Author Topic: How do you NOT go to failure?  (Read 27200 times)

nodeal

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How do you NOT go to failure?
« on: May 08, 2011, 11:42:42 PM »
Honestly. I don't understand how people don't go to failure during their sets. And let me be clear: when I say failure, I mean repping out a certain weight until not another rep can be performed with that weight.

Whether I'm going for the big lifts in the gym or I'm just plopping down to the floor of my living room to bust out a set of push-ups, I can't help but go to failure. My body doesn't know how to do anything else. Even when I just want a pump and tell myself I'm only gonna do a few pushups to get the blood flowing, I always end up going on and on with the reps until I can't do em anymore.

It just seems god damn unnatural to NOT go to failure. The satisfaction just isn't there when I'm through, and that endorphin-driven euphoria is completely lacking if I don't push my sets to the end.

I see people who prefer lower intensity and higher volume and I just don't fucking get it. To them, I say eat shit!

garebear

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2011, 02:53:17 AM »
I think the fear of being crushed from weights stops some people.
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wes

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #2 on: May 09, 2011, 03:12:13 AM »
Training is the only pastime where failure is a good thing.

tbombz

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #3 on: May 09, 2011, 08:19:02 AM »
and i bet you look the exact same as you did a year ago

wes

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #4 on: May 09, 2011, 01:17:06 PM »
and i bet you look the exact same as you did a year ago
Who me?

You`ll see new pics after July when I`m done competing in the NPC Masters Nats.

My goal is to always make some kind of improvement and I think I`ve made quite a bit of progress.

#1 Klaus fan

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #5 on: May 09, 2011, 01:47:21 PM »
I like getting bigger and stronger.

FREAKgeek

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #6 on: May 09, 2011, 03:53:10 PM »
Honestly. I don't understand how people don't go to failure during their sets. And let me be clear: when I say failure, I mean repping out a certain weight until not another rep can be performed with that weight.

Whether I'm going for the big lifts in the gym or I'm just plopping down to the floor of my living room to bust out a set of push-ups, I can't help but go to failure. My body doesn't know how to do anything else. Even when I just want a pump and tell myself I'm only gonna do a few pushups to get the blood flowing, I always end up going on and on with the reps until I can't do em anymore.

It just seems god damn unnatural to NOT go to failure. The satisfaction just isn't there when I'm through, and that endorphin-driven euphoria is completely lacking if I don't push my sets to the end.

I see people who prefer lower intensity and higher volume and I just don't fucking get it. To them, I say eat shit!

You can accomplish more in your workouts if you don't take it to the max every set. It's not an invitation for laziness either, the weights get progressively heavier. Sometimes near the end failure is reached.

tbombz

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #7 on: May 09, 2011, 03:55:39 PM »
Who me?

You`ll see new pics after July when I`m done competing in the NPC Masters Nats.

My goal is to always make some kind of improvement and I think I`ve made quite a bit of progress.
no not you


i already know you look the same as last year oldman, probably worse


 ;D



tonymctones

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #8 on: May 09, 2011, 04:40:02 PM »
my last sets are generally to failure or just before...

I dont think I could add weight from set to set if I went to failure on every one.

nodeal

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #9 on: May 09, 2011, 11:28:02 PM »
my last sets are generally to failure or just before...

I dont think I could add weight from set to set if I went to failure on every one.

add weight? why do you increase the weight as you progress through your working sets?

nodeal

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #10 on: May 09, 2011, 11:29:55 PM »
and i bet you look the exact same as you did a year ago
progression in both size and strength is a constant

tonymctones

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #11 on: May 10, 2011, 03:58:42 AM »
add weight? why do you increase the weight as you progress through your working sets?
ahhh so youre a gimmick then...

local hero

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #12 on: May 10, 2011, 09:50:39 AM »
my last sets are generally to failure or just before...

I dont think I could add weight from set to set if I went to failure on every one.


and for me thats the problem with volume type training.... whats the point of all those non failure sets, you could save time and effort just hammering it home with one or 2 sets of said exersize

wes

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #13 on: May 10, 2011, 04:33:32 PM »
my last sets are generally to failure or just before...

I dont think I could add weight from set to set if I went to failure on every one.
Same here.

tonymctones

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #14 on: May 10, 2011, 07:10:15 PM »

and for me thats the problem with volume type training.... whats the point of all those non failure sets, you could save time and effort just hammering it home with one or 2 sets of said exersize
I think i can exhaust my muscle more over 3 or 4 sets with one or two to failure rather than simply one or two sets...

now if i did one or two sets coupled with a bunch of drop sets sure but just going to failure on one or two sets I would feel like I got enough in.

local hero

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #15 on: May 11, 2011, 08:45:49 AM »
but in fact all your doing is holding your self back until the end of your sets and going all out on the last one...

like warming up to a certain weight, then warming up another 3 times till you get to the main set...

i know alot of people like to train this way but i just find it pointless

i can understand if your pyramiding up in weight each time, but to do the same weight over n over?

dj181

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #16 on: May 11, 2011, 11:10:04 AM »
It's a good way to go if you are only trying to maintain certain body parts, coz then you can focus much more energy and effort on the parts that you are really trying to improve.

tbombz

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #17 on: May 11, 2011, 04:38:31 PM »
but in fact all your doing is holding your self back until the end of your sets and going all out on the last one...

like warming up to a certain weight, then warming up another 3 times till you get to the main set...

i know alot of people like to train this way but i just find it pointless

i can understand if your pyramiding up in weight each time, but to do the same weight over n over?

working out causes muscle growth

the more you stimulate the more you grow- but not if the stimulation iis unable to produce adaption because your body has to attend to structural damage on existing tissues.



tonymctones

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #18 on: May 11, 2011, 06:32:12 PM »
but in fact all your doing is holding your self back until the end of your sets and going all out on the last one...

like warming up to a certain weight, then warming up another 3 times till you get to the main set...

i know alot of people like to train this way but i just find it pointless

i can understand if your pyramiding up in weight each time, but to do the same weight over n over?
I do pyramid up the weight for each set...I dont do the same weight each set...


nodeal

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #19 on: May 11, 2011, 09:30:53 PM »
i only pyramid up during my warm up. Once I begin my working sets, the weight I use for a given exercise decreases as my muscles tire during my workout.

Just curious... how many sets do you guys do for, say, chest? I only do 3 warm up sets and then 9 working sets -- 3 sets of an inclince press, 3 sets of a flat press, and 3 sets of dumbbell flies. All to failure.

dj181

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #20 on: May 11, 2011, 09:34:00 PM »
i only pyramid up during my warm up. Once I begin my working sets, the weight I use for a given exercise decreases as my muscles tire during my workout.

Just curious... how many sets do you guys do for, say, chest? I only do 3 warm up sets and then 9 working sets -- 3 sets of an inclince press, 3 sets of a flat press, and 3 sets of dumbbell flies. All to failure.

HOLY SHIT! 9 working sets til failure? You're "chemically enhanced" yes?

Donny

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #21 on: May 12, 2011, 07:21:24 AM »
Bill pearl used to say "always leave the gym with some Gas in the Tank"

local hero

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #22 on: May 12, 2011, 08:27:42 AM »
i only pyramid up during my warm up. Once I begin my working sets, the weight I use for a given exercise decreases as my muscles tire during my workout.

Just curious... how many sets do you guys do for, say, chest? I only do 3 warm up sets and then 9 working sets -- 3 sets of an inclince press, 3 sets of a flat press, and 3 sets of dumbbell flies. All to failure.

ok take chest

inc b/b      3 warm ups, 2 main sets
flat d/b     1 warm up, 2 main sets
low inc fly 1warm up, 1 main set................done


if i do drop sets or forced reps its only ever on 2nd set

jpm101

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #23 on: May 12, 2011, 08:28:56 AM »
Different degrees of failure. Momentary, positive, negative and a few versions in the grey area. Absolute failure: when the weight overcome the muscles ability to move in a positive (raising) direction  or  resist in a negative (lowering) direction. Even holding a weight in a static  position can be near impossible after taxing a muscle to it's limits.

I can say, from witnessing and good personal sources, that most of the truly successful large and powerful men will stop 1 or 2 reps away from any form of failure. Less can be more in this regard. The CNS and it's ability to recover from a present workout and be geared for the next workout , is key to size & strength. The prime word being "Recovery". These guy's understand all of this and apply it to their workouts. Even guy's, floating in a sea of 'roids or whatever else, tend to back off of going the failure route.

Only exception might be a 1 or 2 set max, in a higher rep range (like breathing squats, DL's, squat cleans, etc) or a program like Mike Mentzer's. Including the positive and negative phase in the same exercise/workout. All these really attacks the CNS, but for a shorter duration with the 1 or 2 sets max.

All this is a personal choice. If people want to do failure every workout, than fine,. But you may be short changing yourself in the long run, if progressive gains,  from workout to workout, are the goals. If feeling a sense of adventure, try stopping 1 or 2 reps before your usual point of failure, and see how the body reacts after 2 weeks or so. Good Luck.
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wes

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Re: How do you NOT go to failure?
« Reply #24 on: May 13, 2011, 01:32:28 PM »
I pyramid up in weight each set while decreasing reps until I get to my heaviest set for whatever reps I`m shooting for,then I drop some weight and go to failure again with a tough weight for the last set.

I don`t hit failure on every set,just 2 or 3 out of say 5 or so.