What proximity to failure means
Proximity to failure describes how close a set finishes to the point where another repetition with good form becomes impossible. It is usually expressed as reps in reserve (RIR): an RIR of 0 means failure, while an RIR of 3 means three more reps were available.
The relevance to muscle growth comes from motor unit recruitment. As a set approaches failure, the nervous system progressively recruits the higher-threshold motor units that control the largest, most growth-responsive muscle fibers. Stopping far from failure can leave many of those fibers underloaded.
How close is close enough
Current evidence suggests sets taken to roughly 0 to 3 reps in reserve drive similar hypertrophy, with the strongest signal in the 0 to 1 range and only a modest drop at 2 to 3. Sets that stop with 4 or more reps left tend to underdose the stimulus and may need higher volume to compensate.
Training extremely close to failure on every set raises fatigue and recovery cost, so many programs reserve the lowest RIR for the final sets of an exercise. Estimating RIR accurately is a learned skill and beginners commonly stop earlier than they think. This is general educational information, not coaching or medical advice.