Are You Really Training Hard Enough?

Let’s be real for a second. Most people might think they’re training hard and doing adequate work in the gym, but are you actually pushing close enough to failure to maximize muscle growth?

Odds are, probably not. And I get it. Training to true failure (or close to failure) is uncomfortable—but, that’s where the magic happens.

The truth is that most people are lifting with way too much comfort. And if you’re lifting comfortably, like being able to do a set while having a casual conversation, you’re not training hard enough to build muscle.

 

The sweet spot for hypertrophy (muscle growth) is typically within 1–3 reps of failure. If you’re stopping 4, 5, or even 6 reps away from that, you’re leaving a lot of gains on the table.

 

That means your last rep should feel ugly, slow, and borderline reality-checking. 

If your last rep looks as crisp as your first, you’ve got more in the tank and are cutting yourself short. 

Think about it—when was the last time you finished a set where you genuinely couldn’t do another rep?

 

 

A lot of lifters use RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) or RIR (Reps in Reserve) to gauge intensity. But here’s the catch—most people are terrible at estimating it.

A particular study showed that when lifters were asked to stop a set at 3 RIR (meaning they thought they had 3 reps left in the tank), they actually had closer to 6-7 reps left. That’s a huge gap between perception and reality.

If you want to know what true failure feels like, try this:

• Pick a weight you normally do for 10 reps.
• Instead of stopping at 10, keep going until the bar physically stops moving.
• Count how many reps past 10 you actually had.

How do you know if you’re working hard enough to build muscle?

Here are a few simple ways to test yourself:

✅ Use Video Feedback – Film your last set. If your final rep looks identical to your first, you didn’t push hard enough. 

✅ Implement the “Last Rep” Test – Your last rep should feel significantly slower than your previous ones. If your bar speed is the same, you had more in the tank. 

✅ Increase Reps Weekly – If this week you did 185 lbs on the bench press for 6 reps, do 7 the next week. The week after that, do 8, and continue doing that each week. You will discover your true failure point eventually. (if you’re doing something like bench press, have a spot!)

✅ Partner Up – Having a training partner push you past your mental limits can make a huge difference.

 

Bottom line—are you truly training close to failure, or are you just going through the motions?

Next time you’re in the gym, challenge yourself. Add an extra rep or two, push each set harder, and see what happens.

Chances are, you’ll experience a whole new level of results.

-Tanner