Muscle failure

blakejohn
blakejohn Posts: 1,129 Member
edited November 19 in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Does anyone still lift till muscle failure?

It has been at least 10 years since I've lifted till muscle failure. This past week it did not take long to get to failure but I can remember being in the gym for 2 hours some days working legs.
I have to say it felt good to have sore muscles again.

Replies

  • Rusty740
    Rusty740 Posts: 749 Member
    If you're not lifting to within 3 reps of failure, you're not doing anything. Still true today as it was 10 years ago, as long as you're lifting at %60 of your 1RM or greater.
  • not_a_runner
    not_a_runner Posts: 1,343 Member
    Prepare yourself for the "OMG you gunna die" comments headed this way.
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,192 Member
    Only if doing so doesn't not affect form.
  • blakejohn
    blakejohn Posts: 1,129 Member
    Gisel2015 wrote: »
    Only if doing so doesn't not affect form.

    one of the first muscle memory's that came back was....... drop sets
  • not_a_runner
    not_a_runner Posts: 1,343 Member
    blakejohn wrote: »
    TresaAswegan wrote: »
    Prepare yourself for the "OMG you gunna die" comments headed this way.

    Well if I have a choice, I'd like to die doing squats

    Only way to go, really. >:)
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    My programming doesn't allow for failure, it's more long term based and being able to progress for my needs. Thought I've been RPE 9.99 a few times, lol.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    My programming doesn't allow for failure, it's more long term based and being able to progress for my needs. Thought I've been RPE 9.99 a few times, lol.

    Pretty much what I do.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    My programming doesn't allow for failure, it's more long term based and being able to progress for my needs. Thought I've been RPE 9.99 a few times, lol.

    Pretty much what I do.

    Same here. As a matter of fact, a couple of times today...
  • jusldudley
    jusldudley Posts: 7 Member
    I struggle with forcing myself mentally to lift to actual muscle failure. That point where I want to stop, but I know I have a few more reps in me.
  • blakejohn
    blakejohn Posts: 1,129 Member
    Just thought I would give a progress report. This week it took a little more to get to failure with my legs and the day after legs there is hardly any soreness.
  • skymningen
    skymningen Posts: 532 Member
    Wait for it... my soreness took it's precious time. After training two days ago I was disappointed to not be sore yesterday on my rest day. I am so sore today. And I planned to go to the gym today. People call it DOMS for a reason... the delay can vary.
  • joinn68
    joinn68 Posts: 480 Member
    richln wrote: »
    One time I tried, but I have never been able to fail at anything.
    :D
    Are you Chuck Norris in disguise lurking on this site?
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,219 Member
    skymningen wrote: »
    Wait for it... my soreness took it's precious time. After training two days ago I was disappointed to not be sore yesterday on my rest day. I am so sore today. And I planned to go to the gym today. People call it DOMS for a reason... the delay can vary.

    Heheh. I'm always sore two days later. The day after I'm just a little tight.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    jseams1234 wrote: »
    skymningen wrote: »
    Wait for it... my soreness took it's precious time. After training two days ago I was disappointed to not be sore yesterday on my rest day. I am so sore today. And I planned to go to the gym today. People call it DOMS for a reason... the delay can vary.

    Heheh. I'm always sore two days later. The day after I'm just a little tight.

    Same here. And for me, it's only lower body.
  • se015
    se015 Posts: 583 Member
    Rusty740 wrote: »
    If you're not lifting to within 3 reps of failure, you're not doing anything. Still true today as it was 10 years ago, as long as you're lifting at %60 of your 1RM or greater.

    wait can you explain that? So you're saying for example if I can do 8 reps of a weight, I should start to fail at the 5th rep? Sorry just want to understand more about how to gauge that. Thanks!
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    Seth1825 wrote: »
    Rusty740 wrote: »
    If you're not lifting to within 3 reps of failure, you're not doing anything. Still true today as it was 10 years ago, as long as you're lifting at %60 of your 1RM or greater.

    wait can you explain that? So you're saying for example if I can do 8 reps of a weight, I should start to fail at the 5th rep? Sorry just want to understand more about how to gauge that. Thanks!

    NO, what it appears is being said, is that your working(training) load should stop within 1-3 reps of failure. so if you're working 3 sets 8 reps, your failure point should be in the 9-11 range.
  • se015
    se015 Posts: 583 Member
    ohhhhh okay gotya, thank you!
  • Rusty740
    Rusty740 Posts: 749 Member
    edited July 2017
    stanmann571 wrote: »
    Seth1825 wrote: »
    Rusty740 wrote: »
    If you're not lifting to within 3 reps of failure, you're not doing anything. Still true today as it was 10 years ago, as long as you're lifting at %60 of your 1RM or greater.

    wait can you explain that? So you're saying for example if I can do 8 reps of a weight, I should start to fail at the 5th rep? Sorry just want to understand more about how to gauge that. Thanks!

    NO, what it appears is being said, is that your working(training) load should stop within 1-3 reps of failure. so if you're working 3 sets 8 reps, your failure point should be in the 9-11 range.

    Yes this^ is it. Except ideally I guess you go to zero reps to failure (Failure of "Form" mind you though). The idea is that in general, failure is a really really good way to tell if you are doing more than it takes to overload your muscles and joints, and it also lets you lift heavy or light (which we know both have benefits so long as you go close to failure). I've been watching a lot youtube of Mike Israetel lately and IMO there's no one who really explains this stuff more logically than him.

    It's based on the idea of Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) except that RPE is really hard to consistently estimate, especially for new lifters and those lifting on a bad day for instance. How many reps you have in the tank is a really simple, easy thing to put your finger on. Here's a couple fancy charts I pilfered from some websites that helped me get a good handle on what my reps/weights should look like. Sets are another important thing Mike Israetel gets into a lot. In general, diminishing returns happen after 4 worksets and there is a goldilocks range per week of total worksets per muscle group that is dependent on a lot of factors. Just last night I was watching a chest hypertrophy video of his that said do 12-20 sets per week of chest. Anyway, I'm blathering.

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  • blakejohn
    blakejohn Posts: 1,129 Member
    That is a great guide, thanks for sharing it.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    edited July 2017
    I don't believe in setting myself up to fail in any aspect of my life, so I have never lifted w/the goal of failing.

    Doesn't mean that I have never failed to complete a planned set of lifts, just that I don't believe it is necessary to set a goal of lifting to failure in order to achieve greater strength and muscle growth.

    I use a progressive lifting approach gradually increasing the amount lifted over time which is common to many programs from beginner to advanced where the objective is to sucessfully lift more weight w/o resorting to muscular failure to achieve it.
  • blakejohn
    blakejohn Posts: 1,129 Member
    Progressive is a good approach, a few times I used the Pyramid program both up and down.
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