When people who already train regularly perform resistance exercises until they can no longer complete another repetition, and they do enough total work, their muscles grow larger, no matter which exercises they choose.

We analyzed the available evidence on whether resistance training to failure causes muscle growth regardless of exercise selection in trained individuals, and what we’ve found so far is mixed. Fifty-four studies or assertions suggest that when regularly trained people push their exercises to the point of momentary muscular failure—meaning they can’t complete another repetition—and they complete enough total work, their muscles still grow, no matter which exercises they pick [1]. But sixty other studies or assertions challenge that idea, indicating that exercise selection may still matter, even when training to failure [2]. This means the evidence doesn’t clearly show that failure alone is enough to guarantee similar muscle growth across all exercises in people who already train regularly. Some findings suggest that the type of movement, muscle group targeted, or how the load is distributed might still influence outcomes, even if total work is matched. Other data point to failure as a strong driver of growth, regardless of the exercise. We don’t have enough consistent data to say one pattern clearly outweighs the other. What we’ve reviewed so far suggests that training to failure might help with muscle growth in trained individuals, but it doesn’t appear to completely remove the influence of exercise choice. The total amount of work performed likely still matters, and how that work is distributed across different movements could affect results. For someone who trains regularly, this means pushing hard on your exercises may help, but it doesn’t mean any exercise will give you the same results. Choosing movements that let you safely and effectively load the target muscles may still make a difference, even if you’re training to failure.