The TRUTH About Training To Failure (You NEED To Hear This!)

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The TRUTH About Training To Failure
In today's video I'm covering a very important topic in regards to the subject of training to failure. Is training to failure necessary, and what is muscular failure exactly? In reality, a high percentage of muscle building trainees have never truly pushed themselves to legitimate muscular failure, at least not for all muscle groups. The problem with this is that if you've never really trained to failure, then it's also going to be very difficult for you to properly gauge reps in reserve (RIR) or rating of perceived of exertion (RPE scale). As a result, chances are that you'll end up not training hard enough for optimal muscle growth. As I've said many times before, most average lifters in the gym really don't train hard enough when it all comes down to it. You certainly don't need to train to failure every set, but you do need to train to failure here and there to get an understanding of where that point is. Not to mention that for maximum muscle gains, I do think there is value in going all the way to muscular failure here and that some very high intensity training used in moderation provides benefits you simply can't get from always leaving 1-2 reps in reserve. In this video I'll show you some live examples of what training to failure looks like from my own workouts to give you a better idea of just how hard you should train for the best results. This video isn't specifically about training intensity vs volume but is moreso just about helping you identify what muscular failure really looks like along with some practical tips if you are going to start training to failure more often in your own program.

[@Sean_Nalewanyj]

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[@brandonlucaberry1090]

What's up with your arms? Those are stretch marks?

[@ArantyrDarkhand]

My legs its what i know i training right to failure, it takes around 5 days to recover. I try to go until i can only do partial.

[@Sean_Nalewanyj]

@@brandonlucaberry1090 Yes I've had them since I started lifting as a teenager.

[@Tablespoonmischief]

Sean Nalewanyj It sounds like you are an advocate of HIT methods. Did you you ever work with Arthur Jones, Ellington Darden, Mike Mentzer or Ken Hutchins?

[@TheHarryDunne]

Do you think it would be beneficial to squeeze one more rep out by cheating on your form?

[@robertdotuan500]

general rule of thumb: if you're not making stupid faces during your last reps, you're not training hard enough

[@Sean_Nalewanyj]

100%

[@willtheman840]

Some truth to that. I may actually have a stupid look at other times during the day, but yeah, and all out rep will do it, lol.

[@fredmd101]

Shrugs face or bust

[@ABABABABABABABABABABBBBBB]

Robert Do Tuan ugly faces during the last reps, except deadlifts where its a death stare to the mirror

[@mortenlarsen7220]

I call it sexy face.

[@robertdotuan500]

since I am a failure, I train to failure

[@kaungzawhtet3935]

But if you train to failure, you’re not a failure so idk man

[@DiskoKDiskoL]

@@kaungzawhtet3935 if you successfully fail, you still failed.

[@pranjalprasad8704]

@@kaungzawhtet3935 inception 💀

[@afrog2666]

Be like failure my friend ;)

[@VarunAditTheGreat]

@@DiskoKDiskoL but if you wanted to succeed in failing, is it still failure?

[@mahidm1804]

This guy doesn't age. I remember watching his videos back in 2010. Good, clean, no BS content.

[@jamesmacpheators7222]

@RS1 he puts out some seriously legit and great information.

[@noelroga4593]

Vampire confirmed

[@Codemanlex]

Your account is 4yrs ago tho

[@mahidm1804]

@@Codemanlex yes, this account is. I had an account before this one

[@chribbatt]

It's what happens when you stay fit, lean and natural. Aging slows down significantly.

[@Silvaback413]

I feel like something that doesn’t get talked about a lot is the mental aspect of going to true failure.... the mental fortitude it takes and the benefits of knowing you left it all out there that specific workout. Me personally if I don’t feel like I’m walking out the gym with my gas tank on E then I didn’t train hard enough. For me mentally, I feel like the set needs to almost scare me before I go.... make me nervous and think man I really don’t want to do this but I’m going to because this is what I love. Just my 2 cents.

[@thesecondcomingofchrist123]

Just want to let you know youre 100% right. I hate training w friends sometimes because they like to fuck around in the gym and don’t know what it really takes or feels like to lift until you physically cannot anymore.

[@PeterKudelin]

the nervousness is a real thing lol. every time you walk in those doors

[@user-tr2dh4xx6u]

​@thesecondcomingofchrist123 I took 16 month break from the gym. Came back and most people there made 0 progress.... they are almost wasting their time there

[@Max-fq4io]

After he explained muscle failure better, I got intrested if I ever did that and I treid it with push ups. Usually I do 15-20 reps and feel like I cant go on. I tried it and failed at the 27th rep.

[@karm00n29]

Do them slow and u only gonna get 15

[@devonharvey8414]

@@karm00n29 Ong lol

[@karm00n29]

@@devonharvey8414 ?????????

[@devonharvey8414]

@@karm00n29 what bro

[@karm00n29]

@@devonharvey8414 ngga killer

[@nolanhutchison5446]

You are the real deal of a natural lifter who trains REALLY HARD! You inspire me bro!

[@Sean_Nalewanyj]

Thanks man

[@JonathanDLynch]

I used to train to failure on every set. Now that I am older, I train to failure on the last set. Training to failure is not some big horrible thing - just really try to keep good form.

[@thecetera4626]

How old are you?

[@JonathanDLynch]

@@thecetera4626 51

[@thecetera4626]

@@JonathanDLynch Nice, Im about to turn 42 and I do the same thing, failure on the last set only.

[@JonathanDLynch]

@@thecetera4626 are you still gaining strength? I took many years off, got fat, and developed insulin resistance. I have been back to working out for about 6 years, got back in shape, and I am at my strongest ever :)

[@thecetera4626]

@@JonathanDLynch oh yeah, I'm still in newbie gains phase. I only started working out seriously about a year ago. Wish I had started sooner so my joints and connective tissue would be stronger. That holds me back more than anything. Getting old is fun.

[@jelliott8539]

I turned 50 this past summer. I just started training with failure in mind. In the past, I would stop with at least three or four reps in the reserve, I was always frustrated with my progress. Now, I’ve lost 13lbs in 6 weeks, gained muscle mass to the point where my wife is gitty and my overall strength has increased ten fold. Thank you Sean, you’ve given me the will and drive to keep going, live longer, improve my health, strength and overall well being! You’re the man!

[@eloelo6944]

Respect. Thanks also for reminding me it's not too late which I often feel like it is even though I'm younger than you

[@danpolk4323]

Same here, I’m 43 and my wife is loving the changes lol

[@LiberatedMind1]

@@danpolk4323 Better hanky panky? 😜

[@jaybee2402]

Training to failure is supposed to add muscle mass, not induce fat loss.

[@LiberatedMind1]

@@jaybee2402 It does both because it makes your body more anabolic. Your body will use fat reserves to fuel muscle growth.

[@FitLabb]

100% dead on that most people don’t train to failure b/c they don’t know what it actually means or feels like to train to failure, & that singlehandedly holds them back from making gains.

[@NarutoUzumaki-sh1do]

For isolation sure. I think most people who train have experienced failing during a bench and had to have someone rescue them 😂

[@MightbePettingmyCat]

@@NarutoUzumaki-sh1do thats not even remotely close to being the same thing

[@cupofjoen]

@@MightbePettingmyCat so what was that then? Newbie here.

[@Devil-ig7kl]

​@@cupofjoen it could be ego lifting.... I'm not sure about others but I'm I'm going for failure while benching then I'll ask a spotter...... It's a stupid thing to go all out on barbell bench press.... Dbell presses are way better and you can train till failure

[@bri-manhunter2654]

Having a spotter helps to go to failure on the big compound movements.

[@Axel-vq3mv]

anybody that has seen dragonball knows the importance of going to failure and beyond for that zenkai boost

[@zekenacho]

The real question is WHO HASN'T watched Dragon Ball

[@ShneorPlayz]

GUYS... Just two more extra reps to be the greatest don't give up!

[@MarioTomicOfficial]

Great video Sean and an awesome example of what a true 0 RIR looks like! It's definitely worth incorporating some AMRAP sets (until technical failure) occasionally to reassess limits for those who care about maximizing progress. It's not uncommon to see people get 5 - 6 extra solid reps above what they thought was their maximum before trying an AMRAP set, especially on compound lower body exercises.

[@teabaobaochina]

yes, even though I am a beginner, I usually do 4 sets of 30 squats and "feel" exhausted, but today I tried to AMRAP and got 51, and actually I might get more, but I aimed at 50 and I think my "mental muscle" fails before my legs.

[@Croissantrophy.meme.channel]

@@teabaobaochina that's too much... Add weight and go for a 6-8 rep sets

[@FitLabb]

@@teabaobaochina Definitely doing way too much volume.....you’re just wasting your time and energy doing too many “junk reps” before you reach the “effective reps” in each set. You should be using a level of resistance that has you hitting failure somewhere between 8-15 reps ideally, and then coming within a couple reps of that in your working sets. You’ll get much better results overall if you follow a training plan that looks like that, while also having a better chance of avoiding overuse injuries.

[@Sam-ni6bc]

Jones Lucas bro 30 squats? where did you get youre info from lmao bro youre lifting way too light or youre going wayyy too hard😂😂even if its "light weight" you shouldnt be doing more than 15 reps

[@ryanday9737]

@@teabaobaochina Repetitive stress joint injuries in your future if your doing that much volume regularly.

[@johnk6324]

I've tried both training to failure,and leaving a rep in the tank. Have had success with both. The real keys for me have been eating enough calories,getting enough sleep,and striving to make each workout a little better than the last by either doing one more rep,or adding a little more weight.

[@mikek9297]

Thanks for this comment John

[@BucketWheat]

I was an assistant Athletic Trainer at a College in Texas. years ago. I worked mostly with the Ladies' Sport Teams. The thing that surprised me most was the attitude of the various Coaches. Our Gymnastics Coach supported us driving the Ladies thru 'failure' workouts, during the 'off-season' and then focusing more on flexibility and quickness as we headed into the Performance Pre-Season Training. And our Teams Won Multiple Division Championships! But out Softball Coach was totally opposite... No "Hard" workouts ... and on "Weight Days" the Team Members just sort of roamed around the weight room and randomly did whatever they decided, and as many or as few Reps as they felt like... and spent most of the time standing around -- or sitting around -- talking. And they seldom even Won any individual Games. The Coach insisted that SHE would give them "The Exercise they need" ... And there were only a couple of Ladies that could hit the ball out of the infield...

[@mr.gameandteach7197]

The rule of thumb for my mentality is when my brain says stop I tell my body to go 1 or 2 more. And that gets me to about 1 or 2 reps in reserves.

[@matw1x]

I agree. I never go above 1 RIR for working sets because anything more than that just doesn't seem to make sense for bodybuilding (unless you're deloading) but I understand that for powerlifting, it's a different story.

[@Sean_Nalewanyj]

Same. I replied to someone else’s comment here saying the same thing. For most movements 2 RIR and beyond just feels way too easy.

[@gaurdianrayrhama1583]

Tension makes a difference..many people aim to feel the stretch at the end of eccentric..we should be aiming to feel the contraction always. When you tend to feel for a stretch...we tend to relax the muscles. Stretching is relaxing...tension is not. Feel for the stretch during stretching routines not during your lifting.

[@woohan6430]

I fail all the time..... by not going to the gym...

[@Sean_Nalewanyj]

😂

[@PhillipCummingsUSA]

everyday bro

[@halftruths603]

Work out at home... don't necessarily need weights.

[@zekenacho]

@@PhillipCummingsUSA Disney channel bro

[@nokitanada7390]

This channel is boss because it's not so much about teaching 'what to do', it's about teaching 'how to reason in order to find out what you gotta do'.

[@nicknormando4220]

This guy is really coming into his own as of late. Great information and I dig the sarcasm and demeanor keep it up!

[@Sean_Nalewanyj]

Thanks Nick!

[@parkerrish9024]

Bro had no freaking idea! Educational as hell

[@jusplayin3815]

You are quickly becoming my ‘go-to’ person for fitness and nutritional advice. I appreciate all the time and effort you put into these videos. I eagerly await the next one

[@joshblunt7165]

Great info! I definitely agree with the fact that most people’s goals can be achieved by just pushing themselves in the gym on a consistent basis without worry about going lose to failure every time.

[@diegosocold4767]

You’re probably saving me years of time with this information

[@davidkeller3618]

Great explanation on what true muscular failure is.

[@petertone1616]

Ive never understood (nearing 2 decades in the gym now) "leaving a rep or two in the tank" If you dont train to the maximum youre not going to get maximum results- youre just not.

[@bacary4401]

wrong

[@follower8815]

The idea is if you leave reps in the tank it’ll lower your fatigue. So you’ll actually end up getting more volume with less fatigue. And the fatigue won’t carry on to your next workout sessions. So you can string together great workouts back to back without as much fatigue.

[@petertone1616]

@@follower8815 I get the idea behind it, lol. I dont get, nor has it "worked" for me, how sitting about for 5 mins so Im fully rested after my 80% effort set and can smash more weight is any better than 100% effort, rest repeat.

[@jordybartko]

This might vary from person to person, for example, since I've started to train to a total failure every set and I am experiencing greater gains than before. Didnt have any problems with fatique, I work out 6 times a week without any problems

[@iamnemo8479]

When I get near failure I get happy, when I get failure and can't do another rep and only get another 1/4- 1/2 rep I know I hit the sweet spot, that is when I know I have achieved the money set, I then try to do a couple of forced negatives to add to the growth factor after.

[@abinesh6757]

Sir, I regret that I didn't find your channel for the past years and as soon as I had found, I gain all knowledge with your videos only. You are the only one person telling people the real science and giving pure 💯 true knowledge. Respect you! Thank you for your valuable videos🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@youcrazypersonyou]

More people need to hear your info. It's absolute gold.

[@chuckboy9372]

My rule is, at the end of your workout your body must understand that it's not okay to stay the same. Each set must be outside of the comfort zone.

[@vorosmc]

This is good stuff, Sean. I feel like consistent progressive overload will eventually take care of this by itself. If you just keep progressing without lowering the sets or reps, you're either eventually gonna start training in the right range (and occasionally hit failure), or you're gonna break a bunch of world records.

[@Vitorruy1]

Didnt work for me, when I got close to failure I avoided putting weight on the bar due to fear of form breakdown mid set and the pain in the ass off deloading, reracking and reloading the bar. Not to mention most gyms make it impossible to bench to failure without a spotter.

[@caloreen1992]

@@Vitorruy1 If you want to bench to failure with no spotter just use dumbbells, they are better anyways lol.

[@martynblackburn1977]

I would go to failure more often, but there is this vein in my head and don't want to push it too much.

[@ccomega929]

i just started getting back in training, to seriously loose this weight finally, i am so glad i found you, i feel like i knew most of what to do already, but your videos have really been helping to fill in the blanks, and i feel now i can really push myself to the max. thnx for being gym-speration

[@gaurdianrayrhama1583]

I'd advise u to explore the other as well...ive made better gains reserving reps and less aches and more energy.

[@emeralff881]

how’s it going now?

[@ccomega929]

@@emeralff881 pretty good, im down to 180 now, still on my 1800 calorie diet

[@emeralff881]

@@ccomega929 nice!

[@cupofjoen]

@@ccomega929 what's your height bro? I'm in my 6th month, 5'7 at 169 lbs right now from 180 lbs in starting point. Am I doing good body recomp bro?

[@Solidfreeman01]

Yes! I think it is important too. I have always trained almost every set (not including the warm up sets) to the point, where i hardly can lift the weight. And after failure arrives a few pitt- force- like repetitions are great too. Never had problems like stalls in progress. Never needed any intensifying techniques, pump sets etc. Never needed muscle confusion by choosing different exercises. I think it is really important to get very close to ones limits. Then training works using the same exercises all the time. Just push your limits through weight or repetitions. Then the body has to grow.

[@cantguardmark210]

I always warn ppl at the gym when they are watching me or talking to me I WILL make dumb silly blowfish faces during my set as I go to failure 😂😂

[@StevieBuckleyPT]

Brilliant as always Sean. Something I’m always preaching to my clients is the importance of training intensity for getting optimal results. 👍🏻😉

[@jar2520]

Great video. This is exactly why I always try to go to failure. In reality, I probably don’t actually get there and likely end the set at an RPE of 8 or 9. This is also why you shouldn’t do RPE targeted training, since you will likely just end up getting lazy and your effective reps during the workout will suffer. Good content keep it up.

[@thunderkat5282]

After years of going back and forth between “science” training and training to failure… my best gains were training to failure. I tried all versions of both. Gains were good with both, but failure wins. Especially for long term growth. Caveat: don’t keep doing a failure split if it ain’t working, change variables until it does work.

[@nevermind4611]

How often would you train a muscle if you’re going to failure? Since it could take slightly more time to recover

[@thunderkat5282]

@@nevermind4611 yep! You’re right. My peripheral nervous system burnt out fast. Gotta space failure training out.

[@CousinEddy1969]

You and Ryan have both been teaching this for awhile and It is the absolute best way to train! It literally takes more mental power than it does physical power to truly train to failure!

[@mostlyirishkevin7928]

Great advice! You know your sh!t. I found you about a year ago and respect the advice you offer.

[@joshuabush2569]

A few months back I cut my frequency In half, and now I train with a much higher intensity going to true failure... Progress has been amazing. Much more recovery days as well which I think is massively overlooked also.

[@markb.739]

omg I just did the same thing! I've been training a long time and fell victim to that false information! My results and progress have shot up again. I'm glad I wasn't the only one....

[@piyushdwivedi7195]

Same bro!

[@ABABABABABABABABABABBBBBB]

Joshua Bush same i only do 1 set to failure every exercise, gained over 10kg of lean mass in 4 months. My legs are 75% stronger on leg extensions and leg press in 3 months.

[@joshuabush2569]

I think there's definitely something special about going to true failure!

[@PhillipCummingsUSA]

@@joshuabush2569 When I first got into exercising, Jeff Cavalier was really pushing his "do these exercises" everyday gimmick and I tried to keep up with that philosophy. It basically had endless amounts of garbage filler exercises. The foundational movies like a basic bench, DL, Squat lifts slacked because I had it in my mind that the everyday exercises were more important. Obviously, a totally different problem yet was still WAY too much.

[@weepingblade]

This seems like something greg doucette would react to but who knows

[@GVS]

He'll react to a sneeze nowadays.

[@durachoks]

I highly doubt it, he has talked about this sooo many times, cant see him making another video like this

[@km-kx3te]

if he does make a video about it, he would probably agree anyways

[@daverowe4566]

@@GVS he reacted to your video and tore you a new one, lol

[@slee2695]

@@daverowe4566 incoherent rambling..he can barely write a complete sentence

[@trick58]

This is why I’ve slowly moved to cables and machines when I can get them. Much safer moving close to failure, and usually, much more stable, allowing greater focus on the muscle being trained.

[@Juvenalesque]

Total game changer. I'm only a few videos in, but this guy has some seriously motivational insight. I honestly think I can lose weight like I want without torturing myself by utilizing the most out of every set & keeping in mind his advice from other videos. I'm really impressed.

[@Richard-jm3um]

That flame hair looks good on you Sean! XD

[@Sean_Nalewanyj]

Flame hair? Not sure what that means haha

[@jetman8856]

@@Sean_Nalewanyj he's talking about the thumbnail 🔥

[@Sean_Nalewanyj]

@@jetman8856 Right, not sure how I missed that 😂 I just started growing my hair out after having a shaved head so I thought he was referring to that

[@deadcakesandpanlifts2019]

Honestly going to failure for me was one of the worst mistakes I made in the past. Personally I have poor recovery(genetically, sleep and everything is fine) and training to failure led me to not make any gains for years and get injured. Its really shocking how someone can make almost no gains no matter how much they train when they arent recovering. I get that Im the exception and not the rule, but just gonna leave this here so people know this doesn't apply to everyone the same.

[@BrandNewSentence]

I've been getting recommended a lot of your vids for the past couple months, and I just want to thank you for breaking this stuff down. I've had a gym membership for a while but I always felt like I didn't have the confidence to fail in public. Since I've started training to failure more and actually using good form, I feel so much better both in and out of the gym.

[@TheBooban]

Except its wrong. Training to failure and good form is incompatible with each other. 12:08 he even says that. Lower the weight and you can do 1-3 more. So your muscles didn’t fail. But its dangerous trying to fail with heavy weight. 100% injury garanteed.

[@Flint_Becket]

Am 15 ,and all the exercises i do ,i always take it to my full potential until am not able to lift it even an inch,,, fortunately this wil help,thx👍

[@roisyoy4768]

Hey Sean, just know man it sucks how such good quality of KZbin videos don’t get the attention they deserve, everyone is still stuck watching vshred😂 but anyways THANK YOU SO MUCH MAN 👍🏾💪🏾

[@tae912]

He has 200k subscribers now. Its only a matter of time until he gets there.

[@justbrowsing8675]

I just found his channel and I’ve watched workout/bodybuilding videos for years .?? Liking it so far

[@livingdeadfitness1528]

I think it depends on how much volume you're doing & what type of exercise it is. If I'm doing a lot of sets for an exercise, then my first set is usually not super close to failure unless it's on a small exercise like lateral raises. For example, if I'm doing 6 sets of 10, then I won't be able to complete it if my first set is extremely difficult. This is especially true for pull ups and squats for me.

[@TKFOH]

100% depends on the exercise, and a TERRIBLE exercise to go to failure on is leg press. That could very easily go horribly wrong. Something like dumbbell bench press is a good exercise to go to failure on, because once you reach true failure, you can basically bail on the exercise without huge risk of injury. Same with something like lat raise, front raise, shrugs, bicep curls, tricep pulldowns, etc.

[@smc2069]

6 sets of 10??? Waaaay too much volume. Drop the volume and increase the intensity you'll see better results

[@Avi10177]

Have been going through many fitness youtubers out there for years ...and i can finally commit that sean is possibly hands down the best out there...his content his advices his knowledge his genuine personality everything about him is top notch...thanks for educating us...looking forward for more informations...

[@aaronrattley8580]

This effort talk rings really true to me. I’m dissuaded easily so it’s been a really long grind for me and I’m not seeing much change from like, a year ago

[@themotivatedman112]

Sean's last rep faces will haunt my nightmares

[@markb.739]

Please do a collaboration with Dr Gregg Doucette, you have similar philosophies and different personalities that would contrast well together so it would be an entertaining an educational video.

[@PhillipCummingsUSA]

@Antipapirus He can influence a bigger number of newer lifters by doing a colab with Greg which is the purpose of his channel.

[@markb.739]

@@PhillipCummingsUSA absolutely! and it would be as entertaining as it would be educational by two of the straightest shooters in the industry. They both clearly respect each other, so why not, right??

[@Sean_Nalewanyj]

I’m not really a “collab” guy and Greg isn’t either but we have commented on each other’s content before.

[@pranjalprasad8704]

@Antipapirus he has said In his videos, if you can afford it, buy it, if you can't then just watch all his videos n learn, and not just his videos, watch em all Sean, Greg, xyz..... Offcourse hiring a coach or buying a book by paying straight up would always save time tho and yeah I do agree that Greg's prices are high, so I just do well with the videos(student here) 😅👍

[@markb.739]

@@Sean_Nalewanyj the guys spreading misinformation all seem to be on the same "team" and do a lot of collaborating. It would be nice to see the "good" guys team up for once, share their subs and spread some truth while entertaining their fans at the same time. :-)

[@walterhaller4245]

Effort is the key to nearly anything in life

[@moustachio334]

Going to failure forces your body to adapt faster to the workload. I remember plataeuing on my overhead press then I started reading about push presses (dipping a little at the hips and shoving the weight ogg the beginning of the ohp movement) with controlled negatives and my overhead press strength increased after doing 3 reps for as many sets until my form broke down. The negative of the movement is so important for strength. That's why you held on to that last curl rep. I forget the gym term for what I was doing with the push press. Great exercise that doesn't get enough love.

[@andrewmorris6187]

I would not recommend going to failure on barbells. Safer on dumbbells and machines.

[@bai_qi]

Most people I see at the gym aren't even trying. Well, they are, trying to look cool. And spends more time on their phones posting on IG and FB.

[@NickCaligari]

Good topic and kind of a tricky one too! Failure is a necessity at times because it acts as a gauge. This can be applied to anything in life, including lifting but I think it's very misunderstood. I think the problem is that people tend to conflate failure with intensity so they either train FAR too hard or not hard enough--basically, they are on either side of the extremes, when they should be in the middle. If I had to illustrate what I mean, it'd look something like a bell-shaped curve.

[@Brendy733]

Just remember it can be a bit dangerous going to failure on some lifts. My dumb ass almost got a shoulder injury from DB bench press. But fortunately I know how to dump the weight properly to avoid injury.

[@rafaelmosquim4136]

Great video! Got rid of the mentality "4 sets of 12" and got "stronger" immediately, like adding 20kg to the leg press and going for 20, 18, 18, 16 the next session. If you put your mind into 12 reps you will get 12 reps. Obviously thought was somewhat near failure in the 12th rep.

[@Vitorruy1]

better to focus on tension and quality rather than reaching some arbitrary number

[@rogerpope9948]

Great videos Sean! I have incorporated your tip on Multi Rep Rest Pause to try to do reps that are closer to failure, and eliminate junk reps. Some exercises, particularly with legs, and especially high rep ones like standing lunges and lateral squats, are kind of hard for me to take to failure. But this video helped re-emphasize that for me and I will do what I can to leave fewer reps in reserve

[@unicorn1655]

This video made me realize that I want a mid physique. I know if I went to failure constantly I’d not work out at all and that’d leave me with a much worse physique. Thanks for your honesty

[@logwind]

I started using rest-pause because of a previous video of yours and can confirm it works. I made no gains for years with straight sets, drop sets, pyramid sets, etc. Only pushing the boundaries of absolute failure forces my garbage genetics to make any gains, as small as they are. Thank you Sean.

[@kenichi1132]

Thanks Sean. I think this has been my biggest problem. Not training harder than last time. I have just been doing the sets and reps when I probably could have pumped out a lot more reps. In other words lifting lighter than I should be. J think part of it may be a result of worring about breaking form and injuring myself.

[@cgboyio9605]

1:48 them girls miring brahh

[@thatPUNKdude]

I was looking to see if someone else would post this comment haha

[@cgboyio9605]

Wrathburn me too ngl

[@kevinwicklund9593]

Pretty sure one them is his girlfriend

[@cgboyio9605]

Kevin Wicklund if anything yea Lmao

[@bobxbaker]

i agree, training to failure is something you should do, but i don't think you should do it nearly as often as most people think they should. it's a measure of your total capability so you know where the line is currently so wyhen you train regularly you know that you're not just toying with the weights you're currently using. i generally think of muscles as something that's functional and should be able to operate daily to a medium to high capacity and be able to do the same thing the next day on days on end. for example let's say you run a certain length, if you aren't able to run that length the very next day with generally the same difficulty then you've over exerted yourself the day prior. while fine on some days but maybe you don't want to do that every single time you run. in short you have to be able to crawl before you walk.

[@cchapa7470]

My father taught me this lesson about 30 years ago and I Still remember that day. We were doing legs to failure and I almost died walking down 3 stairs afterwards as my legs almost gave out... and then I got to my car. I forgot I drove stick and I Literally had to use my arm to help push my leg down on the clutch, leg quaking the whole time. Scariest 4 mile drive home in my life. Truly understand what you mean by "gun to your head". That clutch couldn't have needed more than 5lbs of force but, unassisted, was impossible in that moment.

[@jackxd721070]

Came from coach Greg, stayed for the content

[@Sean_Nalewanyj]

💪🏻

[@Keksde]

shoutout to the two girsl that kept staring and talking about you during the enirety of the first exercise, lol

[@rejected4760]

training to true muscular failure is a concept some people just cant fathom, they convince their head that they go all out, but are never even sweating in the gym.

[@nickolaussoerjono2734]

My whole program is based around Mechanical drop sets and I've been making huge gains in size, strength, and work capacity.

[@GVS]

I think I've seen other people *truly* fail about 6 times in the past 6 years. It's just absurdly rare. Most people butcher RIR/RPE to the point where it's pretty useless. Most "volume studies" are utter BS for this very reason. If every "working set" is really a "warmup" in ACTUAL effort, then sure...25-30 sets per muscle group might be "optimal".

[@GVS]

Oh you covered the volume studies thing haha

[@Sean_Nalewanyj]

100% agree. If the people in the studies aren’t actually going to true failure (which they probably aren’t most of the time) then the volume recommendations that come out of those studies would be highly unreliable.

[@GVS]

@@keithbillman5293 saw that. pretty hilarious. "that's my failure" on a warmup.

[@user-zk4dv2nx8k]

Hey , as a reminder u said that u were going to break down athlean-x's supplements

[@imperfectillustration6261]

Ditto!

[@Sean_Nalewanyj]

Yep it’s on the way

[@welshdragon2927]

He will get so many athlean-x fanboys fighting him in the comment section.

[@lightningq61]

Looking forward to someone finally talking about that, imo they’re totally fine but really expensive for the serving count- the main thing I loved was rx3 was great for my mental state and sleep BUT I realized that was just the L-Theanine so I just get that now on its own for a fraction of the price and have some greek yogurt before bed 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@lightningq61]

Plus the preworkout seems to be an unspecified L Citruline to malic acid ratio which combined with the very high $/serving makes it understandably questionable

[@thomashugus5686]

Sean is my go to for lifting and fitness advice. Very knowledgeable!

[@josephbecker7570]

Such an underrated channel. Hope you get back to making longer content.

[@welshdragon2927]

Would you recommend taking a set of compound lifts to failure (Deadlifts or squats?). Great video as always 🙏

[@jakubb3368]

Don't go to an absolute faulure on any lift that can kill you without support, such as squat or bench press, where weight can drop down on you. At the other hand, when you do something like a pull up, lateral raises or most of machines, stopping half way cannot harm you, so it's kinda safe.

[@Sean_Nalewanyj]

You can here and there but usually on a deadlift you’ll hit “technical failure” meaning you stop the set because your form slips and not because you literally can’t move the weight.

[@ahmadghamloush5985]

Applying a slow negative at the end of the set might be a technique that i might incorporate in my workout. Great video Sean! I happened to have binged watched most of your playlists and i am impressed by how you keep it real and always spread the truth about proper training and nutrition. Keep up the amazing work!

[@laraking804]

I’m a huge Greg fan and thanks to Sean’s Greg review I now have Sean included in my small list of Fitness Channels worth following. Great content.

[@2Rugrats9597]

I Just finished my first year of weight training and lost 40lbs while gaining good muscle and looking good. I was actually doing 15-20 reps. Now, for my second year I will be doing 8-12 reps and going for more muscle. I also keep my calories at about maintenance or 200 calories under weekly w 1gram of Protein per body weight max w 150-200 minute of low steady cardio for good heart health. I love my journey and hopefully I can get to my 15-17% body fat %. I’m at 22 right now at 5’8 178lbs

[@samwisegalenorn]

What about 12-20+ (or even 30+, 40+, 50+) reps to absolute failure? I tend to do that in the gym for all sets including my warmup set. At home, I have to use a lot of reps to failure due to the lack of heavy weight machines at home.

[@vineethsasidhar446]

Hey sean, I have noticed that I can get a couple extra reps if I pause in between the set and take a couple semi deep breaths. I feel I am not able to push myself to failure cause I could always get one more rep as long as I take a semi break within the set. Is that ok when trying to determine my true failure ? Or should I see how many reps I can push without stopping or maintaining good form. Love the vids

[@deanwinchester5268]

You’re getting subs like crazy bro!

[@notepad9883]

Superslow Negative on Last Rep gang checking in! (1) "Technical failure" really is a thing, a real term used in exercise science, as you know. But in practice, I've found it to be almost the paradigmatic example of lifting experience as learning process. For most it's an incredibly elusive concept to master. You need to have good technique, to target the stimulus where it needs to be and limit any other sources of fatigue; but, on the other hand, you need to not be using this as an "excuse" to baby yourself, you need to truly be unable to do another rep with good form. When you put it this way, though, it seems like a matter of character or toughness; and really, it's not--or not *only* that. Technical failure is a concept that really needs to be *learned* in order to be grasped in practice. You do a great job of getting this across. (2) We spend a lot of time talking about the need for less experience lifters to gain a feel for their own bodies and its own capacities, and the feeling of failure. But in the fitness/bodybuilding area especially I think there's a neglected possibility of this for even experienced lifters. Many lifters do not experience failed reps on *squats* regularly at all, since there is no reason for him to do so; so I think there's a real risk that 0 RIR can "get away" from an experienced lifter over time, with his very experience giving him a false confidence in his own perceptiveness on the matter. It's not particularly important to do so for its own sake, especially if you squat heavy, but it may pay to arrange to actually fail a squat rep from time to time. (3) On that note, I have to admit that I personally am quite the pussy when it comes to pain; it's one of the reasons why I chose this sport! And fortunately I happen to be extremely "fast twitch dominant" and simply get exhausted from lighter work, whereas heavy work feels great and I simply get a single "grinder" that makes me nearly lose consciousness, but never get to actually feel the "burn" on rep after rep that masochists seem to love. The one exception is quads, where I think I probably *could* also train at higher reps effectively but simply choose not to out of pussiness. I wonder how suboptimally I'm training for hypertrophy by doing my very fulfilling and nearly pain-free 6RM leg presses instead of manning up and doing a bunch of agonizing 12RMs as is recommended by everyone for the movement.

[@Turbo-D]

forward this to jeff nippard 😂 also called the 5 reps in the tank guy

[@pranjalprasad8704]

If you atleast try to go all out, you'll automatically be 1-2 reps shy, cuz it's hardddd so it's best practice to train to failure anyway, no debate 😆💪

[@jessyavila5317]

2:25 lol man I make the same faces ,greT content 👍

[@DOOLZ86]

I have been doing few warm up sets and one set to failure 3 days a week full body, works wonders.

[@cosmic_gate476]

Once you get used to training hard it's actually pretty easy. The pain won't go away but making yourself go to failure will be automatic and effortless.

[@bballmichael8822]

Question: can I go to failure every set? When I stop 1-2 reps short I feel bad because I know I still have energy left in the tank. Is there a downside going to failure every set? I’ve been lifting since Christmas so I’m still sort of a noobie

[@mohammedqasim3657]

I do less sets, more training to failure

[@davedavid6860]

Save them for the last set

[@cjmaserati648]

Been lifting 20 yrs. I always train to failure and have always gotten great gains pretty quick. You have to lift with intensity for gains. Like go hard af in the gym. What works good for me is doing my warm up sets then 3 working sets. First working set is to failure for 12-15 reps then next 2 sets I go heavier for maybe 6-8 reps and I like to end the last set with a drop set. After the last set of 6-8 I immediately go to a weight that is 30% less than that weight and do my drop set and maybe do 2 drops.

[@briangerra5236]

If you do it for every set you'll get fatigued really fast - if you want to do that I'd wait until you are more experienced

[@daech8502]

I always ask my self when I bench press, maybe I should go for that one more rep? and then i think to my self it could be my funeral if i do one more cause im at failure. And if you die you cant make gains : D

[@V3iHoN6]

My kind of struggle every damn time. I would pass for the first 2-3 times and really go for it the next ( for the same weight ).

[@KroM234]

@fire trails Yeah you can take the chance on isolation exercises but with heavy compound lifts, when the muscles say "fuck this shit" to you and your joints yell "we got a problem", better call it at this point.

[@scycosnake3964]

I usually just lower it onto my chest, usually someone will get there in time

[@ectogainz2373]

I've been watching your videos for a decade, and this is by far the best fitness channel!

[@Sean_Nalewanyj]

Thank you!

[@moh7354]

The only KZbinr that doesn't ramble on and gives really good advice. I've learned so much from u over the years:)

[@MamaSwole]

Training to failure 3 sets on barbell squats would have me crawling everywhere for a week after lmao

[@ABABABABABABABABABABBBBBB]

MamaSwole squats to failure is hard bcus u can just rest a few seconds and do one more

[@Aliens-Are-Our-Friends2027]

Do you only squat 5x a year?

[@j10ul27]

3 set with each set to failure for barbell squats? Most likely you'll end up with technique failure before your actual muscle failure cmiiw.

[@peraelawey]

Not if you train hard enough. I usually get sore when I stop working out for a week

[@carmenborza8222]

Always do bench press without a spot to failure.If you're still alive, you didn't went to true failure.

[@matthewg3374]

I’m so glad I found your channel, I am a beginner I’ve only been working out for 3 1/2 months, i’ve been watching Athlean-X 😆😂🤣 I have seen significant results in three months though, my arms have practically doubled in size

[@stevencaldwell838]

I’ve been practicing a HIT routine for around 6 months now. It took me at least 3 weeks to find my true failure threshold! That said, once I found it, just to make sure , I’ll either do a 5 second pause and do another rep or two, or, go to failure, drop the weight slightly and return to failure! At the age of 53 and seeing real gains, failure and beyond is the key! Volume sucks!

[@Gu5A2]

I really like to have maybe the last set of an exercise sometimes I like to go to failure. To the point that I can’t get it all the way up by myself and let the safety’s get it.

[@ricklawrence5379]

Sean and Greg , the only 2 people you need to make progress, this guy should be way more well known than he is

[@Len_J_]

Excellent video. Made me realise I have not been pushing it properly all these years! Tomorrow is a new day..

[@DadBodFitness]

Dude Sean epic video. Seriously epic stuff. I found myself in alignment with you which was really encouraging. I'm definitely with you in the really slow negative after you hit failure. I have found that really beneficial. It's definitely a huge learning experience finding your true failure point. It does take time to understand how much More you have left. And when you are aiming for progressive overload you WILL eventually hit a failure point. Thanks for the video!