The idea of training to muscle failure can seem very contradictory. The importance of training wisely and not compromising our muscles or joints to possible injury from overworking them has been constantly stressed. But, for those who are into weightlifting, this type of training can be the key to obtaining the desired results.
The basic principle of a routine like this is to perform repetition after repetition of an exercise until our muscles and joints cannot take it anymore. Doing this sounds tough, and it is, but it can be very effective for building more muscle.
Find out how safe it is to train to muscle failure .
Training to muscle failure
There is one thing that must be made clear to understand this type of training: training to fail is intentionally failing an exercise, to the point where you simply won't be able to do more. This is not the same as failing to exercise due to poor movement or a minor injury.
This training is only recommended for exercises whose movements only require simple movements; for example push-ups or bicep curls. Instead, it is dangerous to follow this strategy with compound exercises (Grgic & Schoenfeld, 2019).
A good example for a training routine would be doing 3 sets of 10 reps of, say, traditional pushups. When completing them, we would continue with a single series until we could no longer.
Who can train to failure?
The answer is very simple: very few people. This type of routine is reserved for a very specific group of professional athletes.
For beginner or intermediate weightlifters, this workout is more harmful than beneficial. In contrast, for well-trained people, training to muscle failure can provide positive results (Libardi and Nóbrega, 2016).
And yet, not every professional weightlifter benefits from this workout. Pete McCAll, host physiologist for the All About Fitness podcast, says this works best for an athlete who is in off season or is training for a specific goal.
And what about the less experienced athletes? Commitment is the main element of any routine, but when you reach a point where you are sore, it hurts the result. For these athletes, it is best to train until fatigue; that is, reserving enough power in reserve to continue.
Risks of training to muscle failure
How harmful can this type of training be?
The first problem occurs when we are already tired. This causes the back to arch, and both the spine and lower back are put into a bad position. What will bring problems such as injuries due to excessive use of the muscle, muscle tension and, even, slipped vertebral discs. This is the main reason why training to muscle failure next is not recommended: the risk of injury is too great (Willardson, 2007).
But the risks do not end there. It is necessary to do this with a coach who is attentive to us all the time. For example, there is the risk of losing your grip, which can lead to broken feet or ribs. We also have the problem of muscle fibers: when we push them to the limit, they break.
Actually, this is not all bad, as it is necessary for muscle growth. The problem is when we take this too far, too much breakdown of the fibers can release myoglobin into our bloodstream, which in excess is capable of causing kidney damage.
Lastly, training to muscle failure is not a routine that must be done for long periods; pauses are necessary.
Why train to muscle failure?
Regular strength training compromises the motor units of the muscle. But, doing a routine until muscle failure leads us to activate absolutely all muscle motor units, and as there are no more of these left, we no longer get help to continue with the exercise.
In other words, because all of our muscle motor units are used, periodically training to muscle failure actually helps push the limits of our strength (Willardson, 2007). Studies have also been done to corroborate that training to failure induces muscle hypertrophy (Baker et al., 2012).
Other research has shown that this type of training also increases the secretion of hormones that lead to growth, such as testosterone. The hormones will aid in muscle repair in the recovery process.
How to train to muscle failure
As already mentioned, this workout is only recommended for experienced athletes. If you have trained for several years and have already developed a solid foundation of strength, then you can take your body to the next level. The best thing in that case is to go to a professional strength coach who puts together an appropriate routine to achieve the desired results.
You also have to understand how important it is not to do this too often. A workout routine until muscle failure is recommended every 8 to 12 weeks. And in case we prepare our body for a specific goal, it cannot be done more than two days a week, due to the high probability of risk.
Finally, we must pay close attention to the recovery of our body; that is, do everything possible to rest and recover properly.
conclusion
Training to muscle failure is not for everyone. Beginners should refrain from this and focus on other ways to get the results they want. The most trained athletes if they can execute this type of training, but they should not ignore the warning signs, nor abuse this method.
References
- Baker, S., Breen, L., Burd, N., Churchward-Venne, T., Mitchell, C., Phillips, S. and West, D. (2012). Resistance exercise load does not determine training-mediated hypertrophic gains in young men. Journal of Applied Physiology . doi: 10.1152 / japplphysiol.00307.2012.
- Grgic, J. and Schoenfled, B. (2019). Does Training to Failure Maximize Muscle Hypertrophy? Strength and Conditioning Journal . doi: 10.1519 / SSC.0000000000000473.
- Libardi, C and Nóbrega, S (2016). Is Resistance Training to Muscular Failure Necessary? Frontiers in Physiology . doi: 10.3389 / fphys.2016.00010.
- Willard, J. (2007). The application of training to failure in periodized multiple-set resistance exercise programs. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research . doi: 10.1519 / R-20426.1.
