Is repping to failure good?

[bigtallox]

Meaning on leg days I have to hold railing to get down the stairs
On chest and arm days I cant reach my arm around me to put the seat belt on when I get in my car
On back days I dont have sex in missionary position

Just know, all of those can happen without going to failure.

Why would you do it any other way? Assuming you are healthy and are looking to grow.

One reason... Advanced lifters, who can lift enough weight to tax their CNS, shouldn't be lifting to failure very often on 1 rep max attempts because if they do they risk destroying their CNS to the point that it will limit progress in the long term. As the reps increase, this is less of an issue, but it can still happen if true failure is reached often enough.

[Smelly bull]

I train for strength, but I never lift to failure. To me, lifting is about progression.

[Guinea-pig]

[QUOTE=Smelly bull;1007201993]I train for strength, but I never lift to failure. To me, lifting is about progression.[/QUOTE

Then why would you need an occasional spot?

[Jrob69]

Just know, all of those can happen without going to failure.



One reason... Advanced lifters, who can lift enough weight to tax their CNS, shouldn't be lifting to failure very often on 1 rep max attempts because if they do they risk destroying their CNS to the point that it will limit progress in the long term. As the reps increase, this is less of an issue, but it can still happen if true failure is reached often enough.

Thanks and Im going to research that. Im still learning cns stuff. However my point is failure to do a rep in proper form as soon as you break form you have failed. For example- you are curling, your on your 8th rep. you get the curl completed correctly, beginning your 9th rep you start to turn sideways, lift your foot, bend back whatever it is you do when you break form you have failed. By feeling this is happening just before it happens you stop knowing you have failed will this harm your cns? How else would you challenge yourself to increase in strength and size. How would you know you are challenging yourself without getting to that point?


Not for nothing- but your 345 pounds and your 6' 8" my lifting for failure is your breakfast. Is cns relative to size and lift?

[Smelly bull]

[QUOTE=Guinea-pig;1007208173]

I train for strength, but I never lift to failure. To me, lifting is about progression.[/QUOTE

Then why would you need an occasional spot?

An occasional spot is simply asking someone (once in awhile) to watch in case I need the help. An occasional spot is not about lifting to failure on purpose.

[Old-Time-Lifter]

An occasional spot is simply asking someone (once in awhile) to watch in case I need the help. An occasional spot is not about lifting to failure on purpose.

On any given day you never know absolutely for sure what your max is.... that is why ^^ you have a spotter.

[DougHolland]

On any given day you never know absolutely for sure what your max is.... that is why ^^ you have a spotter.

^^^ this. Also, anyone of us could get an arm cramp and drop the weight. Anything over 315lbs can kill you if your not in a squat rack.

[Guinea-pig]

[QUOTE=Smelly bull;1007213323]

An occasional spot is simply asking someone (once in awhile) to watch in case I need the help. An occasional spot is not about lifting to failure on purpose.

I was under the impression if a spot is needed it goes under training past failure.

[TonyNail]

[QUOTE=Guinea-pig;1007223873]

I was under the impression if a spot is needed it goes under training past failure.

Sometime you might feel like you got one more good rep in you, then reality stops the bar about 3/4 of the way up just barely out of reach of being able to rack it.

[x-trainer ben]

I always rep to failure on the last rep of a set, but I'm not seeing the kind of results I would expect. Lately, I've been able to LESS reps! Would it be advisable to actually cut my reps back in order to grow? I've heard it advised both ways, but since my reps are now suffering, I have to ask.

Mr. O Lee Haney would always say," Stimulate don't annihilate" and that motto works for me.
That doesn't mean that i don't do what you mention above on occasion, but it hasn't resulted is extra growth in my case so i follow lee's advice

[Smelly bull]

[QUOTE=Guinea-pig;1007223873]

I was under the impression if a spot is needed it goes under training past failure.

I guess different expectations when asking for a spot. When I ask someone to spot me I don't intend for them to lift anything, touch the bar or that i will intentionally go to failure.

[Smelly bull]

On any given day you never know absolutely for sure what your max is.... that is why ^^ you have a spotter.

When training near m max i don't use a spotter, i will use a rack. There are very few people i trust at my gym to catch the weigh when i can bench.

[Do_Somethin]

I feel lazy if I don't go to failure.

[DougHolland]

I respect everyone's way of lifting. Many paths to the same results.

Let me define failure for me. Stopping when you don't have another rep in you. It does not mean crashing the bar under total fatigue. So, if I think I got one more in me I go for it.

For me anyway, not repping to failure is like running an 800 meter run but walking the last lap. I'm not saving anything at the end of the race.

[bodymuscle777]

I lift to failure about 90% of the time

[Smelly bull]

I respect everyone's way of lifting. Many paths to the same results.

Let me define failure for me. Stopping when you don't have another rep in you. It does not mean crashing the bar under total fatigue. So, if I think I got one more in me I go for it.

For me anyway, not repping to failure is like running an 800 meter run but walking the last lap. I'm not saving anything at the end of the race.

I hear what your saying Doug and agree 100%. I cut my teeth on a few of the 5x5 programs (especially Bill Starr) and these programs never go to failure and it is all about progression. i wonder how many people that train to failure are bbers and will hit a body part once a week. I train "movements" like bench, squat, etc., twice a week, thus I cannot train to failure, i will fall apart quickly!

By the way, I saw tour weight loss on another thread. Congrats!

[corepuncher]

On Bench Press, I've been doing 3 sets of 8 reps. I succeeded at that last time, but the following time 4 days later, the second set ended at 7 sets, and the third set at only 6.

Since I pretty much hit failure the first time when I hit the 8 rep mark on the 3rd set, I figured I had come up with a good system and was going to stick with a straight set of 8 reps each. The second time I did it, I was expecting to possibly hit 9 reps. Going backward was really disappointing! The only thing I could think of that I did wrong was going to failure at the end.

Personally I workout the major muscle groups once per week. This allow for maximum rest. You might want to try resting a couple more days...it's possible it takes your body longer to fully recover, no way to know unless you try.

Also, try eating more carbs before your workout, you might have just run out of energy. I have up and down days. I can tell by how heavy the 45's feel if it's going to be a bad day or not!

[DougHolland]

I hear what your saying Doug and agree 100%. I cut my teeth on a few of the 5x5 programs (especially Bill Starr) and these programs never go to failure and it is all about progression. i wonder how many people that train to failure are bbers and will hit a body part once a week. I train "movements" like bench, squat, etc., twice a week, thus I cannot train to failure, i will fall apart quickly!

By the way, I saw tour weight loss on another thread. Congrats!

Hey thanks. I did like you and gave up the beer...lol You inspired me to try that. It was my last holdout

This Keto diet is the best thing to ever happen to me. Also, I love MyFitnessPal. I have learned so much about food. I wish I would have done that 20 years ago.

For once I am putting my weightlifting experience to good use under a solid diet. Will see what happens next.

[BankWalker]

I rarely if ever leave a rep on the table. I shoot for 'failure' on almost every set. (failure defined as lifting to the point where I can not do another). I select a weight appropriate to get the rep range I want.

Same here.

[racedoc]

[QUOTE=TonyNail;1007226153]

Sometime you might feel like you got one more good rep in you, then reality stops the bar about 3/4 of the way up just barely out of reach of being able to rack it.

^^^ This. I might do 1-2 sets to planned failure, but usually this is what ends up happening when I think I have an extra rep in the tank.

[lunchbreak]

I hear what your saying Doug and agree 100%. I cut my teeth on a few of the 5x5 programs (especially Bill Starr) and these programs never go to failure and it is all about progression. i wonder how many people that train to failure are bbers and will hit a body part once a week. I train "movements" like bench, squat, etc., twice a week, thus I cannot train to failure, i will fall apart quickly!

All about weight progression, but eventually that progression will slow because of unplanned failure. I might get stuck at 3-4 reps for a session and have to dump the bar, then come back and complete 5 the next time etc.

[bodyhard]

There are two types of failures, most people lift to concentric failure ( i.e. you would not be able to press the weight for one more rep without assistance) but then there is also eccentric failure (the negative aspect of it, i.e, a spotter lifts the weight and you control the descend until you can't anymore) which many do not do.

In order to hit true failure a person would have to reach both concentric and eccentric failure.

Note: Most are stronger on eccentric movements than concentric.

[mslman71]

There are two types of failures, most people lift to concentric failure ( i.e. you would not be able to press the weight for one more rep without assistance) but then there is also eccentric failure (the negative aspect of it, i.e, a spotter lifts the weight and you control the descend until you can't anymore) which many do not do.

In order to hit true failure a person would have to reach both concentric and eccentric failure.

Note: Most are stronger on eccentric movements than concentric.

^ used to do both on bench. 3 pos, 3 neg, 2 pos 2 neg, 1 pos, 1 neg, repeat singles to failure on both, generally at a comfortable weight like 225.

I have no idea if it was beneficial from a growth perspective but it was fun. I think it helped me with some of the 225 for reps comps we'd have.

[silverlightning]

I rep to failure on each different exercise. But others believe you should leave a rep or two in the tank.

Back in the 80's we would rep until you could not pick up a toothbrush and touch your head...lol

those we the good ole' days

[Getsum]

I always rep to failure on the last rep of a set, but I'm not seeing the kind of results I would expect. Lately, I've been able to LESS reps! Would it be advisable to actually cut my reps back in order to grow? I've heard it advised both ways, but since my reps are now suffering, I have to ask.

Define failure?

This is failure for me:



Normally, I'm either shooting for a set number of reps on my last set or I'm going for AMRAP (as man reps as possible). My last set or two, are my money sets being that everything else is just a warmup/buildup to the goal. Anyway, I've been having great results in regards to strength gains using this approach but I also give a lot of credit to benching twice a week as well. I was squatting and deadlifting twice a week but I'm just getting over a pulled calf muscle so I've been going slow with those for now.

Since getting that 255x10 on 12-5-12, I've steadily been adding 2.5# pounds to that last set each workout and last Sunday I was able to get 282.5 for 10 reps. I'm benching after work today and my goal set will 285 for 10 and I have no idea if I'll be able to pull it off or not but it wont be for a lack of trying. I take similar approach to my deadlifts, squats and other compound exercises.

OP, there's more than one way to skin a cat and I personally feel that the real gains come from consistency. Try to squeeze out an extra rep or add a couple of pounds to bar as you go, it'll add up in the long run.

[2nd_chance]

I respect everyone's way of lifting. Many paths to the same results.

Sounds good but sadly this is not the case. Everyone is not getting the same results. If something isn't working over time, get rid of it.

[TJC85]

For those that don't rep to failure, are you training each body part twice a week? I rep to failure for every
set (usually 3-4 sets per body part) and I train each body part only once a week. I'm just wondering if
I should change that.

[KenJenkinsII]

Isn't the goal hypertrophy? If so then that can be reached without lifting to failure week in and week out correct?

[corepuncher]

Get mad at yourself. A little anger can help you push out more reps. Music pushed me over the edge today on heavy back day, I killed it. 4th and final set I did 4 more reps than the previous set, which was til "failure". I just got ultra-psyched when the tune hit my eardrum, and I exploded.

Download "Back for more" by Five Finger Death Punch and you'll see what I mean. Guaranteed magical elixir.
Another good one: "Under and Over it". I'm not sure which is better.

"Back For More"

Let's get it on!
It's time to get in the game,
You gotta fight 'til it hurts and then you do it again
Let's tear it up!
I'm staying straight to the core, ain't no room for second place, go big or go home!

Rise!
It's dog eat dog
Rise!
Man versus beast
Rise!
The strong will survive
Rise!
I've got no time for the weak

It's time to rise up, man up, get back up, never been and won't be broken
Dust off and then come back for more
You've gotta reach down, dig deep, and break ground,
Show them all you won't be beaten
Brush it off and then come back for more!
Come back for more

It's do or die!
Time to settle the score, gotta give it all you got and then you give it some more
There will be blood
You've gotta fight 'til you break, talk a lot of trash and step up to the plate

Rise!
Refuse to give in
Rise!
Ashes to dust
Rise!
Make 'em remember your name
Rise!
'cause in yourself you can trust

It's time to rise up, man up, get back up, never been and won't be broken
Dust off and then come back for more
You've gotta reach down, dig deep, and break ground,
Show them all you won't be beaten
Brush it off and then come back for more!
Come back for more

Rah!

It's time to rise up, man up, get back up, never been and won't be broken
Dust off and then come back for more
You've gotta reach down, dig deep, and break ground,
Show them all you won't be beaten
Brush it off and then come back for more
Come back for more

Rah!

[Guinea-pig]

There are two types of failures, most people lift to concentric failure ( i.e. you would not be able to press the weight for one more rep without assistance) but then there is also eccentric failure (the negative aspect of it, i.e, a spotter lifts the weight and you control the descend until you can't anymore) which many do not do.

In order to hit true failure a person would have to reach both concentric and eccentric failure.

Note: Most are stronger on eccentric movements than concentric.

Weider would be proud of you BH!