What are the pros and cons of doing sets to failure?

[Frunsky]

What are the pros and cons of doing sets to failure?

 

[miked8c]

Doing a difficult set leaving you almost to the point of failure on your last rep is more beneficial than just doing it to failure.


CNS wise, if you do set to failure your not teaching your body to complete the rep and believe it or not this plays a role in the amount of weight you can lift.


Doing a set to failure is easy, what is harder is finding the right weight to complete a heavy set without leaving too much gas in the tank, so that you can barely lift the last rep. It is that last full rep that is what your entire workout is working up to, it is the rep that actually makes you stronger.

 

[C.K.]

If you do it every set it will lead to over training try to do it on the last set of every excercise...

 

[Frunsky]

That sounds good I has planing on doing a 5x5 for squats, bench, deadlift, and shoulder press. Then for isolation workouts do three to four sets and push the last set for each workout to failure..

 

[Headholio]

That sounds good I has planing on doing a 5x5 for squats, bench, deadlift, and shoulder press. Then for isolation workouts do three to four sets and push the last set for each workout to failure..

So in other words, you would increase weight each set until your last set was a 100% effort for 5 reps?

 

[Frunsky]

I would increase the weight for each week not each set for my 5x5. Wrong or right?

 

[Headholio]

I would increase the weight for each week not each set for my 5x5. Wrong or right?

Here are your options as I see it, but I think its an interesting question:

1. your first set is 100% effort. In this case you will probably lose some strength each set, your your reps might look more like 5,4,3,2,1

2. Your first set is 100% effort, but you take really long rests (5 min +) so that you can try to hit 5 for all 5 sets.

3. Your first set is 100% effort, and you drop weight for each of the following sets to allow you to get the 5 reps for all 5 sets.

4. Your first set is less than max effort, maybe 80%, and you add a little weight each time so only your last set or 2 are at max effort.

5. Your first set is maybe 90% effort for 5. You keep the same weight so your second set is closer to 100%. the third set you only get 3 or 4 etc.

All those strategies can work, depending on what your goal is. I have done a lot of the number 2 type, which is more geared for powerlifting. Now I'm on more of a number 4.