Blog · 2 min · figures checked on 9 November 2026
Should you train to failure in strength training?
By Nicolas Papon, founder of Live For Fit ·
No, not on every set. Stopping 1 to 3 reps short of failure is enough to build muscle, with less fatigue.
What the research says
Robinson et al. (2024, Sports Medicine) show that stopping 1 to 3 reps short of failure is enough for hypertrophy.
The meta-analysis by Refalo et al. (2023) on proximity to failure points the same way.
What Live For Fit does
At Live For Fit: The app gives you a number of reps to do. You log what you really did, and the load follows: a little more if you go over, a little less if you fall short.
At Live For Fit: The intensity rises over the cycle: further from failure at the start, closer at the end, then a lighter week.
- How many sets per muscle per week to build muscle? ›
- Full body or split: which set-up should you choose to build muscle? ›
We publish Live For Fit. This information does not replace medical advice.