Muscle Failure Training Could it be Best for you

Failure is the minimum you need to go if you want to be a champion. The best bodybuilders didnt get there by leaving 3 reps in the tank. If it was that easy everyone would do it

One set training is the only plan that gave me more gains. So training to failure for me is gospel.

I cant believe this. I thought you have to go to failure on every single set. No wonder I absolutely hated working out

Personally, when I don’t train to failure. I don’t see results. Maybe that’s because I train technical failure, where I do reps until my technique breaks down and is bad, but I think people think failure as in not being able to perform a rep anymore no matter the form, which is dangerous and an easy way to get injured.

Hi picture fit. Great videos as always. I have also looked upon on to other scientist’s research and all of them shows that training to failure doesn’t have a single benefit. It requires more recovery time, more damage to the muscle, potential risk, and a burden to nervous system. My question is, if training to failure is a bad thing to do, and only the volume matters, can I gain the same result if I stops at 80 percent rather than 90 percent, if the volume is the same? Thank you

Failure Training has definite advantages if you’re looking to be injured.

So the Not to failure group never felt as exhausted as the train to failure group? Does this mean they could pump up 2-3 more reps, but stopped at 10 since it was 3 sets of 10 reps as shown in the example?

Once I started going one or two reps shy of failure, I started to gain weight. I recommend it. Obviously recovery and nutrition in combination is necessary as well. This trio is where I noticed the weight going up.

I have and will always believe in training to Failure..because if you dont train to failure then you are wasting your time at the gym. But in what sense? Failure of FORM..Thats I believe in. What use is doing an exercise if you have to use every muscle in the body to get the weight up eh?

Do you need to breathe to stay alive?
PictureFit: It depends

I feel like this is inconclusice because the sample size is small and that wasn’t adequate rest for the failure group

Do you have a link to this study it appears there are some possible statistical flaws in the research?

I almost don’t believe it.. wouldn’t recovery have more to do with the amount of sleep you get and the nutrients you put into your diet as opposed to your reps and sets?

This is a total game changer for me! Thank you so much for your work PictureFit!

I train until failure on every last set of every exercise and do a push/pull/legs split with 3-4 movements a session and every seventh day train abs calves and traps. I recover good even on a caloric deficit doing this. I think it all depends on the individual. Some people have better cns recovery than others

PictureFit can you make a video about magnesium stearat its in alot of supplements, many people say that is harmfull and i’m worried about because on my zinc supplement says it contains magnesium stearat. And I’m concerned if i should continue to use it. Please make a video about it.

please stop doing scientific studies about bodybuilding.. you fucked up

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‘Cause baby tonight, you grab your pick, shovel and bolt again, again, again
And run, run, run until it’s done, done, then you run, run, run until the sun
Sun comes up in the morn’
‘Cause baby tonight, the creeper’s trying to steal your stuff again, again, again
Captain Sparklez:
Dig up diamonds, and craft those diamonds
Looks like that armor’s been exercising
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Oversett til norsk

Me: Does it depend?

picturefit: It depends on what it depends on

They completely left out of the study the idea of heavier weights with less reps versus more reps with lighter weight. This study really only looked at training to failure in a lighter weight volume based routine. So we’re missing part of the picture here. It’s also been said that “intensity” is far better with 5-8 reps of heavier weights than 8-12, or more, of lighter weight. Did they test for mass or for actual strength improvements, would be another question.

Training to failure just like doing drop sets is totally effective, BUT NOT every day or every set, you’ll just end up exhausting yourself.

I basically go to failure on every set, not a good idea then? I never feel like I’m not rested enough when it comes to doing the same muscle group next week though.

And what if the non failure group, builded muscle because they always trained to failure until they made the research, so they changed the way they always trained causing more damage to muscle and more growth because of the new training schedule

Fuck I’m PhD and I feel this study is another one which proves what the authours premeditatedly wanted to prove, that is RI is superior to RM (muscle failure). They only measured the vastus lateralis and the subjects trained legs for 5 consecutive days/week. At some point in the study they mention that both groups performed sprint training in between the resistance training. And I don’t know for you, but for me it’s obvious that if you reach failure on some muscle you need to rest at least one day before training that muscle again, or you will pay it. Imagine reach muscle failure on the vastus lateralis today, and tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, and the next one, and the next, for two months and a half! That’s so stupid!!! Why just don’t compare two normal 8-12 reps RI vs. RM routines with REAL 1-2 training days/week PER MUSCLE with at least two days of rest between trainings for the same muscle? Ah I know, because there wouln’t be statitically significant results, or even RM would be better, and thus the bro science would be right again.

I dont care about the results ive been training to failure for the past few months ive started working out and its worked so im still doing it

I generally always train to failure, except on Squat, Leg Press & Deadlift, as I don’t want to take any sort of risks on such big exercises.

Despite not training to failure, I have experienced good progress on Deadlifts nonetheless, and can currently lift 440lbs and am progressing at a slow and steady pace.

I do every last set to failure for over 10 years now. Works best for me or else I feel like I dint do my best.

This got me interested in going to the gym again.
I always wanted to train to failure to bring that challenge and mental toughness to my workout, but either people would say no with weak, unsatisfying arguments ( to let themselves off the hook most likely) or I would injure myself because I only trained till failure of tolerance ( not knowing any other types of failure at the time) because I was well past failure to maintain form, so injuries occur because of bad form. Same with explosive excercises, I didnt get the results I wanted because I trained till failure of tolerance while getting slower and less explosive instead of training for failure of tempo while keeping it quick and explosive.
Thanks Athlean!

And I heard some dumbass on Instagram saying that training to failure doesn’t increase gains as oppose to not training to failure. ����

Social media jerkoffs: gIvE mE a 100$ aNd I’lL tElL yOu A sEcRet…
Jeff: *tells all the secrets during an event for free

My life seems to go to absolute failure. Can’t say I benefit much of this

I had chicken legs, started doing squats and calf raises till failure with almost my max three months in, my legs and quads are delicious too look at.

My question is, should I train to failure each set, or only the last set I planned (for example the last set of the ussual 3 sets 12 reps)

Is training to failure necessary if I just want general health? I can workout more consistently without too much grinding. Is consistence more important?

I have no clue what I’m training for all I know is I love training?
Guess I’m screwed then!

I always train to failure, but I’ve often heard you should train so you got a few reps left in you when you’re done. I knew that was bullshit. I just saw a video of Joe Rogan saying if you’re able to do 10 reps, do 5 and wait 10 min before the next set.. What? You would think Joe Rogan knew better.

If you train until failure every set, there’s going to be a serious absence in your volume that day, and good luck coming back to your workout in the “magic 48 hours” from your workout. You will be way too sore. Made that mistake for a long time.

How many times a week is recommended to train a muscle to failure (of the three types)? Is it age/experience dependent?

An athlete training for 10 weeks short of failure could lead to peaking and better recovery in the ten week period, resulting in a chance for better muscle growth. The group train to failure may have Ben over trained or have not adapted properly hence showing a poorer muscle growth….just a thought

whenever I train to failure it would always be by technique/form as soon as my form starts breaking apart or I cant make through full range of motion but for single joint where form is easier like bicep curls I’d do tolerance failure there are barely many exercise where I’ll go for this type and then in my conditioning training like sprinting cardio or my power (speed) athletic lifts, failure would be when I cant maintain my max speed.

the only thing is it makes you fatigue more, but there’s nothing wrong with it

1. Always keep proper form and stop when you can’t maintain form
2. If form and tempo is good train till that burn is too much
3. Train till you feel your gonna die

Wow, terrible talk. If he could only get through one video without cussing. Filthy mouths show filthy minds. This heart patient needs a heart transplant. Drink some toilet water and hydrate.

Its been really trendy lately on youtube fitness channels to not train to failure but I’ve always loved it. Intensity over volume training has always provided the best results for me as long as progressive overload is a factor

I’m definitely a fan of “Last set best set”. Often times, what I find that I can do way more than what I thought was failure if I’m super focused and truly give it everything I’ve got. I’m definitely selective with the types of exercises I do this with too. Great topic. And really glad that you mention, “keep having fun”.

Hi Jeff, a few thoughts on this.
If I try doing an exercise until absolute failure, the first thing that should give in would be the tempo, followed by tolerance followed by technique. Is this correct?
Secondly, I usually try the exercise until tolerance failure > take a couple of deep breaths while holding the weights in the rest position > do another couple of reps until tolerance failure.
Now my goal is to reduce my body fat%. Which tolerance method should I follow to enhance the effect of fat burn?

Training to failure is super easy when you can’t do 1 pull-up

So awesome. Thanks! Your videos have really helped my physical wellbeing!

I’m slowly getting into fitness and Jeff seems to have a video about every question I’ve come up with������������ thanks for quality content!

Hey Jeff, just a quick question, how do you know what type of failure you should be training for? Is it based on the specific nature of the exercise or is it for the type of training for instance, strength, endurance, size? Or it it a mix of both? I know it’s a old video but I would appreciate your opinion

I can tell he dont train to failure and only a failure says not to train to failure in my eyes! I have done bodybuilding for over 30 years and tried every split and training regime and set and rep routine and I can tell you reps in the 6 to 10 range and 3 sets to failure with 75% of you’re one rep max in all exercises or medium to heavy not super heavy weights give you the best muscle mass!! 4 ex for big muscle group and 3 for small muscle groups and 1 to 2 minute rests between sets and only 4 workout days a week! Intensity that’s what we are aiming for!! It’s not you’re muscles that become over trained its you’re central nervous system cant cope it needs time to recover!!

Its not necessary for growing muscle.
But it is necessary for growing a pair.

How does this account for the fact that different rep ranges produce different training adaptations? In particular, I’m referring to the graph at 2:55. If only the last 5 reps are effective then we should see the highest level of hypertrophy when working in the 5RM range (Since this would allow for the heaviest amount of weight for those 5 effective reps). However, research points to a slightly higher rep range of around 8-12 reps to maximize hypertrophy.

You dont even know the types of failure and where are the Physics theres just alot sience

If I deadlift to failure, that pretty much means passing out.

Training to failure on squats and deadlifts seems like a really bad idea. Same goes for bench press unless you have a good spotter. Personally, I often train to just before failure. I do the last complete rep that I know that I can do, then stop and move on to the next exercise. I do go for higher volume, as I typically do four sets of each exercise.

I’ve been training till failure every time I work out and I’ve seen no negative effects

Imagine training to failure on bench press and the barbell fell on your neck and the trainer is listening music in the next room.

Failure training IS NOT needed at all. You can do more “damage” to a muscle by repetitive sets NOT done to failure than with 1 set done to failure. Failure also dumps stress hormones (adrenaline, cortisol) into the system. These hormones are HIGHLY catabolic (tissue consuming) which is obviously bad if training drug free.

Training to failure is the reason why you can’t hit the gym everyday.

Yes, thanks for anther awesome video! I have a question… so I understand that BCAAs are basically useless in the absence of other aminos HOWEVER would you reccomend EAAs to prevent muscle breakdown while training during fasted periods?

I’m the same, I always train to technical failure I rarely ever get to “actual failure”. Jeff Nippard did an interesting video recently explaining “effective reps” which I found very interesting, and these are the reps with maximum muscle fibre recruitment just before failure. From experience I can feel the point where this happens in a set, so anecdotally I found this to be true for me.

Have you ever tried reverse pyramid training? Typically you do 2-3 sets to failure for each exercise, but because you start at your heaviest work and work down, you still have the energy to do each set.

If you want muscular shredded beef, muscular striation and ridges, seeing the muscular fibers through the skin on every muscle group in your body, muscular density, and muscular symmetry then you gotta take every rep of every set to failure and beyond and even beyond that period how bad do you fucken want it you get what you put the pain and the burn must not faze you or cause you to tap out or throw in the towel take the pain viciously like an angry enraged monster I used to get beat and physically abused by my own grandma ever since I was one year old until I was two and I got beat by foster family from four years old until I was 8 years old I had to adapt to the pain now I smash in the gym and take my anger and rage and hate out in the gym pain ain’t shit to me

People who don’t train to maximum failure are sissies and weak and don’t have what it takes to be a fucken monster savage beast ripping shit apart fucken breaking shit not giving a fuck enraged extreme violent vicious

Yea right, Doing lots of easy sets is going to build muscle. How about quality over quanity, or less is more

If u don’t train to failure u won’t grow ur muscles. Simple as that.

I always try to do a planned workout like let’s say 4×8. Even if I can do more, I don’t. My last set of an exercise is usually a dropset or two. This usually kills the specific muscle then I rest for about 3-4 mins then head into the next exercise. I try to do 3-5 exercises per muscle group.

So I am training to failure at 10-12 reps. I then perform 3 other exercises at the same failure rep and repeat the round two more times. In total, I do an exercise between 30-40 times per workout and I do this all the time I workout by default. Am I over stressing and overtraining my body?

This is very close to Economic Training. The goal is also the failure of muscle. The differents are the slow repetitions. You only have to train two times a week for 30 minutes. Greetings from Germany.

T.T.F. is a useful cyclical protocol… For those who are definitely not training on the natch.

how come in 3 months starting at 15 pounds dumbbell curls
i can curl
25s 18 reps
30s 11 reps
35s 8 reps
40s 3 reps

I do not even need to watch this video…. pain and muscle failure is 110% needed…. to cross the line of buterflyman…to super iron man.

I go up in weight by 5 lbs each time I go back to the gym. I do as many reps as I can, then step down by 5 rinse repeat. By the time I’m done I can barely lift 20 lbs. I get a lot of rest between workouts. I’ve been seeing very nice results.

I only train to failure. Most people in my gym avoid failure and look horrible.

the only non faillure i do is squats cuz that dangerous. the rest prety much it

Injury prone exercises in which the form goes away in the last must not be trained to failure.

What i’d like to know is if in that study of failure vs submaximal they told the submaximal group to lift every Rep as explosive as they can o just told them to lift it. That’s because submaximal intensity done at maximal effort is almost the same as a set to failure, you recruit the same muscle fibers and SNC effort is the same

What a stupid question. If you want “MUSKELN!” like Arnold Schwarzenegger you have to go through the pain barrier! That is what differs a loser from a champion

It’s not neccessary but you can potentially grow quicker. I train to reach failure each set. Works for me.

2:33 “with matched intensity and volume…”
-How do you have “matched” intensity, when NOT going to failure clearly hasn’t the intensity of going to failure.

I love that, “While Having Fun…” LOL…. ��
And I’ve got a rhyme to that: “Easier Said Than Done” ha ha ha ha.

I think there is psychologival benefit to training failure. You end your workout knowing you gave everything had, as opposed to wondering if you really pushed yourself hard enough until the next time you are in the gym.

There’s a certain pleasure in training to failure in a good way, like when you push to give it one more rep, you feel good afterward, that’s the reward.

I love doing until the failur because I think it develops mentally.

train your body everyday or train to break your body one day and rest for the whole week:)

Main point of all training is maintain good proper form. Start with basics and then get better and smarter. Good form helps to prevent or lessen injuries.

4 years ago Jeff: Train till failure
Current Jeff: Don’t train to failure
Me: ��

Doing training to failure allows for a very quick and yet highly effective muscle building workout. You wanna stimulate the greatest muscle stimulation possible in the shortest amount of time from ONE WORKOUT? Do 2 sets of as many reps as possible or in other words to failure, and you are done.

Just do 3 sets to failure with each exercise every other day, one exercise per body part, and you have the perfect combination of muscle stimulation and recovery time resulting in maximum muscle mass accumulation in a given mesocycle.

This is what prisoners do. They do failure training for 3 sets with one arm push up, pull ups and partner squats to get bigger and bigger day in day out.

And by failure I mean the inability to complete another rep in PERFECT FORM.

Glad ive come across this channel! Thanks for the great informative video!

Training to failure seems to get recovered differently per muscle. Biceps tend to suffer from extreme training. On the other hand, some muscles are used also as helping muscles in other moves. So failure plus helping for other moves, is even more training.

Or maybe it gets problematic to train beyond failure. I mean, if you cannot do one more, but still do couple by increasing the effort, it gets too intense.

I almost-always train to failure and I am part of the people that trains to reach that point. But I admit, I did notice some sudden fatigue for some entire week or so, some 2 or 3 weeks ago. My bf told me “just take it easy…” I did, and now I am back on track.
A week ago I was really sore for 4 days! But turns out next time I went for Leg Extension I easily had +14 kgs on it <3
Follow Arnie´s advice, do train to failure!

What do you thing about this: Every single exercise you do do it to the failiure soo your daily exercise lasts like 10mins It seams good to me

You can do all the volume you want, but if you’re not hitting failure, what good is it. Dorian yates and many others only did 1 working set per exercise, and he got pretty dam big. I just don’t think doing set after set after set is going to make you grow faster than take a few hard sets to failure…just been my experience… If you’re just doing what your body can normally handle, what reason does it have to grow? If you’re not pushing it. I agree, going to failure can drain you. The simple solution is to limit the amount of sets you do…

Fucking retards… This is Performance failure, not failure.

3:49 I JUST recently, after watching some of SuperTraining videos with Stan Efferding, started taking my 3-6 rep max on any given exercise to failure, dropping the weight (Drop set) down and finishing out to 20 reps from where I left off from failure. Feels like it seems to be working well for the hypertrophy. I’ll most likely do a two-four week cycle of the failure sets as to get full recovery

this was actually really fuckin good. thought I’d skip it but glad it popped up in the playlist:) Layne always spits knowledge

The best system I ever tried is going to within a couple reps of failure for a single set of approx 20 reps. Keep work-outs short. Pick 5 exercises 1 set each…total work-out time 5-7 mins. Twice/wk. That is absolute fastest way to size gains. Never feel burned out. Don’t strain and you’ll always feel fresh and charged up.

Why do you need to fatigue the type 2X fibers ( im sure use to be called type 2B fibers), instead stimulate the fibers. I think this is what most olympic weightlifters train for. Its rare for them to ever miss a lift unless competing and going for a new PB. Similar to powerlifters??

Do you guys think this is an example of something the “bros” got right?? Also if you’re interested in more on this topic, take advantage of the MASS sale on research review subscriptions: http://bit.ly/jeffMASS

This was what Muhammad Ali used to talk about. He used to say that he didn’t start counting his reps until they started to hurt

Seee this is what wee need the sience behind the body you got my respect man ����

Not from arnold but from mohammad ali when he says he counts his pushups only whrn it starts to hurt

Just pick an exercise and do the reps for it. Not that hard.

Am I the only one who feels that the thumbnail is overly photoshopped?? �� ��

I love how he has two kinds of headphones on when demonstrating “pump” workouts ��

Brilliant. Just started a new bulking routine, feeling tired. This is exactly what I needed to hear!

Why are these studies designed with such ridiculously low numbers of participants? At n=15 you could probably find pretty much any result. (Though I’m not arguing whether these findings hold true.)

So from that study it appears that the longer you’ve been lifting the more your body is adapted to training muscle and therefore the less you have to do to maintain it?

but what if im training to failure but in total ive done like 30 reps. will my muscle still grow?

100% right, I got my best results from training full body one exercise per body part to failure….. (the nautalis program )

Please choose 1…. light weight to failure or heavy weight only half way reps to failure

Does training to failure matter?
Jeff Nippard: Yes but actually no

I have never seen such an analysis like this before, I love how much exercise is science base and you promote all this to make your exercise as effective as possible, congratulations on your work, research and guidance, cheers

I’m confused. Should I train to failure on each set? Or the last set? Or can I do 10 reps per set till failure? Does it matter if I change the number of reps per set?

Awesome video. Jeff from Athlean-X just recommends absolute failure (of at least one way to reach failure). According to the current seemingly scientific consensus, I think an updated video would be good. Or at least his thoughts on it.

what i like about this guy, is his calm focus, his scientific mind, and no nonsense approach. that and how he’s off the charts mental obsessed muscle dysmorphic.

did Dr. Mike Israetel consider that maybe he should put a shirt on before the interview or…

How fuckin complicated, how is someone ever supposed to get into shape with all this shit every time they are working out hard they find out that shit isn’t even doing anything,, it’s crazy that my body would be on fire in pain from working out hard but it’s not even working.. blows my mind

This is so helpful. Iv always been doing dropsets till failure

so, choosing heavier weight, and “momentum-cheating” the last reps should give you more effective reps

I’m very busy. Cannot spend hours weekly in the gym. I’ve made good progress by doing one set of two drops with all sets to failure per exercise and two exercises per muscle group. I can effectively train three body parts in thirty minutes this way. For example: using 80% of my single rep max for db bench press take the first set of 10-12 to failure, drop off 25%, do 8-10 reps to failure, drop down to 50% of the first set and continue to failure. Terminate the exercise. On to Incline db press the same way and terminate the muscle group. On to shoulder presses….

Great insight into training-to-failure training… Great, informative video as always!

Bruh I wish I could be half as big as this doctor, and while I’m asking I’d also like to be as smart and have a million dollars

Teaching people poor form/posture while using momentum and non-target muscles to lift is the most amateur, and potentially dangerous, thing I’ve ever seen anyone try to teach over YouTube.

It makes sense that the last few reps would be more effective as thats when your triggering the deepest fibres of the muscle

Actually we never though about the hard work you have to do for the videos, really appreciate it brother.

One big one thing that isn’t emphasized here fatigue.
You want to manage your fatigue in a way that will let you hit those “effective reps” as much as possible, so maybe reaching failure early on will damage your ability to reach more efficient reps at higher weights.
So like reaching to failure in your first bench when doing 12 reps at 85 will chase the rest of the sets to reach failure at 7-5 reps next time.
So I would argue that it will be better to leave a few reps at the tank so you could more effective reps in the upcoming sets, same goes for the rest of your workout.

Even though im 5’7 i prefer higher weight and lower reps, because less time in gym.

So total volume would be more important than training to failure?

I have a older video that goes more in depth into technical failure and when we should and shouldn’t use it; You can watch it here; https://youtu.be/ZKcsg4g01-s

Put your favorite politician picture on your wall and this way you will always train to failure!

I’m planning on buying a set of dumbbells. What the heaviest dumbbell that you use?

great video brother! really enjoyed this one! keep them coming:)

Is it just me or it’s much harder to fail for the leg muscles. Like, I never managed until failure on some of the exercises using machines. Only while doing squats.

Hypertrophy or strength? 2 totally different ways of training.

great vid lawrence been a while since i commented… bodys looking great too ☺☺ i think and agree with u train to failure when i do do this on a last set of reps…. but i usually train to close to failure tbf ☺ great info great edit… i dont train to failure all the time though only prob once a week maybe… ☺

I do DC training and it works wonders for me. When I train to what I class as failure is when I know I’m not getting another rep. I will not do some ridiculous basterdized rep just to squeeze one more out as the risk to reward at that point is too great. The fitness world these days almost demonize training to failure like its going to destroy you or something! I’ve always trained to failure, I can’t do it any other way because that’s my mind set and what keeps me in the gym.

This is terrific advice, Laurence! I still do my very last set to failure, which works best.��

Same, failure training will maximize your gains way way way Way better than if you were not going to failure, that is where you start to see drastic changes in your body, but yeah use it once a week or so, moderately otherwise you will just keep depleting yourself without being able to recover, hence you wont see growth, unless you rest for a long long period of time. It is all commensurate to rest and food in the end. The greater the workout the greater the rest needed. From a muscled guy

Not to maintain what you‘ve already gotwhich is what most of us probably do. Plus, real training to failure is something most people do not even come close to even if they think so.

I found cycle my weight… 3x 30 kg… then 3x 35kg. Then 40kg until I cant lift. All have 10 to 15 reps

Some argue that once you’ve hit failure, its no use doing another set as you’re just cutting into recovery time. It sounds logical, but for most, it seems volume and heavy enough to work the muscles is what works. I’ve always had a weak recovery ability, so the 1-2 sets to failure has been my go to in the past. I also did very well many years ago with 1 good set to almost failure, but higher reps. My current program is stopping short of failure, doing higher reps, but just trying to get back into the groove. I’m 50 and also have some health issues, so I have to take everything into account. Good vid, appreciate the research you do.

as a seasoned academic researcher and someone who has been working out for 33 years now, I will tell you one thing…all of these studies have serious problems in research design (not comprehensively well-planned to examine with max scrutiny the research questions: this is the most serious flaw, for example how do they control for the subjects ind. differences in general, theis state of physical condition, and especially for their recovery after training?), are underpowered statistically (very small number of participants to detect small effect sizes like changes in strength and hypertrophy) and are done by comparing small group averages that turn the individual differences of the participants in a serious undermining factor (this would be viable only in the case that their intra-group ind. differences are non-statistically significant/never the case…), that’s why overall are completely untrustworthy…trust only intra-individual studies (each participant for example trains one leg to failure and the other not) with large number of participants (below 100 is usually a joke) or at the very minimum meta-analyses (keep in mind that they will carry though the defects of each study at least in terms of research design)…these papers are published by themselves (actually/are peer reviewed) mainly because of the reality that academic researchers face…publish or perish and after the 3rd name in the paper, you usually do not get any credit by your institution…

This is great info Larry, thanks. At my advanced age (69), I find that once I reach technical failure on my last set it’s safer to do one or two drop sets to finish off the exercise. If I can walk out of the gym unhurt, I’ve had a successful workout.

I go to a gym alone and don’t have a spotter when i do bench press. I play it safe because I don’t want other gym users to get concerned about the old man. It would be embarrassing. I have made gains even though I have never played this safe in my life. When I was a kid using weights at home I would put on all of the weights I had, plus heavy things in buckets on each end of the bar. I would often go to failure and get squashed by the bar. I had to slide it to one side until it crashed to the ground. I am sure that is standard practice for young people.

Mike Mentzer: “Failure? My granite sinews laugh at your definitions of failure. You must go beyond failure.”

This is why I cover both bases. I start out with getting lots of volume, And then my last 3 sets I take to failure. If you go to failure first it will be hard to get enough volume due to fatigued muscles.

Firstly, sorry I’m late, I just found you.
2nd, as an Englishman abroad, your demeanour is like a portal back home. Without the inbridled chaos and death

WRT this video, there are 2 things I’d like to ask you to investigate. I’d enjoy your opinion and you would like these topics (although uou may already be apprised):

1) I have a soft spot for Thib also. He bridges the arcane, mystical side with absolute empirical integrity (Biotest products aside). Would make a good cult leader. Please do a vid about his/Poliquin’s NEUROTYPES concept. The intersection of neurotransmitters and MBTI-ish characteristics is fasxinating. I was a sceptic, not any more

2) In this vid, you referenced the 7 levels of exercises. Either Thib borrowed that from Leo Costa’s ‘Big Beyond Belief’, or they both borrowed it from the same place, maybe Phil Hernon. This system is interesting too, well worth an analysis, regardless of conclusions

Thanks mate, very good work

I keep watching these videos, nodding along… while my “training” is only being biking to work and home ��…

“Failure” the point where form breaks down. This could be 1 or more reps before absolute failure. Imo obvs.

After hearing this I’m probably going to start training to failure on day 1, then 2 or 3 days after I’ll train just u der failure then go back to training to failure. Then of course I’ll fit in my proper rest days.

Since we have a mix of muscle fibers, wouldn’t it make sense to train to failure using several repetitions to take advantage of the sequential recruitment of fibers principle? Also, why would we not train the elderly to failure like anyone else? Because the need more rest from the program to recover and grow? Why don’t you just give them more rest days?

In my personal experience I always found training to failure to be more effective when building a high level of cardio. Granted I only have a martial arts background i’m not sure how it applies to something like bodybuilding or powerlifting. But in something like martial arts when facing another opponent it’s crucial to have an extremely high level of cardio to be able to maximize your output within a short period of time. There’s a saying in the martial art community (or at least at my school) of “everyone becomes a coward when they get tired,” and I feel it really emphasizes how important stamina is in that kind of thing. However when it would come to building strength I found in that field personally that training to failure was only good as a measuring stick.

I do a total body workout with alternating workouts every day I train. Training to failure never enters my mind. I don’t need it. Usually by the third or fourth set, I’m done. Done is done.

thank you for a somewhat exhaustive explanation on the subject.

Safety doesn’t give you muscles, grab the bar and lift the fucking weight.

So many times I here people now saying don’t train to failure and give science as to how it works. It f…ks me off. Common sense dictates training to failure will give you better results. Training as hard as you can always has. I’m ex military, 48 and train harder than any 20 year old in my gym. Even the ones that rely on gear

On roids v.s. off roids makes a big difference on what you can do to failure.

You should say sorry about the shit you’ve been talking about mr Yates few years ago. Yates said this, what you are saying now, 20 years ago.

Yes u should! But listen to your body. This is where cardio helps u get those extra reps

thanks for your unique content
I have Q
is there any difference between training for hypertrophy and strength.
I just want to work out for strength not for size up

Gymnasts and Olympic Weight Lifers (Or just weightlifters) > power lifting, bodybuilding.

I totally agree that taking a set to failure increases recovery time. But if you don’t do it then you will be performing mediocre sets. How to know when to stop in order not to reach failure, but still to reach high level of fatigue?

I conclude that training to failure is better than the failure to train��

aha so true, can’t build while being injured. Managing workload is key don’t have to go to failure everytime but once in a while is good. As a powerlifter I live by rpe’s.

6:32 ouch i just skipped leg day today on my push/pull/leg program. Dammit u sneaky bastard. Lol

Even a push pull split is fine for failure training it’ll still have about 48 hours between training each specific muscle group. However the points here are valid, training to failure has a place but should probably be used sparingly. There are so many ways to push past your limits anyway, from using a spotter for some assisted reps to a few properly executed cheat reps to several short 10-15 second rests followed by more reps to using negatives or changes in tempo during your set, the list could go on, rather than just training to failure, modifying your training to never truly hit failure but still push beyond your current limits is probably more effective

This is dumb….working to failure for muscle growth is absolutely the best way to grow muscle fastest. But how you eat and what you feed your body after those workouts is the key to proper recovery and muscle growth. Working to failure then drinking 25 protein shakes every day is not going to do it.

I don’t care what you say…I know you’re keegan micheal key!!

7:30 or maybe I’ll just do AX and have Jeff do the programming for me ��

I used to lift to failure (I still do now as well) when I was 18 training for the corps. I got big and strong very quickly. I did take creatine but I knew nothing about diet and nutrition. I trained this way due to wanting to build stamina and strength at the same time. YOU CAN HURT YOUR JOINTS if done the wrong way

To build muscle?Athlean x explains it better if you are not trining to failure In your workouts what are you doing?you are not maximizing muscle growth by breaking as mush fibers as possible without injury by using lower weights and then after two days your muscle synthesis will be replenished

This is low key dumb �� If your maximizing muscle growth you train to failure and if your goal is not muscle growth more strength training you might wanna lead with a more low rep big weights to learn how to use as much muscles at once as possible.

You should never train to failure, you should train for performance

Made the best gains ever doing 3 sets till failure EVERYDAY, I REPEAT, EVERYDAY….. On overhead presses, 6 days a week.

Each month my strength was doubling.

I overhead press 300lbs now, at the bodyweight of 250lbs.

Same with chin ups, 20 reps of chin ups with 110lbs plates strapped on.

Failure for the win.

Yes there will be downs in your strength but you will see each week your performance go up.

Personally I’d listen to ARNIE about building muscle, funny how small dudes or people who look like shit are the one’s telling buff dudes how their training wrong!!����

Awesome video, are you anabolic yet? Thank you for sharing:)

Wow, a concept that is still and rightly “debated.” Imagine if all popular “scientific” claims were evaluated as such!

Here’s what happens:
You lift a weight heavy enough that you can only do 10 solid reps, and no more.
As you progress through the set, lactic acid builds up.
This lactic acid causes your nervous system to become stressed.
This stress impedes your muscles’ ability to do what you’re telling it to keep doing.
The body therefore has to recruit more and more type 2a/2b fibers to keep lifting.
At the end of the set, the last few reps, almost all type 2a/2b fibers are recruited.
And most dumbasses stop far shy of this, or practically drop the weight for the last few reps, avoiding all the micro damage they could have had if they’d done slower negatives for the last few reps.

My very scientific experience with this has taught me that if I max lower body compound exercises like squat and deadlift, then I can only train lower body that way 1x per week at that level of intensity. However, that is not optimal. What our running and track coaches teach is that, generally speaking, the Russian program of training legs (high volume/ more frequency) has been found to be more effective for runners than the American program (more weight/ to failure/ lower frequency).