Originally Posted by
GearHeaded
one of the reasons to NOT go to failure on every set and only go to failure on a few select sets is that you will accumulate a lot more VOLUME over time. and Volume, when all other things are factored in, is the primary driver of hypertrophy.
example using bench press going to failure each set.
275 x 10 reps and I fail at rep 10. . . now because I pushed myself to absolute failure when I go to bench again I only get 275x 8 reps,, then again I get 275 x 6 reps.
You can calculate volume by multiplying Total Reps x Weight
in the above we pushed
6600 lbs of total volume
now lets say using bench press and saving a few reps in the tank the first two and going to failure only in the last set
275x8, then 275x8, then you go to failure 275x10
7150 total pounds of volume was pushed here.
now thats not a ton more volume. BUT if you take that into consideration for every different exercise you do over every workout over every week and add it up over a year.. you end up pushing thousands and thousands of more pounds of volume over that time span by NOT going to failure on every set, and selectively picking certain sets only to go to failure on.
just something to think about when designing your program especially if volume is your biggest consideration, being you'll accumulate more total volume when not going to failure on every set.