Strength Training- Reps 12-10-8- until failure question

cajuntank

OP, I just realized I never offered an answer to your primary question about training to muscular failure. I'm of the opinion that it's sub-optimal for long term. What I mean is, while it technically causes the most muscular disruption (which is what you want), the time it takes to recover from this is time you could have been recovered and training again. I like it akin to trying to get a deep tan. Can you go an get blistered, recover, get blistered, recover, and so on till you get that tan you want? Probably. But it will take much longer to recover between each tanning session before you would attempt it again. The better approach would be to start off with minimal exposure and increase that exposure time little by little each session. Recovery will be far easier and the time to get to that goal will be shorter as well.

You will see this methodology in programming called auto-regulation where depending on the phase you are in, might have you stop short of failure by 3 reps or 2 reps or 1 rep. You might also see it shown as @7 (for three reps "left in the tank"), @8 (2 reps left), @9 (you get the my point). Then of course performing a max attempt would be @10.
If you don't see this in some of the programs, it just means the percentages are already calculated for you as what is expected for you to do (not what you might actually be able to do that day... You might have had a bad night's sleep, or not eating properly, stresses of life, etc... Which might affect training that day and you don't feel as strong).

raven56706

good info. thanks. Im gonna stick to my 12-10-8 and until failure... see how it takes me for 3 months. if its not good or no progress , i will switch