what do you think about muscle failure?

soliver76
soliver76 Posts: 10
edited November 8 in Fitness and Exercise
When I was swimming, my coach designed workouts to put us in muscle failure. What do you think? Good or bad?

Replies

  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,328 Member
    I have nothing against going to failure, but I don't like the idea of doing it in a place I can drown.
  • soliver76
    soliver76 Posts: 10
    I wouldn't do it in a pool anymore. I guess I was more wondering if people thought it was good or bad to do when trying to get back into training or to keep up with where you are.
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
    if you are getting back into it, i wouldn't go to failure just yet. i feel that its something you should do after you have a base.
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    As in lifting weights?

    I count failure as when I can no longer lift the weight in a consistent way to the required height (or depth) without having to cheat the weight up (e.g. flick the body to gain extra momentum).

    Some people count it when they cannot lift any more at all but in my eyes thats using momentum and the other muscles to get the weight up and thus fairly pointless.
  • Bikini27
    Bikini27 Posts: 1,290 Member
    I have nothing against going to failure, but I don't like the idea of doing it in a place I can drown.

    My thoughts exactly....
  • nathanmay
    nathanmay Posts: 1
    Muscle failure is good for serious athletes. It is not good for people who are not at peak physical fitness. It can tear down muscle fiber in an unhealthy way if you don't do it right and it can make you not want to stick with it. Do intervals.
  • kag1526
    kag1526 Posts: 210 Member
    I have nothing against going to failure, but I don't like the idea of doing it in a place I can drown.

    This was my first thought... I mean if I'm running and fall I am just going to roll to sitting take out my phone and call my husband to come get me.... if I"m swimming that could be bad!
  • Justjoshin
    Justjoshin Posts: 999 Member
    As in lifting weights?

    I count failure as when I can no longer lift the weight in a consistent way to the required height (or depth) without having to cheat the weight up (e.g. flick the body to gain extra momentum).

    Some people count it when they cannot lift any more at all but in my eyes thats using momentum and the other muscles to get the weight up and thus fairly pointless.

    I'm with you here for the most part.... But keep in mind that a cheat rep to get the weight up, isn't awful if you can capitalize on the negative and control the weight as you lower it. Still good gains to be made from the eccentric.
  • tgh1914
    tgh1914 Posts: 1,036 Member
    As in lifting weights?

    I count failure as when I can no longer lift the weight in a consistent way to the required height (or depth) without having to cheat the weight up (e.g. flick the body to gain extra momentum).

    Some people count it when they cannot lift any more at all but in my eyes thats using momentum and the other muscles to get the weight up and thus fairly pointless.
    ^^^ Not to mention that's how injuries can start up - from bad form.
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
    When I was swimming, my coach designed workouts to put us in muscle failure. What do you think? Good or bad?
    I work to 80% failure - not because I disagree with your coach so much as my own unwillingness to push that hard.

    I get the results I want, but then again, I am 47 years old and am not competing against other hungry, young people eager to defeat me. In your position I might just push harder.

    I hate to lose.
  • vick9180
    vick9180 Posts: 144 Member
    As in lifting weights?

    I count failure as when I can no longer lift the weight in a consistent way to the required height (or depth) without having to cheat the weight up (e.g. flick the body to gain extra momentum).

    Some people count it when they cannot lift any more at all but in my eyes thats using momentum and the other muscles to get the weight up and thus fairly pointless.

    I'm with you here for the most part.... But keep in mind that a cheat rep to get the weight up, isn't awful if you can capitalize on the negative and control the weight as you lower it. Still good gains to be made from the eccentric.

    Great eccentric training should be done with a spotter...if you're using other parts of your body to lift the weight, it could lead to injury.

    To answer the OP, working out to muscle failure is fine...but as someone else said, you need a good base first.
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
    As in lifting weights?

    I count failure as when I can no longer lift the weight in a consistent way to the required height (or depth) without having to cheat the weight up (e.g. flick the body to gain extra momentum).

    Some people count it when they cannot lift any more at all but in my eyes thats using momentum and the other muscles to get the weight up and thus fairly pointless.

    I'm with you here for the most part.... But keep in mind that a cheat rep to get the weight up, isn't awful if you can capitalize on the negative and control the weight as you lower it. Still good gains to be made from the eccentric.
    I do this but only with somebody working with me. This is an injury risk, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

    Alone, I push to 80%
  • brandyk77
    brandyk77 Posts: 605 Member
    I lift to failure and have found it quite beneficial.

    I do it with a trainer however as I don't think I could push myself that hard alone
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member

    I'm with you here for the most part.... But keep in mind that a cheat rep to get the weight up, isn't awful if you can capitalize on the negative and control the weight as you lower it. Still good gains to be made from the eccentric.

    I'd agree with that. However I cannot remember the last time I saw someone cheat the weight up and slowly control the negative. EVER :laugh:

    Most people ego lift and thats that. I've made my biggest gains training to failure in the way I describe and its pushed my weights right up as a result .
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
    I wouldn't do it in a pool anymore. I guess I was more wondering if people thought it was good or bad to do when trying to get back into training or to keep up with where you are.
    How bad do you want to win?
    Athletes who compete push themselves, and as a boxer, I know that fights are not won in the ring but the gym in the weeks preceding the actual bout.
  • Hotrodhoodlum
    Hotrodhoodlum Posts: 148
    I do 4 sets 10 to 12 reps on eash excerise when I am on my 4th set I can barley do 8 to 12 reps, muscle is exhausted when the weight is correct . Done move on to next exercise
  • addisondisease
    addisondisease Posts: 664 Member
    As in lifting weights?

    I count failure as when I can no longer lift the weight in a consistent way to the required height (or depth) without having to cheat the weight up (e.g. flick the body to gain extra momentum).

    Some people count it when they cannot lift any more at all but in my eyes thats using momentum and the other muscles to get the weight up and thus fairly pointless.

    Oh man i'm loving this explaination, and mirin' hard at your gains, no homo.
  • addisondisease
    addisondisease Posts: 664 Member
    Interesting question for my lifting bros in conjecture with this above statement:

    Is it beneficial to train to failure (till form fails), move on to a different lift, then back to previous lift?

    Squats to failure, leg raise, Squats to failure.
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    Interesting question for my lifting bros in conjecture with this above statement:

    Is it beneficial to train to failure (till form fails), move on to a different lift, then back to previous lift?

    Squats to failure, leg raise, Squats to failure.

    Allow 90-180 seconds and repeat same exercise.
  • Ariana_75
    Ariana_75 Posts: 224
    I always go to failure on the last two sets when I'm lifting and I've noticed nice muscle gains since I started doing this. However, I wouldn't dare do this in a pool!
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    As in lifting weights?

    I count failure as when I can no longer lift the weight in a consistent way to the required height (or depth) without having to cheat the weight up (e.g. flick the body to gain extra momentum).

    Some people count it when they cannot lift any more at all but in my eyes thats using momentum and the other muscles to get the weight up and thus fairly pointless.

    I feel the same way. Once my form suffers for a rep or two, I give it up.
  • MissFit0101
    MissFit0101 Posts: 2,382
    As in lifting weights?

    I count failure as when I can no longer lift the weight in a consistent way to the required height (or depth) without having to cheat the weight up (e.g. flick the body to gain extra momentum).

    Some people count it when they cannot lift any more at all but in my eyes thats using momentum and the other muscles to get the weight up and thus fairly pointless.

    ditto this.
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    I LOVE it. It's made me so much stronger and so much quicker than lots of reps and low weight.
  • jetscreaminagain
    jetscreaminagain Posts: 1,130 Member
    I've heard and read from more than one reputable, researching source that it is a failure that the muscle strength gains happen. The very well educated trainer I worked out with explained that I can get to failure in 3 reps or get to failure in 200 reps, but the failure is where we wanted to be. We went with heavier to get to failure faster, and yes, he'd pull the weight the rest of the way, have me lower it slower and then make me lift again.

    The added bonus was that it felt AWESOME. it's dead sexy to be spent like that.

    When I work out on my own (which is most of the time), I do my darnedest to try to get that last rep or two slow because I'm almost to failure, but of course, I don't do stuff that risks I lose control of the weight that is often right over my head.
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