Training to Muscular Failure; Good Bad or Ugly?

Many bodybuilders have published articles declaring that the best and fastest way to bulk up is to push each exercise to the point of muscular failure. What exactly does this mean, and is this a good training method, a bad idea, or really ugly?

Exercising to the point of muscular failure means that each exercise is performed at a heavy weight until the body is unable to complete another rep. Bodybuilders tend to use heavier weights and fewer reps, so lets say bench pressing 250 pounds and it can only be lifted 4 times. If unable to manage that fifth lift, this exercise has been performed to the point of muscular failure. The same principle is used with almost all exercises done during weight and resistance training by bodybuilders.

The question of whether this is a good or bad training philosophy is answered by the level of experience and physical condition of the bodybuilder in question. Beginners, who are not very familiar with the bodies and the proper methods of performing weight training can, cause themselves serious injuries early on when they try to train to muscular failure. They can develop some poor forms and bad habits as they try to push themselves to exceed the threshold of muscular failure with each new set of workouts. This can also result in long term joint problems that may not even by noticed until years down the road. Training to the point of muscular failure can prove very ugly when attempted by a beginner in the sport of bodybuilding.

Intermediate bodybuilders have more experience and have some idea of the limitations they can impose on their bodies without causing major damage. Training to the point of muscular failure can probably help these individuals build muscle mass quickly, but there is still a temptation to push just a little to far too fast to get past a plateau or be ready for a competition that can lead to a failure to stop when the limits of the body have been reached or to allow enough recovery time between exercise sets. Intermediate bodybuilders can find training to the point of muscular failure to be good or bad depending on their mindset and exercise routines.

Advanced bodybuilders have been doing the sport long enough and have done enough weight training to know exactly how far they can push themselves and how much recovery time is needed between sets to ensure the maximum results in the shortest time. For bodybuilders at this level, training to the point of muscular failure is one of the fastest and best ways to build up muscle mass quickly and efficiently getting ready to go into the competition season. The chances of injury are minimized by the form developed over time to be used when performing weight training and the knowledge of his own body attained by an advanced bodybuilder.

One of the most highly publicized and touted methods of achieving rapid buildup of muscles is the work out to the point of muscular failure. While this method is excellent for the advanced bodybuilder, it can prove to be a very bad idea for a novice or an intermediate, however.

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