Many lifters believe every set must end in failure. Two meta-analyses of training studies say that is not necessary.
No clear hypertrophy advantage
A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis in Sports Medicine found only a trivial hypertrophy advantage for training to set failure (effect size about 0.19) when all failure definitions were pooled, and no advantage in sub-group analyses. The authors concluded there is no evidence that training to momentary muscular failure is superior to stopping short of failure for muscle growth.
Strength and size over time
A 2022 meta-analysis of 15 studies in the Journal of Sport and Health Science found no significant difference between failure and non-failure training for strength or hypertrophy. Training to failure did not appear to be required, but it did not appear harmful to results either. Studies were in young adults, so findings for older adults and advanced lifters are less certain.
How to use this
- Leave a rep or two in reserve on most sets.
- Use failure sparingly, for example on the last set of an isolation exercise.
- Stopping short of failure may be easier to recover from, so you can train more often. Frequency matters, see how often to train each muscle.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to train to failure to grow muscle?
Two meta-analyses found no evidence that failure training is superior for hypertrophy or strength.
Is training to failure bad?
The 2022 meta-analysis found it did not appear to have detrimental effects either.
Do the results apply to advanced lifters?
Studies mostly involved young adults, so the authors called for more research in older and highly trained people.
References
- Refalo MC et al. (2023). Influence of Resistance Training Proximity-to-Failure on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. Sports Med. PubMed 36334240
- Grgic J et al. (2022). Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. PubMed 33497853
General information, not medical advice. Check with a doctor before starting a new training or supplement routine. Last updated 27 October 2026.
