What is "training to failure" and how to incorporate it into your workout routine?

In the fitness world, one of the most common expressions is "training to failure," but it's not always clear what it entails or how to properly apply it. While it can be a useful technique for gaining strength and muscle mass, it requires precautions to avoid injury and maximize its benefits.

What is training to failure?

“Training to failure” means performing an exercise until your muscles can't complete another repetition with good form. In other words, it's the point at which muscle fatigue is so severe that the body can't overcome resistance, whether it's weights, resistance bands, or even your own body weight.

READ: Two parts of the human body that NEVER stop growing throughout your life

For example, if in a series of bench presses you manage to lift the bar ten times, But when you try number eleven you can no longer do it correctly, then you have reached muscle failure.

Benefits of training to failure

• Greater muscle stimulation: When you reach your limit, your muscle fibers work at their maximum, which can promote hypertrophy (muscle growth).
• Adaptation to effort: helps the body get used to training under highly demanding conditions.
• Efficiency in less time: if applied correctly, it allows for shorter but high-intensity workouts.

Risks and precautions

Although it is an effective technique, it is not recommended to use it in every series or every day. Training to failure creates a lot of muscular and nervous stress, which increases the risk of injury and can lead to overtraining.

Additionally, performing this practice unsupervised on exercises like squats or bench presses can be dangerous without a partner or safety system.

How to apply it in your routine

Use it sparingly: ideally, it should be used on the last set of an exercise, not on all sets.

• Choose your exercises wisely: safer movements such as bicep curls, dumbbell shoulder presses, or guided machines are recommended.
• Mind your technique: never sacrifice form to reach failure. Repetition must be controlled, even if you don't complete it.
• Alternate intensities: combine training to failure with lighter sessions to allow time for muscle recovery.

READ: Somniloquy: The health consequences of sleep talking

Training to failure can be a powerful tool for progressing in the gym, as long as it's used strategically. It's not about pushing yourself to the limit in every set, but rather incorporating it intelligently into a balanced training plan.

BB