I agree, but what’s tough about not starting a rep you think you might not finish with good form is that you start thinking about what you can’t do. I find that most times I start a rep and find myself really struggling to keep form and finishing the rep it becomes a mental challenge. The ability to know how to dig deep and pull out some animal like intensity and adrenaline can be a powerful weapon to harness. Over training to failure was a mistake I use to make and have learned to train smarter. But, I have also got much more serious about training and I have also learned to take a mentality of never failing on any rep. It has taught me to dig deeper. It’s a fine line, I guess it just takes a real understanding of your limits.
@Joel Marion –
In the second part of our discussion on training to failure, we talked about several very important things.
For starters, we cleared up the ambiguity surrounding the term “failure” and established a simple, clear-cut definition of the term.
Alas, we were all on the same page.
At that point, we went on to discuss the pitfalls of regularly training to failure, including the extreme stress these techniques place on the central nervous system.
The end result: overtraining, burnout, skipped workouts, extreme fatigue, and an overall lack of results. Not exactly the type of things you’d hope to generate by “giving it your all” in the gym.
And that’s the point−training hard without training SMART leads to nothing more than a bunch of futile, wasted effort.
That said, training to failure isn’t all bad, and in fact there are several “intelligent” ways to use the technique to get you the results you’re after, faster.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Method 1 – Gradual Failure
As the name suggests, with this approach you gradually move toward failure, achieving true failure only on the last set of a given exercise.
For example, let’s say you are performing dumbbell bench presses and are aiming to complete 5 sets of 8 repetitions. Instead of choosing a load that you can only do 8 times, be conservative and select a weight that you are able to complete 12 solid repetitions with.
Your first set of 8 will be easy, but with limited rest, your last set should be pretty difficult. Here’s what it looks like:
Set 1 – Somewhat Easy
Set 2 – Moderate
Set 3 – Hard
Set 4 – Harder
Set 5 – Very Hard (failure)
By the end of the five sets, you will have maximally stimulated the working muscles without overtaxing your central nervous system. This method can be used fairly regularly without adverse affects.
Method 2 – Periodic Failure
With this method, you “periodically” schedule periods of full-blown failure training into your training schedule.
For example, you may avoid training to failure completely for 3 weeks and then transition into a full week in which you train most sets to failure. This can be a very useful method to really “shock” the body and achieve rapid progress, but I would not use it more than 25% of the time.
Method 3 – Isolated Failure
With this method, you avoid training to failure during big, multi-joint movements (i.e. squats, deadlifts, bench, pull-ups, rows, etc) and instead only train to failure while performing substantially less demanding “isolation” type exercises (curls, leg extensions, tricep pressdowns, lateral raises, etc).
Typically, you would train a muscle to failure via an isolation movement only after big, compound work has already been completed−a phenomenal way to ensure maximal stimulation without the burnout.
How about you? Do you have another “intelligent” way in which you use failure training? Questions/comments about today’s post (or failure training in general) as we wrap up our discussion on the subject?
At least 130 comments and I’ll be back with more exclusive members’ content before you know it!
Joel
P.S. As this post concludes our mini-series on training to failure, let’s ramp up the discussion below!
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Joel, I really enjoy your writing and philosophy. I am 58 yrs old and have been working out at a club for 2 years, usually 3X per week. I do lower and upper body splits, in a pyramid weight progression, to failure on the 3rd(final) set. I have had much improvement in strength, but not much change in appearance (fat). Then I tried C. Staley’s e.d.t. method, of 15 minutes to max # of reps, and never to failure. This has kicked me off my plateau, and the sore muscles are back!! I do the e.d.t. 1 wk per month and then back to the split routine.
Now the muscles are starting to show through the other stuff. The plan of not always working to failure is working for me. I believe this is due to the change of recuperation required when not going to failure all the time. If you are going to post this, feel free to edit as you see fit-Thank you…
At 58 years old, I have to train smart, especially because I train at home and do not use a spotter. I train using a pyramid weight progression and usually train to failure on my last set. This is the heaviest weight that I may try, anywhere from 2 to 4 reps. I use equipment that has safeties, so I can push to failure and if I can’t make that last rep, I can ease the weight down without hurting myself. I like the feeling of knowing it is me against the weights without any help. That pushes me to get that last rep, creating the mindset that failure is not an option. I am constantly progressing, whether it is one more rep or adding 2 1/2 lbs of weight to the bar. I am constantly striving to improve on my last workout.
The occasions when I have had a spotter, I found that I did not mentally try as hard because there was that relief there in the form of a spotter.
Thanks, Joel. It seems like I’m training as per Method 1 even though I didn’t plan that way.
I guess if a program has decent rep/set scheme and if you can nail the weight, your last set of last rep will be almost to failure.
I hadn’t thought of these different ways of training for failure. Generally, I guess I have always just aimed in the 8-12 reps range and if I fail, I fail. If I don’t fail then it’s time to move up in weight. I have to say that the only exercises I don’t train to failure on are leg exercises–I usually am able to make sure I can finish the set.
So you should make your sets harder each set until you can’t do another rep right?
Hi Joel
I definetley use method 1 in my training and it works well.
Another way to train to failure is to use the drop weights method, start with the heaviest weight and work to you can barely get your last one out, then drop 5kg (example), do it again and drop another 5kg (example) and do it again. This is certainly giving me some good results. i have only been doing this for a couple of weeks but I am getting good results.
My suggestion would be to analize the workload capacity of a person, combined with the activity level; for some people going to extreme failure leads them to instantaneous burnout, while for others it’s their painful lifestyle which gives them superb results.
Number 1 and 2 of your options are personal. 1: some people may find suitable to be almost hitching on their last set of deadlifts, while for others may be detrimental even psicologically. 2: shocking periods will depend on the individual; some may have to wait every 5 weeks to add an all failure phase, while others may alternate between non failure and shocking weeks. Number 3 is the only one I find that could be done every week without overtaxing the CNS.
I personally train to failure and change intensiveness instinctively. If I feel like crap during a whole week, something may be wrong. Maybe it’s time for a deload, or a whole week off, although I think most of the average trainees will never need a deload. Here my idea is to have a program with a solid base of exercises, and changing the variables volume and intensity according to how somebody feels; this doesn’t mean if I feel lazy I’d go for the pink dumbbells having a 70lbs dumbbell curl, I would rather pick the 55 and do 12 reps instead of 6-8.
I hope this contributes with something.
Drop sets are great. Another way is to do a pyramid up (decrease number of reps per set and increase weight per set) then slowly pyramid down, making sure that you can barely finish each rep.
I like to use your “isolated failure” with a 3 “tempo” variations.
lets say you are doing bicep DB curls
FIRST TEMPO – Count the Lifting as “one”, count the Lowering as “two” – so you lift fast and lower slowly.
SECOND TEMPO – Count the Lifting as “one”, count the lowering as “one” – so you are doing the curls at a very fast and explosive pace.
THIRD TEMPO – Count the lifting as “four”, count the lowering as “four” – so you are doing the curls very slowly.
Remember to always use good form – regardless of the method used – don’t get sloppy. sloppiness always leads to injury and also does not train the muscle correctly.
This way you do each tempo to failure and you can add variety to your sets. If you try it you will really feel how each of the different tempos effects the muscle differently. :-D
What I do follow pretty much along the lines of your method number 3.
Thanks Joel really smart and ncie again lol
i use method 1 in my workout and its the best for me
cant sa more on that ;D so…
wishes from germany björn
btw would you follow me on twitter? (sihingroesinger) see ya
I agree, drop sets and pyramids. I have used these methods for years…(58 now) so a long time. Also, if you do your lift for a muscle within your workout sets and then come back to it after some of your other lifts you will be surprised how many more reps you can do and this is where I will work to failure. Always train hard but make sure you have come with energy! Both mental and physical.
Hey!
I usually use Method #1, but like the idea of Method #3. I’ll try that on my next workout. Thanks for all the great info. It’s good to ‘mix it up’ to keep the muscles confused and working. Good for my brain to ‘really think’ about what I’m doing.
I use method 1 for the big lifts because set 1 and 2 are very necesary to get a good warm up when you are going heavy.
I also use method 3 when I train using isolation movements which is a very small part of my workouts but it helps to be more efficient in the gym.
Thanks for the post, it really simplify things for people.
Training to failure is just one of the ‘tools’ in the toolbox. Over the course of a month I use almost all of your ‘failure routines’. I also do some of the failure taining routines in several of the posts. Doing it this way keeps my trinng fresh and keeps me going. The one constnt is that I never have more than an hour for my workouts. I train in the morinng for approx 30 minutes, and then 8- 10 hours later for 30 – 60 minutes.
Hey great article,but id like to add you forgot 2 other methods.
#1 being doing all your reps
to failure,
then
getting your spotter to help you do a couple of more reps but just the negetive phase of the lift.
#2 being doing all your sets however your comfortable ,let it be to failure or to your rep range, then after all your regular sets you can do 1-3 sets of lower reps, higher weight and not only train beyond failure ,but overload your capacity thus training beyond capabilities.
*Remember to always use a spotter*
(grab a weight 25%-40% higher then you can normally lift and load the bar,now when you bench press for example you lower the bar under control ,rest a second at the bottom then push,in this case you cannot push the bar up(also known as the eccentric phase)so what you do is lower the bar as slow as possible(i normally aim for 8-10 seconds and get your spotter to help you lift the weight back up(these are called negatives)-do these till you reach complete failure and only use this every 3rd week-or once a month for an extra boost.)
I used these to get to doing pull ups,dips before i was able to do em(i did em for about 2 weeks and was able to perform 10reps of each excersice with perfect form),also i used to to increase my bench,squat and it works as a charm ,if you have a power rack use it, they come in handy-this way you can do negatives and the power rack will stop it from hitting you
ENJOY
RAY.
thanks for this joel i use to train to failure all the time but now im gonna change that and use your advice hopefully my body responds.
Hey, Joel.
Good post. Do you know of any studies looking at training to failure, exhausting the nervouse system, and then resting/recuperating longer? It seems like infrequent, hard workouts might be both beneficial and desired in these busy times.
Method 2 makes the most sense to me because I always avoid routine. You want to keep your body guessing and always change it up.
About 20% of my workouts include training until failure but the failure training sessions are randomly distributed.
Is there a reason for doing a full week?
If you have no injuries or other limiting factors, train to failure wherever possible. If for some reason you cannot train at that high a level of intensity, aim to perform your sets AT LEAST 1-2 reps short of muscular failure.
With that said, I like to change heavy days to failure to tempo change to a 4:1 tempo with lighter weight, but with the intense negatives, it actually takes longer to recover from, so you have to be careful with musclular failure. I recover slower than I used to so I make sure I don’t overtrain myself because each of my workouts are very intense and tend to push myself to musclular failure too often, so I have had to train myself to take time off and have lighter lifting days.
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Hey, it’s Joel! So you want to know a little more about me, huh? Well, I’d be happy to oblige :-)
I guess it all started back in 2001 (my freshman year of college) when I was just a “skinny fat” 19-year old kid. At the time, I was spending close to 2 hours a day in the gym (now my workouts last about 30 minutes), and despite my efforts, you’d probably never guess I worked out a day in my life by looking at me...