Too often do I get asked the question “is it necessary to train to failure?” Now, there are some out there that have said it’s completely unnecessary and that leaving reps in the tank is the best approach. However, they soon changed their minds and began recommending training to failure.
I’ve been consistent over the years in the recommendation that training to failure is necessary, but it requires context. When training for strength, you wouldn’t want to go to failure because it isn’t as beneficial as it is for building muscle, while also presenting the opportunity for getting pinned under the bar, have to dump the weight, and potentially setting yourself up for injury.
On the other hand, when it comes to hypertrophy and building muscle, I think it’s extremely beneficial for beginners. Why? Simply put; beginners don’t have an objective perception on what true failure is and when they are aiming to leave 1-2 reps in the tank (as research has shown to be just as beneficial as training to failure), they are actually leaving 4-5 reps in reserve.
So, in short, I think that training to failure is required for beginners, but seasoned lifters that know their capacity for failure, it isn’t totally necessary. That being said, I always opt to train to failure in good form, especially when training in higher rep ranges as research shows that failure is necessary at that point to actually stimulate new muscle growth.
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Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
