Understanding Training Volume: Key to Effective Workouts

Learning about fitness and working out can be overwhelming at times, which is why a basic and simple training program is so popular. They will take on a strategy that involves three sets of 10 reps or five sets of five if lifting heavier weights is the priority. However, taking the time to learn more about how to train properly can be key in your muscle growth.

One place to begin would be understanding why you would do those sets and reps to begin with. Training volume and intensity are great metrics to track how much work you have done or how successful your strength training plan is.

What is Training Volume?

When it comes to exercise, "training volume" is the total work you perform throughout the session. This is the total number of sets and reps you got in with the weights you chose.

The "intensity" of the session is the level of difficulty. How much weight did you use, and how close did you come to reaching failure. Typically, weight used determines volume versus intensity. The heavier the weight, the less volume, and vice versa.

Now, it can't be that simple on its own, or there would be no need to go any further. Putting together a sound training plan requires the optimal amount of volume for you to improve and get close to reaching your goals. The good news is you don't have to look for every piece of literature to find the answers you need. We will cover what that looks like and how you can make it happen so you can get back to developing your ideal physique.

Training for Strength, Hypertrophy, or Fat Loss?

You need to determine what you are training for in the first place before you decide how you are going to train. Do you need to build muscle mass, are we shooting for maximum fat loss, or do you want to get stronger? Maybe athletic performance for a sport matters the most to you.

This matters because each goal or training style will call for different amounts of volume, intensity, and frequency. More volume on the bench press and always going to failure just for the sake of more volume won't be enough. That is a surefire way for something to go horribly wrong and leave you injured.

This rule is the best one to remember when it comes to exercise and weight training.

More Intensity (Weight) + More Volume (Reps x Sets) DOES NOT = More Gains

If training for strength and power with some size is the goal, then you may not need as much volume because you will train with more intensity, which will be taxing on its own. If muscle mass or fat loss is the goal, then more sets and volume could potentially serve you well.

Level of Training Matters Too

There are typically three levels of training - beginner, intermediate, or advanced. If you are an advanced lifter, then you likely know all of this already. If you have to question whether you are advanced or not, the answer is "no."

That leaves beginners and intermediate trainees. If you are a beginner, then I have some good news and bad news. The good news is you will benefit from what is known as "newbie gains." That pretty much means you can do almost anything and see changes that you like.

Even better, you don't have to do as much as an advanced lifter might do every week. That said, doing more volume and going back to the gym to lift more weights is not advised, either. You won't see more hypertrophy from doing that.

The bad news is that those gains won't keep coming, and after a while, you will need to figure out the training volume like the rest of us.

Once you reach that point, you are no longer a beginner. You are now an intermediate lifter, and you will need to start considering factors such as volume versus intensity, motor unit recruitment, etc.

That might seem like bad news, but in reality it is an opportunity. This is when you can become a master of training volume and really apply knowledge to achieve new levels of muscle growth.

Just Do More Reps, Right?

There can be a correlation of doing more reps to get more volume in [1], but making a workout more productive is not that simple. Advanced trainees can tell you that the time you choose to do a higher rep range and which exercise you choose to add them in matters a lot.

How well you can handle that extra volume is also an indicator of whether you are improving hypertrophy and strength or wasting time and energy. If you are able to withstand more training volume than before, that is a sign of progress for sure. If not, then you may need to step back and reevaluate your plan.

Examples of Volume Applied

Let's use the squat as an example. If you could lift 400 pounds as a one rep max, but you choose to do 100 pounds for five sets of six reps, then you've done 3,000 pounds of total volume. 100 pounds times 30 total reps = 3,000 pounds of volume. On the surface, that does not appear to be much of a challenge, which is supposed to be the point of training.

Now, let's say you performed two sets of five reps with 300 pounds. That is also 3,000 pounds of total lifting volume, but you did it with 10 total reps. The training volume is similar, but which do you think is going to be more challenging to the muscular system and require more effort? The answer is the squats with 300 pounds.

The takeaway here should be that doing more for the sake of doing more is not going to always be the answer. Matter of fact, it most likely will not be. Learning how to apply that volume will be very important.

When Not to Use More Volume in a Training Program

Another important lesson you should understand as you evolve in your fitness journey is that more volume will not always be the answer, and you don't have to use the same volume forever once you add it. There will be times you simply don't have the time, energy, or both to get through a higher volume workout.

These are the times that you can shift the focus to intensity or simply do a low-volume session so you can check the box of getting a session in. Anything beats nothing if it is a day you are supposed to train and are capable of doing so.

When you are preparing to train, think of the following factors when determining the combination of intensity and volume for that day.

Factors to Help Determine Volume for Each Training Session

• Daily, weekly, and specific event stress

• Physical and mental fatigue

• Age and experience

• Progress on your current program

• Number of calories you have had that day

• Recovery from previous workout

Using Volume for Strength Gains

If you feel that you are capable of using higher volume, then you need to know how to apply it for your specific goals. A meta analysis study in 2015 concluded that participants that used heavier weights in a moderate rep range of 8-12 reps saw superior results compared to a group that used lighter weights for 25-35 reps. [2]

You can go with heavier weights for lower reps to help master your technique and prepare your nervous system for greater loads, but don't neglect going with more reps on accessory exercises or isolation movements later in the workout. In this case, more reps for training volume can be better.

Using Volume for Hypertrophy and Muscular Endurance

So, should you simply throw more plates on bars and live on the big end of the dumbbell rack. Not exactly. There is a place and time to perform higher reps with light weight, and it could be at the end of a session.

Picking a movement and lifting to failure with a lighter weight can help both hypertrophy and muscular endurance, which also matters. If you are middle aged or getting older, using a lighter amount of weight and approaching failure could serve you very well if you have hypertrophy goals. [3]

Choose When to Do That Wisely

There are times to go higher with the reps and times you shouldn't. Imagine having to do a set of 35 reps with deadlifts multiple times per week. Doesn't sound fun, does it? The body would feel a great toll taken on it, and it could lead to possibly getting hurt.

Using an isolation movement like hyperextensions for the lower back or light weight on leg curls for the hamstrings may be the better idea here.

Using compound exercises for high reps can be a way to boost volume, but it may not be the right plan for many trainees, regardless of experience or age. The multi-joint exercises like squats, bench press, and rows are great for building muscle, but going with high rep ranges will impact the joints being used.

Bodyweight exercises like pull ups may not serve you well, either. If you can't do many with your bodyweight, then you won't get much benefit from having performed a lot of them over the course of many sets.

A single-joint exercise that focus on an individual muscle group can benefit from extra volume. An example include any version of curls for biceps or flyes for chest. Lighter weight for higher reps would be more suitable in these cases, and they can be performed safely as long as you use control and proper form.

A Word About Recovery for Muscle Growth

You need to consider your time and methods of recovery once the lifting session is over as well. Will you be fully recovered from one session to the next? How about from one week to the next? Strength training can be taxing on the body, and if you play a sport, that is even more work the muscles, joints, and tendons are doing.

Eating properly and using high quality supplements can be a game changer when it comes to how you are performing in the weight room. Whether the goal is strength, size, muscular endurance, or even fat loss, keep nutrition and recovery in mind because it can and will help you get better.

Conclusion

Whether you are looking to change your physique or train for sports, creating a sound training plan is about more than sets x reps or reps x weight alone. Knowing when and how to apply the proper training volume to which exercise can make all the difference between breaking a plateau and making gains or staying stuck or worse, suffering an injury.

Performing extra training volume the right way for the proper duration is key for success. If you are developing a new plan for strength and/or hypertrophy, consider the following.

• Specific body, sport, or performance goal with a deadline

• Age and exercise experience

• Proper training volume per week, then per session

• Perform compound movements with low to medium rep range

• Perform isolation movements for medium to high rep range

• Be able to shift due to outside factors

• Tracking sets x reps as well as amount of weight for each session

• Test yourself to gauge progress if strength is a goal

• Muscles measurement if hypertrophy is a goal

References

[1] Schoenfeld, B., Ogborn, D., Contreras, B., Cappaert, T., Ribeiro, A., Alvar, B., Vigotsky, A. 2016. A comparison of increases in volume load over 8 weeks of low- versus high-load resistance training. Asian Journal of Sports Medicine 7(2): e29247

[2] Schoenfeld, B., Peterson, M., Ogborn, D., Contreras, B., Sonmez, G. 2015. Effects of low- versus high-load resistance training on muscle strength and hypertrophy in well-trained men. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning 29(10): 2954-2963

[3] Comparison of traditional vs. lighter load strength training on fat-free mass, strength, power and affective responses in middle and older-aged adults: A pilot randomized trial. Anoop T Balachandran 1, Yipeng Wang 2, Frank Szabo 3, Catharyn Watts-Battey 3, Brad J Schoenfeld 4, Zachary Zenko 5, Norberto Quiles 3