working to failure or positive failure

[Richie1888]

alright guys was just wanting to gte a discussion going about "working to failure" or "positive failure"

i have always tried to work to positive failure as far as i was concerned no mater what the weight or what the sets or reps, on the final rep in each set u should reach failure.

but today i was reading one for the articles on the main site about working to failure and it got me think about it

what do u guys think ?

[fufu]

I try to avoid it and use it very conservatively. Too taxing, I don't see the point of training with it that much. I don't need to go to failure to make progress, so I don't.

[Richie1888]

I try to avoid it and use it very conservatively. Too taxing, I don't see the point of training with it that much. I don't need to go to failure to make progress, so I don't.

how do u gage how hard ur working ?

[P-funk]

how do u gage how hard ur working ?

RPE

[fufu]

how do u gage how hard ur working ?

What, like intensity? I have a very good idea of what I am capable of so I base my reps/sets/intensity off of that.

[Richie1888]

RPE

sorry mate im not with u ?

What, like intensity? I have a very good idea of what I am capable of so I base my reps/sets/intensity off of that.

fair enough i see what u mean mate

[Gazhole]

how do u gage how hard ur working ?

By your progress in terms of strength as the weeks go on.

Measure it not by how much you go to failure, but in terms of your 1RM. If i was doing 4 reps at my 4RM id go to failure, which i dont want to do, so id use my 5RM or 6RM instead.

I'm still working hard, but im not going to failure and placing that un-necessary stress on my muscles.

If i'm going for a PR attempt then maybe i will go a little heavier to my actual RM amount, but as a general rule you dont NEED to go to failure to see progress.

[P-funk]

sorry mate im not with u ?

Rate of Preceived Exertion

gauge yourself on a scale of 1-10. If I can bench press 100lbs for 12 reps and I am going to try for 3 sets of 10. I will take that 12RM (100lbs) and try and get all three sets of 10 with it.

set#1- RPE= 7 (okay, it was moderately tough. i left 2 reps in the clip)
set#2- RPE= 9 (alright, that was harder. I left maybe one rep in the clip)
set#3- RPE= 10 (fuck. that buried me. i couldn't have done one more rep if I wanted to)

[CowPimp]

I think going to failure all the time is a big mistake people make, unless they want to drastically reduce the volume of their workouts to compensate.