Key Points To date, no meta-analysis has examined both linear and non-linear dose-response relationships between proximity to failure [i.e., repetitions in reserve (RIR)] and training-induced changes in muscular strength and hypertrophy. To analyze RIR as a continuous variable, a systematic estimation process was used to assign an RIR value to each group within each study. Critically, the accuracy of this process is unknown. The dose-response relationship between proximity to failure and strength gain appears to differ from the relationship with muscle hypertrophy, with only the latter being meaningfully influenced by RIR. Load [percentage of one-repetition maximum (% of 1RM)] seems to be a more influential training variable for maximal strength, whereas muscle hypertrophy seems to improve upon terminating sets closer to failure.
© Copyright 2024 Sports Medicine. Springer. All rights reserved.