Training to Failure for Muscle Growth (HUGE MISTAKE?)
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
- If you are training to failure, are you making a huge mistake? In this video, I am going to explain the importance of knowing what failure is and how to apply it to your training when it comes to building muscle. This might be one of the most important videos I have ever made and I want to make sure that you understand how critical this concept is if you want to build more muscle.
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It starts with knowing what you are training for: strength versus hypertrophy to be specific. When you are training for strength applications, whether that is through percentage based training or the use of RPE, you aren’t aiming for failure. As a matter of fact, this is a situation where you need to be training short of failure.
The irony of this situation, however, is that you need to know what your failure point is in order to gauge your percentage or RPE number. Just remember, though; your maximum effort is your last rep - knowing that you cannot complete another rep at all.
When it comes to muscle growth, your knowledge of failure becomes that much more important. This starts with defining what failure is. We know that there are a myriad of forms of failure; there is form failure (not being able to complete another rep in good form), mechanical failure (not being to move the weight at all), or even eccentric failure (not being able to control the weight through the eccentric portion of the lift even after using a little cheat or momentum to get the weight moving through the concentric).
There is also a nuance in the type of lift you are performing. Reaching failure on a pulling exercise is going to look much different than on a pushing exercise. Take the lat pulldown versus the bench press for example; with the lat pulldown, you are able to cheat your way through a few extra reps by using a little extra momentum on the concentric. On the other hand, the bench press does not allow for any cheating through the use of momentum.
Leg training is more like the pushing exercises as well, there is a lack of momentum that can be used on most exercises.
Now, another factor of training to failure that has to be taken into account is what rep range you are training in. When lifting in a lower rep range, such as 4-6 reps, you will notice that fatigue comes very quickly and failure is reached within a rep of that fatigue. In moderate rep ranges, such as 8-12 reps, failure starts to approach later, but you are able to squeak out at least another rep or two. In higher rep ranges, your ability to grind through reps where you are fatigued becomes greater.
Some might think that those repetitions where you have to grind them out, when reaching failure, is considered form breakdown. If you take the examples that I am showing you in this video, you can see that the reps are still attempted and completed in good form. They reps still look like the exercise that is being performed. In this case of pulling exercises, this is where you allow for a little cheat / momentum. On the pushing exercises, you won’t be able to cheat them, but as long as the repetitions look like they are supposed to (in terms of form) then you need not worry.
The problem with all of this, however, is the lack of knowledge of failure is and when it occurs. Why? If you don’t know what failure is when training to build muscle, especially when you are prescribed to stop short of failure, then you are leaving gains on the table. You might be quitting the set when you have more reps in the tank. RPE and reps in reserve are hard to gauge without knowing what failure looks and feels like. The problem here is you might be gauging your reps too short of failure - you might be basing this off of initial fatigue, not true failure. So when you are told to train with reps in reserve or RPE, instead of stopping short of 12 reps, you might be stopping short of 8 reps when you could have pulled out a few more that would have been your ultimate failing point.
The fact of the matter is that you need to have knowledge of what failure is, what it looks like, and most importantly, what it feels like if you want to build more muscle.
If you are looking for a complete step-by-step training program that will have you training like an athlete so that you can look like an athlete, be sure to head over to athleanx.com and find the workout program that matches your goals.
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I click on time except I didn't get anything
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@@Pslam23JesusIsLord Jesus Christ is king!
always to late :c
@@Pslam23JesusIsLord innocent doesn't has to die for sins of guilty
As a 40 year old who's getting into lifting, I had to redefine what it meant to be disciplined. When I was younger, discipline meant always going hard, getting one more rep, not being lazy. Now, discipline means checking my ego at the door, keeping the weight under control, don't push through with bad form.
I learned this at 13 years old. Thankfully, I never pushed myself enough hard to get injured, but I had gotten very close to on several occasions.
@@vurified Ok, when I was younger, I didn't know it was possible to get injured lifting unless I dropped a dumbbell on my head. But now, my joints are weaker than my muscles and I have to be on the lookout for the slightest elbow pain or weakness in the shoulder, or creaky knees...
@@martinrheaume5393 Damn, how bad was the injury?
@@vurifiedI don't think he had an injury. He's just more thoughtful about his body in his 40s because he could hurt himself if not careful.
You seem to be lying. You claimed to be getting into lifting at 40, yet also when you were younger you'd weight train with intensity.
Before I enter the gym.
1. Leave ego at the door.
2. Work Hard/Stay Humble.
3. Who cares what others think; they will think it anyway.
4. You versus You (Thanks Jeff).
this ^
Great attitude and way of looking at anything in life.
5. Side eye the hot chicks. 😄
When I see someone get on a flat bench with 10lb plates on, I am actually impressed. I know if they keep that ego in check, they will be popping soon.
Actually comparing your self to stronger dudes is a good way of motivating.
0:40 Strength
1:20 Form Failure
2:08 Mechanical Failure, Concentric/Isometric/Eccentric Failure
3:05 Push/Pull/Leg, Heavy/Moderate/Light, Compound/Isolation
3:50 Heavy Pull
6:10 Moderate Pull
7:40 Importance of determine your true Failure
8:35 Light Pull
10:05 Beginner
11:35 Heavy Push
12:25 Moderate Push
13:15 Rep Pacing
14:10 Light Push
I know you wrote this with the best intentions, but I feel like thid might not mean much to people who haven't actually watched the video 😂
@@joshkarian5379 Wrote this for myself, others watching the video or not is up to them.
@@joshkarian5379 quit yer complaining
@@joshkarian5379 Youre Josh Karen😂
@@MrDingaling007 where was the complaint?
I've followed Jeff for about 5-6 years now and this video has been the best one in a long time. I took this mindset of real failure and pushing into the grind into my very next workout. The intensity was just next level and I felt worked harder than I have in a long time.
I like Jeff because I’m 90% sure he is one of the rare nattys.
@@lawrencetrujillo7365He is indeed
I agree. I trained this way 3 days ago and I still have muscle pain due to the hardness of the training, when in 2 days I would have recovered.
Train to failure then drop set to 50% of your failure weight and then go further to failure...massive gains for me 💪
@@tibitheking350 I would take each exercise to 2 sets of absolute failure. As in, maybe 1-2 partial reps failure. 3-4 exercises for major muscle group (back) and 1-2 for smaller (biceps)
I didn’t understand the concept of training to failure until I discovered Mike Mentzer’s “Heavy Duty “ in the late 90s. It literally supercharged my gains and cut my training time in half.
Can’t train as hard at 53, but I still follow the principals.
So do you leave a rep or two in the tank/not go to true failure?
@@oscarperez5539Mike mentzer advocated to leave no reps in reserve for maximum muscle growth
I’ve found the mental strength you exercise from weights, running, rowing , etc., is a hard earned benefit that makes you grow as an athlete. I always think the last rep, the last 100 meters in a run or the last 500 meters in a row are by far the most important. If you can’t do that then I wouldn’t waste my time. I’m 65 and I don’t quit.
Jeff makes even failure sound fun
It kinda is fun. You know what you're made of. OK, it's not a war or a Colosseum gladiator battle (I would encourage people to avoid violence) but it's the safe/responsible way to feel some of that primal feeling and sense of drama. Even if you're combating yourself, from body's perspective, it's the same thing
You’d love Jeff to go to failure on you
Failure is amazing. It's my greatest motivator to go to gym and bring myself to that point again and again. Nothing feels more masculine
stop making fun of Jesse 😀
I love these joke comments to Jeff please continue 😂
Great talk. Push the limits to find the limits. I remember the Athlean-X "22 days" pull-up video and testing max hang time. I thought there was NOTHING left in the tank for hang time but then I closed my eyes and pushed myself to just keep hanging on. I got around another 30 seconds of hang time AFTER I decided that there was nothing left
I find for me that if I go to failure on the last set of every exercise I do, the fatigue builds quickly and within a few days of training different body parts, I can't get back to it as I'm outta gas. So for my 58 y.o. ass, I try to stop a few reps shy of failure so I can function at work and throughout the day. Love your content.
Im 29 and share your opinion. Not going to failure in EVERY exercise optimize my recovery and dont make me so tired in others activities
Yeah
It helps if you go to the gym less and failure more.
I think the point is to gauge your recovery time, then when you assess you are fully recovered go to failure again. In between these days, rep to 1-3 RIR for faster recovery. That’s my take away from this.
People really are different. I rarely feel any sour muscle at all even thou i try to go to failure most of the time. But hey, i am "only" 40. Only regret i haven't started earlier more serious.
Going to true failure is not just about wearing your muscles down as much as you can. Your also working your nervous system, and that true failure rep where you are giving it everything you have, is stimulating your nervous system to send a strong signal to your muscles.
Mike Mentzer is known as one of the most technical tactical lifters to have ever existed. High effort short frame training to failure was a key point in his success and he wrote about it.
Mike Mentzer 👍🏻✨
YES! 😂 Mentzer & Arthur Jones were pseudo SCIENITISTS. Arthur had a grade 9 EDUCATION, while Mike studied some Philosophy in college, never even graduating 🎓 😮😂. So they MUST have known, SCIENTIFICALLY, what constitutes productive exercise!🤥🤥😉😂....Or were they really door to door VACUUM & ENCYCLOPEDIA SALESMEN???😮😅😅
Also disputed by modern excercise scientists. They tell us that volume is hypertrophic as long as you can recover and that 1 to 3 RIR is enough
There is a reason why you have so many subscribers. You really explain things well, thank you for sharing all of your great insight!
When Jeff said he was going to show what failure looks like I coulda swore a picture of me was about to pop up on the screen.
Fully agree as long as you’re not injuring yourself… if the last few forced reps are done in a safely manner and don’t cause any discomfort 100% go for it!
I’m 67 this year, returned to the gym after 35 yr break. Thanks to this man I’ve put two inches on my chest and inch bicep in 8 weeks. Worked hard but his advice has been spot on.
That's a pretty bold claim. Are you measuring those muscles straight after/day after exercising those particular muscles, or waiting a day or 2 after?
I asked that because, as you'll likely know, they stay pumped for some time, rather than actually gaining it in muscle tissue.
8 weeks seems quite a stretch, even with much younger individuals, unless they're juicing, obviously.
Are you on TRT or something, if you don't mind me asking...?
Thanks to your channel, Jeff, I tell myself near the end of a rep "Train like an athlete!" and it gives me that extra push to form-failure. 6-months into your program I could not be more satisfied!
I used to hear Arnold say "let's get serious" near the end of the set. Or more recently Ronnie Coleman screaming "lightweight". Anything to psychologically motivate yourself to get through the grind.
I scream "SHIT what was I thinking" on my last rep.
“It’s you vs you at the gym”
100% on point. Great stuff.
Maybe I’m not typical but I admire people who are trying to improve themselves regardless of where they are at currently in the journey. The skinny guy at the gym struggling with relatively light weight, working hard-I applaud you. Seeing the morbidly obese person walking down the road sweating-I applaud you. I give them a thumbs up if they make eye contact.
The strength and beauty of the human spirit is in the ATTEMPT and EFFORT, not the result.
I love training to failure when it comes to upper body. My issue is doing the same with lower body. The soreness experienced to training to failure (especially sith quad-focused exercises) always leads me to extreme soreness that lasts for days. I have yet to move past that...
Stretch every night
Would be best to welcome this feeling of soreness as a sign that growth is going on and handle accordingly (giving your legs enough rest to recover albeit a week e.g) through Mike Mentzers principle of HIT
@@I-Kishz you know, there's something to that mindset.
I love when I'm still sore 2 or 3 days after hitting legs. Also puts a smile on my face when I stumble to my truck after legs
This was probably the most valuable video I’ve seen in a along time. I’m going back to the drawing board on all my training. I’ve clearly been repping shy of where I should’ve been repping. Thx.
The other component to this discussion, which is equally important, is that as you increase the intensity and reach true failure (positive, negative, and static), you must reduce training length and frequency of workouts to achieve maximum benefit. Every corresponding increase in intensity and failure depletes exponentially the amount of recovery ability you possess....which is very limited compared to strength potential. This is another way of saying that as you work out harder and harder, you need to train for shorter periods of time, and give yourself longer rest periods between workouts.
Been doing 12, 10, 8, 6 reps for years. Found this and another RUclipsr mention going to failure or close to failure and it has been so much better results wise since I've been doing this
Love this video. I started lifting like everyone else by lifting the heaviest I can do within 10-12 reps. Now I naturally started going for much lighter weights aiming for 14-16 reps while adding body weight exercises. This has definitely transformed my gym routine and helps me keep my body lean and not built
Love seeing you guys. Always quality content, always encouraging. Thanks for giving us the tools to be better, and better, and keep pushing.
I've watched this channel for a while and it's arguably his most helpful video. It answered many of the questions that I've had for years about failure. Thanks, Jeff!
Jeff is the real natty king.
I’m on gear and I know a lot of us don’t do much learning from Jeff. Body building is just different training. But, it’s so important to understand what the athlean crew puts out and regardless of what road you take, this channel is awesome. Love you Jeff!
Effectiveness is the whole point of this
(Training for Strength and Muscle Growth)
The gains are in the two last reps that you can’t do. I remember training with my uncle and those last two that in your head you can’t do but you do them anyways, that’s where all the growth is. 100%
When should you train to failure? For each round of a set or only the last round?
How is strength training programmed? Hypertrophy is straight forward
Thank you Jeff!! You certainly have a point here, but in my experience, even if you pay special attention to the form of the exercise, pushing to failure like that maximizes the risk of injury and that becomes counterproductive in the end. Now if I was 20-25 again and had good knowledge of form, that could work, but I am 42 and I don't know how far I could push this concept. It is a thing to keep in mind though.
Jeff's 48, don't just learn the form of the exercises but learn how to reach failure on all rep ranges for all exercises, instead of this chicken little mindset.
main reason i train till failure is to train the mind
Main reason I do is to have a killer tomato face.
Right! That wonderful adage; "The body commands the mind, and the mind fails. The mind commands the body, and the body obeys".
On that note, I love the conversation about actually training to failure so as to know what true failure looks like. And not quitting too soon, and thinking that you have an idea of total failure.
@@allanmain5666 Red face color + making involuntary ugly faces + involuntarily shaking muscle. IMO those are the certain signs, and without them it's not a failure
I always believed the mind is the best weapon
I've been watching your videos for 5+ years, and you got me into training to (or close to) failure. Prior to watching your videos, I had no intention of training to failure as I was under the impression that the idea was to push oneself to the point where form breaks down to such a degree that the exercise becomes downright dangerous. But incorporating the concept of training to failure into my training has really helped me grow - both physically and mentally.
Previously, I would leave the gym thinking "it's so refreshing to move your body". Now my glutes and quads almost give in walking up the three steps to the showers.
I do full body workouts mixing explosive moves and heavy ones, and I will generally leave 1 rep in the tank for the first 2 sets of my heavy exercises and then go to failure on the last set, however, I don't have a spotter, so how close to failure I go depends on what feels safe. For squats, I take it to the point where I don't feel that I will be able to complete the next rep, so I don't get stuck at the bottom of a rep. For overhead presses, I go to concentric failure on the last set and then do 1-2 cheat reps with a controlled eccentric. And for bench presses, I stick with dumbbells so I can drop them if need be. And it's quite clear that I'm doing this compromise with the squat as that is my weakest lift and the one progressing the slowest - but I'd rather go slow than get hurt.
Yeah mate I agree with you, its way safer to be using dumbbells if you're pushing yourself hard.
This is very helpful. Due to a collar bone injury that left me with hypermobiliy in the SC joint, I don't lift heavy anymore. This, and the newer video on this, are encouraging as I was not aware of the newer info on hypertrophy. Thanks a bunch.
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:00 🏋️♂️ Understanding training to failure is crucial for effective lifting results.
00:34 💪 Training to failure context varies based on goals (strength or hypertrophy).
01:13 🏋️♂️ Different ways to define failure: form, mechanical, isometric, eccentric.
02:53 📚 Accurate failure definition is crucial for muscle growth assessment.
05:52 💪 Rapid fatigue onset in lower rep ranges accelerates failure.
06:48 🏋️♂️ Moderate rep sets allow controlled grinding and additional reps.
08:07 💡 Being a few reps shy of failure doesn't deliver optimal results.
10:00 💪 Beginners and those using lighter weights should embrace grinding.
11:12 🏋️♂️ Pull exercises offer more momentum opportunities for grinding.
12:21 🏋️♂️ Push exercises involve less momentum and quicker fatigue.
14:13 📊 Spacing between reps indicates effort level and true failure.
15:07 📝 Properly defining failure is crucial for effective training results.
Made with HARPA AI
I like this format. Just calm and sensible discussion. And I know I don't train to failure, a couple reps or so shy of it. On the other hand, I am 70 years old.
67 here and I think that's the right approach.
100% the right approach. Higher rep ranges, 1-3 reps shy of failure.
Gold! The title of this video should have been, "What it means to GRIND". I love how you showed videos of the different levels and what a decent grind looks like with good form and how you can tell from spacing/time between reps. Great stuff.
To each their own... But I personally train to failure.... with eccentric, forced and partials, Successfully, drug free no injuries ...... its all about choosing the right weight so that you don't injury yourself and having enough rest days
I also believe there is a lot of value of being able to work through through full range of motion and to emphasize the stretch portion of the lift. For instance like on a pull up being able to hang at the bottom for at least 1 second with elbows fully extended and shoulders at nearly full flexion gives the greatest lat stretch and places extreme load to the muscle! Great video Jeff!
However, correct pullup form does not involve a full hang at the bottom - there should be structure.
Yep, it is not just weight, or reps, or even sets. It is effort in the face of discomfort while maintaining proper form.
Jesse looks like 10% of his head is missing inside his hat
Hard to train to failure when you dont have any gym friends and everyone in the gym has those things in there ears and is oblivious to when you need help. Such as a bench press or squat
Jeff I've got a question nobody ever mentions when talking about training to failure that feels like a dumb question, but I really want to know when you talk about taking a set to failure or very close to failure for optimal results, should that be every set you do or just the last one or two of that exercise? Of course ignoring warm up sets for any heavy lifts.
Probably for the last set. Cus if doing your weight set that makes you really tired for each set it might cause some issues or strain. So like if you can lift 30 pounds easy each set and get tired for the last set, then it should be good. But each body is different and if have any joint issues it also makes it difficult to know
i take most my sets to failure, as long as i rest enough between sets it goes fine, but idk about the science behind it.
Excellent video. Back in my early competitive powerlifting days. A long time ago. How I trained is that I wanted to complete every rep of that set. Not only that but I wanted to make sure I could do at least one more rep, but I didn't. That was the key. That was my game plan. I always planned in advanced before I even started my contest training. All my weights and sets and reps that I would be doing. I made sure I completed every one to a tee. I won competitions doing it that way. I never burned-out or got injured. I got a lot of this concept from GOAT Ed Coan.
Perfect video at the right time. So glad you included an example of the Straight Arm Push Downs. I did those yesterday and was questioning on the failures. Same with the Pull Downs.
Do yourself a great favor and watch his videos on failure again and again.... and if you are NOT a newbie, watch one more time again...
Due to shoulder injuries I only go as far as a first grinder on heavy push. But I freaking love doing my accessory (1 heavy, 1 accessory per muscle group and workout) to up to 30 reps on the last set as a monster finisher, all the way to cramping muscle failure.
the effort hes doing with 100 or 90 lb dumbells is a recipe to sent someone to rotator cuff snap city
I dnw why no oen grinds like that on bench which is more stable, but say you have to grind it on dumbells which are less stable
@@alaaentabi7879 Ur lost 😂😂
This was really helpful!! Thank you so much! Even though I didn’t understand the whole video, Im glad that I have got started this journey with the knowledge that you have. I have been looking for this information for many many years.. greetings from Santiago Chile, where I telling everybody to follow you.
You should get the Rode Wireless Go II and give Jesse a mic too 😅 great vid btw 🤙
This video has made it more clear for me when it comes to failure and how I can use this concept to increase my gains. Form is the most important part.
I was going to failure on almost every set in every training session especially on accessory work, saw mass gains but little strength progress, changed my mindset, started aiming to leave 1 rep in the tank and started to see huge strength gains, discovered that when we go to failure often we end up overtraining our CNS
Great comment. I've found the same thing over the years and after watching this video, I'm going to change the way I lift to see if I can get some more gains. Too taxing on your body going to failure all the time.
True
@@lrww5673You can reduce the volume per week instead
You also have to consider your whole training session. If you are going to complete failure right from the beginning, it will likely reduce the intensity of your later sets. This is also why I prefer the pull exercises at the beginning, grinding out a few more reps in the push exercises towards the end of the training session.
Very good point!
No it doesn't you silly goose
You doing later sets is more intense if the previous sets are done to/through failure because you aren't as Fresh, compared to the You who keep holding back to save energy for later
Having more energy, not getting exhausted by previous sets is always easier, Sherlock
agreed, its about time it takes to move the weight. if its taking 5 seconds to push or pull the weight vs your first rep that took like 1 second, youre good
Someone fails at the gym. Jeff over here what are the different types of failure how many different ways can one fail. The extensive research so in depth on failure. Appreciated this very much
This is an excellent video. Doctrinal terms with clear, precise definitions improve our ability to communicate, especially in situations where context is so important. Maybe a "fitness term defined" at the end of each video? Coach - setting and enforcing standards for improving our workouts once again.
I always train to failure and through failure with rest pauses and dropsets 💪
Great video. I'm 69 and training for my 70th...correct me if I'm wrong but when training to failure at my age one has to consider the impact on joint and ligament health. In fact, I'm beginning to think that as we age we have to take advantage of different techniques in our training and pay extra close attention to rest/recovery. I love the phrase "me against me."
I think you're right. I'm 67 and only started lifting a few weeks ago, though I did use to do it when I was younger. While I'm trying to push myself as hard as I can I'm always keeping a little back through fear of injury that could put me out of action for weeks. You also take a hell of a lot longer to recover as you age than you did when you were young. Bottom line is, you can't apply the same rule to guys in their 20s and guys in their 60s.
@@stephengreen3367 I started lifting about 5 years ago...one of first challenges was figuring out the difference between "bad pain" and "good pain." Ask me about my shoulder injury. ;^)
Great video and lots of different inputs and information to incorporate. I just got one tiny thing to mention for the setup: If you use a laptop or a tablet like in this one, try not to place it in between you and the camera. It creates a sort of barrier to the viewer and blocks a lot of the gestures you use to emphasize a point. Maybe try to set it up a little lower to hide it completely or move it to the side 👍🏼
Jeff I lost 70lbs and you are honestly to thank for it. Your videos on your diet and consistency. I was consistent with working out and eating for last 8 months. God bless you and Jesse
Keep it up my man. In a while you will be happy to increase weight as it means more muscle, instead of just more fat. Don't lose focus on your dreams and vision of what you want yourself to be.
I lost 40 because of this man, and put about 20 of mean form back on. Still working towards my goal 3+ years later.
You touched on a topic that would be interesting to explore deeper. The discomfort of the grind, especially for beginners, can become a real mental deterrent to the gym. It might be the "best" for gains, but if it gives you gym PTSD and makes you reduce your visits or quit altogether, it isn't so great. I know for myself, that mental fortitude started off in short supply. Now 6 months in, I challenge myself more than I used to, but I'm still cautious to not be so hard on myself that I start dreading the thought of working out. Lower rep ranges where you only need to struggle for those last two or three are a lot easier to deal with than grinding out an additional 5 or 6. One of the reasons I've always hated standard push-ups..
Grow a pair. And train to failure if you want some muscle
@@SeksyBananaPantsGrow a brain and try to understand what he was actually saying
Yea man thats true. I knew this one fit guy from work and he found out I went to a gym he goes to and he would go and try to "help" and it was just getting wrecked to the point of not being able to move. That is all well and good for some but I was getting back to the gym after years of being sedentary. So I started to hate going because I would be pressured to do more exersize. Normally Id argue but there seemed to be no point so I said eff it and stopped going. Not just me either but a couple other guys from work. Made it no fun and I enjoy working out. Pushing myself. Not trying to impress anyone just trying to be healthy. Everyone has their own set of goals.
Great stuff guys, as always. One thing is not clear though. Is the training to failure when training for hypertrophy, supposed to be applied to every set of each exercise? Or, are you suggesting that we train through the grind to reach failure only on the last set? For example, the 5th set, of each performed exercise? Thank you!
My take is, if you can handle it. He did mention somewhere in the video that “you won’t be able to train to failure all the time” or something like that, I think. My wild guess is, i’d have at least one set per workout where I train to failure, and other sets training to 1 RIR (to *true* failure, not a grinding rep)
After watching this video, it feels like a more logical idea to have my failure set in the first set so I can correctly gauge how many reps I can start my true 1 RIR at. If my failure set is only the last set, I might have missed so many potential growth-inducing reps prior to it. Might consider trying this.
@@aat556 , thank you for your comment. I will try your approach during my next training. 💪
@@salmon8765 peace brother and keep them gains coming!
Interesting topic. My question is. Different days have different max weights and reps. So choose carefully I guess. Plus the spectre of injury failure crops up as well if you're not careful
I was so afraid I was training for hypertrophy all wrong. Like I'm not supposed to go to muscle failure!?!? This got me for a second.
Classic clickbait. But the content is solid
The research he mentioned suggests the cortisol released from an absolute failure rep can counteract any gains from that rep.
That rep also increases chance for injury.
@@shredd5705 always. Definitely.
@@headgames3115 yeah. Agreed. If I feel like I can't do a rep successfully, I know it's time to quit. Not worth risking an injury.
Great video, thanks for it! The video recordings were very demonstrative and well-explaining!
I would be glad to see a second video in this topic.
The focus could be more some of the followings:
-training failure in exercises where the core plays a role (sq, dl)
-training failure compounds vs. isolation
-training failure in bodyweight exercises (e.g. pull-up)
-training failure in skill/strenght training
Thank you in advance,
Csongor
This video is top quality! Jeff, you mentioned briefly how training for power successfully could look like. Could you elaborate on the specific training for different goals, like speed, agility, power, endurance...
I really appreciate your content!
watch;this;video: "SIX PACK ABS TRAINING (Complete Guide!) - athleanx"
Finally, somebody who explains in a way that makes sense. Grazie Jeff.
This is what I love about drop-sets when it's easy to do so, especially squats. I leave the 45s on the rack and load up the bar with all of the smallest weights up to my target weight. 1 or 2 sets at that weight, then start losing a set of plates every time I hit a grinding rep and jump right back in. Fail to fail to fail to fail again until the bar is too heavy.
I watch a lot of your videos, but this one was excellent. It's clear up a lot a mist that other people's videos had created.
Good topic and presentation as always. Jeff, we could also say we can't move weights until we literally fail as that would be very very reckless and dangerous, meaning simply dropping the weights. We always have to have enough remaining energy to safely return the weights to the floor or rack. I think I just discovered a practical definition of training to failure. We move the weights until we can't complete one more repetition, but still have enough energy to safely return the weights back to where they belong on the floor or rack!
Dude I noticed that, I had way better gains when I back off my PR.
I usually leave 3 to 4 reps in the tank and my gains are going very well. I train to failure on certain workouts but it’s only 1 set per exercise. Just because you can complete something doesn’t mean it’s optimal. Going to failure on every set and training that way all the time is a good way to hurt yourself.
Layne Norton says the same thing on a 3 part podcast with doctor peter attia . I respect both Layne and Jeff so where does that leave me @jeff? I’m 46 and pick up a lot more injuries these days eg herniated c5 c6 and tennis / golfers elbows. But my goal is still strength building for longevity. Bit of extra muscle would be nice too
Going to failure only really hits volume and recovery, unlikely to get hurt as long as you are doing it properly.
@@IosifStalinsendsyoutoGulag yes, if you are incorporating failure properly in your workouts you will reduce the overall volume and intensity in the workout. This is the most beneficial way to use failure, but it’s not good for every single set. Some workouts should be done with high intensity and low reps (heavy) but not to failure. Other workouts can be higher volume and also not to failure. Failure itself is a tool that can help or hurt us depending on how we use it. Playing with fire you can get burned but fire is also an innovative tool for many things.
The form breakdown thing is hard to recognize when you deal with many injuries/muscles imbalances from said injuries. Like eventually a compensatory muscle takes over - that's form breakdown, but certain issues just make it so hard to even find a way to not have that so you question is this actually a form issue or what?
It is imperative that you watch this video with BOTH earphones in, to avoid ear muscle imbalance
Very few people understand let alone reach true failure, most peoples minds convince them that they are at the failure level even though their body hasn't reached that point.
Time under tension is king.
I have been training to failure for so long, is it bad or not?
What's the point of training if you can't go to the MAX? Sometimes going to failure like squat and bench can go wrong, but overall if you feel like you can do it 1 last time just do it.
Training to failure is good. Always do it. Research supports it tremendously
Imo training to failure should be mostly used when you plateu, although there are literature that supports TTF, there are also some that state it doesn’t directly affect muscle hypertrophy. Some state that it causes a very high level of muscular fatigue which can lead to overtraining. So in the end, TTF has its place but remember everyone experiences different training frequencies/intensities differently, so do what you feel works best for you!
@@Godakuri good to hear thx
@@jola0798 I'm still looking for your workout video, 🤡 .
Comparison is the theif of joy. You compare yourself to others. You’ll never be happy. Who cares what other people lift.
Some girl on Twitter
That’s to the comment on other people lifting more than you. Thank you Jeff for your amazing content. Grateful 💙💪🏾🏋🏾♂️
This needs to be marked as one of the most important training videos ever. All the workouts and repetitions we do in our search for the best way to build in the chest area or leg area will never deliver results if we're not going for qualify failure. I think that may have been said in the video somewhere 😄, but it's a reality of training that I've been going after very hard this past year to the point of reaching that total failure, pausing for about 15 seconds then getting a few more failures in. If you recognize that concept from a video Jeff made a few months ago, yes, that is where I began using that tactic. I'm counting the times that I reach total failure every time I go. That is where I'm counting my victories in the pursuit of kicking my own ass. It's been paying off at work where I'm moving a lot of heavy items at Lowe's where I'm on the MST team.
I first heard of total failure in Body for Life by Bill Phillips. He stated that "If you can honestly say to yourself that you could not get one more rep in, then you've achieved total failure". I got it right away, so total failure has always been the goal for me. But lately I've been going after it as though it were the only thing that Matters. Sure, I keep my form, I try for 12 to 18 reps. I don't try killing myself with real heavy weights. I want to reach total failure, and do it several times for each set, and several ways for each muscle group.
Again, understanding what this video delivers needs to be understood at new levels along your path to great quality workouts as you progress in your journey to being the hardest worker in the room. You need to feel like you're having an out of body experience. 😂
Thanks Jeff and Jesse.
Drop sets have always kept me progressing well.
I was hoping for Athlean-x to eventually delve into this subject in a detailed manner. I have to say Jeff never disappoints.
Ah mate, out of the very many athlean x videos I find this one to be one of the most detailed videos. This is, I guess, highly educating for many guys out there!
You know our hearts get broken when you skip a week of video 💔. Hope you are doing well and it was just a well deserved break
I've seen extremely good/positive results doing select exercises to failure mixed in with my normal routines.
My question is, as a beginner, how many sets would you do to failure with one given exercise in the same workout? The Mike Mentzer method of one (maybe a shorter warm up set or two beforehand?)? 2 or 3?
In some excercises you need more warm up sets than others, lets say from 1 to 4.. then you must perform THE SET (the one that you should take into failure and makes you grow.). Im 53 and been weight training since i was 17.
The key to hypertrophy is overload and progression. Too much "grinding" kills gains, due to the un-sustainability of constant central nervous system output, especially for larger-framed people. Obviously we try to get as many good form reps as possible, all the way to failure. But the BIG caveat is - the number one obstacle to gains- is the nervous system strain (burn out from constant struggling) over time that reduces one's ability to overload and progress long enough to produce significant (or any) gains. Train with constant overload and progression (small increments, even tiny ones) and make sure to recuperate (including SYSTEMICALLY) before you train any body part or full body again. The real key is The Law of Sustainable Progression. And never forget that your main overall body growth exercise is the barbell squat, performed to the point of both local AND sustainably overloading/progressing recuperative intensity. Next, to a lesser extent is back pulling exercise. Forget trying to grind your biceps curls into the ground; your arms will grow, goth biceps and triceps from the knock-on effect of your metabolic squats. Sure, train hard but don't grind yourself into the ground. That is the main "secret" to fulfilling your genetic potential.
You just shuffle fancy words together with no meaning behind them, nothing stopping you from overload/progression when going to failure every time and it's not the only method for hypertrophy.
I've been doing Mike Metzer's 1 set to failure for 4 months and honestly, I'm stronger and bigger now than I ever was. Mike Metzer is the goat 🐐
Yeah it’s one of the greatest training regimens of all time. Pretty disappointed that Jeff has such a narrow perspective on it. There are a lot of different schools of thought and Arthur Jones’s has been proven for decades to be one of the most effective.
Full body? Once a week?
Arthur Jones vs Jeff? How many YT views has Arthur got!?
@rockyp32 I do full body twice a week So one day is as many as Possible. And the other day is a 6 second eccentric count,2 second isometric, and a 6 second concentric rep till I reach 12 reps or failure. Ones for athleticism and other for hypertrophy
@@mikezano2992 as many as possible what
Agree with most comments. One of the best videos. Really understood failure & this immensely helps with gym time
Really useful video, as a solo trainer clarified for me what I should be aiming for, thanks.
What’s the point of even trying to listen to any other “fitness” trainer on RUclips? Jeff is literally all you need
I didn’t mean to yesterday & now I’m super sore!
I'd love it if more time was spent by fitness youtubers about differentiating between growing strength and growing muscle. "Gains" is often defacto defined as gaining size, when the goal might be to gain strength and/or performance.
RP did a really good video about this topic a day or two ago. In that he talked about the concept of RIR (reps in reserve) and basically said that moment when the weight suddenly feels much heavier is when you should stop; you likely have 2-3 reps in reserve that, gun to your head, you could possibly grind out. Going (grinding) to failure in every set throws the stimulus-to-fatigue ratio out of whack and can actually hurt your gains.
Yeah, and why don't they emphasize progressive overload more? It's really strange. I mean, it's alright to do some brutal sets at the last week of your meso, but grinding every set constantly every week is not sustainable, it's a recipe for disaster in the long term.
@@GordonSlaveman progressive overload is results of your training it is not something you can simply emphasize.
@@Pea-bj2qv Gee, just keep your diet in your mouth, no need to spread it around. LOL 😂
Good information. The philosophy transfers over into my road bike workouts: Performing intervals and gridding out a sprint up a hill.
Jeff do you know if soft muscles are result of overtraining or at least inadequate recovery?
Muscle will be soft when at rest and hard at flex or contraction. That's normal. Unless you mean something else
@@ravenruppie96 I’m assuming they mean they aren’t hard enough while flexing
Jeff doesn't answer questions. LOL 😂
@@freedomrings1420 Just like you don't even lift but drink your own milk all day. LOL 😂
If you cannot repeat the same level of performance week to week them you’re not recovered
Yes. I’ve noticed this. And sometimes even after a ‘grind’ rep…. I find sometimes I can just change my breathing and body alignment slightly… to free up the working part to do a few more. Thank you.
This video was extremely helpful. Even for experienced athletes. Thank you kindly Jeff and Jesse
The spacing part 14:30 makes so much more sense to explain true failure
Excellent video as always by the guys. Just a little warning to those who are going to train to failure more, be ready for a lot of muscle sorness. Make sure to allow extra time for recovery before hitting the same muscles again. But you probably already knew that, cause were all pros from listening to Jeff and Jess.
Great point
It's crazy to be able to visualize the blood flow to Jessie's back during that second lat pull video. His back lights up like a Christmas tree.
The grind has always been my favorite. I think discomfort gets mistaken as pain by many beginners.
If I don't reach failure in almost all of my sets I then feel guilty! I just can't stop the set feeling that I still have at least 1 more rep with acceptable form in the bank.
I have always trained to failure, but now I am beginning to think that it is a mistake. Because I see that if I ALWAYS train to failure, not only I reach plateau, but even regress. The key is training not to failure for a couple of week, and then to failure the third, and repeat this cycle. You need to periodically give your muscles a rest! Btw, I am next to my 55s... so maybe younger guys may bear more intensity with less accumulation of fatigue.
How often are you training? I train to failure on every set, and I do one set per exercise. I train twice a week on a four day split. So I hit each muscle group on average once every two weeks, and the muscles are sore for 3 to 5 days after the workout. I am 27 years old, and this method works for me. My recovery ability is quicker than that of yours due to my age, and I can almost guarantee you are training more frequently than I am. If you want to train to failure consistently, then I would consider reducing the frequency of my workouts if I were you
@@natewilson7664 Yes, I train way much often than you, Nate. 4 days a week, on a 4-day, half-body split, which is like a 2-day split, considering that I train the same muscolar groups twice a week, albeit doing different excercises. And I do 3 sets of 8 reps per each excercise, 4 multi-articular excercises per trainig day, plus 2 isolation excersices. Well, the first set is quite always 8 reps, but the second and third could be like 7 of 9, depending when I reach the point in which I hit mechanical failure. Since I train alone, I train on machines, to avoid dangers when I hit mechanical failure. However I am now trying to respect the mesocycles, so I am trying to do one day full intensity, and rest 2 weeks at about 70-80% intensity. Consider that I do not drink or eat any supplement whatsoever. I used to do a lot of aerobic training years in the past, so you know, it's hard to resist to the temptation to always push me beyond the limit.