Q: My question is about “sets to failure” - my progress has been waning lately and I’m just not getting enough growth out of workouts that have gotten progressively heavier. The only thing I can pinpoint is that I do sets to failure too often. How often should you train to failure, and how many sets?

A: There are two different kinds of failure: Absolute failure and positive failure. Positive failure is of benefit and absolute failure is not. Just because you have a few extra sets in you, doesn’t mean you should always do them. That is a good rule of thumb. Only use that technique sparingly - particularly if you are continually striving to go up in weight for strength. Stopping a rep or two before failure is fine - it’s what built most legendary bodybuilders’ bodies. Progressively heavier weights are necessary for growth, but sets to failure are not. Training the body to failure - or individual body parts, such as legs or back or chest - does give your body a more “anabolic message” in the short term and you benefit in the short-term from the excretion of certain hormones and chemicals in the body, but you have to use it with balance, and in context, in relation to overall training volume and recovery. Grinding through your threshold of resistance is good - sometimes - but continually pushing the envelope, relying upon more help and poorer form, ultimately opens you to injury, overtraining and body fatigue.

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