most stressed by failure sets is the nervous system, not the muscles, and if you want a really sciency bit of info, bear in mind that failure to complete a rep with a given weight (eg failure) cuases golgi tendon ap[paratus inhibition which lessens the likelihood of the same lift being made in future. In other words....it's probably best not to actually fail, especially when training for strength and power. Cheers bros, G. | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 181 |
I do not go to failure on much. I stop just shy of failure on my power movements. Try to go to failure on my lighter movts. I find that if you truly go heavy and also to failure, you will kill your joints. Just my 2cents. B True | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 247 |
hhhmmm this is all very interesting. I go to failure, or near, on just about everything. I usually reach failure on the last set though. ------------------ | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 89 |
that's why you look the way you do... j/k i sometimes go to failure... good point there gforce. |
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posted October 17, 2000 02:04 PM