Going All-Out Every Set… or Saving a Rep? What’s Actually Better?

[Bendk66]

Lately I’ve been keeping most of my sets around RIR 1–2, but I keep seeing dudes saying you only grow when you push a set until the weight literally won’t move. Now I’m wondering if I’m missing out by not grinding to true failure more often. How are you all training these days—close to failure or full send every set?

[Charles Harris]

Bro, I only take my last set to full failure. Everything else stays around RIR 2. If I try to go all-out every set, my form falls apart and the rest of the workout is trash.

[Bendk66]

Yeah that’s kinda what I’m scared of burning out too early.

[Dnk567]

Most people don’t even know what real failure feels like. If you hit true failure every set, you’ll nuke your recovery. Dial in form, keep it near failure, and save the all-out sets for the heavy compounds.

[Christopher White]

I started taking every set to failure for a month. Strength tanked, joints hated me, and I was cooked halfway through my sessions. Went back to RIR 1–2 and felt normal again. Gains came back too.

[Matthew Allen]

You can grow both ways, man. The guys who get huge are the ones who show up consistently, not the ones screaming on every last rep. Sprinkle failure sets in like seasoning, don’t drown your plate with it.

[Mky88]

Failure works great on machines and cables where you’re safe. But doing that with bench, squat, or barbell rows? Nah bro, that’s how you meet your chiropractor.

[Jacob144]

Low-key, a lot of influencers hype “failure every set” because it looks hardcore on camera. In real life most dudes training 5–6 days a week will smoke their CNS doing that.

[Bendk66]

Facts. Feels like half the internet trains for views, not progress.

[Maxr4677]

I run push/pull/legs and only take the final set of an exercise to failure. Keeps volume high and still gives me that intensity spike. Best combo I’ve had for growth.