I read in a lot of websites where people say to avoid or to never work out to failure. Why is this? Is this true that it can screw up your nervous system or something like that? And does this apply to bodyweight excercises like pull ups and push ups?
I don't think it's that big of a deal. I mean, typically you will do things in sets, but you do want to reach a point near failure.
Thats a good question, some say it's a good thing, others say it does more harm than good. I have came up with my own conclusion to this, guys that dont go to failure, usually are the ones who hit plateaus easier and generally see less muscle growth than the guys that do go to failure. Now as for the guys that do go to failure, they usually use bad form when trying to get out them last couple reps, possibly leading to injury or muscle imbalance, depending on the exercise he's trying to do. If you are going to go to failure I would try and have a spotter around so your technique is still good, but going to failure or close to failure is key if you want your muscles to grow and for you to get stronger faster.
Any exercise to faliure is going into the realms of strength endurance, if you are trying to improve max strength, speed strength or explosive strength your gains in those specific areas will be reduced when working to faliure.
Working muscles in the correct order is important as well. Example, you try doing something like biceps before pull ups or rows, your not going to get the full workout from working out your back.. You try working your triceps before your chest or shoulders, your not going to get the full workout in your chest or shoulders.. Trouble is of course.. You work out your triceps first, then try to do some dumbell presses and the first thing that you work to failure while doing your dumbells is your triceps instead of your shoulders or chest.. I like the concept of working in to out.. I like the concept of doing workouts that include a couple muscle groups, then focus groups.. Example.. I will start out doing incline presses with dumbells, which work upper chest, shoulders and tri's.. I will then go to dips, which also work chest and shoulders and tri's, some back.. I will then do butterfly's which focus on chest, and shaping.. Then I will do a cable extension for shoulders, or some people like to do standing shoulder presses with dumbells which work shoulders.. If you do shoulder press, you are again working tris.. Then you finish up with tri's.. This is the way I go about working my upper body.. My other workout routine goes back, bi's, then forearms. Pullups, hammer machine rows, dumbell rows.. Sometimes I will do multiple types of hammer machine rows.. Then I will mix up biceps a lot.. Some weeks I will do cables and dumbells.. Other days I will mess around with my grip and work with a barbell, and easy bar.. Then instead of running these days, I will do 35-1 hr on a rowing machine. I like splitting legs up into butt, hammy and thigh one day, calf raises on the other. Butt hammy and thigh usually the same as my back and bicep day.. It may seem funky.. But what I accomplish by working out this way is full rest of opposing muscle groups because I work pulling muscles, then pushing muscles on opposing days.. Allows for full muscle recovery.
What kind of uninformed rubbish is this? Going to failure is the most efficient way to make gains. You're telling the brain, "hey, we're not strong enough to do this... help out"... and the brain sends proteins and chemicals to rebuild that area a little stronger while you rest. But, of course, it must all be done in an orderly and efficient way.
Rain might be talking about immediately after working them to failure, they arent working at their prior full potential, or the potential they will be at once you have recovered. Maybe..
Where did you get this from? Chad Waterbury (somebody who actually knows what he's talkng about) thinks: Overloading your CNS is not good for strength training.
I mix it up. Sometimes I will try to get more reps, somewhere from 8-10 and other times I will put on more weight and try until failure and then take off some weight and squeeze out a few more.
To make gains you need to overload your muscles. You dont need to go to failure to overload your muscles.
For me it depends on my intentions for that workout. If I am deadlifting and want to max-out I will warm myself up by doing singles or doubles to get my nervous system ready for the big one. Same with any powerlift. Other than that I will work to failure, but sometimes it is OK to switch it up.
You don't go to failure on every set, every workout... You have your light days and your heavy days... but there are specific days when you go for failure. The frequency and periodicity depend on your program.
