Will you train until you fail at weight training exercises?

This text was written by a TecMundo columnist; Learn more at the end.

Just browse social media and you’ll see: “train to failure in bodybuilding”. “Exhaust your muscles to the point where you can’t complete even one rep in your range,” reads the statement on their fitness profiles and channels.

So what does science tell us about failure in strength training? Will the results be positive or negative? Is the practice carried out in gyms in accordance with current science?

This was a common belief in gyms and is still prevalent among bodybuilders, and is reflected in mantras such as “no pain, no gain” and “work hard or go home,” which are not supported by scientific evidence.

Reviews since 2021 have shown that education is headed for failure does not provide a superior benefit for hypertrophy compared to not reaching failure in terms of both hypertrophy and muscle strength. But information like this doesn’t seem to be making its way into the real world, let alone through the gym door, to change the way people train.

Momentary muscle failure occurs at the point in the set where it is no longer possible to complete the repetition. Although it is widely recommended by bodybuilders and fitness influencers, scientific literature has shown that this strategy can introduce high levels of neuromuscular fatigueIt disrupts stimulation during training and leads to muscle damage that compromises protein synthesis for muscle hypertrophy.

This led to guidance on performing a series of exercises with bench reps, which consists of benching some reps before reaching muscle failure. As in the most recent study, comparisons were made between reaching muscle failure and training using bench repetitions.

Understand the new study

In the latest study, researchers had men and women exercise their thighs and “literally” split each in half: One leg would work to failure, the other wouldn’t; will use these backup replays. This study design (within-subjects) allows comparisons to be made between each individual as well as across all those evaluated, as each received both forms of intervention. It was a one-sided model, just like every human leg does. leg press and extension chair, the only difference is whether it fails or not.

After a total of 16 workouts over 8 weeks, hypertrophy assessed using ultrasound showed no significant difference between protocols; A 6.96% increase in thigh strength was seen after training to failure, and a 6.98% increase was seen when using replacement reps. Finish the series with 1 or 2 reps on bench was sufficient to promote hypertrophy in the lower extremities (quadriceps), at a level similar to reaching failure in trained men and women.

This is a result that changes people’s beliefs and can be difficult to change. There is something ingrained in us: cognitive laziness, as Adam Grandt points out in his beautiful book “Think Again.” We often prefer the ease of holding on to old views over the difficulty of understanding new ideas. But to overcome this, we can adopt a scientific stance and remain open to new evidence as it emerges.

In practice: Should you go for failure or not?

This is a decision made by the physical trainer and together with the practitioner will take into account aspects such as the volume of training, weight lifted, order of exercises, etc., in addition to the emotional reactions of the practitioner, as many may feel dissatisfaction. It leads to failure while others feel challenged.

Considering a very common goal among bodybuilders – Hypertrophy is health before aesthetics, because having more muscle mass is also healthyWeekly training volume is known to be an important variable, so limiting neuromuscular fatigue to failure may be consistent because this compromises volume in the following training sets.

However, failure can also be used in moments where there is ample rest time between series, such as the last series of the muscle group trained, as well as in moments when you want to create a challenge for the practitioner that can help with motivation.

Another situation where failure can be prescribed is when we get used to the training we have been doing for weeks, a plateau can break and lead to muscle failure. Generally, Muscle failure is not recommended for beginners in bodybuilding.

The mantra seems to be “work hard or go home” (work hard or go home) is not scientifically supported. We can increase strength and hypertrophy without reaching muscle failure. Remember that long-term results such as aesthetics and physical fitness come with long-term exercise. Staying active is the most important thing. No flaws.

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Fábio Dominski He holds a PhD in Human Movement Sciences and a degree in Physical Education from Santa Catarina State University (UDESC). He is a university professor and researcher at the Laboratory of Sport and Exercise Psychology (LAPE/UDESC). he is doing scientific dissemination on social media there podcast available on Spotify. Author of Physical Exercise and Science – Facts and Myths.