Perhaps one of the most controversial training methods in bodybuilding is muscle failure. Learn about the features of this method and whether it makes sense to use it. Using muscle failure during training, the athlete tries to accelerate the growth of muscle mass. There is a lot of controversy surrounding this method and it needs to be considered in more detail.
What is muscle failure?
All visitors to the halls at some point learn about muscle failure. This phenomenon manifests itself at the time of exercise, when the muscles are working to the limit of their capabilities. In other words, the athlete can no longer physically continue to perform the movement technically correctly.
Almost all athletes are familiar with the feeling that if you lower a sports equipment now, then it will no longer be possible to raise it. During this period, the muscles refuse to obey, although the brain knows that they are able to perform a couple more movements. Before the "golden age" of bodybuilding, such a concept was known, but not used.
Modern bodybuilding cannot do without training to muscle failure. Of course, each training method has its supporters and opponents. Someone is sure that muscles can grow even with low loads. Others are convinced that there will be no progress without powerful efforts. In this regard, it is worth recalling two postulates of bodybuilding:
- Muscle tissue grows under any load;
- With the same type of load, muscle growth will be short-lived.
Confirmation of the above can be found in the training of novice athletes. During the first couple of months of training, a significant transformation of their body occurs. It can be argued that any, the most incorrect training can cause muscle growth. True, after the completion of the initial stage, the effectiveness of training drops sharply and progress stops. To avoid this, it should always be remembered that there is no perfect long-term training program. To constantly progress, you need to make changes in the training process. There are many training methods and you will have to try all of them, and perhaps develop your own.
It is customary to divide muscle failure into three types:
- Concentric - lifting weight, it is also called positive;
- Eccentric - lowering a sports equipment (negative);
- Isometric - weight retention (static).
It is important to remember that with any exercise, all of the above types of muscle failure are present. Also, these types of failure are associated with certain muscle fibers:
- Concentric has the main effect on myofibrils;
- Isometric uses all types of fibers;
- Eccentric - in a greater steppe, it affects the mitochondria.
Negative aspects of muscle failure
Moment number 1
The main task of the athlete is to gain muscle mass. In the long term, it is better not to overload the body, but to increase the load gradually. Starting with a low working weight, it should be increased by two or three kilograms every month. If you start working to failure right away, it will be difficult to achieve positive results. The body has a negative attitude to heavy loads, and for a long time it recovers after them.
Moment number 2
Working with weights is stressful for the body anyway. If the working weight is large, then stress increases, which depletes the resources of the central nervous system. So, say, the sensitivity of nerve endings decreases. In turn, this leads to a decrease in the strength indicators of endurance.
Moment number 3
When working on failure, muscle tissue begins to suffer from oxygen starvation. During this period, the flow of blood into the tissues can be abrupt and unexpected, which leads to the destruction of cells.
Moment number 4
When an athlete uses refusal training using high weights, muscle coordination suffers. Some of the muscle stabilizers can lose their supporting capacity, leading to their failure. Also, one should not forget about the state of overtraining, which can occur with failure training.
Positive aspects of muscle failure
Of course, muscle failure also has positive aspects.
Moment number 1
Most famous bodybuilders use failure training, but only in the last set. Also, often the work on failure turns into forced repetitions.
Moment number 2
Quite often, athletes complete the exercise before muscle failure occurs. To stimulate the synthesis of new tissues, it is necessary to create a certain environment at the cell level, due to which the tissue will be destroyed and microtrauma will be inflicted on it. Refusal training can be just such an incentive, helping the athlete to overcome muscle stasis. It is very important to choose the right weight for muscle failure, and not for doing 8 or 10 reps, and then complete the exercise.
Moment number 3
With the help of muscle training to failure, you can significantly increase the anabolic background and the synthesis of the corresponding hormones.
How to get to muscle failure?
There are several simple ways to bring your muscles to a state of failure. It is about them that the conversation will go now.
Failure approach
This method consists in selecting the optimal working weight for performing a given number of repetitions, most often from 8 to 12. It can be used by beginners, since it is quite difficult for them to determine the exact weight. The exercise should be performed until the hands are able to lift the sports equipment.
Cheating
This is a very popular training method used by a large number of athletes. At first, the exercise is performed in full accordance with the technique, and then you perform it as necessary. Simply put, first, the target muscles are involved in the work, and at the final stage of the movement, the entire load falls on the auxiliary ones.
Striptease
This method is based on weight loss during exercise. Let's say your working weight is 100 kilograms. It is necessary to work with him before the onset of muscle failure, after which the partners lose a few pounds. You continue to work with the new lighter weight again to the point of failure. This continues as long as you have enough strength.
Also, supersets can be used to bring the muscles to failure.
For more information on muscle failure in training, watch this video:
