working to failure

K

Klipse

0
what is considered working out until failure? say im doing 4 sets - 12,10,8,6
first two i can usually get fairly easy, and the last two are hard to get the full reps and i might get a spot for the last rep. is this considered going until failure? should you be doing this every workout or is it not good?
 
Failure is, well...failure. To where you can't get the rep, and you should have a spotter, so when the spotter comes in.

You definitely should not go to failure all of the time. It's fine sometimes, but it's really hard on your body, not to mention hard on your nerves as well. And keep in mind you are tearing down a considerable amount of muscle.
 
so how often should i be going until failure? and if im trying not to, that means getting every rep done by myself, correct?

the reason i ask is because ive been going until failure pretty much all the time. if i dont, it feels like im not pushing myself to the max.

so if im not working until failure should i lower the weight if im trying to get a certain amount of reps (usually 12,10,8,6)?
or should i just stop if i feel like i can't pump out another rep on my own instead of getting it with a spotter?
 
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Failure is not always necessary. BUT it is a good way to ensure that you are exerting your maximum potential during a workout.
I personally consider my set "failed" when I can no longer perform a rep with proper form and tempo.. If I am struggling to keep in form and taking for ever to complete the motion, I stop.
If you are performing an exercise like the bench press and do not have safety racks, USE A SPOTTER. Ask them not to help you lift it, but just be there for your heavy sets. I know a lot of guys who can bench a buttload of weight, but use a spotter for safety. I said spotter, not lifting aid.. So make sure that when you reach the blackout point, you know.. the one where you are collecting every ounce of your being to get that last rep.. that someone/something is there to make sure you dont drop the bar on your neck.

So like I was saying.. Failure is good, but be sure to switch up your regime from time to time. low rep/high weight for a while, switch to low weight high rep. The whole idea of keeping your body guessing is somewhat of a myth. Progressive load is important, switching up your training tempo/reps/set numbers is more of a preventative measure for plateauing.
 
training to failure often taxes the CNS, and can affect your lifting, increase injury, etc.

i wouldn't do it more than once a month per body part, if that often.
 
Most people consider "failure" to going to concentric faliure but there are a few others.

Its mentioned in this article: If i'm not mistaken it was the first t-nation article.

Before we talk about the rhyme and reason behind this 3-week training phase, let's first go over the three types of muscular failure. The first type is concentric failure. It simply means you can't lift the weight again. Then, there's static failure: your muscles are so wiped out that you can't even hold the weight statically at any point in the range of motion. And lastly, there's eccentric failure. This is the point where you can't control the weight as you lower it, regardless of what tempo you're using.
Click to expand...

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459298
 
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