How HARD Should You Workout? - This NEW Study is Epic

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

Hey All! Feel free to check out the Alpha Progression App: alphaprogression.com/HouseofHypertrophy Timestamps + further notes: 0:00 Intro 1:05 Part I: The New Study 5:26 Findings 6:52 Regional Hypertrophy 8:48 Fatigue 11:37 Part II: Final Thoughts Additional notes: At 4:26 we noted there is further information. I mentioned that subjects trained with the weekly set numbers they were accustomed to for the quads (with a 20% increase at the midpoint). However, this wasn't the case for all subjects. Specifically, if a particular subject had been performing 15 or more weekly sets for the quads before the study, the researchers got them to perform 20% *fewer* weekly sets. For example, if a subject was performing 16 weekly sets for the quads before the study, they'd instead perform 13 weekly sets in the study (but they also increased sets by 20% at the midway, meaning a return to 16 weekly sets for this subject in the second half of the study). The researchers did this as they felt it mitigated potential injury risk, excessive fatigue, and prolonged session durations. At 8:51 we mentioned how training to failure may have improved fatigue resistance (less suseptible to fatigue) on the leg press. What was the data behind this? The researchers used something called a linear position transducer to record average lifting velocity on the leg press sets during weeks 1, 4, and 8. As you'd expect, at all time points, lifting velocity was lower with the training to failure leg. However, the difference between the two conditions (failure vs not failure) was reduced in the final week (week 8), which could imply adaptations for the failure leg that improved fatigue resistance. The researchers also measured repetition loss across the sets. As you'd expect, training to failure led to more repetition loss across the sets compared to not training to failure. However, these differences were somewhat reduced (on the leg press) near the final weeks, potentially also implying improved fatigue resistance.

[@JeffNippard]

Amazing analysis. This new study was great. I’d love to see a follow up that compares 1-2 RIR to 3-4 RIR next so we can see where that minimum effort threshold lies haha

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

Thank you so much Jeff! 100% agreed, it would be awesome to see a similar study including 3-4RIR :)

[@twhaw]

Didn’t expect jeff here

[@KaavirSingh-rf4nr]

Man Jeff and house of hyper both are best

[@MotorcycleMan79]

Nippers in the House. Nice.

[@nunninkav]

It may vary widely and be hard to pin down.

[@THESLlCK]

the most important part of training is doing it. Get out there TODAY

[@JCKeus-cx1wm]

Consistently. Year after year after year. Youngsters often ask for my (67, training for 48 years) secret. I always say: consistence.

[@THESLlCK]

@@JCKeus-cx1wm Absolutely agree sir, I salute you for staying at it this long. Most people simply give up after just a few years. Lord bless you for your perseverance. It's a long haul but after less than 2 years of semi consistent lifting I'm proud to say I'm finally seeing notable results.

[@JCKeus-cx1wm]

@@THESLlCK It took me years to really understand what I was doing and how it works for me, including the nutrition part. And then to have real progress. Stay healthy and fit!

[@DKM.23]

Yes sir 🫡🫡

[@kapasitorcpt9249]

Bingo. If you don't exercise you.won't get in shape (work.can help if it's a labour job).

[@kylecrowson1417]

This makes me feel better. I have always tried to train to failure, but due to fatigue, I often fall short when im having an off day (didnt eat enough/worked hard) I always felt dissapointed in myself for not going to failure, and felt like I wasted my time. This is good news for me.

[@leonardofalcao9752]

This channel is waaaaay far the best I ever watched about hypertrophy on YT. What a great job! Direct to the point, no blablabla and pure based on science. I love it! Regards from Brazil.

[@ALEEEzn]

Minhas bolas

[@UnknownSageMaster]

Check out Jeff Nippard too !

[@leonardofalcao9752]

@@UnknownSageMaster thanks, bro! I will for sure take a look at!

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

Thank you my friend, that means a lot!

[@leonardofalcao9752]

@@HouseofHypertrophy thank YOU for the incredible content you share with us! Keep on posting, my friend.

[@northbuster290]

QUALITY WORK AND CONSISTENCY ARE THE KEY. My favorite bench press program makes me benching 3 times a week, with 10/12 working set, but only one set to failure, and it's perfect. Even the hardest powerlifting program like smolov don't let you go to failure.

[@Deadlift750]

This

[@newzealand1706]

10-12 sets per week or per chest day?

[@northbuster290]

@@newzealand1706 per week, check Greg nuckols beginner bench press program 3 times a week.

[@Mr196710]

@@newzealand1706 Scroll up and you can see his statement.

[@charliemarley1513]

​@@newzealand1706I think he was saying 10-12 reps

[@user-ii7xc1ry3x]

Loved the study's leg press footage!

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

Agreed! Was an awesome addition to the study, hopefully future studies continue to do this :)

[@andrewwater7389]

Him fully extending was scaring me.

[@user-he4ef9br7z]

​@@andrewwater7389The lockout scare is nonsense. It's completely safe to fully extend your legs on leg press/squat if you have healthy knees.

[@kman9884]

@@andrewwater7389Full extension and lockout are part of the full ROM of leg press. If you don’t do more weight than is appropriate, have a slow eccentric and controlled concentric, you’ll have no problem locking out at the top. The few accidents that are publicized are a small minority of leg presses performed in the world.

[@aethylwulfeiii6502]

That’s great single leg full ROM. I’ve only ever seen quadzilla do it that well with that much weight before, but he didn’t go to failure.

[@silvers123]

After 3 years of training mostly bodyweight exercises (pull ups/dips/press ups/ring rows etc) and mostly to failure every set I have just started to keep a rep or 2 in reserve and almost immediately I can say that I feel better most of the time, am enjoying and looking forward to my workouts and excited about how quick I can progress. It's weird. I now think that lots of failure (especially with compound movements) does basically ruin your body for quite a few days and does limit how much you can workout. Also a niggling injury in my back (pull ups pulling on scar tissue from a major injury I got 12 years ago) feels way better.

[@dannymiskinis5585]

For many years, I've been working out hard. When I was younger, I would train to failure roughly every other workout to prevent overtraining, also since I was working a typical 40 hr week. Now that I'm an old man, retired, but very fit and strong for my age, I find it much better to always train short of failure. In the long run, it's very important to look forward to your time in the gym, as if you don't, things can go downhill more rapidly, especially when you get older. I have posted videos where I do push it a little more than I normally would in the gym, especially on pullups

[@ictogon]

​@@dannymiskinis5585i enjoy going to failure every set though

[@Scotta1atgmaildotcom]

Check out Mike Mentzer's theory on reducing time in the gym. You might see more improvements.

[@kewlf00l85]

A what injury!?

[@weareeverywhere8851]

I get bored when I can't give everything every workout.

[@The9thDoctor]

Wow, what a well designed study and well made video! I personally like training to failure so I'll continue doing it. That being said it's nice knowing I'm not leaving anything out by stopping a rep or two early!

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

I wish you continued gainz dude 💪

[@The9thDoctor]

​@@HouseofHypertrophy Thank you! I wish you gains in subscribers as well as in the gym :) Would you ever consider making a video about total back development? (Lower back, lats, traps, and all the smaller muscles, all in one video) Would be super awesome.

[@im_reyz8780]

training to failure is failing to train

[@wootrofllol]

How it currently seems to stand you are definitely missing out on potential by training to failure. What has not been mentioned is the additional benefit of cleaner technique and the ability to add overall volume with equal or even less systemic fatigue

[@E3T7]

@@wootrofllolNot ever training to failure is boring tho

[@oplkfdhgk]

i am a failure so it is only fitting that i would also train to failure. :D

[@Ethereum1789]

You are *Not* a failure my friend. ❤

[@GYMETRIUS]

Yes he is, and so am I

[@ΣερτηςΠαπας]

😂😂😂😂

[@dynaspinner64]

I don't fail in the gym, I win

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

😂😂😂

[@mertonhirsch4734]

Personally I think some people can train to failure without getting amped up or having a lot of cortisol and adrenaline released. Others get stress hormone release from going close to failure but not so much from more sets. A potential problem with the program is that I think failure training is neurologically and systematically taxing so I'm not sure someone going to failure with one leg isn't getting whole system stress that could affect both limbs.

[@Zoltan1251]

But if thats true that still means that if the stress wasnt there, then training far from failure would yield even better results. So failure training is still loser in comparison

[@jmondanaro]

It would be interesting to know the injury rate of training to failure vs 1-2 reps in reserve. Any injury will cause a setback to training that’s exacerbated as you age. So even if leaving 2 reps in reserve was slightly less effective, insurance-wise avoiding injury may actually make it more productive in the long term.

[@BrandonSchwartz1]

This is a good point. I don’t think there’s any data to say definitively one way or another. Probably try out close to failure and if your body is feeling too beat up then back off and reevaluate.

[@JoeFriday-h9n]

Good point about avoiding injury

[@AndersBaumann]

Injuries don't happen when going to failure but because of fast change of force, i.e use of momentum. Just go slow with less weight and avoid momentum.

[@petertone1616]

You can train to failure in higher rep ranges, if youre maxing on 3-5 reps at failure every day, thats when injury is more likely (although a messed up rep anywhere can cause problems)

[@DudelyDuWrong]

​@@AndersBaumannTrue, although it's not just about your form, absolute loads are also a factor. Going very heavy is inherently dangerous. Failure on bodyweight pushups is utterly safe.

[@RedRanchu]

Ive been traning all my life and i can honestly say not training to failure is almost always recommended. It leaves you energy to do stuff afterwards and the big thing here is there is a lesser chance of injury. And honestly i just feel better overall if i train in moderation

[@steelphantom9105]

Everything in moderation is what’s best.

[@Marco-pf3te]

What have you achieved by training all your life? Just curious:)

[@stefandejj]

⁠@@Marco-pf3tea good body and mind probably lol

[@Emp6ft10in]

In my 25 years I have found the same. Once I stopped training to failure was when I started really getting bigger and stronger. I still trained hard, just not 'till failure.

[@Zoltan1251]

Also, you dont even need to train for long. 45 minutes is plenty, get in, get out. The thing is you have to actually train, do one excercise after the other, dont just talk or play with your phone. Important thing is actually going in week after week, month after month and year after year. There is no universe where you are not buffed after few minutes of training each day for years on end.

[@filipcza2]

Haven't watched the video till the end yet, but have to say that for once I'm impressed how well the researchers have taken everything in consideration. Pretty much every point I was getting in my head "Yes, but what about... *insert criticism*" was the next topic they had taken into consideration. Very nice job from them so far. Now I'm hyped to see the results of the study!

[@BooDamnHoo]

I basically have trained myself to go to JUST before actual failure for years so I want dependent on spotters (not always available). I've gotten pretty attuned to knowing that if i try ONE more i am going to fully fail so i stop short. Nice to know I'm not missing out by doing that

[@johnreidy2804]

Do you ever do drop sets? I have found these to be effective

[@charleshayes2528]

@@johnreidy2804 Drop sets work, but they work because they allow you to go to or near to failure with weight a), drop and go again to failure or near it with weight b) and so on, until you can't do anymore. This is OK if your drops are realistic, but if the drop isn't judged right, then you can still injure yourself. Secondly, BooDamHoo was also talking about not always having spotters and the original drop set requires spotters to strip the weight off both sides of the bar at the same time, while the lifter holds it steady. Trying to do this yourself by tilting a bar just enough so that an unsecured disk falls off, is dangerous. You might put down the heaviest bar and then immediately pick up a lighter one and carry on, but that isn't going to be easy if the first set of reps has really fatigued you and not practical with heavy barbell exercises. The only easy ways to do drop sets alone would be if you were doing unilateral exercises and had a set of different weight dumbbells close to hand or if you were using a machine and could easily move the pin to a lighter load - might work well with leg exercises if the pin is accessible. It gets a bit harder on upper body exercises if you have to change position and if your hands are shaking from fatigue.

[@dikbashli]

good job, would like to see studies on effect of 5-7 RIR on strength/size gains too, please make it happen!

[@WanerRodrigues]

Your work is incredible! Regarding the fatigue of the central nervous system, some natural athletes say that even with the adaptations, it is more efficient for the progressive overload to do top sets, failing in the last series of each exercise, because with less stress we can apply more power, I didn't find any studies addressing

[@KurokamiNajimi]

That’s for strength gains if you can get so many more reps with the same weight with equated rest times that’s showing the set isn’t as effective

[@rigbone664]

my thoughts exactly

[@72Dexter72Manley72]

Bodybuilders of the 1940's-50's knew this. This is why they promoted Full Body Workouts, 3 times a week, leaving 1 rep in the tank for recovery. Leroy Colbert constantly talked about this in his KZbin videos while he was alive.

[@JoaoFerreira-dy3hf]

Main reason you do this its so you dont cheat in your form when doing your last rep and 3 times per week lets you rest at least 1 day in between training days. Also theres a major flaw in this new study. Participants were 18-40 years old. A big age range, you should never compare early-mid 20's to early 30-40. Also being powerlifter or body builders they might have taken steroids in the past or even during the study.

[@richtheunstable3359]

Tried this, all my lifts started to decline.

[@72Dexter72Manley72]

@@richtheunstable3359 I can only say that there are other factors that go into it. But I will say for me. I have never found that a person's lifts went down on anyone that I trained. And I'm 58 years old and still do this. I lowered my bodyweight to 210lbs and have stayed at this weight for the past 4 years. I just used the 120lb dumbbells for my flat bench. 4 sets of 5 on Tuesday so today I'm going for at least 1 set of 6 reps. Possibly 2 depending on how the warm ups go.

[@ninjables]

Doing sets to fail. You have to do less sets becouse of the recovery

[@72Dexter72Manley72]

@@ninjables This is what leaving 1 rep in the tank means.

[@shadesonsurfer]

Love the buff researchers haha. Also, great, valuable info as usual :)

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

Haha, thank YOU! :)

[@user-he4ef9br7z]

Rizzearchers.

[@MelFinehout]

I think the lower your volume the more you can and should go to failure. Also, depends on the exercise. Try doing 12 sets of deadlifts to failure for 6 weeks. lol. I think the more the absolute load (heavy lifts) the more you should avoid failure and the more an exercise is isolating the more you can go to failure. It’s a fatigue and injury risk to reward thing. Go to failure on your concentration curls but not your low bar back squats. It’s all kinda common sense, too.

[@VandreBorba]

Wow! Thanks again for the video! Excelente video, about a excelente study!

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

Thank YOU for the support my friend!

[@theevolutionofthebear3093]

For me - my best results have been training to failure, and sometimes beyond, with a partner, three times a week. All these studies are splitting hairs, it reminds me of people that get hung up on 0 - 60 times with cars. You aren't going to feel or notice one tenth of a second. Try to enjoy yourself and stop overthinking everything. Your body will give you all the bio feedback you need, listen to it, and adjust accordingly.

[@whoknows8223]

Good point. I too think that going at least near to failure and more importantly implement progressive overload is more important than difference between 0-2 RIR. Also there are other more important factors like nutrition + sleep

[@samuelwhittenburg8742]

I don’t understand what training beyond failure means

[@DiggerBicker]

when you can't do anymore reps, do partials, a dropset, negatives, or have a partner assist you@@samuelwhittenburg8742

[@eduardolagoeiro1810]

@@samuelwhittenburg8742 probably beyond concentric failure. The partner could help in the concentric phase and you can perform the excentric, going beyond the concentric failure.

[@DavidBrockes]

🙂🙂So true, it's the 80/20 rule. Lift, eat, sleep= growth. I really have to start stretching.....I haven't for the first 62 years 😂😂😂😂😂but my research concludes that these lower back issues will dissipate with a streching routine.

[@ashJayden06]

Bro your channel is gem 🙌🏽

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

Thank YOU my friend!

[@cloudtrifle]

This is handy to know because I've always struggled with DOMS but I've always pushed myself to the point of failure in anything I train. It sometimes costs me in the long run because I'll end up missing a day in the gym and opting for a lighter routine because my soreness can last 4-5 days. If I can get very similar results by leaving a rep or three in reserve or leaving myself on a lower weight a little longer before increasing, it will help make my life outside the gym more manageable. Great video!

[@fspar]

This new study is designed amazingly. I'm just wondering, how is it possible that highly trained individuals (7+ years) showed gains of 7% increase in volume with that much previous experience? If I had to guess, I would have said that at the end of the 8 weeks they'd have maintained muscle or gained such a subtle amount that would be trivial and hard to measure. Nice video by the way!

[@al.milione]

because of diet they gained weight, but not 100% muscle. they gained a lot of fat too

[@jakedraviczki4206]

Epic work my friend! Your videos are amazing. I love seeing this channel grow!

[@qwertymangoes6455]

I love your stuff man, keep up the great work

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

Thank YOU for the kind words!

[@infrasonica]

2:07 You got me lol. Wasn't expecting something like that in one of your videos.

[@adrianamorphous]

I would say technique is more important than distance from technical failure.

[@ericleyton4153]

Did he even mention form in the video?

[@joelonsdale]

You can have the best technique in the works, but if your workload is insufficient, you won't grow.

[@Vincent-team-magic]

Bad form but heavy weight is more efficient than good form lighter weight , ego lifting is not the answer of course

[@adrianamorphous]

@@Vincent-team-magic I really don't think that's true because you have to consider time that is wasted due to not lifting because of injuries from the bad form and heavyweight

[@guntertorfs6486]

One of the most revealing and useful studies and video analysis' ever on your channel ,indeed.. Which says a lot , as all your videos are of high quality.

[@Lord_Dranek]

What I get from this is I should be training non-failure 3 out of the 5 days of going to the gym. And training to failure (optional) on the days before my day off.

[@soofitnsexy]

this is a stupid study.....for centuries people knew working out in the moderate zone to hard and progressing...is all u need

[@michaelshultz8973]

Incredible video, incredible study! I think this study gets more things right than any other you've covered on your channel. I hope it sets the standard for all future research.

[@thatweakpowerlifter2515]

Honey wake up, Houseofhypertrophy just dropped a new video

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

Haha, hope the video is useful!

[@KenanTurkiye]

:))) let me guess your wife is not Turk, you'd be dead and not able to write that. :)))

[@vicioushunter4769]

What the hell with these 'honey, wake up' comments on every video? Doesn't make sense.

[@KitKatshotlol]

Nooooo it's 10 pm at night 😭

[@TSeries502]

Most people choose to quit before the muscle does

[@JoseJB0]

I've been experimenting with this for about a month now.... & yes, more often not going to failure all the time like I was doing feels better & I'm getting similar or better results.

[@theemutsenfabriek]

You can't tell anything about that in just one month...

[@JerryCorreia76]

We can end this debate if we have a couple of studies comparing 1 Set to Failure vs 3 sets 1-2 RIR. It would probably yield the same level of hypertropy. I prefer to do whole body in one day. So I can only do 1 set to failure because the fatigue becomes a factor.

[@ppaooh]

What I have understand is that training full body just one rep to failure every single muscle group and training 10/12 reps with lower wheight lead to the same results?

[@papaspaulding]

It's a really good study and especially showing the supervised set. As often the case when it comes to failure vs RIR I cant take it seriously as have seen what most peoples version of 'failure' is which is often RIR. Even in the video sample shown here that set he did with the one leg with reps in reserve I know for a fact most people would have called that 'going to failure' or even "I went beyond failure using one or two rest pause reps" lol. As default I've always trained to failure, but have experimented with reps in reserve in the past and found it didn't make much difference, ie you can get same results leaving a rep or two in reserve. The reason I like to train to failure is purely to keep it simple in terms of progression, ie I'm always pushing for one more rep, then when I get that, such is then the new rep number I have to achieve at the minimal next workout. That can be a little harder to accurately track when leaving reps in reserve unless programming it in, or doing at least one set per exercise to failure as a type of bench mark or base

[@cooldud7071]

natty?

[@papaspaulding]

@@cooldud7071 Yes

[@cooldud7071]

@@papaspaulding I asked if natty because I'm pretty sure roids give enhanced recovery, so RIR vs failure wouldn't matter as much. How long is your recovery when going to failure? Have you tried more than 2 RIR before?

[@SDRBass]

“Most peoples version of failure is often RIR.” Agreed. I train to “failure” because I know this is the case for me. I know if I were to dig deep I could get one or two more on most of my sets.

[@papaspaulding]

I think in terms of recovery its only really the central nervous system which matters, as muscle recovers fast enough as shouldnt be training with too high a frequency anyway. And steriods not aiding in helping your nervous system recover I always find recovery natural vs enhanced isnt so much a big deal. If training 5 days a week then I can train at around 16 sets to failure each workout and recover well, but anymore than that and I start to soon burn out and hit overtraining symptoms (constant tiredness, trouble sleeping, aching constantly, illness etc etc) At present I train 20 working sets to failure a workout, but then im also only training every other day doing a push pull legs hitting each muscle group with 9 working sets per workout hitting each muscle group once every 7 days. Other times I'll do a bro split training only every other day and hitting each muscle group with 20 hard sets to failure, hitting each muscle group once every 10 days. the only compromise is frequency which I've found to be overrated as an advanced lifter (someone who has trained at least a decade +) I get great results with this but sometimes i can get mentally tired of hitting each bodypart with 20+ sets a workout which is why ill switch to a ppl for a while to keep things 'fresh' Recovery I find is a very individual thing as depends greatly on other factors such as sleep? worklife? lifestyle? stress? genetics these factors will dictate how much volume with intensity (training to failure) you can get away with and recovery from In terms of more than 2+RIR? I'd call those sets warm ups lol

[@Muphenz]

Anytime I get a notification that HOH has posted a video, I immediately stop what I'm doing to watch the video. My girlfriend is giving birth right this very moment, and I stepped away to watch this video.

[@Muphenz]

Update: She wants to break up.

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

She will understand, priorities are priorities

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

Or maybe she won't, apologies

[@sebyseb]

Gainz over.... actually no, that's just wrong 😂

[@Muphenz]

​@@HouseofHypertrophyShe never understands. She told me "I want to enjoy this precious moment with you." How can people be this selfish and unreasonable?

[@johnsmith-i1n]

I always leave at least 1 to 3 reps left in the tank for maximum rest. Do this, but still train hard and heavy with proper form.

[@BrendanBrady7]

Problem is the leg that didn't go to failure still got the hormone benefits from going to failure with the other leg. Also, I wouldn't lock out like that on leg press. That injury's happened in my gym - that's resting at the top, not ROM.

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

Acute elevations in anabolic hormones have very little to no global hypertrophy effects ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/oImqmnd8l96cp7M ). Also, there is virtually no transfer in muscle growth between limbs ( pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37423835/ + pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15947721/ ) There is, however, a contralateral effect for strength, talked about more in one of my older videos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGqrcmyteNiomNU

[@BrendanBrady7]

@@HouseofHypertrophy I think there are studies, like Bartolomei 2018, that suggest a global hypertrophy effect? But I think the problem with most of these is whether a sports science guy can recreate what a serious bodybuilding or strength coach does. I meet science-based lifters, and none of them look like bodybuilders. None of them get asked to prep people for competitions. (Why Most Published Research Findings Are False - Ioannidis.)

[@alexraymond-en4dd]

@BrendanBrady7 science-based lifters may lag behind for a number of reasons that having nothing to do with the science they follow. For example lack of work ethic, poor genes, not implementing the 'science' properly etc.

[@BrendanBrady7]

@@alexraymond-en4dd I think it's all part of the same personality. But the problem with the science they follow is that studies are rarely conducted in a way that approximates how pro bodybuilders have to train. So there's no roadmap for them beyond a very basic level of progress.

[@alexraymond-en4dd]

@BrendanBrady7 well yh it's going to be extremely hard to get pro bodybuilders to be your Guinea pig and join your study. The information from these studies are still relatively useful.

[@richbrake9910]

Most people who think they are going to failure are actually stopping about two reps shy of failure. I figured this out recently as I thought I was going to failure. It's easier to tell with compound exercises because you need a spotter to go to failure with most of them. It's a little harder to tell with isolation exercises.

[@johngarrity6687]

Leg press guy locked out knee...Yeesh!

[@andrewmueller9986]

So what

[@nitrostudy9049]

Useful, thanks. Good summary. Due to age, chronic injuries, loose joints etc, I generally prefer stopping 1 or 2 reps from failure. I train on my own and some exercises can be risky. But mostly, I find training to failure increases tendenopathy problems. Everyone is different.

[@chris101gray3]

Studies mean little to the individual. You have to find what works best for you and stick with it, ignoring the plethora of youtube videos such as this telling you what you should and should not do, made by content creators who googled something and came up with a catchy title on a topic they know always trends heavily so as to simply gain likes and subscribers. Videos that are nothhing more than "filler" and offer nothing different from literally millions of others on the topic that everyone is clicking on.

[@mak2z]

Studies mean plentiful to everyone who has the same goal (muscular hypertrophy). Technically, you won't really know what works best for you. Just because you're comfortable doing it one way doesn't mean it's the most efficient way to do it. Credible videos like these are great guides in training properly.

[@giannismpastas4097]

GREAT JOB!!! We need more studies like this one ,very well documented!!!!

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

Agreed, thank you for checking it out!

[@guillermoroldan8074]

This is actually really cool and a huge relief that the first 2 weeks of a mesocycle is not wasted effort

[@copernicus99]

The only thing for hypertrophy that matters is that you progress over time in load, reps, sets. Going to failure is not necessary for progress. But getting close to failure (particularly for sets with higher reps) ensures that you are recruiting most of the high-threshold muscle fibers, which generally have the highest potential for growth.

[@rybull860]

because of this video I discovered your channel, instead of 200k subs you deserve 2 million at least, keep up the great work!!

[@user-jb5qf4zp9p]

rlly gotta appreciate the people who volunteer for studies

[@lukes5631]

At the end of the videos you will learn: train which ever way YOU prefer. As long as you are hitting failure or getting near to failure, the results are largely the same. There are studies that counter other studies that counter other studies, and they all contain massive interpretative reasoning within them to even try to understand what the results are. Training is about connecting with YOU. You are the only truest form of study that you will ever know and experience. Start studying yourself.

[@Edgycoo]

As ive said, you know your own gas tank. Train as well as you can. Aim for progression. Lately actually what has been keep me fresh, mentally, and seemingly getting great reulst, is i have been rotating lifting heavy, then next workout, explosive but light, then work out 3, isometrics, workout 4 partials. Now I have been getting stronger and I am basically only training heavy once or less per week. Albeit each muscle group is getting trained many times per week. Its really fun.

[@Steger13]

I've been doing the Mike mentzer workout for 2 months now and it's really working. I use to go to the gym 1hr 30 a day 5 days a week and never really changed now with only 30 minutes a day 3 times a week i have more changes then the other way around.💪

[@oliviersb4228]

also doing Mike's method. Almost burnt out after 2 weeks

[@MN-vz8qm]

I am absolutely not a reference into sport nor bodybuilding, but after having spend a couple of years working to failure (and keeping track of my progresses on an excel sheet), I came to the conclusion that even if going to failure could be better, I suffered regular injuries (mostly tendonitis) setting me back each time it happened. And even if I have progressed quite fast compared to what I could find on the internet, I think that getting injured regularly is not sustainable. Even years after having slowed down, I still feel my old shoulder and back pains at certain spots.

[@bobdog90]

This guy is a GOAT. Great work, as usual.

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

Thank YOU for checking it out! :)

[@shantanusapru]

Great study! Great breakdown/analysis! Great video! I'd differ only a little bit from your synopsis in that if someone is training mostly using bodyweight alone exercises, I'd suggest they go to muscular failure at least on the last set, if not all of them. They may need to rest a bit longer, but then again, studies have shown that a 2-5 min rest period is better than

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

Thank you so much! I agree it's possible when training with higher reps, going to failure might be the safest bet as accurately estimating reps in reserve can be difficult with these higher reps.

[@adude7944]

The problem is if you stop just short of failure, it's harder to monitor your progress and you easily fall into the mistake of doing insufficient work. Let's say you are doing bicep curls with 10kg dumbbells, your max is 12reps so you work until 10. 3 weeks after, you don't know where you'd reach complete failure. 14reps? 16? 20? So if you estimate 16 but you could do 20 to failure your 14 reps won't hit the required intensity. Because it would be good for the estimated 16 but not enough for a max of 20 reps. Unless you have years of eyperience, you can only be sure you did the sufficient amount of work by reaching failure, and because of that reason it's the better regimen.

[@jacobstaff549]

This channel is really like research lab... great and very rear information.... thanks for hard work mate ❤❤

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

Thank YOU for checking it out! :)

[@danibitt59]

As a 40 yo man, I maximize my gains by NOT having myself injured. On the long run, training sets to failure is certainly much, much less efficient than training close to failure.

[@rkonjr64]

At 9:33 the main difference in terms of practical application is apparent. Assuming training to failure and @2 RIR give equal results. *Leaving a few RIR allows more frequent training, so your total growth has the potential to be greater over time. Potentially, you get the same growth/session, but *can do it more frequently. Long term systemic fatigue from tF has always been the issue.

[@Steve99704]

Your channel really helped me Thanks ❤

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

Thank YOU my friend, I wish you continued gainz 💪

[@PoisonJarl71501]

When i started training at 40, i went to failure on every set, ate better and got pretty shredded in 6 weeks and jacked in a few months. Always strong, recovered fast and have energy all Day and night. No trt or anything else. Just protein shakes, fish oil, creatine, bcaa’s and caffeine. When I started doing sets of 10, my progress stopped. Now im back to failure sets again and the gains are rolling in fast

[@ayw5118]

if i feel i can crank one more PERFECT rep, i stop right there and don't go for it. The same goes for my weekly schedule, though I am able to have up to four reasonbly intense sessions, I force myself to stop at 3. at this stage, I am as much worried about injury as central nervous system fatigue. my logic is that if it aint your career, don't train like a pro. And now this study just showed me i pretty much missed out very little.

[@thatoneuser8600]

This video convinced me to start training 1-2 RIR instead of failure and maybe going to failure on the last set to remind myself of what failure feels like (especially if the body never fully adapts to the extra fatigue of training to failure where RIR training always produces less fatigue than failure training)

[@GUITARTIME2024]

Many videos concur that total failure isnt necessary.

[@muscledoggs566]

Absolutely excellent video! I absolutely loved the info you provided. I'd love to see a video on training beyond failure by seeing how trainees response to doing partial reps when full reps are no longer possible. I'd find this interesting because, under most circumstances, these partial reps would be in or close to a stretched position.

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

Thank YOU! Unfortunately, there's currently so studies that have done that, I think it would be an awesome paper. If any future studies come out, you can be sure I'll cover it here :)

[@muscledoggs566]

@@HouseofHypertrophy Thank you so much! I look forward to everything you post. You have a subscriber for life in me.

[@thui7889]

I have trained to 0-1 rir in my entire 15 years of training life. But as I age, recovery is slower and soreness actually increased after each workout. So I just reduce my training volume by 33% (example reduce my exercises from 3 to 2 working sets. And cut out 1-2 exercises per body part)

[@KaavirSingh-rf4nr]

Such consistency is best man

[@xMohJeex]

I just go to concentric failure everytime. Just easier to track and removes guesswork.

[@albertalbert7958]

They performed the unilateral leg press and unilateral leg extension twice per week for 8 weeks. One leg was trained to complete momentary muscular failure and the other leg all sets were performed with two repetitions in reserve. The results showed that stopping a few reps short of failure seems to be able to produce similar muscle growth to training to failure. There was a slight hypertrophy difference between the vastus lateralis (trained to failure grew slightly more), and the rectus femoris (trained not to failure grew slightly more).

[@ozzy6162]

Very interesting and clever study - great analysis as usual thank you. Not sure why they only allowed the subjects half the rest time between sets on the leg extension though (?). Failure every set led to injury in the past so now I only go to failure on the last set - this helps with recovery which is often a problem for us old farts (60+).

[@adamkaminski]

Volume x intensity x rest time x recovery time. That's what you need to consider to make a good training program.

[@Wolf-wg5lf]

If you train naturally you need to steadily increase the weight you lift and with this you grow. It is the best method because the human body adapts quickly to anything

[@Phuktup3]

I personally go to failure - it transformed my physique. These studies are great, plus your channel is what got me on board with failure training. I train to failure in the eccentric AND concentric, unless it’s heavy then I will only fail eccentric. The studies are only flawed in that we cannot truly know how hard these individuals really pushed themselves with the reserve reps etc. but still great info. It seems going to eccentric failure blasts you past hennemans size principle and neuromechanical matching so that your getting the best stimulus to fatigue ratio - this has been my experience and I noticed a huge difference in gains when stopping short of failure and going to failure and then further failing in the eccentric. There should be studies that show how much satellite cells are activated during a failure set, how many nucleus’s are added. These studies skip right over the intensity aspect too. You can fail at different speeds, you can fail at different lengths, I can literally feel my muscles fail and where at specifically. This isn’t possible without going to failure for me. By stopping short I’m at the mercy of neuromechanical matching, this is info I got from studies on your channel, too. I have learned a profound amount from you. Thank you!

[@angrygoldfish]

Thats a brilliant study. Thanks so much for the analysis. I do prefer to train with lower volume (3-8 sets per week) and to 0-1 RIR, but that's just what I feel is best for me at the moment. The 10-20 sets recommendation is not followed by all experienced coaches and natural bodybuilders who compete because it's not been their experience that all respond well to it. I value their input as well as the research. I have noticed improved recovery and faster strength progress by reducing my volume. Everyone is different though. And it's likely that what I'm doing now won't continue to be as effective.

[@east_tex_will8264]

the biggest crux to RIR training is knowing what is actually leaving 1 or 2 reps in the tank really means. most people don't train hard enough and rarely get to a true 1-2 RIR. Most people are leaving 5 when they think they're leaving 1-2. going to failure or as near to failure as you can give you a physical knowledge of that limitation helps guarantee that you are hitting the full stimulus.

[@blackstreak02]

id still want to train to failure probs 80-90% just to keep your baseline dopamine levels climbing. If you combine what Huberman says about dopamine, and how it helps us overcome challenges, it would be vital in helping your progress your training (i.e heavier weight progression)

[@NormanE30]

Lovely video as always love this channel keep it up

[@robertspence7766]

Another EXCELLENT presentation!

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

Thank YOU my friend!

[@SnakeAndTurtleQigong]

So great! I’m hopeful that we come to understand the minimum as well as the max. This makes training more and more available to all types of people, not just elite athletes. This is good medicine, after all. 👍🏻

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

100% agreed my friend! Thank you for the support, hope you're doing well!

[@filipcza2]

I'm pretty sure that mixing both is for the best in the long run. Still a bit different stimulus, although 2RIR seems to be enough.. if you know where you RIRs are, which I'd wager most casual gym goers does not. Unless they have trained failure training for a while at some point. So that would be one big benefit for trying to fail. But for me, I'm more confident leaving some RIR from now on. Thanks House of Hypertrophy!

[@ctsirkass]

For me training to not even close to failure works best. I can put on 7 days/week 1h workout and whenever I feel I want to avoid it, I remind myself that I can go as easy as I want. Till now this system has worked wonders on me.

[@alex12604]

Thanks brother ❤❤❤❤

[@thatsit7933]

Now we just need a study training to beyond failure, (finish a set with partial or dropsets) Then we for sure know

[@asprinklingofclouds]

On the contrary, we need a study training 3-4 reps in reserve, as we have already seen that failure shows no benefit of 1-2 reps in reserve.

[@thatsit7933]

@@asprinklingofclouds why not both then

[@asprinklingofclouds]

@@thatsit7933That sounds a good idea in theory, but how do you equate the number of sets when using dropsets for example?

[@knighttrider]

Geez train hard, push yourself. Get adequate sleep, eat a balanced diet and you'll grow. KISS method

[@thatsit7933]

​@@asprinklingofclouds i don't know, maybe do 3 sets to where you can't move the weight anymore, you will probably need alot of rest days tho

[@brightlight3520]

Day 1 : 3 RIR, Day 2: 1 RIR, Day 3: Rest , Day 4: Cardio, Day 5: Train to Failure, Day 6 and 7: Rest. Repeat.

[@gardnert1]

Best thing to focus on when training is form. The stricter the form, the less weight you need to achieve failure. The less weight you use, the less likely you will injure yourself and the more likely you will use the smaller muscles withour recruiting excess muscles to cheat. This will make it easier to recover and make it easier to work the same muscles or body parts on consecutive days.

[@totalnoobfishing1753]

Great study - only picky point would be dominant leg and mind muscle connection to that dominant leg would favor that leg for growth. It is the very essence of why you are a "righty" or "lefty"

[@raymondsnyder1968]

Im 55 yrs. old and I hit a brick wall in my training and couldnt build any more muscle. So i tried something similar to mike metzger's training. I do drop sets one after another no rest, and all to failure, but not c9mplete failure. An example is i did bench with #80 pound dumbbells, then #70, #60, #50, #40, #30, #20.. The #20's felt like the #80 at the end. That was my chest workout. I did this drop set exercise for 30 days and i gained 6 pounds of lean muscle.. Im also a natural builder. Never done steroids.. But training to failure does work. Some people just don't have the power of the mind to do it. They just give up or say in the beginning i cant do that..! When they really can they have to pass that threshold in their mind.!! Today i continue to workout to failure and see gaines. Also I'm in and out of the gym faster.. "Pain is weakness leaving the body"..!! 💪✌️

[@GUITARTIME2024]

It's all fun until the injuries come. Have your T checked and protein at every meal. Also, I'm close to your age. Taking a week off (totally) every 6-8 weeks helps me return refreshed and build.

[@raymondsnyder1968]

@@GUITARTIME2024 yes I agree with You.. I know someone that is a body builder and he works out one week and then takes the next week off..He's been doing that for years.. He also does a 20 hour fast, every day.. He is really built too.. I only do a 16 hour fast each day.. Anything more is pushing it for me.!

[@hyperbodyhub]

A really great video👍

[@cuteminired6550]

amazing analysis as always

[@emergentform1188]

This is great info, thanks dude!

[@gael7w802]

I like to change it, depending on where I am in a training cycle. I'll go all the way to failure right before a rest week. Most other weeks, I build up to it gradually

[@lorand2094]

One thing I’ve noticed training to failure with just 1 to 2 sets per muscle group with a max rep of 8-10 reps 3 times per week push/pull/legs or 2 times per week upper/lower is you can practically eat as many carbs as you want as much protein as you want and still hypertrophy while getting shredded. The other 4 days you just do active recovery with light to moderate cardio based activities and light mobility exercises which just burns fat and keeps you shredded while your body heals itself. Joints feel great bc you are keeping the reps low and instead of using extremely high weights you use 70-80% of your max and do lower reps by slowing it down. Saves your joints and you spend the next 4 days healing while at the same time burning through fat with active recovery exercises

[@chukukaogude5894]

I haven't watched the video yet but my method. I only train up to 75%-85% to failure. I keep some gas in me just in case I need to run, fight or something. This also helps me able to continue to exercise into the next day. I also know that I won't injure myself. When the exercise starts to feel easy, I move up the repetitions or weight over time and find my new maximum. Then I back off a bit where I know its still challenging but doesn't feel like it destroyed my body. I've been getting moderate gains over time. This has also allowed me to learn how to clean up my form and not get injured. Now let's see what this video says about that lol.

[@Joe.hench.88]

This is gold! … thank you!

[@HouseofHypertrophy]

Thank you my friend!

[@ElCarritoDeAsgard]

The best way is to approach failure as much as you can without reaching it. If you do this you are optimizing the benefits and the recovery. If you reach failure you obtain the same benefits but with a longer recovery needed.

[@Felale]

Most of the time I intuitively stop when I've got about 1 RIR. That last rep wouldn't be pretty and but I know it's the only one there.

[@BrofUJu]

That might even be 0 RIR though if your form is so awful it's doing nothing.

[@thechessplayer8328]

Quick question regarding the study: I thought one of the benefits of not training to failure was you can do more sets, but in this study it seems they held sets constant for the failure vs. non-failure group which would diminish the benefit of leaving 1-2 RIR.

[@tangofoxtrott7971]

Do you realize that you can‘t compare the 2 „groups“ when you do different amounts of sets? The hole study would be pointless

[@thechessplayer8328]

@@tangofoxtrott7971 Would you say there would be a hole in the study?

[@anthonybachler9526]

I train daily, so increasing fatigue resistance is the primary concern. Stopping short of failure helps achieve this.

[@georgeg2369]

“Best designed study to date” - Martin Refalo is my coach. He is a legend. Great to see his work getting the credit it deserves 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼

[@BluBlu111]

I train to failure but definitely get in my rest days too. In truth i get best results that way

[@microondasletal]

I want that same study with different volume per week. I'm 100% sure that training to failure and beyond at smaller volumes (say, 6/7/8 weekly sets) is waaaaay better than RIR 1/2/3/4. We always take those 12-20 weekly sets as a basis, but those variables favor volume and not intensity. You don't need that much intensity when you're doing considerable weekly volumes; you also don't need as much volume if you go as hard as you can, and that's where more intensity wins against going RIR whatever.