BY EBENEZER SAMUEL, CSCS
Building muscle has never only been about the reps. Yes, almost every workout includes reps and sets. But according to one 2024 meta-anlysis, the fastest path to changing your body requires more: You need to be near failure by the set’s end.
We know exactly how to train to failure: This occurs when you can’t complete your rep (think of struggling to stand fully after a back squat). Thing is, if you truly reach this limit, it’ll often leave you too fatigued to go hard for the rest of your workout. And training near failure is often different. The best approach is what’s called “two reps in reserve”.
Essentially, taking a set to within two reps of failure is the best way to build muscle – and you can do this whether you’re doing 15-rep sets or 6-rep sets with your SMRTFT dumbbells set near their threshold. To efficiently build muscle, you need to accrue at least four sets in every workout that reach this 2-RIR threshold. And here are two simple ways to insure you do that.
THE VELOCITY METHOD
As fatigue mounts during any set, your muscles start struggling to produce force. And when this happens, your rep speed slows. Imagine you’re doing a set of dumbbell curls. Over your first few reps, you can easily lift the bells, curling with control. They likely look something like this, confident and controlled.
At some point, though, the reps will resemble this. See the near-pause in the middle of the rep?
This change in rep speed is a sign that you’re nearing the two-reps-in-reserve mark. Aim to gut out at least one more rep. Then you’ve done enough. This approach is the perfect way to stay accountable to yourself during higher-rep sets that use lighter weights.
THE DOUBT METHOD
My other method for insuring you’re training near failure involves paying close attention to your mental state. (This is also my preferred method for training with heavier loads.) During the first few reps of every set, we generally lift with confidence. Watch how I control the eccentric and drive up easily.
But as a heavy set wears on, doubt creeps in. That’s often because it becomes harder to control the lowering portion of the lift, as you’ll see with this overhead press. My core is starting to fatigue, too.
This is a sign that we’re nearing our 2-RIR threshold. Complete one rep with this shred of doubt, and you’re where you need to be. Bonus: As you do this more and more frequently, you’ll be able to push lasts that threshold.
And that’s your ticket to gains.