Forget everything you've been told about the perfect number of reps and sets. Reps and sets do not matter. The total amount of work you perform is what matters, not how you accumulated it.
Think of it like your bank statement. It doesn't tell you what you did or how the money got there, it just shows you what you have. Building muscle and changing the way your body looks works very similarly.
To illustrate this think about getting a bigger chest. It's going to take a specific amount of volume and intensity over time to give you the desired result. Much like what you would do if you want to increase the amount of money shown on your bank statement - work really hard for a specific amount of time and see your money pile up.
Still with me? In other words, there are no shortcuts to building muscle and changing the way your body looks, but there are ways to make these changes easier, faster, and more tolerable. This is achieved by what you do in the gym every single day, or your programming.
So if the goal is to make noticeable, fast changes to your body, why not use the easiest, most tolerable method for doing so?
Enter Volume Training
Volume Training is simple, maximize the total amount of work you can perform in a minimal amount of time.
Remember when I said to forget everything you know about the perfect number of reps and sets? Here's why - Instead of fighting through the pain and fatigue of multiple sets of 5, 8,10, or more repetitions at whatever weight you're using and risking the failure of completing your set(s), modify your work sets by shortening them over time with the goal of maximizing the total amount of work you complete over a specific number of work sets.
For example, you start off performing sets of 8 repetitions, but as fatigue sets in and we near the end of the predetermined number of work sets, we may start doing sets of 5 or 3 repetitions with the exact same weight.
Sounds like a way to get out of those really hard work sets doesn't it? Remember, it doesn't really matter how many reps you do in a work set, what matters is how many reps you perform across all of the work sets that day, and then eventually all of your work sets over a broader time domain.
Here's something else to consider - Being pig headed about how many reps you perform in every single set is a one way ticket to unnecessary fatigue. Which is going to screw up the rest of your work sets, making them less effective.
Applying Volume Training to Your Workouts
Volume Training relies heavily on the weights you are using for your work sets. So in order to select appropriate loads for any given exercise we need to establish PR Metrics. This is going to be the heaviest weight you can use for a specific Rep Count. Here are a few examples of PR Metrics that we use on BuildRx (High Intensity Bodybuilding)
- WMR15 - Max Weight for 15 Repetitions
- WMR8 - Max Weight for 8 Repetitions
- WMR3 - Max Weight for 3 Repetitions
Once we've established these PRs, or max weights for the specified rep count, we can then use these loads for our work sets, no matter what the format is. And the beauty of it is, if we use true maximal efforts, we can GUARANTEE that we are going to accumulate enough total volume to make really, really fast changes to the appearance of our bodies and our overall strength.
The next important factor to note when it comes to Volume Training is fatigue management. Once again, remember when I said the perfect number of reps and sets doesn't really matter? When we use maximal efforts for our work sets it's extremely important to accept the fact that you may not perform the same number of repetitions every single set. This is ok, and totally expected! What matters most is the total number of repetitions you perform across all of your work sets, not what you perform in a single set.
Lastly, in order for a training method to have any real, true value, there needs to be a method for employing progressions. With Volume Training, making progressions is easier than any other type of progressive overload tactic - all you have to do is perform more work than you did the last time you attempted the exact same training piece. If you complete more repetitions, there you go, you've progressed, you've gotten stronger, you've built more muscle, SUCCESS!
Gym nerds, coaches, the average every day Joe at your local commercial gym, and myself included, we're all alike. We will bash our heads against a wall over and over again trying to figure out the best possible way to build muscle and improve the way we look. There are so many different opinions on the best way to build muscle simply because the perfect number of reps and sets does not exist. The total amount of work completed in a session is the cake, everything else is just merely icing.
Volume Training is just one simple way to get the results you're looking for. It's hard, and it's going to require you to push your physical limits each and every single day, but it is an extremely effective tactic for building muscle mass. And if you're looking for an easy to understand, easy to apply, and easy to progress method for changing the way you look, then look no further. Welcome to Volume Training - Check out a few sample training pieces and give Volume Training a shot for yourself!
Volume Training Samples
Sample #1:
Every 3:00 Minutes x 5 Sets; For Max Total Repetitions; Start at 65% of 1RM and Build
Max Unbroken Repetitions: Close Grip Bench Press; 20X1
Coach's Notes: Perform a set of Max Repetitions every 3:00 minutes for 5 total sets, start at 65% of your 1 Rep Max. Build by 5% each set.
Sample #2:
EMOM x 15:00 Minutes; For Max Total Repetitions; Start at WMR15 and Build Each Set
Minute 1:00: Max Unbroken Repetitions: Dual DB Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat - L; 20X1
Minute 2:00: Max Unbroken Repetitions: Dual DB Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat - R; 20X1
Minute 3:00: Rest
Coach's Notes: Complete a set of Max Repetitions every minute on the minute for 15:00 minutes (5 sets/side). Start at WMR15 (Max Weight for 15 Repetitions) and build each set - I recommend increasing by 5-10 lb each set.
Sample #3:
5 Sets; Each For As Many Repetitions As Possible; At WMR8
1:00 Minute: Single Arm DB Row - L; 21X0
1:00 Minute: Single Arm DB Row - R; 21X0
1:00 Minute: Rest
Coach's Notes: Perform as many repetitions of the Single Arm DB Row as possible in each 1:00 minute work interval - use WMR8 for all work sets (Max Weight for 8 Repetitions). Note - after completing the first 8 repetitions take a small break (0:05-0:10 seconds) and then start another work set, continue this until 1:00 minute has concluded.
Sample #4:
EMOM x 8:00 Minutes; For Max Total Repetitions; At WMR15
Max Unbroken Repetitions: Dual DB Straight Leg Deadlift; 20X1
Coach's Notes: Perform a set of Max Repetitions every minute on the minute for 8:00 minutes (8 sets). Use WMR15 for all work sets (Max Weight for 15 Repetitions).
Benefits of Volume Training
Volume Training is a challenge. Every time you you step in the gym while following this type of training structure it's going to be a fight to out perform your last performance. But if you're up for the challenge, and you're sick and tired of conventional work sets like 5x5 or 3x10, this is going to be the most effective training that you can do to make serious changes to your physique and overall strength. Here are a few benefits of Volume Training that you should consider:
- More freedom to determine the number of repetitions you do per set - This decreases the risk of failing work sets and practically eliminates the possibility of feeling defeated for "under performing"
- Time Efficient - Volume Training places an emphasis on the use of time domains, these time domains will keep you on task and working hard, allowing you to get a killer workout in far less time than you would taking 3:00-5:00 minutes off between sets because you're on your phone scrolling through Tik Tok
- Proven to accelerate fat loss - given the speed and intensity of this style of training, your heart rate is going to be high and you are going to be exhausted by the end of your training, and although we use this method for building muscle, we are going to burn fat at a rapid rate as a consequence of the intensity
- Perfect for making fast body composition changes - the emphasis on high volume and total work accumulated will put you on a fast track to a leaner, more sculpted body, and because you've likely never done this type of training before it's going to be that much more effective
I'm not going to say that Volume Training is the only way to get the results you want out of your strength & hypertrophy training. And I'm not going to tell you that all of the other methods for building muscle and losing body fat are inferior in comparison. But I will say that if you are stuck, if you are unhappy with the way you look and the results you are currently getting from your training, then you need to consider giving Volume Training a try.
So if you've made it this far, and stuck with me throughout this entire email, I want to thank you, and I want to offer you a little incentive to give BuildRx the chance it deserves to have from you. Use the code BUILD at checkout today and you can get your 3 Month BuildRx Membership for only $20.00.
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