Fitness Exposé

Bodybuilding Secrets Exposed

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • Articles
    • Training
    • Diet & Fat Loss
    • Supplements
    • Experiment
    • News
    • Resources
    • Reviews
    • Contest Prep
  • Podcast
    • Fitness Freedom
  • Coming!
You are here: Home / Featured / Elements of Training: Volume

Elements of Training: Volume

August 9, 2011 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

Training VolumeTraining volume is another one of the training variables that can be manipulated to avoid adaptation. Volume is a principle aimed directly at the number of sets and repetitions you complete during a training session. There are generally two schools of thought on this issue and we will examine both of them during out discussion.

Appropriate Repetiton Range

One way that the training volume principle has been utilized is sticking to a set number of repetitions depending upon your goal. The belief is that between 1 and 5 repetitions is for strength gain. If you stick between 6 and 8 repetitions, that is best for strength and a little hypertrophy. By going between 8 and 12 repetitions you are focused more on hypertrophy, but a little bit of strength. Finally, if going between 13 and 20 repetitions you are mainly focused on endurance with a small amount of hypertrophy.

What people tend to do with their training volume is change between the various repetition ranges at certain times of their training cycles. This keeps the body guessing and is a hugely beneficial way to use the training volume variable to keep your body guessing.

High Intensity Training (HIT)

HIT training is another way that the volume principle is utilized. It is pretty controversial, but from personal experience, I can tell you it works.

HIT devotees generally do one set of an exercise and they take it to failure. Beware as this is commonly misconstrued as one set per body part and that is not true. This training volume principle is based on the idea that you need to recover in order to grow. By hitting the muscles with one set per exercise (taken to complete failure) you are not digging as deep a hole for your muscles to climb out of as you would with the repetition range concept of training volume, so you are able to recover and train each muscle group more frequently.

The HIT approach seems to work strictly because of recovery. This training volume principle works your entire body hard 3 times per week (maximum). While it seems counter-intuitive the more you learn about training, it is a great principle. It also gets you out of the gym faster and new research is showing that shorter workouts are better.

Conclusion

You should utilize both training volume approaches in your training. Utilize the Experiment of One to get your body fine tuned. Can you tell us how you are currently manipulating the training volume variable to maximize your training results? Leave us a comment below.

Related Posts:

  • Elements of Training: Intensity
  • Elements of Training: Introduction
  • How to Take Intensity to a New Level
  • The Elements of Training: Progression
  • How to Maximize Your Workouts

Filed Under: Featured, Fitness

About Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT

Mike is a passionate bodybuilder, NPC Competitor and ISSA Certified Personal Trainer who is always looking for ways to do things better. He also has a passion for correcting the misinformation that is prevalent in the bodybuilding and fitness industry today. Mike is currently working on his first eBook, Get Back to Lifting, which is scheduled to be released soon. He is also working on a second book, The Average Guy's Supplement Guide, that is scheduled to be released the end of 2016.

News

Toronto Pro Supershow 2016

June 12, 2016 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

IFBB Arnold Africa 2016

June 9, 2016 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

IFBB California Pro 2016

June 5, 2016 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

Coming Soon!

Featured Video

Regaining Focus!

Find out what I am doing to regain my focus.

We Recommend

Increase the internal rotation of your shoulder with the Rotater

New eBook!

Copyright © 2025 by Fitness Expose