When to train to failure and when not too.

WATTS · 01-21-2007, 01:41 PM

This is something that i have never been set straight on. can someone tell me what exactly training to failure really means? does that mean that you are doing as many as you can by yourself or spotted or what?

WATTS · 01-21-2007, 01:42 PM

o yea, because i have heard that you should not train to failure all of the time but that doesnt mean train a couple reps short of what you can do though?

**DOMS** · 01-21-2007, 01:54 PM

In my n00b opinion, unless you have a sports (or work) specific reason for training to failure, don't.

You risk over-training. Which includes blowing out your CNS (which will halt your gains) and risking injury. Not only do I not go to failure, I stop a technical failure.

assassin · 01-21-2007, 02:08 PM

failure is when you cannot perform another rep alone.......when you feel that you'll fail on the next rep and stop , that means you have stopped 1 rep close to failure ....if you are going tofail after 2 reps then you stop then you've stopped 2 reps close to failure....training to failure is benefical sometimes ..but if you are going to train every set to failure don't except your self to improve...

Yanick · 01-21-2007, 11:54 PM

DOMS brings up a good point. there are different forms of failure and beyond training. the most basic way to explain it is when you cannot do another concentric contraction with the weight you are using, that is concentric muscular failure. you can do spotted reps, negatives and what not to work beyond. as well on more complex exercises failure can refer to when your technique degrades, for instance, i've been plagued with lower back problems for the past year or so and i stop my squat, deadlift and other such exercise sets when i see/feel my form degrading ie i dip forward while squatting or begin to round my back etc. i'd rather stop a rep or two earlier and keep lifting for the rest of my life than be pigheaded and fuck my back up for good (if it isn't already).

the CNS stuff is also a widely accepted theory about avoiding training to failure however i see people make strength/size gains while still training to failure although in the long run, who knows.

01-21-2007, 01:41 PM	#1
WATTS Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: California Posts: 619 Photos: 5	When to train to failure and when not too. BODYBUILDING SUPPLEMENTS High Quality Supplements For Bodybuilders and Athletes. www.ironmaglabs.com This is something that i have never been set straight on. can someone tell me what exactly training to failure really means? does that mean that you are doing as many as you can by yourself or spotted or what?

01-21-2007, 11:54 PM	#5
Yanick Amor Fati Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 3,798	DOMS brings up a good point. there are different forms of failure and beyond training. the most basic way to explain it is when you cannot do another concentric contraction with the weight you are using, that is concentric muscular failure. you can do spotted reps, negatives and what not to work beyond. as well on more complex exercises failure can refer to when your technique degrades, for instance, i've been plagued with lower back problems for the past year or so and i stop my squat, deadlift and other such exercise sets when i see/feel my form degrading ie i dip forward while squatting or begin to round my back etc. i'd rather stop a rep or two earlier and keep lifting for the rest of my life than be pigheaded and fuck my back up for good (if it isn't already). the CNS stuff is also a widely accepted theory about avoiding training to failure however i see people make strength/size gains while still training to failure although in the long run, who knows.
Yanick Amor Fati Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 3,798	"...we have to remember that training is a complicated dance of stimuli and response. Our goal is to understand how to manipulate the stimuli in order to evoke the responses we desire." -Nathan J. Polenchek

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01-21-2007, 01:42 PM	#2
WATTS Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: California Posts: 619 Photos: 5	o yea, because i have heard that you should not train to failure all of the time but that doesnt mean train a couple reps short of what you can do though?

01-21-2007, 02:08 PM	#4
assassin Registered User Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: egypt/cairo Posts: 2,150	failure is when you cannot perform another rep alone.......when you feel that you'll fail on the next rep and stop , that means you have stopped 1 rep close to failure ....if you are going tofail after 2 reps then you stop then you've stopped 2 reps close to failure....training to failure is benefical sometimes ..but if you are going to train every set to failure don't except your self to improve...