Is Training to Failure a Good Training Strategy?
Think training to failure is the right strategy for you? Maximise your strength and performance. We explain how to train to failure the right way.
Knowledge is power, and it can make your workouts better and more effective. So let's start with a little theory.
Muscle growth, or muscle hypertrophy, is driven by 3 processes: mechanical tension, muscle damage and metabolic stress.
- Mechanical tension in the muscle fibres builds up when you gradually increase the load or the number of reps, or shorten the rest between sets. Your body adapts to the higher load.
- Muscle damage occurs when you push past your usual limits during a workout. Micro-tears form in the muscle fibres, and the body repairs them using satellite cells. The repaired fibres end up thicker than they were before.
- Metabolic stress is the process where metabolites accumulate in the muscle due to a lack of oxygen and energy. You take the muscle fibres to their limit with a higher number of reps (16 or more).
One effective way to achieve muscle hypertrophy is training to failure. It is a popular technique where you keep performing an exercise until you are physically unable to complete another rep. This type of training combines all three factors that influence muscle growth.
You can add it to your programme no matter where you are on your fitness journey. It is especially valuable, though, for people who have been training for a while and feel they have hit a plateau.
3 steps to an effective workout
- Warm up. Set aside 10 minutes before your workout for a warm-up. It can be light cardio, a run, a jog, cycling or dynamic stretching to get blood flowing to the muscles and improve mobility.
- Start gradually. You don't have to load 50 kg on the bar for squats right away. Pick a weight that feels relatively heavy for you but still lets you do at least 8 – 10 reps. Increase the load step by step until you can't manage another rep. Don't forget proper technique and posture. It's fine to push your body beyond its comfort zone, but listen to it and learn to tell discomfort from pain.
- When you reach the “point of failure”, take a break. Use this time to stretch the muscle group you are working and to rest. Rest between sets should be long enough for you to catch your breath and carry on.
Have you tried blood flow restriction?
You can also get interesting results with the blood flow restriction (BFR) method. It involves using a fitness tourniquet in the form of a band. Before exercising, you place it above the muscle group you are about to train – most often the arms or legs. Blood pools in the restricted muscle group and, at the same time, its oxygen supply drops. This creates a situation that in normal strength training only occurs at the end of a set. It is a kind of shortcut to the point of failure.
This type of training gets you results with a significantly lighter load. BFR is also effective if you are recovering from an injury, suffer from frequent tendon inflammation or have shortened fascia (a type of connective tissue that protects our muscles, organs, blood vessels and nerves).
Skip this type of training if you have high blood pressure, an elevated risk of venous thrombosis or have been diagnosed with any other cardiovascular condition.
Why should you train to failure?
- Your strength and muscles grow – You step out of your comfort zone and stimulate greater muscle activation, which supports gains in both strength and muscle mass.
- You build endurance – And not just physical, but mental too. When you think you can't go on, your body will probably surprise you and prove you wrong. But only ever train as long as you can keep proper technique and form. If you are running on empty and can no longer hold your body properly, end the exercise.
- Your workouts will be truly effective – Adding training to failure lets you make the most of your time in the gym. You trigger a bigger physiological response and can get great results even from shorter sessions.
Proper form and technique should always take priority over the number of reps. If you are unsure about your form or the right load, turn to a personal trainer who will guide you through the whole process. After training, don't forget about recovery – for example with the help of BCAA amino acids or EAA from Voxberg.
Want to get shredded for the beach but keep forgetting about your protein intake? Read up on why protein is essential for building muscle mass.
