Training to failure on every set is counterproductive in your opinion.

[desibaba]

I know the DC and HIT method of training states you should use progression and every set must be done till absolute failure. However i have also been reading that training to complete failure all the time also puts a severe strain on your cns and increases cortisol. Which school of thought do you follow?

 

[wilderbeast]

DC and HIT work great for me. You get the maximal stress on the muscle from this type of training IMO. However, you do have to take breaks from the style at planned intervals, which is a part of the DC system. Rotating in a few weeks of "cruising" is essential. You can't train to failure every set, every workout, year round without issues. Hope this helped

BEAST

 

[alyandfila]

DC and HIT work great for me. You get the maximal stress on the muscle from this type of training IMO. However, you do have to take breaks from the style at planned intervals, which is a part of the DC system. Rotating in a few weeks of "cruising" is essential. You can't train to failure every set, every workout, year round without issues. Hope this helped

BEAST

- very valid points - I love training to failure and I love HITT style training - ask stan mcquay what training like this did for his career - he said in an interview with M&F about 4 years ago that it changed his carrer for the better - drop sets , super sets , compond sets --- etc , etc , it changed mine as well

- no more 1 bodypart do a set wait 2 minutes for me , I absolutely go and go hard when I train now - I am 5'11 240lb abt 8% and I am stoked about the way i look and training like this has helped me tremendously

 

[DrZaius7]

I know the DC and HIT method of training states you should use progression and every set must be done till absolute failure. However i have also been reading that training to complete failure all the time also puts a severe strain on your cns and increases cortisol. Which school of thought do you follow?

I believe it is counterproductive. Training to failure has its place but not everyday with every set. IMHO I really don't think most people know what its like to train to 'real' failure anyway.

 

[turbobusa]

I use hit or pre ex or whatever hi intensity moniker you prefer as a periodic break from heavy higher volume training. I switch to hit about 1 time every
5-6 months. I do it till gains slow or stop about 6-8 weeks for me. I then switch back to my normal training and find I get past my last sticking points
quickly most of the time.
thanks, T

 

[TNH]

I have bad anxiety and a stressful job, I have found that in addition to HIT type training really hammers my CNS and makes my cortisol go through the roof. It got so bad that I actually had to be medicated to drop my cortisol levels. I couldn't sleep for 4 days straight even though I was exhausted, my body was in full survival mode.

When I switched back to higher volume with short rest periods, my cortisol levels stabilized and I was able to come off the medication.
This type of training has me feeling spent but good when I leave the gym, instead of feeling like I got ran over by a truck. My BP and HR dropped too.

I think that people who handle stress very well and have sedentary jobs can get away with training hard to failure most of the time. Unfortunately, I am not one of them.
For me, HIT style training helped me progress in strength much better than volume, but growth was not as good.

 

[desibaba]

I have bad anxiety and a stressful job, I have found that in addition to HIT type training really hammers my CNS and makes my cortisol go through the roof. It got so bad that I actually had to be medicated to drop my cortisol levels. I couldn't sleep for 4 days straight even though I was exhausted, my body was in full survival mode.

When I switched back to higher volume with short rest periods, my cortisol levels stabilized and I was able to come off the medication.
This type of training has me feeling spent but good when I leave the gym, instead of feeling like I got ran over by a truck. My BP and HR dropped too.

I think that people who handle stress very well and have sedentary jobs can get away with training hard to failure most of the time. Unfortunately, I am not one of them.
For me, HIT style training helped me progress in strength much better than volume, but growth was not as good.

What do you need to do to get your cortisol levels checked out? Is it part of regular bloodwork?

 

[TNH]

What do you need to do to get your cortisol levels checked out? Is it part of regular bloodwork?

It's a separate test, and I think there are 2 or 3 different kinds available. There is a 24hr urine one, you get the cup and have to pee in it over a 24hr period and then bring it to the lab.
There is a morning cortisol test too, but it depends on what exactly your doctor is looking for.
If you are going to do it on your own, I think the 24hr one is best to know if you have messed up your adrenals.

 

[nickels]

I have bad anxiety and a stressful job, I have found that in addition to HIT type training really hammers my CNS and makes my cortisol go through the roof. It got so bad that I actually had to be medicated to drop my cortisol levels. I couldn't sleep for 4 days straight even though I was exhausted, my body was in full survival mode.

When I switched back to higher volume with short rest periods, my cortisol levels stabilized and I was able to come off the medication.
This type of training has me feeling spent but good when I leave the gym, instead of feeling like I got ran over by a truck. My BP and HR dropped too.

I think that people who handle stress very well and have sedentary jobs can get away with training hard to failure most of the time. Unfortunately, I am not one of them.
For me, HIT style training helped me progress in strength much better than volume, but growth was not as good.

It sounds like we have a lot of similarities in terms of dna and mentality.

Do you happen to have a log I can check out to pilfer some ideas?

 

[BigJB]

U take your workset and only your workset to complete failure... If one set to failure is kicking ur arse u are probably doing too many warmups/not stretching and or not cruising long enough

 

[BigNShredded]

U take your workset and only your workset to complete failure... If one set to failure is kicking ur arse u are probably doing too many warmups/not stretching and or not cruising long enough

This just isn't true--you can ADAPT. I can go BALLS TO THE WALL on many sets, but it took me many years to get to that point..

 

[sebaco2011]

I love taking sets to failure especially big compound movement ones , just the whole mentality of im gonna destroy this set and beat all my other sets/reps from last weeks workout in my workout log. I think its a good mentality to have thats for sure , but after reading about how going to failure every set might not be the most appropriate for hypertrophy I usually only go to failure on the big compound movements ( bench , squat , over head press etc) while on accessorie movements is when I dont go compeltely to failure. Im also pretty sedentary and dont have a stressful job so that helps im sure if I was in a different situation I would switch training methods, just do what you feel best with .

I kind of leared the whole training to failure through arnold lol.

 

[tr]

I have bad anxiety and a stressful job, I have found that in addition to HIT type training really hammers my CNS and makes my cortisol go through the roof. It got so bad that I actually had to be medicated to drop my cortisol levels. I couldn't sleep for 4 days straight even though I was exhausted, my body was in full survival mode.

When I switched back to higher volume with short rest periods, my cortisol levels stabilized and I was able to come off the medication.
This type of training has me feeling spent but good when I leave the gym, instead of feeling like I got ran over by a truck. My BP and HR dropped too.

I think that people who handle stress very well and have sedentary jobs can get away with training hard to failure most of the time. Unfortunately, I am not one of them.
For me, HIT style training helped me progress in strength much better than volume, but growth was not as good.

That is very very truth!!!

I was one of those whose were training to failure on every set, every day, every week and took no more than a week off every 6months (sometimes not even that) I was making very little progress, always was lean as fukc but stringy flat and being very anxious. I was always amazed how I was changing after I was taking time off - 2,3 up to 7 days off and always looked better - fuller, more musclar after those days than before break. Long story short - as TNH did some blood work test (after visiting my doc, bacause I thought I was having adrenal fatigue) and my cortisol levels were through the roof in the training cycle, and come back to normal ranges after a week or so off. Now I train only 1 rep sometimes 2 reps shy from failure, might go once in a while to failure on squats or bench press to test the strenght but no more than that, increased training volume a little bit (12-16 sets per bp), increased form, decreased rest period and increased training frequecy (from body part every 7 days to every 5-4 days) and a look and feel a lot better!

 

[PitbullTank]

There are several different types of "failure" imo, 1st being when u can't complete the full positive portion...2nd being when u can't complete anymore of the negative portion...then 3rd being absolute failure when u can't produce partials....I take my sets lately to about positive failure, just before...I don't bring logbook anymore and just let the increases in weights come as they come(still alwayz progressing tho).... I'm back to 6day a week training and hav just takin off...

 

[AlphaMaleDawg]

I used to train to failure but now I prefer just short of failure for more reps (12ish). It doesn't zap out your energy and strength right away when you do this

 

[jay_dub]

I used to train to failure. Heavy compound movements.

I honestly found it easier to bust my ass until I could no longer get a rep than stop myself short. So its what I was doing for years now.

Then the past 6 months I started doing Mountain dogg which has both volume and some failure training. It worked much better for me.

Now I'm just trying to get away from failure all together and go more towards Magnums style of training and see how I respond.

 

[TNH]

It sounds like we have a lot of similarities in terms of dna and mentality.

Do you happen to have a log I can check out to pilfer some ideas?

I don't have one, sorry.

 

[emeric delczeg]

I know the DC and HIT method of training states you should use progression and every set must be done till absolute failure. However i have also been reading that training to complete failure all the time also puts a severe strain on your cns and increases cortisol. Which school of thought do you follow?

You cortisol level will be increased during any workout method and that is OK, you need to lower your cortisol level after training.

 

[Ironman2010]

Bit of both, i dont take every set to failure, usually just the last set of each excercise i take to failure, and on certain excercises (quite alot actually) i like to do drop sets....very good tool i believe

 

[View 1]

I used to train to failure. Heavy compound movements.

I honestly found it easier to bust my ass until I could no longer get a rep than stop myself short. So its what I was doing for years now.

Then the past 6 months I started doing Mountain dogg which has both volume and some failure training. It worked much better for me.

Now I'm just trying to get away from failure all together and go more towards Magnums style of training and see how I respond.

What is magnums training like out of curiosity?