# @mackinprof on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DWFOWNWEwjG
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/60457092-mackinprof-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/c4d68f763c.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-03-19T21:46:57.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Stuart Phillips (@mackinprof) — https://gondola.cc/mackinprof

## Caption

To Fail or not to Fail(ure) for Muscle Growth: Necessary or Not?

A lot of lifters still act as if a set only “counts” if it ends in complete collapse. The newer evidence does not support that.

Grgic et al. systematically reviewed and meta-analysed studies comparing resistance training performed to repetition failure versus non-failure and found that muscle hypertrophy was not meaningfully different between approaches when training was otherwise reasonably hard and well-designed. In plain English, you do not have to hit failure to grow muscle. PMCID: PMC9068575.

Singer et al. looked primarily at rest intervals and hypertrophy, but an important sub-analysis asked whether the set endpoint mattered, that is, training to failure versus stopping short. Their conclusion was that failure versus non-failure did not meaningfully change the relationship between rest intervals and muscle growth. Again, failure was not shown to be a magic ingredient. PMCID: PMC11349676.

That lines up nicely with the newer ACSM Position Stand (link in bio), which concluded that training to momentary muscular fatigue or failure did not consistently improve hypertrophy outcomes across the evidence base.

So my take-home is simple: 

FOR MUSCLE GROWTH, FAILURE IS A TOOL, NOT A REQUIREMENT

You can grow very well by training hard, getting close enough to make the set count, accumulating enough volume, and recovering well.

Not every set needs to become a hostage situation.

Train hard. Leave a rep or two when needed. Come back and do it again.

Citations:
Grgic et al. PMCID: PMC9068575
Singer et al. PMCID: PMC11349676

#MuscleGrowth #Hypertrophy #ResistanceTraining #StrengthTraining #ExerciseScience #TrainHard #MuscleHealth #ProgressiveOverload

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## Tags

musclegrowth, musclehealth, resistancetraining, strengthtraining, progressiveoverload, trainhard, exercisescience, hypertrophy

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