Muscle failure

Muscle failure describes the point in training at which a muscle group can no longer perform another clean repetition, even with maximum effort. This occurs when the energy reserves of the involved muscles are depleted, the muscle fibers are exhausted, and the nervous system can no longer send sufficient signals to continue the movement. In muscle-building training, muscle failure is often deliberately used to provide a particularly strong stimulus for adaptation through complete muscle exhaustion.

There are different forms of muscle failure: Concentric muscle failure occurs during the phase in which the muscle shortens (e.g., while pushing the handlebar up during a bench press), while eccentric muscle failure occurs during the controlled lengthening phase (e.g., lowering in a squat). In practice, concentric failure is usually preferred as it is safer for the body.

A particular advantage of training on an EISENHORN strenght station is that muscle failure can be achieved efficiently and safely—without the need for a spotter or training partner. After the last repetition, the “horn” of the EISENHORN fitness station simply remains in the starting position, allowing for intense training to the limit with maximum safety.

In general, muscle failure should be used in moderation. Training to absolute failure too frequently can significantly delay recovery and lead to long-term overtraining. Professional athletes therefore combine sets to muscle failure with sets that end one to two repetitions before failure. This creates an optimal balance between stress, progress, and recovery.