In this lesson, you will learn what momentary muscle failure is and how to reach this point of exhaustion. When we talk about muscle failure, we usually mean concentric muscle failure—that’s when you fail to complete the positive (lifting) part of your last repetition. While reaching momentary muscle failure can be beneficial for muscle growth, there is little evidence that it actually increases strength. Find more training methods and exercises on the weight training main page. In this example, you will learn how to reach concentric muscle failure using the standing barbell biceps curl.
Description
First of all, you need to set a goal. In this example, our goal is to reach muscle failure around the 7th repetition. To do this, you must choose a weight heavy enough that you can complete 6 repetitions but not 7. If your barbell is too heavy, you will either reach muscle failure too early or use momentum to complete 6 regular repetitions. I recommend keeping a training log so you always know how much weight you can lift and how many repetitions you can perform.
When you reach muscle failure, it’s very important to maintain proper form. Don’t lean back or create momentum. Try to complete the 7th repetition without “pressing air.” Exhale slowly and don’t lower the barbell before you have fully exhaled. This last attempt should take about 5 seconds. Then rest a few minutes before doing another set. If you manage to complete the 7th repetition, continue until you reach muscle failure or stop, add more weight, and start over.
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