Few gym debates get as heated as this one. One camp says every set should end with a grinding last rep. The other says that's a fast track to burnout. So who's right?
A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 studies compared training to failure with stopping short of it. The finding: there's no evidence that going to momentary muscular failure beats leaving reps in the tank for muscle growth. When the researchers pooled every definition of "failure," they found only a trivial advantage, and training closer to failure didn't always produce more growth (Refalo et al., 2023).
That doesn't mean effort is optional. Sets still need to be challenging. But you may not need to max out every set, which could mean less fatigue, easier recovery, and a routine you can actually stick with.
Try this: finish most sets with a rep or two in reserve, and save all-out sets for the last set of an exercise or for safer movements like machines.
Curious what else the research says? Explore more evidence-based exclusive articles here on EvidenceFit!
Reference: Refalo, M. C., Helms, E. R., Trexler, E. T., Hamilton, D. L., & Fyfe, J. J. (2023). Influence of resistance training proximity-to-failure on skeletal muscle hypertrophy: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 53(3), 649–665.
