Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below i have a report on training to failure and the use of multiple sets versus one set, various rep ranges, and the use of machines or free weights. It gives specific studies that were done and the results. It is extremely interesting, it was written by my exercise physiology professor disputing ACSM's position stand on resistance training. If you want the link here it is the only bad part is its 64 pages or so, but u can skim through it. Basically it shows that there is hardly any difference between multiple sets to a single set when taken to failure and the use of rep ranges between 3 and 15 as long as failure is met in one set 2 to 3 times a week will elicit the same response to split work outs etc. There was a greater response however with working out 6 days a week basically in elite athletes. Heres the link very interesting stuff. It is the second link on the page.Journal of Exercise Physiology
Ultimate truth about Training to failure
- Thread starter pintoca
- Start date
on another note i have actually been training this way for the past month and have noticed some decent gains. Basically i have been training one set to failure per muscle group 3 days a week, failing at about the 10 rep mark, focusing a lot on the form and full stretch and range of motion of the movement. The work out consists of about 10 exercise and last me roughly 30 minutes. I have two different work outs that i rotate for some variety. So far its been working relatively similar to all of the split routines and periodized routines i have tried and im out of the gym in under 30 mins. The work out is not easy though. There is minimal rest between sets just catch my breath enough so my form does not suffer on the next exercise. So so far im liking this high intensity style.
pintoca
New member
This thread turned out for the better!!
Great posts guys
My personal experience: I've been trraining only for 13 months, it has been always cutting (yeah, I know). My main goal while cutting was to basically KEEP my LBM as much as possible. I dropped 70lbs in one year and not a single lb of LBM, it was all fat.
The way I did it was basically 3 sets per exercise, in the 12 reps range, as heavy as I could manage. I later moved to 12,10,8, with increasing weights... the last rep was probably close to failure, but not total failure.
I then did 2 months of madcows 5x5, not the dual-phase program, but the single factor one... My strenght skyrocketed (obviously, after a year cutting, when I hit the CHO, there was no limit to that I could do)
I went back to cutting (it was simply a pause for my thyroid) and started my 12,10,8 routine again, 3-4 exercises/body part.
The reason I jumped into failure training was because I noted I was NEVER sore anymore with my training, at one point it felt as if I was simply cruising through it, despite the fact that I increased the load everyweek (either one rep more, or little more weight).
So I started doing stripped sets, increasing the sets to 5 or 6... shit, quite the opposite, burning all over, even 4-5 days after the training, which gets in the way of my other workouts.
Hence the question.
Great posts guys
My personal experience: I've been trraining only for 13 months, it has been always cutting (yeah, I know). My main goal while cutting was to basically KEEP my LBM as much as possible. I dropped 70lbs in one year and not a single lb of LBM, it was all fat.
The way I did it was basically 3 sets per exercise, in the 12 reps range, as heavy as I could manage. I later moved to 12,10,8, with increasing weights... the last rep was probably close to failure, but not total failure.
I then did 2 months of madcows 5x5, not the dual-phase program, but the single factor one... My strenght skyrocketed (obviously, after a year cutting, when I hit the CHO, there was no limit to that I could do)
I went back to cutting (it was simply a pause for my thyroid) and started my 12,10,8 routine again, 3-4 exercises/body part.
The reason I jumped into failure training was because I noted I was NEVER sore anymore with my training, at one point it felt as if I was simply cruising through it, despite the fact that I increased the load everyweek (either one rep more, or little more weight).
So I started doing stripped sets, increasing the sets to 5 or 6... shit, quite the opposite, burning all over, even 4-5 days after the training, which gets in the way of my other workouts.
Hence the question.
blut wump
New member
I think those who often tend to take sets to failure will be running programs where bodyparts are trained just once per week. As such they'll have a legs day and blast away at the legs with everything they can think of and then hobble around for five or six days until they work legs again. I tried it for a while but it's not for me. You'll often see people discussing splits where they say they try to keep back day as far as possible from leg day and the soreness is why.
Many studies have shown that it's better to train muscles at least twice per week and being very sore does just get in the way.
Many studies have shown that it's better to train muscles at least twice per week and being very sore does just get in the way.
(1) soreness is an indication of nothing.
(2) if you are training to real failure you should only have one work-out per week, full body, no rest between sets and no need to "work your bi's"
(3) failure means that if I have a knife at your throat, you can not do one more rep.
(4) dont forget negative failure, static failure and positive failure
(5) most guys who say they go to failure....DONT
(6) if you train more than 3x a week (on AAS) you ARE NOT training to failure.
If you train whole body to failure, you'll likely need a nap the day of your work-out and 1-2 days later you might experience flu like symptons.
also, there are tons of study's on training to failure.
(2) if you are training to real failure you should only have one work-out per week, full body, no rest between sets and no need to "work your bi's"
(3) failure means that if I have a knife at your throat, you can not do one more rep.
(4) dont forget negative failure, static failure and positive failure
(5) most guys who say they go to failure....DONT
(6) if you train more than 3x a week (on AAS) you ARE NOT training to failure.
If you train whole body to failure, you'll likely need a nap the day of your work-out and 1-2 days later you might experience flu like symptons.
also, there are tons of study's on training to failure.
pintoca
New member
blut wump said:
I find it hard to train muscles once per week, even if you are trying to... when you train chest, you will train triceps as well, back? most likely shoulders will come into play too, if you are deadlifting, then legs as well. For pull exercises (back day) also biceps...
This is the problem I find, a muscle that is accesory in other day not working as it should.
This would work ONLY if you are doing PURE isolation movements. The moment you start doing some compund movements the soreness will get in the way.
blut wump
New member
That's why people agonize so much about finding the ideal split. They try to put triceps with chest but then realise they don't have enough time for shoulders so that needs another day. Then they find they have to do lateral raises instead of presses since their triceps are still fried. Next they move shoulders a little further away from chest day but that means that back day is now too close legs unless...
On top of that you get the plethora of techniques to pre-exhaust muscles so that you can save support muscles for some session later in the week. You get people talking of using too much delts in a bench press or using biceps too much in their rowing and people not squatting since it makes everything sore. The whole system becomes a juggling act which can never quite be stable until either you get the needle out or settle for low-intensity workouts to allow sufficient recovery.
I was drifting around that spiral when I discovered Elite looking for drugs info and found training info instead.
On top of that you get the plethora of techniques to pre-exhaust muscles so that you can save support muscles for some session later in the week. You get people talking of using too much delts in a bench press or using biceps too much in their rowing and people not squatting since it makes everything sore. The whole system becomes a juggling act which can never quite be stable until either you get the needle out or settle for low-intensity workouts to allow sufficient recovery.
I was drifting around that spiral when I discovered Elite looking for drugs info and found training info instead.
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