Muscle Building and Training To Failure

[BendtheBar]

Training To Failure Will Recruit More Muscle Fibers Is A Myth - YouTube

Training To Failure Will Recruit More Muscle Fibers Is A Myth - YouTube

[BendtheBar]

This is something I've talked about before for 70% ish, or bodybuilding work. As the reps mount, the body responds to existing fatigue by calling into play more muscle fibers.

For 85% work max muscle fibers are recruited.

[TitanWIP]

Well that was a kick to the groin.

[Trevor Ross]

Define failure.......

[Trevor Lane]

Originally Posted by Trevor Ross

Define failure.......

Generally speaking, failure means that you physically cannot do one more rep of a given exercise correctly.

[Trevor Ross]

Originally Posted by Trevor Lane

Generally speaking, failure means that you physically cannot do one more rep of a given exercise correctly.

There are different degrees of failure though, are we talking absolute failure like the way Yates used to train. Or are we talking rest-pause like DC?

[Squatter]

I agree - I like to lift heavy but not to failure. Sheesh - the Crew would kick my ass if I did.haha

[BendtheBar]

The video references the obsession with training to failure to maximize muscle fiber recruitment. This has been shown to be nonsense. Maximum muscle fiber recruitment appears to take place around rep 5 for sets under 85%ish reps.

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by Squatter

I agree - I like to lift heavy but not to failure. Sheesh - the Crew would kick my ass if I did.haha

Right. Lift for progress, not for failure.

Failure on some lifts is easier than for others. So there is some gray area. But in general chasing failure is a complete waste of time, and takes on added risk.

[Trevor Ross]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

Right. Lift for progress, not for failure.

Oh absolutely, that's the main reason I've trained in a rest-pause style for 80% of my lifting career. I do only one work set, and it seems to work so far. I love the 10-8-6 rep scheme and trying to grind out 4-5 more reps on the last set if I can get over 10 reps the weight goes up. Except for Deadlifts, that's just asking for it.