Going To Failure

Going To Failure

Lifting to failure can be a development tool if used properly. However, it can have negative impacts when used improperly. When should you lift to failure when you not and what actually happens when you go to failure is all discussed here. So read on if you want to see how going to failure might benefit [or hinder] your training.

In the 1980's, Arthur Jones preached lifting to failure as a way to maximize intensity, and therefore induce strength and muscle growth. Prior to that time, bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger preached high volume training as the way to build muscle. Fast forward a couple of decades, and there is growing evidence supporting the claim that volume plays a big role in muscle hypertrophy [1].

Don't Sacrifice Volume to Train to Failure

However, that's not to say that training to failure doesn't have it's place. It just means that you should not sacrifice volume in order to train to failure. Drop sets can be a great example of this. It has been shown that drop sets may be beneficial for hypertrophy [2]. However, since these findings did not account for the additional volume in comparison to equivalent volume in exercises that did not involve drop sets, it might very well be that a significant portion of the positive findings were related to an increase in volume and not necessarily the drop sets. But this still shows how failure can be reached without necessarily sacrificing volume.

A practical example of the converse would be going to failure on your first set. Think of the impact that would have on your next set. It almost certainly would mean fewer repetitions performed. For example, imagine being able to do 3 sets of 8 of some exercise. But this time you did your first set to failure of 11 repetitions. If on your next two sets you could only accomplish 4-5 repetitions, then volume would be lowered simply because you went to failure on your first set. Now, imagine the net effect on your subsequent exercises. It's not hard to see that this is a case where failure is hindering volume, and progress.

Why Go to Failure?

The more difficult it is for you to lift, the more motor unit requirement. That means by going to failure, more fast twitch muscle fibers can be recruited [3]. In theory, this should be a very good thing.

But theory and reality don't always end up at the same place. And such is the case with going to failure. Since, as we discussed before, volume is a major factor in hypertrophy. And going to failure can negatively impact overall training volume.

However, what if there was a way to train to failure with equivalent volume? Drop sets might be a way to achieve this, if performed at the end of a training session. Another possibility might be pushing to failure on the last set of each muscle group trained.

Practical Takeaways

1. Don't sacrifice volume for training to failure.
2. Don't go to failure on every set or early in your training session.
3. Training sets to failure  or drop sets to failure at the end of a training session may help with fast twitch muscle fiber recruitment while still allowing you to maintain volume.

[1] Schoenfeld, Brad J., et al. "Effects of different volume-equated resistance training loading strategies on muscular adaptations in well-trained men." J Strength Cond Res (2014).

[2] Goto, Kazushige, et al. "Muscular adaptations to combinations of high-and low-intensity resistance exercises." The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 18.4 (2004): 730-737.

[3] Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. 3rd Ed.  Champaign, IL: Human kinetics, 2008: p781

Posted by Clayton Long