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Dec 24, 2022 Training Basics Here’s what a set to true muscular failure looks like. Link to Myprotein: Use code “MAXE“ for 50% off until 12/31! Check out Training Basics! Episode 1: • What are REPS? | ... Episode 2: • What are SETS? | ... To demonstrate, I’m gonna be doing the classic barbell curl, stopping only when I can no longer complete the rep. The chart on the left will show the total number of reps I complete, as well as the time spent during each portion. Pay close attention to my technique and tempo. Right off the bat, you’ll notice that I’m exploding during the concentric, briefly pausing at the top, and slowly controlling the way down. These are the 3 key components of my tempo that I make sure to employ during every rep. In terms of my technique, notice how I’m fully stretching my biceps at the bottom, I’m keeping my elbows relatively fixed, and I’m curling the weight all the way up to my chest. I’m also making sure not to swing the weight or use momentum, and I’m keeping my posture vertical to prevent me from cheating. Now, at this point, all of my reps have been pretty much the same tempo with the same technique, and I haven’t really had to apply too much effort. That is, up until now. Even though I’m still pushing as hard as possible and exploding on the way up, the speed of my concentric is gradually and involuntarily starting to slow down. As a result, it’s taking me longer and longer to complete each concentric, since the weight is becoming more and more challenging with each repetition. However, I’m still doing my absolute best to pause at the top, control the eccentric, and make sure every component of my technique is exactly the same as before. The only thing that’s changed, is the speed of my concentric. This is exactly what every one of your sets to failure needs to look like. Even when the reps get difficult, you still need to use the exact same technique the entire time, it is not an excuse for your form to get sloppy, and you need to keep using a full range of motion. Eventually towards the end of my 12th rep, gus fring does unfortunately get the better of me, and I was no longer able to bring the weight all the way up to my chest without cheating. As a result my biceps just decided to give out, and this was the point where I reached true muscular failure. Now, if we take a look at the chart, you’ll notice that my eccentric speed and the time I spent during that brief isometric at the top stayed relatively constant throughout the entire set. But the duration of my concentric got exponentially longer as I got closer to failure. In fact, if you were to graph this, you’d notice that it was only really those last 5 reps where my tempo really started to slow down. These reps are called effective reps, since these are the ones that elicit the most muscle growth. That’s because, when your concentric velocity goes down, the force produced by your muscle fibers actually goes up. This is known as the force velocity relationship, which states a muscle’s ability to produce force increases as its contractile velocity decreases, as seen on the graph to the left. So when my reps involuntarily got slower towards the end, they needed to produce more force, and for that to happen, they had to recruit, or involve as many muscle fibers as possible. This force that all of those fibers produced is called mechanical tension and this is what leads to hypertrophy, or muscle growth. So when people say that you need to train close to failure, this is why. If you don’t, your concentric velocity will never slow down, your muscles won’t produce more force, and thus, won’t recruit more fibers, and you’ll never actually elicit mechanical tension, or in other words, build any muscle. So to prevent this from ever happening, you need to train close enough to failure so that you can always ensure you actually include those effective reps in every single set you perform in the gym. For a more detailed explanation on exactly how close to failure that should be, stay tuned for my next video of training basics, where I discuss training intensity, but for now feel free to watch my first 2 episodes for a few more tips regarding sets and reps. Follow me on social media: INSTAGRAM: TWITTER: TIKTOK: @maxeuceda7?la... About Me: I’m a college student with a passion for fitness hoping to make it my career. I started training in early 2019 and have devoted a big portion of my life to it ever since. Now, with the help of this amazing community I’ve been blessed to be a part of, I will try my best to give back the information I’ve learned for those hoping to embark on a journey of their own. Make sure to leave a like if you enjoyed, comment what you want to see next, and subscribe for more! #Gym #Fitness #Workout
