failure

The New Science of Training to Failure A recent study shows that training to failure is the true key to muscle growth... regardless of the weight used. If your goal is size, this is a must-read. Pop quiz: What’s better for gaining muscle size? Performing technically sound, explosive reps on...

There’s no getting around it, the best way to stimulate the muscle into adapting, and growing bigger, is to load that muscle towards failure so that it comes back stronger. Still, there’s only so many reps that one can make before it’s time to hit the shower. Or is there? A new study suggests...

Dr Meghan Santa Barbara is not just an IFBB Pro, but is also a nutrition consultant and bodybuilding prep coach. As such, she informs her almost 80,000 Instagram followers with a mixture of hard-earned gym knowledge along with the science to back it up. Recently, the popular PT took to social...

Let’s face it: We all want to look great naked. A well-sculpted physique not only boosts your confidence but also shows off the hard work you’ve put into your training. But how do you break through the confusion and get the results you’re after? The key is to train smart, have fun, and push your...

It's the most important key to muscle growth. And it'll fry your CNS and lead to injury. Wait, which is it? A little of both. Here's why. You’ve heard that before in bodybuilding circles. Is it true or just a macho catchphrase? Let’s explore it. This idea refers to pushing a set to the point...

A quick flirtation with failure before your main sets can unlock some hidden potential for muscle growth. A brand new study, published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology examined a group of men who performed a set of leg extensions to failure with 20 percent of their one-rep maximum...

Do you need a better strength training program or do you just need to work harder? Research conducted by scientists at Solent University may help you answer that question. After parsing 18 studies examining how hard people habitually train, the researchers found that when people were told to...

It’s funny how a big PR can immediately turn an average or lousy day into an amazing day. Showing up to the gym is easy. Going through the motions is easy. But consistently getting stronger month in and month out is very challenging. It requires intelligent training, sound nutrition, and ideal...

By Bret Contreras When I was in graduate school, I was a pretty busy guy. I was teaching high school mathematics during the day and attending grad school at night. I started reducing my training frequency, volume, and duration and noticed that it didn’t impact my strength levels too much. This...

There has been a plethora of research comparing high- and low-load training over the past decade. This article breaks down everything you could want to know about those comparisons, while also tackling a new study that may have implications for long-term adherence with low-load training. Note...

A prior study examining the relationship between muscle fiber typology and rep performance found that fiber type was only weakly related to rep performance. This article breaks down a new study on the topic. Note: This article was the MASS Research Review cover story for July 2023 and is a...

By Aadam | Last Updated: April 14th, 2023 This post is taken from the Vitamin. Every Thursday, I drop some knowledge bombs on your face to help you reach your goals faster while avoiding all the bullshit. When it comes to building muscle, there are a number of factors and variables you need to...

Most people are good at not failing. They’re good at trying new things (when there is very little downside). They’re good at pushing themselves (when no one will see them fail). They’re good at taking a stand (when a thousand other people have already done so). And to be fair, I’m just as...

Using mechanical drop sets while training at home means you can build muscle with minimal equipment. They work particularly well for blasting your chest. Traditional drop sets allow you to continue training past failure by lowering the weight and doing another set of the same exercise. With...

TRAINING TO FAILURE: TWO TYPES It's pretty rare for most of us to take a set to failure. True failure involves missing the last rep, something we want to avoid for a bunch of reasons, injury and shame being highest on the list. Far more often, we finish the set once we hit a target number of...

Are you training or just working out? Chances are you’re not the best when it comes to assessing your own training intensity. It’s not a factor that should be brushed aside. Training intensity can be a big deal considering the most important factor for maximizing strength and lean muscle gain...

If you are interested in whether you should you exercise to failure of not you should read the following bodybuilding article. Picture is of Steve Reeves Exercise to Failure for Muscle Growth - Fact or Fiction By Donovan Baldwin What is exercise to failure? Well, most simply, it's doing...

Keeping it simple is often best. And on chest day, giving your best effort to a few exercises is often way better than trying to tackle lots of movements, but tiring out before reaching the finish. This workout is as bare-bones as it gets, but that doesn't mean it has to be any worse than an...

By Adam Bisek We all want the magic formula to building muscle, after all, who wants to waste their time in the gym haphazardly moving cast iron. When you’re a newbie to the muscle-building game simply putting in any time under the bar will result in measurable gains in strength and muscle...

Are you under a time crunch or simply don't have the motivation to hit a long workout today? Give this method a shot for an effectively short workout! Everybody goes through training slumps. Sometimes, life just runs you down and you can’t help but be a little tired. You’ve hit that plateau...