Starting up a hypertrophy phase, and I’ve begun training to failure again. This is something I haven’t done for a long time, like a year and a half or so.
My training since then has always been various methods that do not involve failure. But boy, now that I’m getting back into it, I forgot how tough it is. I’m finding it harder to reach failure than I used to. Certainly, some of this is simply because I just have to acclimate myself to this style again, but I can also tell that my system needs to adjust to the metabolite accumulation, which is not as much of an issue in sub-failure training.
Has anybody else gone on hiatus from failure training, then found it difficult to get back into it?
Honestly, with reduction in tolerance to metabolites, etc. associated with RE, it becomes quite clear that lack of failure training means that a piece of the training puzzle is missing.
I always trained to failure when I competed in Bodybuilding.(last show almost 5 yrs. ago yikes!)1-2 sets, failure and occasionally forced reps. Last couple years have been mostly “big three” lifting, 5x5, 8x3 etc… This week I started back to failure, as I’m considering doing a show in May 08. Good lord am I sore, but it feels so good. I really missed training to failure as I am sort of a masochist, lol. I cant say I found it hard to get back to, I really like the competitive aspect of trying to beat the log book every week. Good luck in your training.
Mr PFC
Haven’t had a hiatus really but getting into it is difficult for some. Whether people like it or not they are holding back in their training and learning to let go of fear(again in your case) can take some practice.
[quote]scottiscool wrote:
learning to let go of fear(again in your case) can take some practice. [/quote]
It’s not an issue of fear. I can tell that my muscles are not as tolerant of this method of training as they used to be (as should be expected, as I haven’t trained this way in a while), so it’s largely a physiological thing. (Yes, there is some psychological adjustment required, as this training is more painful, but it’s not a “fear” thing.)
If you started to train to failure again, maybe you should do just one set to failure first. Ease in until you do all sets to failure. Just keep the volume lower.