Times Have Changed for the Worse — Here’s Why You Should Care
You don’t build muscle in the gym; you build muscle in your sleep. Similarly, abs aren’t made in the gym—they’re cut in the kitchen. If it were possible, I’d spend all 168 hours a week with my clients, slapping bad food off their plates and ensuring they’re in bed by 10 PM. But let’s be real: what you do in the gym is the smallest part of your body composition journey.
The truth is, you could never set foot in a gym and still make significant progress simply by dialing in your diet, hydration, sleep, and stress management. That said, regular weight training acts as a turbocharger for fat loss and muscle building. Since I’m not monitoring you 24/7, we’ll focus on optimizing your gym time.
What Is “Training to Failure”?
We’ve all heard the phrase. It’s often hyped up in commercials selling fitness products or exaggerated by bodybuilders on YouTube. They claim that going to failure is the “only way” to make gains, accompanied by clips of someone screaming under a squat rack.
Here’s the kicker: after 13+ years in the Iron Game—training in gyms filled with veritable monsters—I rarely see anyone truly “training to failure.” Sure, there’s some grunting and the occasional dropped plate, but no one’s collapsing from their “hardcore” set. Let’s break down what failure really means.
Original Meaning of Failure
The original concept of failure is simple and effective. It refers to reaching the point where your form or cadence breaks down. For instance, if I instruct you to perform barbell curls until failure, you’d maintain a steady rhythm (e.g., a 1-2-3 count per rep). Failure occurs when you pause at the top, slow down, or otherwise deviate from the cadence. This technique is a great way to target hypertrophy and add variety to standard rep schemes like 4×12.
Popular Misconception of Failure
The “hardcore” version often involves doing reps until you vomit, with people bragging about how often they do it. This approach is not only silly but also massively counterproductive. Real gains come from consistent work that accumulates over time—not from destroying yourself in a single session. You’re only as good as your recovery, which is when the real growth happens.
Think of a successful workout as something that stores energy rather than depleting it. As fitness-minded individuals, our goal is to expand our capacity, not destroy it.
The Real Failure to Overcome
If there’s any failure worth pushing through, it’s that “golden second” before you give yourself a break. It’s resisting the urge to pause before finishing a set, walking the last 50 feet of a run because it feels “good enough,” or taking an unnecessary Instagram break between sets. These small moments of mental weakness are the real failures we must conquer.
Every training session offers a golden opportunity to enter the “alpha state,” where you’re fully in the zone. By overcoming these minor setbacks, each workout becomes a monument to the person you strive to be.
Offer: Personalized Training in Richardson
Want to get more out of your workouts without burning out? As a personal trainer in Richardson, I’ll help you optimize your training, nutrition, and recovery to achieve sustainable results.
Let’s work together to crush your goals and build the best version of yourself. Whether you’re looking for a personal trainer near you in Richardson or want expert guidance, I’ve got you covered. Reach out today!
