Training to failure, is it confusing?

A definition of what training to failure really is, along with concise instructions on how, when, and why to do it.

Multiple studies on training to failure show that you can build muscle without reaching failure, but the problem is that this seems to apply only to beginners.

In general, scientists convince a few college students to participate in a research study on hypertrophy and, of course, they do some casual workouts before returning to their student routines.

But if we analyze the experiences of many professional bodybuilders, they will tell you the opposite: that only training to failure, at least occasionally, can help you make progress.

Now, saying that you can succeed only if you reach muscular failure sounds paradoxical, but it is largely true. In this case, as with other aspects of bodybuilding, the real answer is somewhat nebulous, and before discussing the merits of training to failure, we must define it.

Defining muscular failure

Most bodybuilders consider muscular failure to be something they do to optimally stimulate all the muscle fibers involved in a particular lift.

It is generally defined as the point at which you cannot perform any more concentric repetitions, but is that really muscular failure?

Furthermore, reaching failure due to accumulated fatigue from performing many sets is different from true muscular failure.

And even if we are talking about “true” muscular failure as the inability to perform any more repetitions with a heavy weight, it does not mean that all motor units have been exhausted, but only those recruited at the beginning of the movement, which have low endurance.

True muscular failure would require performing some forced repetitions or some drop sets, and even that is a matter of perspective because, theoretically, you could perform a dozen drop sets, eventually reaching the point where your fibers are so exhausted that you cannot lift any more.

In any case, to give our discussion a solid foundation, we need to find a true definition of training to failure before we can make generalizations and recommendations, so we define it as follows:

Being unable to perform additional concentric repetitions in a set without getting assistance or reducing the amount of weight used, and then using one of the two methods mentioned above (forced repetitions or drop sets) to perform a few more repetitions before reaching “true muscular failure.”

The disadvantages of training to failure

When failing on multiple sets, you generally end up accumulating less volume or, in other words, absolute load (because of fatigue); this could be true even if you rest for 3 to 5 minutes between sets.

It is a problem because volume is one of the key factors, if not the key factor, in muscle growth.

It is more difficult to induce muscular failure in compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, and rows because, depending on your physical condition, your lungs may make you give up before your muscles do.

Too many forced repetitions can reduce testosterone levels and increase cortisol levels, in addition to suppressed muscle activity that persists not only during the following day but possibly for the next several days.

Questions about training to failure

It is difficult to know how often to train to failure… should you do it on every set or only on the last set? Should you do it only on single-joint exercises?…

The ideal point at which to end a set without muscular failure has never been established; if you can perform 6 repetitions at 85% of 1RM, should you stop at 3, 4, or 5 repetitions? How does that indicator vary for building strength and building muscle?

• According to a 2007 study, training to failure increases motor unit activation and the secretion of muscle-building hormones, such as HGH and testosterone, compared with conventional methods
• Forced repetitions generally increase anabolic levels not only immediately after the set but also 15 and 30 minutes later.

Training to failure is definitely worthwhile, but once again, we face the question of how often and which exercises.

Some experts and professional bodybuilders recommend performing a full 1RM (concentric sets to failure) one day a week and doing non-failure sessions exclusively for the rest of the week, but this only works if you do full-body workouts.

Another option is to schedule short cycles (two to four weeks) in which you train to failure on multiple exercises and train normally the rest of the time, but this seems overly cautious.

Bodybuilders should probably limit training to failure to one set: the last set of each exercise, especially, but not necessarily limited to, non-compound movements (curls, triceps extensions, deltoid raises, leg extensions, etc.).