Second, there are numerous studies showing that training to failure extends the time to full recovery and thus does impact frequency.

In my experience and from a handful of well conducted studies I’ve seen, a better approach might be to keep a single rep in the tank until the last set or so. This will allow for full motor unit activation for all the involved fibers and creates basically the same benefits without quite the same “hit” to recovery.

This “hit” is what is meant by CNS fatigue. Even old school guys like Vince Gironda warned against “training on the nerve”. Importantly, this is most relevant in the lower rep ranges of 1-8 reps where all the MUs are activated from nearly the first rep. Higher rep/lower weight sets have less of an impact on CNS recovery.

Anyway, I really enjoy your site and your stuff. Just wanted to add a few bits of nuance to what you have written above. I too am a big fan of the Anabolic Diet and have used it since 1995 off and on. Mostly on.

Take care

All sets to complete failure for what I could do on the day.
I appreciate this is a snapshot on the long road of tht training, but in regards to this discussion which week would have produced the most growth do you think?

That’s what the article you are linking to also states. From my article above, I state:

“And I need to say this because it’s important…for me it’s not even a matter of Intensity Vs Volume. What I argue for is…

INTENSITY PLUS VOLUME.

Both. It’s not one or the other. Once the intensity is there, volume matters. But if the intensity isn’t there, all the volume in the world will still be ineffective.”

The people in the article you linked to all trained to high intensity levels, so as expected, extra volume would produce more hypertrophy. That’s the point I am also making. In that article the author states:

“Before we can dig into the real meat of the subject, it’s important to understand some basic physiology of muscle recruitment. During any set in which you lift a weight to failure, your nervous system will first recruit small/slow motor units and then begin to recruit larger and faster motor units until the force demands are met (or cannot be met).(4) For example (and I’m just making these numbers up to facilitate understanding of the concept), let’s say I can curl a 50 lb. dumbbell 10 times. During the first 3 reps, I might only be using small/slow motor units and muscle fibers. By the 6th rep, the smaller fibers have fatigued a little and can no longer produce enough force to move the weight, and I begin recruiting larger muscle fibers. By the 10th rep, all the muscle fibers in my biceps have been recruited and have experienced enough fatigue that they can no longer produce enough force to move the weight, and I fail the 11th rep.”

That’s exactly what I’m talking about – the sequential nature of muscle fiber recruitment means training to failure maximizes muscle fiber recruitment, and more importantly, the recruitment of type 2b fibers, which are predominantly responsible for growth.

And yet that is only one of the reasons I put forth advocating going to failure. You can see the rest above in the section starting, “THAT LAST REP…”

So yes, intensity matters. And if it is there, added volume works.

INTENSITY PLUS VOLUME.

Both. It’s not one or the other. Once the intensity is there, volume matters. But if the intensity isn’t there, all the volume in the world will still be ineffective. Peace out.