Are you actually training to failure or are you stopping too many reps short and leaving gains on the table? Here is a video demonstration of what it looks like to train to failure. You may have even been told that it isn’t necessary to take your sets to failure and that leaving two to three reps in the tank is just as effective for building muscle as going to failure is.

I disagree.

Way too often lifters underestimate their true effort and capacity to work. When this happens the entire premise of RIR or reps in reserve is distorted. If you feel that you have worked to your highest level of effort but in reality, you are already 1-2 reps short of your max effort, then you are going to wind up closer to 4-5 reps shy of the type of stimulus that allows you to grow.

By training to failure, you are ensuring that you’ve met the threshold for adequate growth stimulus at best and at worst capped yourself at no more than 1-2 reps short of true maximum effort. Either way, you are more likely to get gains with this approach.

That said, the level of intensity can be tough to maintain week in and week out. If this is happening to you then you may want to make sure that you are downshifting your volume a bit to account for the higher effort. Shaving off 1-2 sets per exercise in a given workout is an easy way to do this.

You can also take an extra off day per week if you find that you are systemically fatigued or not recovering from your training.

Now, if you are more of an advanced lifter then you likely have good intuition with what your body needs as well as plenty of experience with what true effort looks and feels like. You will find it much easier to rely on a method like RIR or RPE since your estimates of effort are likely to be much more closely matched to reality.

Beginners however will struggle to get this right, and following this advice is likely to leave them far too short in intensity and frustrated with their lack of gains by not being able to cross the stimulus threshold. Now, the ironic part about this entire “train to failure” debate is that many of those who claim it is better to not do so are the same people who regularly train to failure in their actual workouts and posted videos. This is a case of do as I say and not as I do.

They also are commonly flip flopping back and forth between recommendations, not based on new science but rather because of discomfort on being called out for their inconsistencies. My stance on the subject has been the same since day one. If you want a muscle to grow you need to stimulate it in a manner that is progressively more challenging than what it is currently equipped to handle. This stimulus can come in many different forms (weight, reps, rep tempo, etc) but they all have one thing in common - higher level of effort or work performed than the last time.

Enjoy your gains and let me know how this training advice works for you.

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Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

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