Decreasing rep speed/duration as a measure of failure/intensify

[Biggerp73]

A few months ago I was watching videos of Lyle McDonald's where he was talking crap about Mike Israeltal (sp?) not training hard and McDonald mentioned that when a set is taken to true failure the duration of the last rep is going to be very slow

It's something I had never thought about but it makes all the sense in the world. It takes more energy/strength to move the same weight at a faster speed, so as fatigue builds during a set, the reps should get slower as a matter of necessity, and as one approaches failure, the speed one could move the weight slows way down

Although I've mostly avoided failure-training for the past decade, I've been trying to hit failure the past few days, realizing that I have to keep going no matter how much it hurts as long the rep is fast... Keep going even when the rep gets slow... Just ppuuuuuussssssshhhhhhh those last couple reps like molasses...

It's been kind of fun

 

[Ferenor]

Yes, that's what low volume high intensity is technically. Concentric failure.

 

[Dens228]

I've never tried to slow down the concentric portion of a rep but of course they slow down as the muscle fatigues. If your last rep is the same speed as the first rep you aren't even close to failure. Think of powerlifting. You are pushing as hard as you can, being as explosive as you can but I can attest to the fact that the weight is often moving quite slow.
Sometimes maddeningly slow when you're under a heavy max squat........lol

 

[b-boy]

I've never tried to slow down the concentric portion of a rep but of course they slow down as the muscle fatigues. If your last rep is the same speed as the first rep you aren't even close to failure. Think of powerlifting. You are pushing as hard as you can, being as explosive as you can but I can attest to the fact that the weight is often moving quite slow.
Sometimes maddeningly slow when you're under a heavy max squat........lol

I dont go that close to failure on squats or leg press, not a smart and safe practice.
All other exercises sure.

 

[juggy38]

@Ben Pollack has some videos on using rep speed to gauge RPE.

I’ll let him explain it, I haven’t fully grasped the concept yet

 

[juggy38]

 

[juggy38]

 

[heavyhitter]

A few months ago I was watching videos of Lyle McDonald's where he was talking crap about Mike Israeltal (sp?) not training hard and McDonald mentioned that when a set is taken to true failure the duration of the last rep is going to be very slow

It's something I had never thought about but it makes all the sense in the world. It takes more energy/strength to move the same weight at a faster speed, so as fatigue builds during a set, the reps should get slower as a matter of necessity, and as one approaches failure, the speed one could move the weight slows way down

Although I've mostly avoided failure-training for the past decade, I've been trying to hit failure the past few days, realizing that I have to keep going no matter how much it hurts as long the rep is fast... Keep going even when the rep gets slow... Just ppuuuuuussssssshhhhhhh those last couple reps like molasses...

It's been kind of fun

Those last couple grinding reps are super important ones

 

[KTT]

I dont go that close to failure on squats or leg press, not a smart and safe practice.
All other exercises sure.

Are your legs on the same level as the rest of ypur body? If yes, then you don´t have to go to failure on all other exercises.

 

[buck]

While the rep speed on the last reps appears slow. The lifter is still trying to press the bar as fast as possible to recruit the most fibers.

 

[Ferenor]

You can safely go to failure btw on some leg presses (i go to failure on the horizontal one) and for example on the Smith machine squat .

 

[Biggerp73]

While the rep speed on the last reps appears slow. The lifter is still trying to press the bar as fast as possible to recruit the most fibers.

Right

 

[Matsuo Munefusa]

Those last couple grinding reps are super important ones

All reps are important, each one is a beautiful and unique snowflake.