The topic is dominating a lot of evidence-based training practices at the moment, and it’s not a straight answer, so I want to cover it as part of my Master The Basics series. 

There are four key things to think about:

For what goal is it NOT a good idea to train to fail?

Based on the research, if your main aim is to get stronger or you are training for health and longevity, then training for failure is NOT required. However, the research is less conclusive if you want to build muscle.

What exercises can I train to fail on?

Any exercise that is a low skill or supported in some way (machine-based training) or exercises you have a very high level of technical competency. Training to failure on a bicep curl is a million miles apart from taking a back squat to failure. Use isolation exercises to start to feel what it’s like to push to your limit.

When is it a good idea to train to fail?

Towards the end of a training phase/block, as you have been progressively overloading, it is logical that you have been going up through the loads and volumes. You will be much more likely to get into situations where you are up on your limit. But there is no need to force failure training if you are still making good progress on your training without failing.

How often should I be training to fail?

The more often you train to fail, the harder you will be to progress the load or volume. Failure training should be done relatively infrequently on anything outside of isolation exercises. If you know, you have multiple weeks left with an exercise, do NOT force failure. Instead, use an RIR (Reps In Reserve) scoring in your training log to track how hard each exercise is.

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram, where I share exercise techniques and show you how to maximise your training. I hope you enjoyed this blog post, if you have any questions, I host a weekly  Q&A session on my Instagram channel. Otherwise, please feel free to email me at andy@andyvincentpt.com. 

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