What is exercise to failure?
Well, simpler, is to do repetitions, often multiple sets, until you can’t do any more. The muscle doesn’t work.
That’s pretty straightforward, but is it true?
Yes and no.
First of all, when most people read or write about this, they think of a “muscle”, i.e. biceps, triceps, etc. However, a muscle is made up of many, many fibers, and it is the injury to these fibers that results in muscle growth.
True, if you COULD do curls, for example, until you couldn’t do any more, you would almost certainly be stimulating muscle growth. It is the professional bodybuilder or powerlifter who is likely to do something so stressful and painful.
What about us jocks who just want to get stronger, fitter, and maybe get bigger, flashier muscles in the process? What if WE don’t want to go to the extremes of professional or are simply not ready or capable of going that far? Are we doomed to be 97-pound wimps all our lives?
Not necessarily, and here’s why.
Remember those individual muscle fibers that make up the big, complete muscle…the one with a name? While exercising, if you use enough weight, you’ll be working those individual fibers, some of which aren’t very strong to begin with. As he exercises rep after rep, he will be working and tearing at those weaker fibers, and they will “fail.”
Other fibers will take their place, and some of them will also “fail” as your training progresses.
Furthermore, during various positions during muscle expansion and contraction, various “bundles” of muscle fibers will come into play, either taking control of the movement or relinquishing it to other bundles.
So, assuming you use “enough” resistance, or do enough reps, you’ll take multiple muscle fibers and muscle fiber bundles to failure. This failure will result in muscle growth, as the experts have been telling you.
Also, since many of those large, named muscles have multiple sections, i.e. the bicep has two “heads”, working out different exercises can cause growth in those areas, which can help the whole muscle work together. heavier weights and do more repetitions.
For example, I myself found that by adding triceps extensions to my exercise routine, I experienced muscle growth in previously poorly trained areas, allowing me to use heavier weights on presses and push-ups, which, in turn, provoked muscle growth in sections. that had not progressed before.
So yes, you probably need to work out to failure for muscle growth, but unless you’re trying to be a professional bodybuilder or compete in powerlifting competitions, keep trying to progress and get your reps in, and add alternative training to additional growth in size and strength.
