Good Enough Resistance Training
Because sometimes "good enough" is the catalyst for getting it done
Since the release of the ACSM’s updated position stand for resistance training, there’s been a shift within the fitness industry and among science communicators. A subtle migration from over-prescribed routines to practical, sustainable recommendations seems to be the new normal, and I’m here for it. Helping people simplify their approach to fitness was the whole point of starting this Substack, after all.
We’re walking back the hyper optimization… at least for the general population, which is an important distinction to make. The majority of Americans struggle to even meet the physical activity guidelines, so blasting them with evidence-based fitness facts from research every other week only fuels feelings of inadequacy. While research is still the gold-standard for the training recommendations we make, the way that professionals use it in practice can make all the difference in how the message is received. Consistency should always be the number one goal when it comes to movement. Everything else can be dialed in or “optimized” after people get a few years of training under their belt.
Training Basics
Resistance training programming (i.e. the way that sets and reps are determined) falls into three main categories:
strength - low rep, high weight
hypertrophy - mid rep, mid weight
endurance - high rep, low(er) weight
Having both muscular strength and endurance are important because we not only want to be able to generate as much force as possible (strength), we also want our muscles to be able to generate force over and over (endurance). However, training for absolute strength can be tough for a number of reasons:
It’s just physically exhausting (as it’s designed to be) and depending on what else you’re training for, can be difficult to work into your routine if you don’t have room for adequate rest.
It requires access to heavy enough weight (85%+ 1RM)
It requires foundational core strength, proper breath work, and solid technique to be done safely.
Most people fall into the middle, which is what we call “hypertrophy”, or muscle growth. The 8-10 rep range is quite common among trainers and fitness instructors alike because it’s manageable to administer, it’s a well-tolerated training load, and it’s the training stimulus that elicits muscle growth. Regardless of what training goal you’re aiming for, each one requires an appropriate weight selection that matches the chosen intensity (i.e. if you’re shooting for 10 reps, the weight should be heavy enough that you barely squeak out that 10th rep).
While we have loads of prescriptive guidelines that tell us the recommended number of sets and reps (i.e. volume) along with the load (amount of weight) that should be lifted for each training style, ultimately exercise prescription relies on a ton of nuance. All that training volume does is quantify the imposed demand we’re asking of the muscle; it gives us numbers to base our training on.
Holding the prescription guidelines so tightly, or only working within certain volumes, can cause us to miss the bigger picture. For example, a client may fatigue at 4 sets of 10 reps of an exercise, not because they lack the (absolute) strength to move the weight, but because they don’t have the endurance to sustain the volume (Hammert et al., 2026).
Maximal vs sub-maximal efforts
One option is to lift “to failure” within the set. Lifting to failure is easy enough for anyone to understand and to also experience, physiologically. Training to failure recruits and utilizes the maximal number of motor units with the muscle, giving the muscle the optimal amount of stimulus for growth. Muscle failure, as a guide, eliminates the guesswork of wondering how many sets and reps are needed when changing up the style of training. However the limitation with this approach is that most people, when lifting on their own, generally leave some gas in the tank (aka reps in reserve, or RIR). Plus, lifting to failure can be intimidating to those who are newer to exercise. Post-exercise discomfort and muscular fatigue may discourage exercise adherence.
Sub-maximal efforts, typically defined as one to two reps away from failure, are more common in the weight room and are what you typically see in a multi-set Resistance training routine. Research indicates that training to failure isn’t necessary for muscle growth as sub-maximal bouts also improve strength development (Refalo et al., 2023, Grgic et al., 2022). In a study comparing sub-maximal efforts (RIR) to sets trained to failure, both options resulted in hypertrophy (Hermann et al., 2025)
Single-set training to failure is an effective way to incorporate resistance training into your routine when you’re: crunched for time, are primarily focused on cardiovascular training (but want to incorporate strength training), or perhaps just aren’t enamored with the idea of strength training, yet again, know the value of doing so.
Here are my recommendations:
Using a total body routine (see example below), complete one set of 8-10 reps (pick a number) to failure. Complete the routine on two, non-consecutive days per week.
Using the same total body routine below, complete 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps at sub-maximal effort.
Option 2 may take slightly more time than option 1 due to the additional number of sets, but lifting to failure may require more rest between exercises. Either way, you should be able to complete a lifting session from start to finish in less than 30 minutes.
You’re still doing strength training you otherwise may not do, meeting the PA guidelines, and improving your musculoskeletal health. It’s not a perfect program, but it’s absolutely good enough. And good enough is the starting line for great.
Total Body Routine - This is my go to for a quick, twice a week, total body session. I’ve used this sequence for years. It hits every major muscle group and you can alter volume and intensity depending on your training goals. Alternating the upper and lower body movements in the routine provides a built-in rest for the opposing muscle group, allowing you to spend more time under tension.
In order:
Dumbbell Squat
Bench Press
RDL
Supinated (underhand grip) Bent Over Row
Lunges
Shoulder Press
Core movement of your choice: plank, cable rotations, overhead squat, etc.
References:
Grgic, J., Schoenfeld, B. J., Orazem, J., & Sabol, F. (2022). Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 11(2), 202–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2021.01.007
Hammert, W. B., Moreno, E. N., Sallberg, R. W., Yamada, Y., Metcalf, E. E., Young, E. W., Kataoka, R., & Loenneke, J. P. (2026). Rethinking task failure in resistance training research: a framework for submaximal exercise prescription. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 126(4), 1893–1905. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-026-06129-5
Hermann, T., Mohan, A. E., Enes, A., Sapuppo, M., Piñero, A., Zamanzadeh, A., Roberts, M., Coleman, M., Korakakis, P. A., Wolf, M., Refalo, M., Swinton, P. A., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2025). Without fail: Muscular adaptations in single-set resistance training performed to failure or with repetitions-in-reserve. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 57(9), 2021–2031. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000003728
Refalo, M. C., Helms, E. R., Trexler, E. T., Hamilton, D. L., & Fyfe, J. J. (2023). Influence of resistance training proximity-to-failure on skeletal muscle hypertrophy: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 53(3), 649–665. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-022-01784-y
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