Training to Failure...

[Undecided09]

What is everyones opinion on training to failure on working sets...

Personally, the only time I don't is when doing heavy compound movements such as squatting and deadlifting...

I go pretty heavy on those, throwing up over 400 lbs on each, but I never fail on those movements to protect from injury, I usually push/pull those for between 4 and 6 reps on my heaviest, but stop one or two reps short of what I could do, or try to do atleast...

Everything else I go to failure on or pretty close, I have always been one to try and push my muscles farther than they can go on every set at every load/rep range, but I have recently heard that training to failure can actually be more detrimental to growth than once thought...what are everyones thoughts on this strategy...

[dedic8ed1]

Training to failure every set in every workout is definitly a bad idea and can put your muscles in a negative state rather then a positive state of growth.I've started training again it's only been 68 days,now that's pretty fresh back in the gym and I've made really good gains and havn't done a single set to failure yet but you always make really good gains in the first couple months anyway but still there's no need for it.I'll pick a lagging body part when the time is right and do three working sets of two exercises for small muscles and 3 exercises for big muscles,the target rep I like to use for failure and would think that any less isn't doing for my muscles what the theory is for is no less then 6 reps any thing less just doesn't do it for me,and the reps are full and controlled with little very limited form adjustment,say for instance on curls if I'm going to failure my 2nd to last or last rep I'll maybe rock it just enough to get the last contraction out of it not so much that it turns it no a swing but just enough to get to the top of the rep ,and if I don't make it to the top I'll hold at the farthest point I get until I can't hold it up anymore.Also the time between sets goes to 2 mins rather then my usual 1 min.Your muscle need more time to recover when training at this level.

[green22]

I only use failure with big compound movements. Squats, deads, inclines, bench, militarys. but never at the expense of saftey. All my failure sets are 5 reps or higher. What I realy like is maybe using the first exersise, which is almost always a BB exersise for me, on the 4th set really push and fail around 5-7 reps. Then I like to get a 5th set with lighter weight and fail in the 15-20 range. That works well for me. Then the rest of my movements are in the 15 rep range.

[Ronnie Rowland]

Train each exercise like squats-stop one rep shy of absolute failure. This means train to the point you cannot get another good rep!

Training to absolute gut bursting failure or beyond is very dangerous and counter productive for all exercises!