Is training to failure the wisest move?

One of the most popular concepts that has been preached in the bodybuilding world in recent years is training to failure. What exactly is training to failure? Simply stated, training to failure means that you perform a strength training exercise until you physically cannot do anymore. You lift a weight that is heavy enough with enough repetitions until your muscles cannot perform another repetition – thus, you fail. Why is this a problem? Well, many bodybuilding experts will tell you that it is absolutely necessary to train to failure in order to achieve large muscle gains.

However, I’ve recently come across some articles written by a couple of accomplished bodybuilders who caution their colleagues, especially beginning bodybuilders, to consider training just shy of failure. Basically, the trainee would have to perform to failure in order to learn his limits, but after doing this for a while he would then try to consistently do one repetition short of training to failure. Trainers Kevin Dye and Jason Ferrugia tell us that consistently training to failure can exhaust the central nervous system and the immune system, both of which take longer to recover from a workout than your muscles do. During the next workout, you would then be less likely to have recovered completely, which means that your muscles fibers have not yet been rebuilt. To fully understand this, you must keep in mind the basic principles of muscle building. In order to grow muscle, a person has to challenge the muscle beyond its previous limits, and the muscle will grow stronger since the body does not want to be put under the same stress ever again. The actual growth of the muscle, however, does not occur in the gym but in the recovery phase. As long as a body receives enough nourishment in the form of calories and protein, the muscles will grow during sleep. According to Dye and Ferrugia, training to failure may impede recovery and eventually limit your progress.

While these recommendations may go against conventional wisdom, they are worth considering for anyone who is no longer progressing in his bodybuilding routine.

Is it fair to punish athletes who use steroids?

In the last few years there have been a number of athletes, especially in the game of baseball, who have been accused of using steroids to enhance their performance. Sometimes it is not easy to prove that an athlete has used steroids, but there have been quite a few professional baseball players who have admitted to using these substances. A few names that come to mind include Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, and Jason Giambi. Some, like Rafael Palmeiro, have publicly denied any use of steroids (in front of Congress, no less) only to have incriminating evidence revealed later on. Is it fair to criticize these athletes, or are they simply struggling to meet the rigorous demands of their profession?

It may be tempting to overlook these mistakes when you have looked up to these players for years. However, because these athletes have corrupted the integrity of the game and, more importantly, are influencing young athletes to put their health at risk, we shouldn’t be so sympathetic when they are punished. It is one thing to put their own health at risk, but these professionals are breaking the law and negatively influencing thousands of young men (and an increasing number of young women – see the department of justice). Moreover, they lessen the value of a game that has meant so much to so many Americans over the years. I think it is only fair that we hold them responsible legally and morally wrong to violate the law, cheat while playing America’s favorite pastime, and set a bad example for the next generation of athletes.

Many young athletes and bodybuilders today are tempted to experiment with illegal and harmful substances instead of taking the time and commitment to build muscle mass naturally. Even though there are safe and effective ways to gain muscle fast , it is easier and far more exciting to believe that a drug is all a person needs to gain of massive amounts of muscle. We cannot merely blame the professional athletes, since every man must make the decision to stay clear of steroids and train naturally. Nevertheless, every professional who steps on to the baseball mound or any other public event must become more aware of the millions of young guys that are watching, and because of this, professional athlete must rise to a higher standard. Fortunately, it seems that most of them do.

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Research on Faster Steroid Detection in Atheletes

Researchers in Asia are developing a new and more efficient way to detect steroid use by athletes.
The new method would allow easier detection through urine samples at a time when many athletes are admitting to steroid use. (Marion Jones is the latest example.)
This is one more reason to be safe and to choose natural weight lifting programs without steroids.