Effective Reps: Does Training To Failure Matter For Muscle Growth? Science Explained
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Date: 2019-11-06
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Comments and reviews: 9
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Well if the last rep - toward failure - didn't matter more then the very concept of 'work' is undermined. It seems almost axiomatic that the bell curve applies and that there is a sweet spot of max-gain/min-harm at 80-90% of max. That said I think the best approach is to figure out the weight to get 8 reps to failure. Reduce the weight. (15-30 secs. rest as well) and go for eight more because the second set of eight, being lighter weight, means a smaller amount of hypertrophy per rep. which is good. because it reduces the risk of hurting yourself when each additional rep is worth, 0. 5% hypertrophy, for example, vs. 2. 5% for a higher weight. In other words, 8 heavy reps will get you to 65-80%? of failure. Then reducing the weight will allow work to continue in smaller increments from 80 to 90%. Why not 100? Because that's literally harming oneself. doing it until there's longer term damage instead of two days.
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Well if the last rep - toward failure - didn't matter more then the very concept of 'work' is undermined. It seems almost axiomatic that the bell curve applies and that there is a sweet spot of max-gain/min-harm at 80-90% of max. That said I think the best approach is to figure out the weight to get 8 reps to failure. Reduce the weight. (15-30 secs. rest as well) and go for eight more because the second set of eight, being lighter weight, means a smaller amount of hypertrophy per rep. which is good. because it reduces the risk of hurting yourself when each additional rep is worth, 0. 5% hypertrophy, for example, vs. 2. 5% for a higher weight. In other words, 8 heavy reps will get you to 65-80%? of failure. Then reducing the weight will allow work to continue in smaller increments from 80 to 90%. Why not 100? Because that's literally harming oneself. doing it until there's longer term damage instead of two days.
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Audrey Michele
I was wondering if anyone in the comment section could give me some advice. I am a pretty new lifter (only been lifting for about a year now) and am looking to see some more progress. I've been diving a lot deeper into diet and nutrition & have some questions I just can't seem to find the answers to. I know recomping is possible and I think that's what I'm looking for, but I'd like to grow my glutes while shedding inches off my waist. I've heard about eating in a surplus on lifting days and in a deficit on rest days, but I've also heard that's not a great thing to do. Does anyone have any advice from either personal experience or just knowledge in general? Thank you
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I was wondering if anyone in the comment section could give me some advice. I am a pretty new lifter (only been lifting for about a year now) and am looking to see some more progress. I've been diving a lot deeper into diet and nutrition & have some questions I just can't seem to find the answers to. I know recomping is possible and I think that's what I'm looking for, but I'd like to grow my glutes while shedding inches off my waist. I've heard about eating in a surplus on lifting days and in a deficit on rest days, but I've also heard that's not a great thing to do. Does anyone have any advice from either personal experience or just knowledge in general? Thank you
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Clifford Hodge
This is the first time I have seen reference to published studies which actually controlled for length of previous training. I had always assumed studies were done with subjects who did not train until they did so for the study. It seems to me that training history (how many years, how hard, how much progress made) would be an extremely important factor, and one for which there do not seem to be comparative results shown between the different experience groups. What seems to be called for is a longitudinal study following subjects who continue to work out for months or years and see how results vary at different time intervals.
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This is the first time I have seen reference to published studies which actually controlled for length of previous training. I had always assumed studies were done with subjects who did not train until they did so for the study. It seems to me that training history (how many years, how hard, how much progress made) would be an extremely important factor, and one for which there do not seem to be comparative results shown between the different experience groups. What seems to be called for is a longitudinal study following subjects who continue to work out for months or years and see how results vary at different time intervals.
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Aaron
The answer is in the middle. I think the most obvious answer with trained lifters is that fatigue management is important. Trained lifters move more weight and recruit more power and strength than untrained lifters. Going to failure all the time will make it so you simply cannot recover from your workouts. Whether it is from neural fatigue or muscular. Knowledgeable coaches have known this for ages. Training cycles for advanced lifters look like slowly building up to a short period of maximum effort lifts (peaking) and extended recovery periods after (deloads or tapers.
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The answer is in the middle. I think the most obvious answer with trained lifters is that fatigue management is important. Trained lifters move more weight and recruit more power and strength than untrained lifters. Going to failure all the time will make it so you simply cannot recover from your workouts. Whether it is from neural fatigue or muscular. Knowledgeable coaches have known this for ages. Training cycles for advanced lifters look like slowly building up to a short period of maximum effort lifts (peaking) and extended recovery periods after (deloads or tapers.
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nunnink av
It makes sense physiologically, that well trained lifters have adapted themselves to be able to push themselves further and harder to absolute failure than a novice lifter. In that regard, it does make sense that the less experienced a lifter is, the more training response they get from pushing themselves as hard as possible, whereas a heavily adapted lifter is actually overtraining and creating too much fiber damage. That siad, there is still likely a positive response from experienced lifters to train to failure, if programmed right
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It makes sense physiologically, that well trained lifters have adapted themselves to be able to push themselves further and harder to absolute failure than a novice lifter. In that regard, it does make sense that the less experienced a lifter is, the more training response they get from pushing themselves as hard as possible, whereas a heavily adapted lifter is actually overtraining and creating too much fiber damage. That siad, there is still likely a positive response from experienced lifters to train to failure, if programmed right
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earl venner
Hey buddy, im a plus 35 dad-bod looking to maximise my workouts where possible. whats your thoughts on 'Triangle-pyramid' workouts? ive been doing these for a week now by accident as i didnt know this was a thing and Ive been reading alot about reverse only pyramids. I dont want to cause an injury or overtrain, as i need to be sensible. any advise would be helpful. Lastly - keep it up this is a fantastic resource and it has really helped me so far. thank you
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Hey buddy, im a plus 35 dad-bod looking to maximise my workouts where possible. whats your thoughts on 'Triangle-pyramid' workouts? ive been doing these for a week now by accident as i didnt know this was a thing and Ive been reading alot about reverse only pyramids. I dont want to cause an injury or overtrain, as i need to be sensible. any advise would be helpful. Lastly - keep it up this is a fantastic resource and it has really helped me so far. thank you
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Ethan Chaney
Woah, its almost like managing your volume and intensity matters. We all know naturally that doing sets of it with what you should be doing with 10 doesnt help. This is why we do warm ups. A set of 5 at 135 isnt gonna get me sore just warmed up. This is stuff we already know but were just adding stuff. Its like how we know gravity is a thing then calling it your vertical acceleration. We know this already, were just adding words to it.
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Woah, its almost like managing your volume and intensity matters. We all know naturally that doing sets of it with what you should be doing with 10 doesnt help. This is why we do warm ups. A set of 5 at 135 isnt gonna get me sore just warmed up. This is stuff we already know but were just adding stuff. Its like how we know gravity is a thing then calling it your vertical acceleration. We know this already, were just adding words to it.
reply
dwayne bower
Lets say your trying to go 3 reps from failure on the bench press, should you increase or decrease the number of reps and or weight according to your fatigue. If you have programmed 3 sets of 10 reps with a certain weight if you have about 5 reps left for the first set, then 3 for the second and 1 from the 3rd. Would that be less effective then increasing or decreasing the work(reps or weight) to make sure you are 3 reps from failure?
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Lets say your trying to go 3 reps from failure on the bench press, should you increase or decrease the number of reps and or weight according to your fatigue. If you have programmed 3 sets of 10 reps with a certain weight if you have about 5 reps left for the first set, then 3 for the second and 1 from the 3rd. Would that be less effective then increasing or decreasing the work(reps or weight) to make sure you are 3 reps from failure?
reply
madi hill
If you're thinking about untrained people, on something such as 'failure' which is very much subjective unless the studies have shown some monitoring, than perhaps its understanding of their own strength and how far they think they can push themselves. I know when i first started lifting i didn't go as hard as i do now, i got used to the strain and pain and pushed it harder on a normal basis compared to when i first started.
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If you're thinking about untrained people, on something such as 'failure' which is very much subjective unless the studies have shown some monitoring, than perhaps its understanding of their own strength and how far they think they can push themselves. I know when i first started lifting i didn't go as hard as i do now, i got used to the strain and pain and pushed it harder on a normal basis compared to when i first started.
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