The decision
For home strength training, repeatable technique and comparable work are more useful than chasing failure on every set.
A practical sequence
Three steps that keep the decision honest
- Keep the movement context and range consistent.
- Add repetitions within the planned range before changing load.
- Only raise load when the next available step remains controllable.
Training close to failure can be used deliberately in some programmes; it simply should not become the automatic rule for every movement and every session.