2 Types of Failure to watch out for:

1.      Physiological Failure This type of failure should be few and far between. I call this the 98-100% effort range or the "dark place". It makes sense that this isn't somewhere we can go often save for competitions. I believe there's only so many times we can physically reach this place and it should probably be reserved for almost solely competitions and maybe 1-2 practices per season.

Physical failure is hard on the body. It is uncomfortable (and probably stings a little). It is diving into a zone of complete unsustainable exercise. This is really the tip of the spear and should be used 5% or less in training. This typically bridges the gap between maximal output both in the glycolytic systems, CP, and aerobic systems almost simultaneously. It depends on what your doing exactly but the toughest failure that I am referring to is a intersection of all 3 of these.

2.      Cognitive failure If your never failing at a skill in practice than you are not growing your skillset. A reasonable failure rate is 30-40%. Anything higher means we should back off either on volume of a skill or the complexity of a skill. Make it easier until we can handle it.

This is how the brain grows stronger in a skillset. This typically isn't very hard on the body either. Meaning this can be done often. Pick a measurement tool as a coach to judge your athletes off of and decide what the failure rate is. This indicates if you should increase skill demands or decrease them.

Physiological failure can be dangerous and should be done in stints. There is a ton of research on when to go to failure and when to avoid failure. I like pressing this true type of failure training every once and a while but truly not very often. We can get most of the benefit at 90-95%.

Cognitive failure on the other hand is 100% necessary. This isn’t something that we want to see every day because it can hault progress and motivation however if we never see failure it may bring about a false confidence as well as a lack of skill. Cognitive failure should be about adding in challenges that are hard to do but can be overcome…failure is the road to success with each skill.

Think about these two types of failure and which one you are trying to get close to and which one you are trying to avoid.

What will be beneficial to you?

What will not be beneficial to you?

Don’t get caught in the moment but instead have a plan with how it should go.