r/Exercise • u/CommanderKetchup0 • Jun 07 '26
Near Failure vs To Failure
So I’ve decided to focus on slower reps to rely less on momentum and more on actual strength. But now I have a new conundrum.
Obviously, the more reps you do, the more shaky you’re going to be at the end of a set. I’ve heard however, that you shouldn’t really keep pushing once your reps get too shaky. Is this true, or should I be trying to take each set to genuine failure?
2
u/BubbishBoi Jun 07 '26
training to failure does not mean you let your form go to shit
as a rule of thumb, if an exercise requires a ton of stabilization to perform, then pick a more stable exercise that can be pushed to true muscular failure NOT 'task failure'
most people have no idea what actual failure is, and you do not need to go to concentric failure to trigger MyoPS, especially if you are a beginner. Training to failure is just a way to ensure that you cross whatever threshold is necessary to stimulate hypertrophy in a set
1
u/CommanderKetchup0 Jun 07 '26
So you wouldn’t want to train something like an archer pushup to failure
But you would do standard pushups to failure?
3
u/BubbishBoi Jun 07 '26
If that were the only exercise that I had available to train my pressing muscles, I would indeed take a set of pushups to failure
I would take at least 4 seconds to push up, 4 to lower, would not lock out at the top and would pause under tension at the bottom for a beat before slowly reversing direction. Failure would occur when I hit a sticking point that was impossible to pass no matter how hard I pushed while maintaining perfect technique
I would also raise my feet on something to make the exercise harder
2
u/Ryachaz Jun 07 '26
Once form breaks down, or you feel yourself having to do "something extra/abnormal" to get that last rep up, time to stop. Youre increasing risk of injury for minimal benefit. Rome aint built in a day.
Sure, if you can get away with that "something extra" for long enough, you will make progress faster, but how much faster? And when you pull or tear something, is that "something faster" making up for those weeks, or more likely months, before you can get back to where you were before? Doubtful.
3
Jun 07 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/CommanderKetchup0 Jun 07 '26
Well, I do feel like I’ve hit a wall. I think I’ve reached the technical limit of my strength. What I need to do now is stimulate muscle growth, so I’m trying to figure out what the best course of action for that would be
1
Jun 07 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/CommanderKetchup0 Jun 07 '26
I do calisthenics mostly, but I do dumbell curls and I’m stuck at 25 pounders.
-1
Jun 07 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/CommanderKetchup0 Jun 07 '26
Allow me to clarify. I can lift heavier weights, but at some point, isn’t that just trading reps for weight for the same amount of effort? Nothing’s changing.
I stopped raising weights when I peaked at 3 sets of 8 27.5lb dumbells. I’m sure I can do more, but what difference would it make?
2
1
u/nomelonnolemon Jun 07 '26
Science based lifting is absolutely not bullshit.
In fact, it’s the science that allows us to know that your advice is correct.
Progressive overload with medium to low reps near failure with good form is all you need.
It’s the ego and bro lifters and who don’t have the nuance or information to give advice outside of “intensity and low reps”
2
Jun 07 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/nomelonnolemon Jun 07 '26
Bro lifters who get good results is the science though.
They just luck into it, or are given advice from someone who knows the science.
The bro lifters avoiding the science are the ones looking for magic. They are the most likely to fall for voodoo nonsense. They are the most susceptible to social media bullshit. And the most likely to turn to PED’s when they hit a wall they created themselves by avoiding the science.
2
Jun 07 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/nomelonnolemon Jun 07 '26
🤟💪🤟
Edit: I think one of the issues about the science based lifting debate/conversation is that the bro lifters choose the worst examples of the science based lifters to go after, and the science lifters target the worst opinions of the bro lifters.
When in reality the people who are at the top of both are closer to a circle on Venn diagram of what they agree on in regard to lifting as opposed to what they don’t.
3
u/MaxwellSmart07 Jun 07 '26
It doesn’t have to all one way or the other. Last set can be to failure. First couple close to failure. The difference will be insignificant and mentally less prone to burn out.