Failure - The Key to Success
Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence. – Colin Powell
The quote above is applicable to every aspect of life – career, relationships, financial security and, of course, fitness. When performing exercises, perfection comes from correct form which reduces risk of injury. Loyalty to your fitness program will inspire and motivate you. Persistence keeps you on track during those motivational slumps. Hard work challenges your muscles and your mental fortitude. Failure will lead to growth and success.
Failure in fitness simply means training to failure. When you train to failure, you perform an exercise until you can’t fully complete another rep. It’s when your arms quiver on a chest press but no amount of mental strength will get your arms up all the way. Training to failure can build muscle and strength. This technique can also help you finally break through that plateau. Before you attempt this technique, know that it is not for every type of exercise or workout goal. Here are some guidelines to help you decide whether training to failure fits into your current plan:
If you are a beginner with weight lifting, do not attempt training to failure. At this stage of training, focus on perfect form and correcting muscle imbalances should be your top priority. Perfecting your form creates muscle memory of correct technique so that eventually your body instinctively knows what correct form looks and feels like. Correcting muscle imbalances evens out strength on both sides and realigns the muscles working together. Both set you up for impeccable form and greatly reduce your risk of injury. This doesn’t mean you’ll never be able to try the technique. First, work on form, then graduate to failure.
If you have a prior injury, you may need to avoid training to failure. The severity of your injury, the extent of recovery, the location of the injury and your clearance for exercise will dictate whether you should try this technique. If you had surgery for a torn rotator cuff and just finished physical therapy, you should not try training to failure on a chest press. However, you could try this technique on squats or leg press. Similarly, if you had biceps tendonitis 6 months ago and have been building strength without pain, you could try training to failure on a chest press.
If you do not have a spotter, you may need to avoid training to failure. There is a reason it’s called training to failure. When you can no longer complete a full rep there is the potential of not being able to get the weight safely back to the rack. Chest press and bar squats are two exercises that absolutely require a spotter if you are attempting to train to failure. Do not attempt to train to failure without a spotter for these exercises. Other exercises, such as deadlift and pull-ups, can safely be done to failure without a spotter because there is little risk of injury if you can’t perform the last rep.
If you are a powerlifter, you should avoid training to failure. Powerlifting is a completely different beast than general fitness and body building. Powerlifting moves are complex, multijoint moves that require perfect technique at or close to your 1 rep maximum. There is no room for error. A general rule of thumb for training to failure – if you cannot perform at least 5 reps with good form, you should not train to failure with that weight.
If you are an intermediate or advanced exerciser trying to build strength or break through a plateau, or a bodybuilder looking to make it to the next level, training to failure may be what you’ve been looking for. Once you have nailed the form of your exercises, it’s time to take things up a notch. With this technique, your body can’t help but respond favorably. It will help the bodybuilder enhance definition and the intermediate or advanced exerciser break through that plateau of either losing some fat or gaining muscle mass.
If you fall in this last category, follow these quick tips when attempting to train to failure.
Choose a weight that is challenging but still allows you to complete 6-12 reps with correct form. To train to failure, you want to make sure the weight is challenging enough that you are fatiguing by 12 reps, but not so challenging that you can’t get at least 5 perfectly performed reps.
Choose single joint or simple multi-joint exercises. Bicep curls, triceps extension and calf raises are single joint exercises. They require less skill to perform with correct technique. Pullups, bench press, lunges and squats are simple multi-joint exercises. They require a little more skill but are basic enough to keep perfect form throughout the set.
Use a spotter for bench press, squats and lunges. As mentioned before, these exercises have the greatest potential for injury if you do not use a spotter. Be safe and you will be rewarded.
Use this technique only once or twice a month. Training to failure does not need to be performed multiple times per week or even once per week. The more frequently you perform this technique, the higher the risk of burnout and injury.
Consider hiring a trainer. When you start pushing your limits, it’s helpful to have a professional watch your form, explain the technique, motivate you and assist you. They are also a guaranteed spotter!
When applied cautiously and correctly, training to failure can be an amazing tool for taking your fitness to the next level. Failure can then truly lead to success!
Resources:
https://www.nasm.org/the-training-edge-magazine/issues/november-december-2015/trainer-q-and-a-train-to-failure
http://www.bornfitness.com/training-to-failure-5-questions-you-need-to-answer/
Photo Courtesy of:
http://www.cheatsheet.com/health-fitness/9-natural-ways-to-recover-after-a-grueling-workout.html/?a=viewall