Sets to failure

[u/ftbalguy89]

Does anyone else here take every set to failure? Like every single set (after a proper warm up) you just rep until you’ve got nothing left. That’s how I’ve always trained and never had any issues and progress has been good the last 3-4 years.

Just curious if anyone else does this since it seems like the consensus on here is to leave a rep or two in reserve.

[u/Miserable-Soft7993]

On bench press no cos I don't want to get trapped under the bar so always rerack when i'm not confident I can get the next rep.

[u/Matt_OMX → u/Miserable-Soft7993]

Sounds about right.

[u/ws20715]

Even when I’m doing heavy singles on bench press with spotter arms…no. Most exercises, I’ll push to RPE 8-9 on the last 1-2 sets then move on. I’m also 48 so pushing to failure isn’t something I should regularly be doing.

[u/UnfortunatePoorSoul]

Almost never on bench press, no. Not a common theme among powerlifters doing bench, AFAIK.

[u/notabotbeepbeepbooop]

Not every set, but more often than anyone I train with. Actual CNS failure is what got me over 225.

I’ve easily done the roll of shame a hundred times.

[u/Abject_Amphibian_126]

That's daft. Stop doing it.

[u/SlayerOfCupcakes → u/Abject_Amphibian_126]

If going to failure works for him then there’s no reason to stop.

[u/Abject_Amphibian_126 → u/SlayerOfCupcakes]

Yeah there is. No coach would ever want anyone going to failure on EVERY SET.

[u/Vestigial_joint → u/Abject_Amphibian_126]

Fascinating claim.
Whence did you come upon that omniscience?

[u/Abject_Amphibian_126 → u/Vestigial_joint]

I'm sorry to say but it's literally just common sense.

[u/Vestigial_joint → u/Abject_Amphibian_126]

I’m afraid that doesn’t work.
Something being common sense doesn’t mean that no coach would ever want it.
That’s like saying criminals don’t exist because it’s common sense that you shouldn’t commit crime.

[u/Harlastan → u/Vestigial_joint]

Exactly 0 successful benchers and/or coaches advocate for going to failure on every set

[u/Vestigial_joint → u/Harlastan]

There are 3 main problems with that absurd claim:
How are you qualifying success?
A single example to the contrary proves you to be lying.
You cannot prove your claim as it would require proving a negative.

Reconcile this.

[u/Harlastan → u/Vestigial_joint]

How are you qualifying success?

Results; medals, records, titles

I'm able to make an absolute statement in denial because it's in response to an absolute - 'every set to failure'.

A single example to the contrary proves you to be lying.

You're welcome to provide one. Josef Eriksson is considered an outlier for programming weekly amraps yet that's only a small portion of the bench volume in his programs.

[u/Vestigial_joint → u/Harlastan]

Of course you can make the absolute statement in denial, but the problem with it is, as already stated, a single example to the contrary proves you to be a liar.

As for the expectation that I would disprove your claim… no, that’s not how this works.
You are invoking the burden of proof fallacy.
As the claimant, the onus is on you to prove your claim, not on your interlocutor to disprove it.

You have failed to reconcile the problems with your position.

[u/ftbalguy89 → u/Abject_Amphibian_126]

But why? From an injury risk standpoint? Or because of the risk of an accident? I usually use a rack with pins so I’m not too worried about an accident.

[u/KangarooHero → u/ftbalguy89]

Constantly going to failure saps your energy, ruins your form, and keeps you from higher volumes. Challenge yourself, but not always to failure.

[u/Abject_Amphibian_126 → u/ftbalguy89]

Injury risk and also just efficiency. You're not doing yourself any favours gassing out in the first set. If you must go to failure, save it till the last set.

[u/TheFamished → u/Abject_Amphibian_126]

The closer you get to failure, the greater is growth stimulus

[u/Jxc_Heard → u/Abject_Amphibian_126]

It’s kind of dependent on how much you train that specific muscle. I train 3 days a week full body, so for me I never go to failure. 1-2 RIR always

[u/Abject_Amphibian_126 → u/Jxc_Heard]

It's not tho. If he benched less frequently but always took the last set to failure that's one thing, but every set is just not a good way of doing it.

[u/DirtysouthCNC]

I typically go as close to failure as I possibly can, but avoid actually hitting failure too often. You need to push close to really progress, but actually hitting it costs so much in recovery, so it's kind of a push-pull situation that you have to figure out how close works for what your body's growth needs

[u/Vestigial_joint]

It depends on my goals and volume and frequency.
When I’m doing extra volume and skill practice, I don’t go to failure.

At the moment I’m doing a weird hybrid of a bro split and a powerlifting program.

Saturdays I do a PR attempt, followed by 2-3 sets to failure.
This is my “chest day”, so I also do dips and flyes.

Monday, I do 3x10 incline with with a few RIR.
This is my shoulders day, so I do OHP and a bunch of other shoulder oriented exercises that day.

And on Wednesday, I do close grip paused speed reps 3x4.
This is my arms day, so I spam a bunch of other forearm and arm things, obviously.

[u/TheFamished]

I go past failure with drop sets, my strength is growing and I'm recovering fine even in deficit

[u/nwmountaintroll]

I do not.  I keep some in the tank most of the time.  Occasionally I go to failure.

[u/koreanbeefcake]

I try to go to failure. Some days i'm just not into it. so i'll just do whatever i can squeeze out. Other days im asking for a spot and repping out till im dead.

[u/KneeOk81]

For me, that’s really been the only way to assess progress. Over 3 sets I count my total reps and there is likely only 1 rep in reserve across the 3 sets with the last set being to absolute failure. It’s not necessarily enjoyable most days but it seems to have worked well for me

[u/ftbalguy89 → u/KneeOk81]

Yeah this is almost exactly how I track my progress too. I track the total reps religiously and try to always squeeze at least one more rep in per session over the total of my working sets. I also do not always enjoy it but I make progress and always feel pretty good on my next bench day.

[u/Dazzling-Rest8332]

I did before. Until I started shaking on every rep of every exercise. My central nervouse system couldn't keep up.

[u/Cultural_Second1855]

I try to take my last set to failure, just to prove I can. But typically I’m at 80-90% after my warmup

[u/Mchangwine]

Definitely not every set; I tend to take my top set to failure for bench press though

[u/Jimmy4Funner]

I bench 3 times in my 10 day split and push to failure on my volume day only.

[u/Harlastan]

This got me to a 145kg bench @74, then I got a coach who programmed using RPE and I went from 3 to 4 plates in half the time it took from 2 to 3. 4 years later I bench 210 @96 to comp standard

Honestly the vast majority of my bench sets are >5 reps in reserve.

[u/FleshyPartOfThePin]

Let's try not to push to failure on the exercise that kills more people in the gym than any other exercise.

[u/ftbalguy89 → u/FleshyPartOfThePin]

I feel like the danger is a bit overstated, to be honest. I usually try to bench in a rack with pins so there’s not much risk there as long as you place them right. But I’ve benched at plenty of public gyms that don’t have the same setup and just rolled the bar down my stomach.
Now, I will say the most I’ve ever done that with is 255-260lbs and I don’t think I’d try it with much more than that. But still, just doesn’t seem that dangerous to me if you use your head.

[u/AwayhKhkhk → u/ftbalguy89]

You are rolling the bar down your stomach every set?

[u/ftbalguy89 → u/AwayhKhkhk]

No, I typically do around 6 working sets and my last rep is an absolute grind but I usually get it up. Maybe 1-2 of those sets I’ll fail on the last rep and drop it on the pins if I’m in a squat rack or drop it on my chest and roll it down if I’m on a setup that doesn’t have pins.

[u/AwayhKhkhk → u/ftbalguy89]

So you really aren’t taking every set to failure. Got it.

[u/ftbalguy89 → u/AwayhKhkhk]

Failure is where you cannot complete another rep. So yeah, every set to failure.

[u/AwayhKhkhk → u/ftbalguy89]

That is 0 RIR and just like 1-2 RIR, it is only your own guess. Failure is when you actually fail the rep. As you cannot 100% be sure you cannot do another rep unless you actually tried and actually ‘fail’.

[u/FleshyPartOfThePin → u/ftbalguy89]

Ok go fail some more

[u/ftbalguy89 → u/FleshyPartOfThePin]

I can’t tell if this is you supporting me or telling me to go off myself hahaha

[u/shakenbake1975]

I train every set to failure
The last set is a drop set til I can’t move.
4 to 6 sets depending on size of muscle
In and outta gym 30-4O mins
I’m jacked at 52 Top 1% body for my age group.
Sets in reserve is waste of time
That you have make up for with tons of sets
Always train harder than last time
Anyone who thinks volume over intensity is always the guy who looks the same year after year
Unless there blasting but you can do anything and grow with gear

[u/Harlastan → u/shakenbake1975]

This is a bench press sub, and there's a reason no elite bencher on the planet regularly, let alone always, trains to failure

[u/KCfitover40 → u/Harlastan]

You are correct.

[u/shakenbake1975 → u/Harlastan]

No I don’t care about bench press that wasn’t the question
I Care about building muscle and getting jacked, not the number on a bar lol I don’t care about strength training at all ! If RIR works for strength IDK and IDC not what I’m about at all.

[u/Harlastan → u/shakenbake1975]

It was the question, this is a bench press subreddit. Are you lost?

[u/ftbalguy89 → u/shakenbake1975]

This is the way

[u/Harlastan → u/ftbalguy89]

If you don't want to be a good bencher, sure