Failure doesn't ever sound like a good thing, but when it comes to weight training and bodybuilding, "train to failure" is often the goal. Many training programs use the term, which may also be called "lifting to failure" or AMRAP—"as many reps as possible." This training strategy has both benefits and drawbacks.
What Is Training to Failure?
When you train to failure, also known as "concentric failure," you reach the point at which whatever part of your body you're working out literally gives out (or fails), and you physically can’t complete another repetition with good form. If doing another rep is possible, you haven't reached muscle failure.
Example
Let's say your training program calls for three sets of 10 reps of barbell curls. In weight-training program language, that's 3×10 arm curls. But it doesn't state how much weight you should use.
Training to failure means selecting a weight that's heavy enough so that the last rep taxes you to the point that you struggle to complete it. This is called 10RM (repetition maximum), or the most weight you can lift for a defined number of reps.
Muscles fail when they use up their supply of ATP, the energy that fuels contraction, and lactic acid builds up in the muscle. The muscle needs a few minutes to flush out the lactic acid and create more ATP. That's why it's possible to do a set of 10 bicep curls to failure and then do another set shortly thereafter.
May increase muscle strength and mass faster
Can help experienced lifters break through a plateau
Might hinder muscle growth for some people
Can lead to using poor form
May lead to overtraining if done too often
Benefits of Lifting to Failure
Whether people should strength train to failure is a contentious topic. Many believe in "no pain, no gain," and think that the discomfort of the failure point is a signal of the stress on the muscle that will drive increases in strength and muscle size. But research on this is mixed.
A review article from 2016 found that highly trained people experienced slightly greater increases in muscle strength and muscle mass when lifting to failure using heavy weights compared to without failure. However, a 2017 study of active young women found that training to failure didn't provide any additional gains in muscle strength and muscle mass.
Advanced trainers might use training to failure to break through a plateau. A research review from 2007 found that this strategy sometimes does help experienced lifters get to the next level of training. This could be because when you push yourself, your body secretes more muscle-building and fat-fighting hormones and recruits more muscle fibers than you would if you cut your sets short.
Drawbacks and Risks
There are also reasons to choose not to train to failure. For instance, one study found that exclusively using the technique drastically increased resting levels of the stress hormone cortisol and suppressed anabolic growth factors. This seems to indicate that taking every set to absolute failure may actually hinder long-term muscle growth.
Another concern is that overdoing it may result in using improper form when performing exercises. If you're struggling with a move while using a challenging weight, you may not be able to focus on the correct technique. The combination of poor technique and overtaxed muscles might lead to injury.
It may also lead to overtraining, especially when used over long periods. That's why some researchers advise advanced lifters to consider training to failure only occasionally, rather than making it a regular part of their workout.
When to Train to Failure
Generally, training to failure can be painful and is not recommended for the average athlete or lifter. However, if you're building muscle and preparing for a bodybuilding or powerlifting competition, you may find training to failure beneficial.
Another option is to train to what's called technical failure. Unlike with absolute failure, when you can't lift that barbell and do that curl at all, technical failure is when you perform a set with the correct form on each repetition until you're unable to maintain proper form. When you reach this point in a workout, the set is over.
The difference is that the set is over, regardless of the number of prescribed reps, once you reach the point of technical failure. You should then rest until you can do the next set to failure as well. You can manipulate the rest period between sets or the weight you lift to reach the ideal failure point for you. Also, consider adding a vibration plate to your workout to further enhance muscle growth and improve strength in less time, as well as aid in warm-up and cool-down.
A Word From Verywell
If you decide to train to failure, consider working with a trainer who can help you set up a program designed to do so strategically and appropriately. The last thing you want is to end up paying a cost for (training to) failure.
