For some time, one type of training has become very popular: training to failure, especially in the realm of bodybuilding. Training to failure is marketed in such a way that it will make you look
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What is training to failure?
Training to failure basically means performing an exercise to the point where you will not be able to perform a rep of that exercise with the correct form and technique. In short, you will achieve muscular failure.
Reaching failure is a very broad concept. There are multiple types of failure you can achieve. For easier understanding, I am going to explain different types of failure by using the example of dumbbell curls.
- Concentric Failure: Concentric failure means when your muscle gets fatigued to the point that you cannot lift a certain amount of load or you cannot perform the concentric portion of the exercise. When performing dumbbell curls, the top portion where you squeeze the muscle is the concentric portion. When you are unable to do the concentric portion, no matter how hard you try after performing a certain number of reps with the same weight, it indicates you have reached concentric failure.
- Eccentric Failure: Eccentric failure is the opposite of concentric failure, where you are unable to do the eccentric portion of the exercise. In the dumbbell curl, when you are unable to extend your arms fully, it indicates eccentric failure.
- Isometric Failure: When you are unable to hold the weight statically in a position, it is considered that you have achieved isometric failure. In a dumbbell curl, if you are unable to hold onto the dumbbells, you have reached the isometric failure point.
- Total Failure: When you reach the failure point in the concentric, eccentric, and isometric phases of the exercise, it is considered reaching total failure. Total failure is very hard to reach. You cannot reach total failure on your own, you will need some assistance.
Besides these, there are also technical failures where your form starts to break down, CNS failure, and many more. When people talk about training to failure, they mainly refer to the concentric failure of the exercise. Usually, concentric failure occurs first, then eccentric failure, and rarely do people get to the point of isometric failure. I have almost never seen someone reach total failure.
Before we discuss training to failure more briefly, I want to make you familiar with another term:
- Reps in Reserve (RIR): RIR means going very close to muscular failure but not reaching the failure point. Suppose with a certain weight you will reach failure if you perform 18 reps; however, after 15 reps, you feel your form is breaking down and decide to stop. Then you will have 3 RIR.
We will discuss the importance of RIR later in the article.
There is a popular myth that surrounds the training-to-failure concept. Let’s discuss it so that I can explain if you need to train to failure.
Myth: You should definitely train to failure otherwise your muscle will not grow!!
The concept of training a single set to failure was popularized by Arthur Jones, who was the owner of Nautilus company. Over the years, it became popular to the extent that people started to believe that if you do not train to failure, you are leaving gains on the table.
Is there anything wrong with training to failure, and is it worth it?
If you ask me, I would say that training to failure got pushed so hard that it became overrated. Training close to failure will almost give you the same benefit with less fatigue.
One of the common problems with training to failure is that people do not know what the failure point is. You cannot determine that very easily unless you have good training experience. Sometimes, you will feel so much burn in the muscle that it feels like you have reached failure, but actually, it is the pain that is stopping the exercise. The muscle can probably crank out an extra 5 reps or more.
When I used to perform leg extensions, after 12 reps, I felt like I couldn’t push any further as the lactic acid burn became too much. After a while, I noticed that after 12 reps, if I rest for 30 seconds, I can easily perform 5 to 8 more reps with the same weight and proper form. In my mind, I was reaching failure at 12 reps, but actually, I was not.
Also, training to failure takes a heavy toll on the body. The cumulative fatigue becomes too high, which can hamper your training sessions. The SFR (Stimulus to Fatigue Ratio) is not high enough to justify training to failure. Training to 3 to 5 RIR will almost give you the same benefit with more SFR and less cumulative fatigue. Training to failure is for more advanced trainees who have good adaptation to fatigue; it is not for beginners.
Why should beginners not train to failure?
There are multiple reasons why beginners should not try this method of training. It will be beneficial for them because:
Not knowing what failure looks like
Beginners will not know what training to failure feels like. If they push too hard, there might be a good chance of injury. Also, there is no need for failure training when you are new to training. Beginners will have the advantage of newbie gains. Why do more work unnecessarily, which can cause more harm than good? When you are a beginner, just follow a simple training routine and be consistent, and you will be fine.
Breaking down of exercise form
When you are a beginner, the top priority of the exercise you are performing should be maintaining the proper form and technique. You cannot learn to maintain good form with heavier weights, and when you are new, you do not need to train heavily for muscular hypertrophy (muscle growth). Training to failure will break down your form, and poor form can lead to injury, which no one wants.
Unnecessary Fatigue
When you are new to training, your body’s fatigue management will not be like that of an athlete who has been training for years. Your body slowly adapts to the changes, and over time, your body can adapt to more fatigue than before. Just think of your first month of training and the training you did or are doing after six months. The first month of training will not even break a sweat at this point, as your body adapts, but initially, you were very sore. The same goes for training to failure; when you are fairly new, it will generate so much fatigue that it will be counterproductive as cumulative fatigue will hamper your training and sleep quality.
What not to do when training to failure!
If you are an intermediate or advanced lifter and decide to use the method of training until you reach the failure point, then there are some things you should avoid. They are:
- Do not try to train to failure in heavy compound lifts. Training to failure should only be performed when you are doing hypertrophy training.
- You should not try to reach failure on every exercise for every muscle group. The muscle group you are prioritizing should be the one that you should try to train to failure.
- Do not train more than two large muscle groups to failure, as the fatigue generation will be insanely high.
- Do not go to failure on every set. Go to failure on your last working set.
If your recovery gets hampered very much, then go for the 3 to 5 RIR range. Pushing further will cause backward progression.