Stopping short of failure
Ending each set with reps to spare, and tracking progress by how the weight felt
No set gets taken to the rep that cannot be finished. The usual rule is at least one rep left in the bank, and in low-rep strength work only a third to two thirds of the reps a given weight would allow. Because nobody is testing a max, progress gets tracked by perceived exertion instead: the same load feeling lighter from week to week is the signal to add weight. Supporters argue that missed reps cost recovery without buying strength, and that technique degrades in exactly the reps nearest failure.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Pavel TsatsoulineRecommends
Strength coach · StrongFirst
Writing up Alexander Faleev's routine, he puts it flatly: never train to failure, never attempt a rep you are not certain of, and ideally leave one in the bank. Faleev's own line is to save your strength for the next set. Maxing in the gym gets rejected on the same grounds, since it tests strength without building any.
Source: tim.blog: Pavel, 80/20 Powerlifting and How to Add 110+ Pounds to Your Lifts“Never train to failure! Don’t attempt a rep unless you are 100% sure you will make it. Ideally, keep one extra rep in the bank.”
tim.blog: Pavel, 80/20 Powerlifting and How to Add 110+ Pounds to Your Lifts (opens in a new tab) · 18 Dec 2008
Aimed at the same thing
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