What do you do when you fail?

Hi all,

What's the best plan when you can't complete the scheduled reps for an exercise? The jump from 4x6 to 4x9 seems to be too much for me. I kind of struggled with 4x6 as well but I did complete the reps.

Thanks.

Depends on the exercise but normally I'd say fight through it. You might even surprise yourself.

There was a thread recently where coach said the big thing stopping people achieving mastery was attitude. There's also a thread that's about when to give up that you might want to try and find (it might even be a sticky).

In the event that it's really too much you can either increase more slowly (4x7 then 4x8 etc) just remember to do half the reps when you deload. Or repeat the micro cycle that works for you.

In short, fight tooth and nail to get those reps in. Push yourself! 

A longer post can be found here:

https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/forum/topic/14496-how-to-know-when-to-stop-a-set/

Honestly, I tried as hard as I could. It wasn't even a "pushing through discomfort" thing since there wasn't much discomfort. I struggled to get the one rep and the next one stalled about halfway up and I couldn't go any further. It's like the muscles just shut off after a certain point.

I'll see how this week's second workout goes. If needed, I'll try smaller increments.

Nothing wrong with smaller increments if that's what you need just be sure to give it your all.

The Hansenator said:

Honestly, I tried as hard as I could. It wasn't even a "pushing through discomfort" thing since there wasn't much discomfort. I struggled to get the one rep and the next one stalled about halfway up and I couldn't go any further. It's like the muscles just shut off after a certain point.

 

I'll see how this week's second workout goes. If needed, I'll try smaller increments.

Yeah, sometimes your body fails despite your best efforts. If you've butted up against a plateau, going for smaller increments (e.g. 4x7 then 4x8 and then 4x9) can work well. Another option is when you fail, you can give yourself a small amount of rest (10-20s), and then complete the set. Don't increase the total volume until you don't need these breaks anymore. 

Joshua Slocum said:

If you've butted up against a plateau, going for smaller increments (e.g. 4x7 then 4x8 and then 4x9) can work well. Another option is when you fail, you can give yourself a small amount of rest (10-20s), and then complete the set. Don't increase the total volume until you don't need these breaks anymore. 

Hmmm very good suggestions, I've got a couple of plateaus right now that are bugging me too. These will help!

Joshua Slocum said:

. Another option is when you fail, you can give yourself a small amount of rest (10-20s), and then complete the set.

That's what I ended up doing on the last two sets. The first set went fine but the fourth set ended up being 3, 2, 2, 2 with a few seconds rest between each one. Maybe I'll try that approach and stay at the same volume until no rest is needed. Keeping the scheduled deload week of course.

Yes, pushing hard seems to be the key, or at least for me. I have had an issue with a plateau on push-ups for a while. One thing which gave good effect was that when I was barely being able to do 4x11r with good form and not making much progress to 4x12r in a few weeks, I tried to do 4x15r, but really pushing and letting tempo drop and taking small breaks between reps when I needed. Striving for good form, but not quite being able to and needing the small pauses, I was able to do 4x15r, and I did that for two work-outs. Each time my arms were on fire with a pulsating, swollen feeling, nothing like if I restrict myself to perfect form and stop as soon as I am unable to do it perfectly.

Then I tried 4x12r with good form again, and I was able to do it with pretty decent, though perhaps not yet perfect form. So that intensity really helps things, at least for me and on this exercise. I'm not sure how kosher it is though.

Hi all, I'm looking for more advice.

I've been on 4x9 for two weeks now (4 workouts) and have made little progress. The first set is pretty easy, the second is a challenge. I took a longer rest today before the third set. I gave it all I had and managed 8.75 reps. No amount of pulling, yelling or squirming would allow me to complete the last rep. By the fourth set I was pretty tired and broke it up into mini sets.

Anyway, next week is a backoff week. Given the above, what would be an appropriate volume for backoff? Maybe 4x4?

After the backoff week, maybe I'll try 4x7 and move on when I know I can do that.

Thanks.

The jump from 4x6 to 4x9 is very hard for me with RC.   I think after this deload I'm going to try 4x6, 4x7,4x8 and then deload and see what happens.   

The Hansenator said:

Hi all, I'm looking for more advice.

I've been on 4x9 for two weeks now (4 workouts) and have made little progress. The first set is pretty easy, the second is a challenge. I took a longer rest today before the third set. I gave it all I had and managed 8.75 reps. No amount of pulling, yelling or squirming would allow me to complete the last rep. By the fourth set I was pretty tired and broke it up into mini sets.

Anyway, next week is a backoff week. Given the above, what would be an appropriate volume for backoff? Maybe 4x4?

After the backoff week, maybe I'll try 4x7 and move on when I know I can do that.

Thanks.

Just do 50% of the volume you did the workout before the back off.

So, if you got 9,9,8,6 in your last workout, do 5,5,4,3 for your back off week. Or, sure 4x4 would probably work fine as well.

if i fail because of havin just a bad day or not strong enough for the needed reps, i push in every set hard, but not to fatigue of course, and the reps i missed, i get them with more sets, so i have the same volume and more iMs at the end.

Works every time for me, and i dont feel more exhausted as normal after all