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Train Muscles To Failure?

SS/DV

SS/DV

Member
Jan 19, 2011
34
1
Newb style question, sorry about that.
When exercising a specific body part, should I do just one type of exercise and set/rep it to failure each exercise period? Example, yesterday I was doing seated barbell curls, did 3x8. The last set I needed to 'help' myself past a sticking point, which grew larger till I finished the set. Should I do that, or go lighter and move on to a different type of bicep exercise?

Also, any quick way to 'energize' my triceps? They're holding me back on my benchpress, so chest is less than exercised while arms fall off shoulders.
Thanks.
 
MAYO

MAYO

Bad Mother
Sep 27, 2010
2,159
675
Re: Train to Failure?

for the tri question: start ur chest day with DB flys, ur pecs will pre-exhaust and give ur tris less to compete with
 
Hanniballickedher

Hanniballickedher

MuscleHead
Dec 12, 2010
1,235
119
Re: Train to Failure?

I always train to failure on my last set of everything.
 
marx

marx

MuscleHead
Sep 29, 2010
4,671
626
Re: Train to Failure?

I trained to failure about 2 weeks ago on tthe incline bench. Caught me by surprise. Music blasting in my earphones. Fitness folks across the room, couldn't have helped me if they wanted too between them....

Laugh, cuz you've been there too, LOL

Took care of business, only lost some dignity, internal thing ya know :)

Training partner would be nice, then could do it to more movements. On purpose.
 
G

GOAL200

Member
Jan 15, 2011
88
8
Re: Train to Failure?

^^^ did you do the one-side-at-a-time-falling plates-rep??? haha...not that I've ever been in that situation or anything...
 
klbsa

klbsa

Senior Member
Jan 5, 2011
190
98
Re: Train to Failure?

Ok a few things that I have noticed......

Should you go to failure? Uh..... YES! On every set minus your warm up sets. Look at it this way, if your muscles can do what you are making them do then they will have no reason to grow for next time. Make sense?

Regarding your question on tris giving out before your chest: If a pressing motion is exhausting your tris like that it means that your outer tris are what is weaker most likely try focusing on that part of your tris more (close grip presses, strict straighht bar push downs) I train chest, tris, and delts all in one workout once a week. WHat I do is alternate my main focus each week from body part to body part, for instance one week I train delts much harder than the other two, the next week I focus on tris more, the week after that I focus on chest more etc...... This has really helped me to balance out those three over time, avoid and injury and still be able to squeeze way too many muscles into one workout to accommodate my life's schedule.
 
Last edited:
W

Wolf

MuscleHead
Dec 25, 2010
274
45
Going to failure, yes and no. It really depends on your routine. For most powerlifting I would say to avoid purposefully aiming to hit a point of failure, if you are getting to that point then you are probably moving into a rep range where your muscles are firing slower and instead of an explosive effort its probably more of a inching strength based effort. Although there are exceptions where certain powerlifting routines use a few high rep sets to help the release of GH.

For bodybuilding, yes and no. Because failure is the point where concentric muscle contraction has met its limit, to complete the rep you'd probably have to throw the weight around and cheat through the rep. As you get stronger obviously this can mean the increased chance of injury with heavier weights, but will allow you to utilize more of the lowering or eccentric motion which will in turn help to build muscle more effectively since eccentric contraction is where a greater deal of muscle building will occur from.

Unless you post your routine its going to be pretty hard to see where you are lacking or overcompensating that is causing a deficit in your triceps when you bench.
 
SS/DV

SS/DV

Member
Jan 19, 2011
34
1
Right now I wouldn't say I'm 'powerlifting' nor 'body building'. I'm busy keeping the plates outta my knee caps and forehead. (Me thinks me needs some equipment.) While I enjoy going to 'failure' because of the burn/pump I get, I know it's dangerous to get there. Desperately need muscle mass to assist ongoing weight loss that's required. (Injecting insulin is not on my go to list.)
Routines, haven't developed one yet actually, whichever part I've got isn't cramping up is the target dejeur.
 
Mindlesswork

Mindlesswork

Crusty Poo Butt
Sep 21, 2010
1,395
33
Re: Train to Failure?

^^^ did you do the one-side-at-a-time-falling plates-rep??? haha...not that I've ever been in that situation or anything...

LMAO I see that sort of thing at my gym
 
milleniumgirl

milleniumgirl

Guest
Sep 12, 2010
617
18
Re: Train to Failure?

I always train to failure on my last set of everything.
I talked to a mod at another board about this and he said not to train to failure ... he also told me not to exceed 15 reps when I train ... while another guy told me exactly the opposite. This is really confusing.
 
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