When people who lift weights for fun do a special kind of workout called rest-pause training until they can't do any more, their ability to jump high gets worse 30 minutes later compared to doing regular workouts until failure.

When people who regularly lift weights push their muscles until they can't do any more reps, their ability to jump high drops more right after than if they stopped before getting tired. This means their muscles and nerves are more worn out.

If you lift weights until you can't do another rep during squats, you'll feel more tired and jump lower afterward than if you stopped before reaching failure—even if you did the same total amount of lifting. This drop in performance can last up to half an hour.

For people who already work out, taking short breaks during leg exercises leads to much better muscle stamina—27% better—than doing sets without breaks, which only improves by 8% after 6 weeks.

If you lift weights until you literally can't do another rep, you'll feel more tired right after than if you stop a couple reps before failure — even if you're someone who regularly lifts weights.

Lifting weights until you can't do another rep leaves you much more tired during and after the workout than stopping a few reps short — even if both methods build muscle equally.