- Joined
- May 4, 2007
- Messages
- 21,629
- Reaction score
- 3
OK, thanks for clarifying.
I used to plan my sets to fail in the last (3rd or 4th). Should I increase the weight and work until failure in 1 set? Or should I just not stop until failure without increasing weight?
If you're looking to strictly improve hypertrophy, then train to failure for all of your work sets.
Example: Let's say you usually do 4X8 for biceps curls
- Do one or two warmup sets (not to failure)
- Do your 4X8 to failure
- By set 4, the weight you're using in order to reach 8 reps may be significantly less than in previous sets because your muscles are fatigued. This is ok (if we're training specifically for hypertrophy).
In order to reach the optimal volume, you'd need to repeat this for either more sets or more exercises for that particular muscle group. The amount of volume your body can handle will depend on the individual.
In order to reach optimal frequency, you'll need to repeat this process at least 2-3 times per week. Studies found that training muscle groups multiple times a week was superior for hypertrophy than going balls out and beating the living fuck out of a muscle group once a week.
It's basically a balancing act.
For hypertrophy, you need to find your "sweet spot" where you can train to failure, while adding in enough volume for the workout, and still be able to recover enough to repeat the process later that week.