Is Failure Training Overrated?

Ella had always heard that training to failure was the key to getting stronger and building muscle. She would push herself as hard as she could, trying to do the most reps until she couldn’t move the weights anymore. But one day, she noticed something strange: she was tired and sore, but her muscles weren’t growing the way she hoped. Her coach saw this and smiled, “You don’t always need to train to failure to get stronger. Sometimes, stopping just before failure can still help your muscles grow and recover better.” Ella was surprised. “But isn’t failure the best way?” she asked. Her coach explained, “Going to failure can be tough on your body and lead to more stress. It’s okay to do it sometimes, but you don’t need to do it every time. You can still make progress by stopping just a little earlier, when your muscles are still working hard.” Ella started using this advice and soon realized that by not always pushing to the limit, she felt less worn out and had more energy for her next workout. Ella learned that there’s more than one way to grow, and sometimes, less is more.