Failure for growth

In strength training and fitness, progression is the name of the game. However, as you continually test your limits of accomplishment, whether that's reaching a new level of leanness, increasing your muscle mass or obtaining a new strength maximum, you can fall prey to the belief that you must push yourself to the point of complete 'failure'.

Failure is in fact promoted by many bodybuilders as part of a training strategy. This is the point where you reach a level of fatigue and exhaustion that causes your muscles to literally give out and you can't complete another rep.

One of the biggest problems with training to failure is that the more fatigued you become, the more your form begins to break down. Strict form helps keep you from injury. When your form breaks down, that is when injuries are most likely to occur.

When performing your exercises, always be conscious about form, especially as you begin to get tired toward the end of a set. You could terminate your set at or before the point where you notice that your form breaks in the slightest, and that is usually a couple of repetitions before reaching muscular failure. A training partner is very useful to keep an eye on your form as you go to failure and to keep you safe. Also, don't go to failure on every exercise in every workout. Remember, your muscles like variety.

But you can continue to improve your workouts and thereby your physique and performance without ever training to failure. Try increasing repetitions and or resistance or even density instead. The simple advice of slowing down the tempo and focusing on form will increase results and help keep the doctor away.