Uploaded November 2022 | Updated September 2026, 18 hours ago
In this episode we are excited to revisit an ever-controversial topic in bodybuilding, training to failure! Yes, we’ve discussed this before on Iron Culture, and yes, people have surprisingly (but maybe not so much when you dissect it…) strong feelings about training to failure. You may remember that one of the biggest limitations in the literature we previously discussed in our last episode was that there are different ways of defining failure. Should we be lumping together studies which use “momentary muscular failure” with studies that used “repetition maximums” or “voluntary failure”? Probably not. But great news, Martin Refalo a PhD candidate at Deakin University specifically studying the effect of failure on hypertrophy joins us in this episode. Martin recently published a scoping review and a subsequent meta analysis that specifically identified these differences in failure types and analysed the literature based on these distinctions, as well as looking at velocity loss thresholds to provide new and important insights on this topic! Tune in to learn more!
00:00 Introducing the Sports Nutrition Association and the NASM Physique and Bodybuilding Coaching Course
Sports Nutrition Association sportsnutritionassociation.com
NASM Physique and Bodybuilding Coaching Course nasm.org/continuing-education/physique-bodybuilding-coach
07:29 Introducing Martin
17:09 Martin’s scoping review – what is the actual definition of failure?
Refalo 2022 Towards an improved understanding of proximity-to-failure in resistance training and its influence on skeletal muscle hypertrophy, neuromuscular fatigue, muscle damage, and perceived discomfort: A scoping review pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35658845
Schoenfeld 2019 Does Training to Failure Maximize Muscle Hypertrophy? researchgate.net/publication/331718773_Does_Training_to_Failure_Maximize_Muscle_Hypertrophy
Grgic 2022 Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: A systematic review and meta-analysis pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33497853
Vieira 2021 Effects of Resistance Training Performed to Failure or Not to Failure on Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Power Output: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33555822
35:40 Breaking down Martin’s meta
Refalo 2022 Influence of Resistance Training Proximity-to-Failure on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36334240
Santanielo 2020 Effect of resistance training to muscle failure vs non-failure on strength, hypertrophy and muscle architecture in trained individuals pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33343066
Iron Culture Ep. 196 How Much Training Do Powerlifters Actually Need To Get Stronger (Ft. Dr. Pak) youtube.com/watch?v=2EJ0Qp6spGQ
Li 2022 Self-Reported Training and Supplementation Practices Between Performance-Enhancing Drug-User Bodybuilders Compared with Natural Bodybuilders pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36165879
55:31 The concept of science in the understanding and application of a given topic
1:12:03 Framing motivation, hard work, and results
1:22:37 Perception of discomfort and true proximities to failure
1:27:38 The future direction of Martin’s PhD
1:34:20 Martin’s closing words and where to find him
Instagram instagram.com/mrfitness__
ResearchGate researchgate.net/profile/Martin-Refalo-2
JPS Health and Fitness https://www.jpshealthandfitness.com.au/team/martin-refalo/
In this episode we are excited to revisit an ever-controversial topic in bodybuilding, training to failure! Yes, we’ve discussed this before on Iron Culture, and yes, people have surprisingly (but maybe not so much when you dissect it…) strong feelings about training to failure. You may remember that one of the biggest limitations in the literature we previously discussed in our last episode was that there are different ways of defining failure. Should we be lumping together studies which use “momentary muscular failure” with studies that used “repetition maximums” or “voluntary failure”? Probably not. But great news, Martin Refalo a PhD candidate at Deakin University specifically studying the effect of failure on hypertrophy joins us in this episode. Martin recently published a scoping review and a subsequent meta analysis that specifically identified these differences in failure types and analysed the literature based on these distinctions, as well as looking at velocity loss thresholds to provide new and important insights on this topic! Tune in to learn more!
00:00 Introducing the Sports Nutrition Association and the NASM Physique and Bodybuilding Coaching Course
Sports Nutrition Association sportsnutritionassociation.com
NASM Physique and Bodybuilding Coaching Course nasm.org/continuing-education/physique-bodybuilding-coach
07:29 Introducing Martin
17:09 Martin’s scoping review – what is the actual definition of failure?
Refalo 2022 Towards an improved understanding of proximity-to-failure in resistance training and its influence on skeletal muscle hypertrophy, neuromuscular fatigue, muscle damage, and perceived discomfort: A scoping review pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35658845
Schoenfeld 2019 Does Training to Failure Maximize Muscle Hypertrophy? researchgate.net/publication/331718773_Does_Training_to_Failure_Maximize_Muscle_Hypertrophy
Grgic 2022 Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: A systematic review and meta-analysis pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33497853
Vieira 2021 Effects of Resistance Training Performed to Failure or Not to Failure on Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Power Output: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33555822
35:40 Breaking down Martin’s meta
Refalo 2022 Influence of Resistance Training Proximity-to-Failure on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36334240
Santanielo 2020 Effect of resistance training to muscle failure vs non-failure on strength, hypertrophy and muscle architecture in trained individuals pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33343066
Iron Culture Ep. 196 How Much Training Do Powerlifters Actually Need To Get Stronger (Ft. Dr. Pak) youtube.com/watch?v=2EJ0Qp6spGQ
Li 2022 Self-Reported Training and Supplementation Practices Between Performance-Enhancing Drug-User Bodybuilders Compared with Natural Bodybuilders pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36165879
55:31 The concept of science in the understanding and application of a given topic
1:12:03 Framing motivation, hard work, and results
1:22:37 Perception of discomfort and true proximities to failure
1:27:38 The future direction of Martin’s PhD
1:34:20 Martin’s closing words and where to find him
Instagram instagram.com/mrfitness__
ResearchGate researchgate.net/profile/Martin-Refalo-2
JPS Health and Fitness https://www.jpshealthandfitness.com.au/team/martin-refalo/
