Does training to failure reduce total reps compared to stopping 1 rep before failure?

1 min readUpdated June 3, 2026

What the Evidence Shows

We analyzed the available evidence and found that training to failure tends to result in fewer total repetitions across all sets compared to stopping one repetition before failure. This is because pushing to complete exhaustion on the first set leads to greater fatigue, which reduces how many reps...

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (0)
No supporting evidence found
Contradicting (0)
No contradicting evidence found
Primary Studies (1)

Influence of Resistance Training Proximity-to-Failure, Determined by Repetitions-in-Reserve, on Neuromuscular Fatigue in Resistance-Trained Males and Females

DOI: 10.1186/s40798-023-00554-y

Update History

Published
June 3, 2026·Last updated June 3, 2026
  • Invalid DateNew topic created from assertion

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