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Muscle failure is a condition when the athlete is no longer able to perform the exercise with the correct technique. Under certain conditions, this technique contributes to a set of muscle mass.
The term “muscle failure” refers to the state that a person achieves due to peripheral or central fatigue. He cannot complete the repetition of the exercise in full amplitude and with a given weight. This technique helps some athletes build muscle mass.
As the central nervous system gets tired, the excitability of motor neurons decreases. These neurons are nerve cells that send signals to the muscles to contract.
The products of anaerobic metabolism accumulate inside the muscle fibers, causing fatigue.
Who is the muscle failure method for?
This technique is used by experienced athletes who strive to become stronger. When a beginner starts training, his muscles are stimulated to grow an average of 4 reps before failure. If a person overpowers himself and works to exhaustion, this will bring him little benefit – but it will increase the risk of injury.
In experienced athletes, muscle failure helps muscles grow by activating more fibers.
- People who do light weight training at home often rely on this technique. When performing high-intensity exercises (80–100% of a one-rep maximum), all fibers in the muscles are tensed at once.
- Exercises with weights of 30-50% of a one-rep maximum activate only a part of the fibers – and those muscles that have not received a load will not increase in size.
However, the more tired a person is, the more fibers he uses to keep moving. All of his muscle mass will become active a few repetitions before failure. The effect will be the same as from working with serious weights.
Muscle failure helps develop muscle mass when training with light weights. But in order to gain strength, you will have to switch to high-intensity activities.
Muscle failure is also good for those who train 1-2 times a week. Recovery after such a reception takes 24-48 hours. It is not recommended to return to physical activity before the expiration of this period, otherwise the muscles will not grow. Muscle hypertrophy, that is, an increase in their mass, occurs precisely during the rest period.
Muscle failure should definitely be avoided by the elderly. The older the person, the more time he needs to recover.
How to benefit from training to failure
It is in the interests of the athlete to keep the nervous system fresh for as long as possible. The higher the fatigue, the less motor neurons are excited, which is why some of the fibers do not receive a command to contract. Part of the muscle is deprived of mechanical load and loses the stimulus for growth.
It is not recommended to do more than 2 failures in a row.
It is better not to bring the matter to muscle failure with such physical activity, which in itself provides a strong load on the nervous system:
- For lunges, squats, standing and lying presses, bent over rows, deadlifts, and other multi-joint movements with free weights.
- With push-ups in a handstand, lifts with a coup, complex types of pull-ups, exits on the rings and horizontal bars and other movements of complex gymnastics;
- With thrust with undermining, jerks and jerks and other explosive elements of weightlifting. This rule is also relevant for experienced athletes.
Muscle failure is compatible with the following exercises
- lifting on toes for pumping calves, flexion and extension of the legs and other single-joint exercises on simulators;
- Shoulder rows, triceps extensions, dumbbell biceps curls, and other single-joint movements with free weights.
With such a load, one muscle group is involved. Stress for the central nervous system is minimal. Muscle failure will not lead to a sharp decline in performance. This technique is not suitable for permanent use.
To ensure the inclusion of all muscle fibers and prevent overload of the nervous system, it is desirable to assign no more than 20% of all approaches to failure.
It is reasonable to plan the application of this technique for periods of peak load. Muscle failure should be avoided during recovery training.
What is negative muscle failure
It is important to understand: muscle failure is not a situation where a person is not able to perform the exercise at least half-heartedly. Failure occurs when the correct technique is no longer given to the athlete.
- Suppose a person raises dumbbells to the biceps – He’s tired. To lift the weight once again, he warps to one side, makes a jerk or swings with his whole body.
These signs show that the failure has already come, and it’s time to stop. If you continue to do the exercise with incorrect technique, each new repetition will increase the risk of injury.
- Another example: a person doing a bench press – If he is so exhausted that he cannot lower the raised barbell to his chest without help, this is a negative refusal. It is fraught with injuries even for professionals. With a positive refusal, the athlete is able to lift the bar by 50%. It is this indicator that is a safe benchmark for beginners and intermediate athletes.