This Study Completely Changed How I Train To Failure

In this episode, I sit down with exercise scientist Dr. Martin Refalo to discuss his research on reps in reserve (RIR) and what it reveals about how close to failure you need to train to maximize muscle growth. We also explore how exercise selection and fatigue influence your training, and whether low-volume training can be effective for building muscle.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

2:32 - What Is Reps in Reserve (RIR)?

6:21 - My Favorite Study on RIR

27:54 - Should You Train to Failure?

37:43 - Does Exercise Selection Affect RIR?

45:53 - Should You Be Concerned About Fatigue?

1:01:16 - What RIR Maximizes Muscle Growth?

1:08:40 - How Effective Is Low-Volume Training?

1:19:51 - Martin's Hot Take

References:

Martin's RIR Paper https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38393985/

RIR Meta-Analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38970765/

Social Media and Mental Fatigue https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34000894/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11235674/

Low-Volume Study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40249908/