Lifting to failure

I just started a routine that has me performing every set to failure. Every exercise is 3-4 sets and 15 reps. It says "if you find yourself reaching failure at three or more reps higher than the required amount, increase the weight; if you find that you stop three or more reps short of the required number, lighten the load a little.

Since I'm doing 3-4 sets should I lower the weight after the first set or two so I can meet the required minimum (12 reps)? After hitting only 12-13 reps on my first set I can usually only do 7-8 on my 3rd and 4th.

I go to faliure in every lift and works for me.. IMO you should go to faliure to make your muscle come back stronger next workout, and your DOMS will decrease a lot after some time..

I love working to failure.  It's a new concept that I've incorporated into my lifting.  I used to just train for power, but now I want hypertrophy.  I don't do 20-25 sets of failure.  I only do about 7-9 working sets on big muscle groups and 4-5 working sets on smaller muscle groups.  I feel GREAT about it!  No more "stalling in the gym" for 2 hours.  I work out for 30-45 minutes and i'm done :3!  Dorian Yates was BIG on training to failure and HIT stuff and he was 6x Mr. Olympia.  Even Arnold Schwarzenegger said "never put the weight down just because you hit a number".  Just my opinion!  Completely up to you (but I'm a big fan of it).  Stay safe!

i train to failure on every set. remember reading or watching a video body builder had a phd super smart guy said treat every set like it was your last forget about numbers.

Training is about progress, success and stimulation not failure and annihilation. As long as you perform to the best of your ability and progress within a given interval you'll gain.
If failure means technical failure, okay, always go to failure. You lift until you can't complete another rep with good form. Never count a rep with bad form and you'll be MUCH less likely to get injured and much more likely to succeed over time.
If failure means total muscular failure then this is likely only absolutely necessary if you're advanced (and you wouldn't be asking if you'd been lifting for 3-4 years) and this is a very fatiguing thing to incorporate. Like Merc said it's likely only necessary to do on 1 set, otherwise you're just beating yourself up.

Also if a routine has a rep range 12-15 for example ALL of your sets should fall in that range, otherwise you need to lessen or up the load. You should be adding reps or weight every week.

Oh no no no.  I didnt mean to failure on EVERY set.  For each of my exercises i have 1-2 warm up sets and then on the last set ill go to failure.  Ill do 3 sets of bench 2 warm up and then 2 sets of incline db press 1 warm up set etc etc.  By the end of the work out itll feel like my muscles got trampled.

If you don't lift to failure, you fail at lifting











catchy?!

haha my arch-nemesis: anti-fail rhyme man and his cursed rhymes!

failure to fail, is failure to lift