Table 1.
Summary of studies included in the review.
| Study | Participant | Training load | Set and repetition scheme | Volume equated | Training duration and weekly frequency | Assessed outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinkwater et al. (2005)7 | 26 elite junior male team game players with previous experience in resistance training | Failure: 80%–105% 6RM | Failure: 4 sets × 6 repetitions | Yes | 6 weeks, 3 days per week | 6RM bench press |
| Non-failure: 80%–105% 6RM | Non-failure: 8 sets × 3 repetitions | |||||
| Fisher et al. (2016)8 | 9 young untrained men | Failure: 80% of maximal torque | Failure: 25 repetitions in as few sets as possible | Yes | 6 weeks, 2 days per week | Isometric knee extension and flexion |
| Non-failure: 80% of maximal torque | Non-failure: 5 sets × 5 repetitions | |||||
| Folland et al. (2002)9 | 23 young untrained men and women | Failure: 75% 1RM | Failure: 4 sets × 10 repetitions | Yes | 9 weeks, 3 days per week | 1RM and isometric knee extension |
| Non-failure: 75% 1RM | Non-failure: 40 repetitions with 30 of rest between each repetition | |||||
| Izquierdo et al. (2006)10 | 29 young male Basque ball players with previous experience in resistance training | Failure: 6–10RM, or 80% 6–10RM | Failure: 3 sets × (6–10 repetitions) | Yes | 11 weeks, 2 days per week | 1RM bench press and squat |
| Non-failure: 6–10RM, or 80% 6–10RM | Non-failure: 6 sets × (3–5 repetitions) | |||||
| Karsten et al. (2021)11 | 18 young resistance-trained men | Failure: 75% 1RM | Failure: 4 sets × 10 repetitions) | Yes | 6 weeks, 2 days per week | 1RM bench press and squat, vastus medialis, elbow flexor, anterior deltoid muscle thickness |
| Non-failure: 75% 1RM | Non-failure: 8 sets × 5 repetitions | |||||
| Kramer et al. (1997)12 | 30 young resistance-trained men | Failure: 8–12RM | Failure: 1 set × (8–12 repetitions) | No | 14 weeks, 3 days per week | 1RM squat |
| Non-failure: 90%–100% 10RM | Non-failure: 3 sets × 10 repetitions | |||||
| Lacerda et al. (2020)13 | 10 young untrained men | Failure: 50%–60% 1RM | Failure: 3–4 sets performed to failure | Yes | 14 weeks, 2–3 days per week | 1RM and isometric knee extension, rectus femoris and vastus lateralis CSA |
| Non-failure: 50%–60% 1RM | Non-failure: total number of repetitions in the group training to failure was divided into multiple sets | |||||
| Lasevicius et al. (2019)14 | 25 young untrained men | Failure (high load): 80% 1RM | Failure (high load): 3 sets to muscle failure | Yes | 8 weeks, 2 days per week | 1RM knee extension, quadriceps CSA |
| Non-failure (high load): 80% 1RM | Non-failure (high load): 60% of the total repetitions in the group training to failure was used per set; additional sets were added to match the total number of repetitions between the groups | |||||
| Failure (low load): 30% 1RM | Failure (low load): 3 sets to muscle failure | |||||
| Non-failure (high load): 30% 1RM | Non-failure (high load): 60% of the total repetitions in the group training to failure was used per set; additional sets were added to match the total number of repetitions between the groups | |||||
| Martorelli et al. (2017)15 | 89 young untrained women | Failure: 70% 1RM | Failure: 3 sets to muscle failure | Yes/No | 10 weeks, 2 days per week | 1RM and isokinetic elbow flexion, elbow flexor muscle thickness |
| Non-failure (volume equated): 70% 1RM | Non-failure (volume equated): 4 sets × 7 repetitions | |||||
| Non-failure (volume non-equated): 70% 1RM | Non-failure (volume non-equated): 3 sets × 7 repetitions | |||||
| Nóbrega et al. (2018)16 | 27 young untrained men | Failure (high load): 80% 1RM | Failure (high load): 3 sets to muscle failure | Yes | 12 weeks, 3 days per week | 1RM knee extension, vastus lateralis CSA |
| Non-failure (high load): 80% 1RM | Non-failure (high load): 3 sets not to muscle failure (1–3 repetitions in “reserve”) | |||||
| Failure (low load): 30% 1RM | Failure (low load): 3 sets to muscle failure | |||||
| Non-failure (low load): 30% 1RM | Non-failure (low load): 3 sets not to muscle failure (1–3 repetitions in “reserve”) | |||||
| Pareja-Blanco et al. (2017)17 | 22 resistance-trained men | Failure: 70%–85% 1RM | Failure: velocity loss of 40% | No | 8 weeks, 2 days per week | 1RM squat, quadriceps CSA, muscle fiber CSA |
| Non-failure: 70%–85% 1RM | Non-failure: velocity loss of 20% | |||||
| Rooney et al. (1994)18 | 27 young untrained men and women | Failure: 6RM | Failure: 1 set × (6–10 repetitions) | Yes | 6 week, 3 days per week | 1RM and isometric elbow flexion |
| Non-failure: 6RM | Non-failure: 6–10 sets × 1 repetition | |||||
| Sampson et al. (2016)19 | 28 young untrained men | Failure: 85% 1RM | Failure: 4 sets × 6 repetitions | No | 12 weeks, 3 days per week | 1RM and isometric elbow flexion, elbow flexor CSA |
| Non-failure (rapid shortening): 85% 1RM | Non-failure (rapid shortening): 4 sets × 4 repetitions | |||||
| Non-failure (stretch-shortening): 85% 1RM | Non-failure (stretch-shortening): 4 sets × 4 repetitions | |||||
| Sanborn et al. (2000)20 | 17 young untrained women | Failure: 8–12RM | Failure: 1 set × (8–12 repetitions) | No | 8 weeks, 3 days per week | 1RM squat |
| Non-failure: 80%–100% of 2–10RM | Non-failure: (3–5 sets) × (2–10 repetitions) | |||||
| Vieira et al. (2019)21 | 14 young resistance-trained men | Failure: 10RM | Failure: 3 sets × 10 repetitions | Yes | 8 weeks, 3 days per week | 1RM bench and leg press, 10RM bench press, leg press, seated row, and squat machine |
| Non-failure: 90% of the load used in the group training to failure | Non-failure: 3 sets × 10 repetitions |
Abbreviations: CSA = cross-sectional area; RM = repetition maximum.