Should You Train Till Failures

It doesn't matter if you're a fitness enthusiast or just a novice who is starting their fitness journey; understanding the concept of training to failure is crucial for achieving amazing results from your workouts. Many people mistakenly apply and misunderstand this idea, hindering their progress. In this article, we will shed light on the importance of training to failure, dispel common misconceptions, and provide valuable insights for optimizing your training regimen.

Before we delve into the details, let's establish the distinction between breaking down muscle for growth and overexerting it to the point of hindered recovery. Muscle growth is directly linked to muscle fatigue, but training to failure should be used sparingly when aiming for stronger muscle fibres or increased muscle mass. In fact, the most effective approach for both short- and long-term growth involves pushing yourself intensely, adding repetitions, sets, and weights without reaching the point where your muscles cease to function. It's essential to understand that training to failure increases the risk of injuries, which should always be avoided.

The question arises: Should you train till failure? To answer this, let's reflect on your initial experiences with weightlifting. Remember the first time you picked up a dumbbell? You likely aimed to lift the heaviest weight you could manage and performed various exercises until exhaustion. While this approach displays naivety and simplicity, it often leads to frustration and a lack of progress in the gym. Beyond the exercises themselves, people often struggle to gauge the intensity required for optimal results.

Building muscle and strength involves multiple factors, including muscular tension, metabolic stress, and muscular damage. Unfortunately, many assume that pushing every set to the point of muscle soreness is the key to success. Over the years, "training to failure" has become one of the most debated, yet most misunderstood topic of the fitness industry. Many experts in the field have extensively studied this topic, and one thing that they all have addressed is that there is no black-and-white answer when we are talking about training till failure. The effectiveness of training to failure depends entirely on the individual, their goals, needs, and preferences.

Personalizing your workouts and being committed towards your training sessions both are equally important to achieve your fitness goals. So, before pushing yourself to muscle failure, let's consider five essential questions:

Are you breaking the 90-Percent Max Rule?

To determine how effective training till failure is, it's important to choose the right level of difficulty during your workouts. This difficulty is called training intensity and it's measured as a percentage of the maximum weight you can lift in one repetition, known as your one-rep max (1-RM).

We strongly recommend against training to failure when using weights that are 90 percent or more of your 1-RM. This type of training is unlikely to contribute much, if anything, to muscle growth and it can even increase the risk of getting injured.

For safety and best results, it's advisable to reserve training to failure for intensities between 50 percent and 85 percent of your 1-RM. However, keep in mind that training till failure at 50 percent of your 1-RM can be time-consuming. On the other hand, training at 85 percent requires caution and it's ideal to have a spotter nearby.

How often should you train to failure? (Check your training age)

Your training age, or the amount of time you have consistently engaged in training, determines your unique needs. Beginners must prioritize developing proper form and technique in compound movements such as squats, bench presses, deadlifts, and chin-ups. Pushing beginners to absolute failure often does more harm than good, as maintaining proper form becomes increasingly difficult when fatigued. For beginners, we recommend employing the "reps in reserve" (RIR) method. This approach entails setting a goal rep range, such as eight reps, and ensuring that you have two reps in reserve (2 RIR). By doing so, you challenge your muscles to stimulate growth without compromising form or risking injury.

As your training age advances, you can gradually incorporate training to failure into your routine. Intermediate and advanced lifters can experiment with training to failure on specific exercises or muscle groups while still maintaining overall workout quality. For example, you might choose to push yourself to failure on the last set of an exercise or on certain accessory movements.

How do you define failure?

Defining failure is subjective and can vary from person to person. Some individuals perceive failure as the point where they can no longer complete another repetition with proper form, while others consider it the point of complete muscle exhaustion and the inability to perform any more repetitions. It's important to listen to your body and avoid compromising form for the sake of reaching failure. Always prioritize safety and proper technique during your workouts.

Are you giving your body enough time to recover?

Training to failure places a significant demand on your muscles and central nervous system. To ensure proper recovery and avoid overtraining, it's crucial to provide your body with sufficient rest and nutrition. Adequate sleep, a balanced diet, and proper hydration are essential for optimal recovery. Additionally, consider implementing deload weeks into your training program, where you reduce the intensity and volume of your workouts to allow for recovery and prevent burnout.

Do you have a solid foundation?

It is really important to have a solid foundation of strength and technique so that you can get the most out of this approach of training till failure, as this approach really challenges your technique and strength. Before incorporating training to failure, focus on building strength, improving your form, and establishing a strong mind-muscle connection. This foundation will help you maintain proper form and maximize the benefits of training to failure while minimizing the risk of injury.