What are the symptoms of strength training failure?

The most intuitive judgment is that you are currently unable to complete even one more complete repetition according to the standard action pattern - for example, when the barbell is stuck half a meter in the chest at the end of the bench press, and the molar teeth and arms are not moving at all after biting them, that means you have reached exhaustion.

Many people will include movement deformation into the performance of failure. In fact, this point has been controversial in the circle. People who prefer safety and muscle hypertrophy training will feel that as long as there is obvious compensation in the movement, such as squatting and arching the back, deadlifting and pushing and throwing the waist, even if the weight can be lifted, it is not considered effective failure, but it is easy to cause injuries.； However, many powerlifters who are pursuing the ultimate weight will regard this "relying on synergistic muscle compensation to complete a complete movement" as a signal of extreme exhaustion. After all, pushing the limit itself requires mobilizing all the muscles that can be mobilized in the body. There is currently no unified conclusion in the academic community. Both theories have supporting research data.

I encountered a typical partial failure when I was practicing weight-bearing lunges last week. That day I arranged 8 sets of 12 times of weight-bearing. The first 7 sets were very stable, the core was tight, and the stride length was accurate. By the 10th time of the 8th set, the leg that just stepped out sank, and the quadriceps suddenly became soft. I swayed twice and almost sat on the ground. I quickly grabbed the squat rack next to me to stabilize myself. At that time, my hands could still exert force and my upper body was straight. However, my target muscles were completely inoperable and I didn't even have the strength to lift my legs. It took me almost two minutes to move to the stool next to me.

In addition to the changes in movements, the somatosensory sensation a few seconds before exhaustion is also very obvious. There will be an obvious burning sensation in the target muscles, as if hot pepper water has been poured into the muscle seams, and the heartbeat will suddenly surge very fast. If you practice heavy compound movements to failure, you will even be a little dazed after removing the force, your ears will be buzzing, and your eyes will be blurry. You will have to lean against the wall or rely on equipment to slow down for a while before you can regain your consciousness.

Don't confuse tiredness with exhaustion. Many novices call themselves exhausted after practicing two sets of exercises until they can't breathe. In fact, it's probably because their heart and lungs can't keep up, or their muscles haven't been recruited enough. If you really grit your teeth and keep your breath, how many times can you do it according to the standard? A while ago, I led a novice student to practice dumbbell shoulder press. After doing 6 times, he threw the dumbbell on the ground and said that his arm was broken and he couldn't lift it. I stared at him and asked him to tighten his core and sink his shoulders without swinging his waist. He steadily performed the standard movement 4 times. After finishing it, he was confused and said that he thought he had really lost all his energy.

In fact, there is no need for people with different training goals to have the same standard for their perception of failure. For bodybuilding practitioners, just look for the failure of the isolated target muscle. There is no need to forcefully push the limit of compensation. When doing powerlifting to push the limit, find a partner to protect you, and don't just hold on to the risk of injury.