Training to muscle failure is one of the best ways to make your workout more productive. Pushing yourself beyond your limit from time to time gives you a new and additional boost to muscle growth.
What is muscle failure, and how do we get beyond that point?
Training to failure means that you literally can’t complete another repetition of the given exercise with proper form.
Techniques
1st: Forced Repetitions
For this technique, you will need an experienced partner. The idea is that when you reach your limit, you will get a little help for another 2-3 reps. This is the time when your qualified partner shows up. He should help you just enough so you are able, even with difficulty, to do a few extra repetitions. Do forced repetitions only in the last set, give yourself a good rest before the next exercise, and don’t use this technique very often. Once every 2 to 3 workouts for a muscle group is OK!
Recommended exercises for forced set: Bench presses of all types, Shoulder presses, Barbell curls.
2nd: Drop Sets
Ideal technique if you train alone. The Drop sets are among the best methods for increasing the intensity of your workout. How do you perform them?
After the end of the last workout set of the performed exercise, we reduce the weight load by 10% and make a new set with fewer reps without a break from the first set. If you want to really burn that muscle, you can do a 3rd drop set with further reduced reps and weight. That’s it. This method hurts! It hurts a lot, especially if you do the repetitions slowly and strictly. Here you should not overdo it as well; use it for one exercise every 2-3 workouts.
Recommended exercises: All cable-pulley machine exercises, dumbbell front or lateral raises, flies, shoulder presses, bench presses, dumbbells curls, and others.
3rd: Rest – pause
Heavy artillery! The favorite method of Mike Menzer and Dante Trudell. How is it done? The best option is: after the end of the working set, rest for 10-15 seconds and do another 3-4 repetitions until failure, after another 10-15 seconds rest, do final 2-3 repetitions. Again, it should be done only in the last working set. Here, too, the recommendation is for one exercise every 2-3 workouts.
Recommended exercises: Bench presses, shoulder presses, Pull-ups, and Dips
Prohibited exercises for all the techniques mentioned above: SQUATS and DEADLIFTS!
Conclusion
Try all of these techniques in our App, but whatever you choose – Be Smart! Safety comes first!
