Training Volume
🔰 This post is crucial and packed with information. You’ll find insights gathered from various sources, all interconnected.
Grab a cup of coffee and focus as we’ll discuss several key points:
🛑 What is volume? Examples included.
🛑 Volume and muscle activation differences between barbells and dumbbells.
🛑 Volume as the foundation for strength and muscle growth.
🛑 High reps vs. low reps and their relationship with volume.
🛑 How to improve your training volume? (Training frequency and muscle group frequency).
🛑 The connection between volume and progressive overload.
🛑 What is Volume?
Volume refers to the total workload for a specific muscle during training, calculated as:
Volume = Sets × Reps × Weight
🔰 Example:
If you perform Barbell Bench Press with 100 kg for 3 sets of 10 reps:
Volume = 3 × 100 × 10 = 3000
If you perform Dumbbell Bench Press with 45 kg dumbbells for 3 sets of 10 reps:
Volume = (45 × 2) × 3 × 10 = 2700
🛑 Does volume differ between exercises like barbells and dumbbells?
Yes, volume naturally varies because you can typically lift more weight with a barbell than with dumbbells.
For example:
A study (J Sports Sci. 2011) found that individuals could lift 20% more weight with barbells compared to dumbbells.
Another study on shoulder presses showed that participants lifted 10% more with barbells than with dumbbells.
🔰 Advantages of Barbells:
Allow for lifting heavier weights.
Facilitate progressive overload as you can incrementally add small weights (e.g., 1 kg). Dumbbells, on the other hand, often have larger weight gaps.
🔰 Advantages of Dumbbells:
Dumbbells offer higher muscle activation due to the requirement for stabilization.
Studies like (J Strength Cond Res. 2013) highlight greater muscle engagement during dumbbell exercises.
For example, standing shoulder presses with dumbbells activate stabilizing muscles more than with a barbell.
Similarly, for chest exercises, dumbbells outperform both barbell and machines in muscle activation (EMG).
🔰 Takeaway:
Incorporate both barbells and dumbbells into your routine:
Barbells are ideal for increasing strength and volume.
Dumbbells excel in muscle activation.
🛑 Why focus on volume?
Volume serves as a monitoring tool to track your training progression (weight, sets, reps).
If your volume decreases (e.g., fewer reps, lighter weights), your muscle adaptation and progress will stall.
For example:
If you lift 100 kg for 3 sets of 10 reps, your volume is 3000.
Dropping to 70 kg for 2 sets of 6 reps reduces your volume significantly, hindering muscle growth and strength.
🛑 Volume, Muscle Growth, and Strength:
A systematic review and meta-analysis (J Sports Sci. 2017) by Brad Schoenfeld and Krieger showed a direct relationship between higher volume and increased muscle hypertrophy.
🛑 High Reps vs. Low Reps:
Interestingly, as long as the volume is equal, both high reps (25–35) with lighter weights and low reps (8–12) with heavier weights can yield similar hypertrophy results.
100 kg for 10 reps = Volume of 1000
50 kg for 20 reps = Volume of 1000
🛑 How to Improve Your Volume?
Training muscle groups twice a week instead of once can enhance volume, leading to greater muscle growth and strength.
Meta-analyses confirm this, though more studies on experienced athletes are needed:
Meta-analysis 1
Meta-analysis 2
🛑 Volume and Progressive Overload:
To increase volume effectively, you must gradually overload your muscles by:
Adding more weight.
Increasing sets or reps.
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Factors Affecting Volume:
Several variables influence volume, such as:
Exercise type.
Order of exercises in your workout.
Rest periods.
Energy levels.
For example, performing Bench Press as your first exercise will likely result in higher volume compared to doing it later when your energy has decreased.
Key Takeaways:
Each exercise has its own specific volume.
Volume is a crucial tool for tracking progress.
Training muscles twice weekly helps improve volume.
Progressive overload directly impacts volume and, consequently, strength and hypertrophy.
Various factors like exercise type, rest, and energy levels can influence volume.
Reference Links:
J Sports Sci. 2011 – Barbell vs. Dumbbell Volume
J Sports Sci. 2011 – Shoulder Press Study
J Strength Cond Res. 2017 – Dumbbell Chest Activation
Systematic Review on Volume & Hypertrophy
High Reps vs. Low Reps Study
Meta-analysis on Training Frequency 1
Meta-analysis on Training Frequency 2
Progressive Overload Insights
