373 – Should You Always Train To Failure? (with Dr. James Fisher)

James Fisher PhD (james.fisher @ solent.ac.uk) is a Senior Lecturer for the School of Sport, Health, and Social Sciences at Southampton Solent University in the UK. He is one of the leading exercise scientists publishing numerous peer-reviewed articles related to resistance training, health, and fitness.  

In this episode, James continues discussing his research paper Resistance Training Recommendations to Maximize Muscle Hypertrophy in an Athletic Population: Position Stand of the IUSCA where he explains set endpoints and training to failure. We then further discuss interesting debates and models regarding training to failure in his paper Intensity of effort and momentary failure in resistance training: Are we asking a binary question for a continuous variable?  

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Show Notes

• 2:13 – Defining momentary failure and set endpoint 
• 9:00 – The effect of effort level to muscle hypertrophy  
• 12:54 – Viewpoints on advanced training methods 
• 20:13 – Failure training in athletes and machine-based exercises 
• 26:35 – Advice for older athletes, periodizing failure training
• 34:42 – Training frequency, indicator of overtraining 
• 41:30 – The plight of research studies on momentary failure
• 45:55 – Debates on training to failure  
• 54:57 – Re-phrasing the question with models
• 1:04:10 – Does training to failure induce maximum adaptations? 
• 1:11:28 – Volume of training – “adaptation threshold”
• 1:14:25 – Training to failure for hypertrophy: Yes or No?

 

Selected Links from the Episode

• 350 – Dr. James Fisher – How to Maximise Muscle Hypertrophy in an Athletic Population
• Discover Strength 
• ARX Fit
• MedX Machines
• The Carnivore Cast 

Citations:

• Resistance Training Recommendations to Maximize Muscle Hypertrophy in an Athletic Population: Position Stand of the IUSCA by James Fisher et al. 
• Intensity of effort and momentary failure in resistance training: Are we asking a binary question for a continuous variable? by James Fisher et al.
• Effects of resistance training performed to failure or not to failure on muscle strength, hypertrophy, and power output: A systematic review with meta-analysis by Alexandra Vieira et al.
• Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: A systematic review and meta-analysis by Brad Schoenfeld et al.
• No Time to Lift? Designing Time-Efficient Training Programs for Strength and Hypertrophy: A Narrative Review by Brad Schoenfeld et al.
• The impact of resistance training volume on muscle size and lean body mass: to infinity and beyond? by D.C. de Souza et al.
• The strength-endurance continuum revisited: a critical commentary of the recommendation of different loading ranges for different muscular adaptations by James Fisher et al.

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