If you’ve come to one of our classes before, then you would have probably heard me say “PUSH TO FAILURE”. This is ingrained in our training philosophy because of one main ideology – stimulus equals adaptation.
If you’re trying to make your body stronger (ie. adapt), then you need to apply a stimulus (ie. training) that is strong enough so that the body can hear it and then make the necessary improvements to build up.
That stimulus is pushing to the point of failure – specifically, momentary muscular failure. Of course, that doesn’t mean you always have to reach failure to see any improvements, but it sure will guarantee it.
The closer, you reach your true muscular failure point, the more stimulus you will be sending to your body to adapt.
I often tell my clients the Pareto Principle (or the 80-20 Rule) when it comes to training. The last 20% of the set will yield 80% of the benefits of training.
Unfortunately, the last 20% of the set is usually the most uncomfortable part of the set when your muscles are burning badly, and your heart rate is pumping fast. Most people give up at this point and if you do, you will lose out on 80% of the potential gains.
That is why you need to find a strong source of motivation to push you through this arduous last 20%.
This is the point which separates the high performers from the rest.
Athletes live and breathe in this world of 20%. You don’t have to be an athlete to be a high performer.
You just have to have mental toughness.
