Training volume is expressed as a product of total work in a resistance training bout and equates to reps x load x sets. It is important to recognize how these 3 components of volume are interrelated as an increase in any one variable without adjusting the other two will result in a greater amount of total work.
In addition, frequency of training is also connected to volume. For example, increasing or decreasing the frequency of a training bout without adjusting the load, reps or sets, will by default, affect total volume.
Identifying what is constituted as an “optimal” training volume to maximize muscle hypertrophy has stirred debate for decades.
General Recommendations
For adults interested in achieving increase, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends a weight training program that consists of one set per exercise for 8–12 repetitions by way of total body workouts performed 2-3 times per week.
However, most research suggests a need for a progressive increase in volume for trained individuals aiming for continued progress. For advanced lifters, various combinations of split routines 4–6 days per week may be even more advantageous (1).
In spite of these recommendations, observational evidence of high level bodybuilders has shown confounding results, essentially providing no conclusive answer as to an ideal volume for the purpose of eliciting the greatest improvements in muscular hypertrophy.
Evolution of training volume in bodybuilding
During the 1970s routines which dually entailed high volume and high frequency were commonplace. Bodybuilders during that era trained each muscle group 2-3 times per week performing 30 sets or more within a training session, ultimately amounting to a total weekly training volume of 60-90 sets per week per muscle group. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, and other greats of that era were known to train in a similar manner. But like disco balls and polyester leisure suits, excessive volume faded into obscurity akin to Jimmy Carter and “Billy Beer”.
As training methods evolved it became apparent that less training was yielding equal or better results. Various split routines and protocols were championed in the 80’s that were characterized by a reduction in both frequency and by default, total training volume. Three day on and one day off routines and even four day split routines resulted in each muscle group being trained every 5 to 6 days. In addition, total sets were reduced. Meanwhile, bodybuilders seemed to be growing bigger and at a more rapid pace.
Contemporary bodybuilding programs typically consist of multiple sets (generally about 10 or more per muscle group) and sometimes more than 20 in a training session, performed 1-2 times per week. But as you can see total weekly training volume is considerably less today than what was considered the norm 30-40 years ago.
Although many elite bodybuilders utilize higher volumes successfully, their results are anecdotal and raise the question of whether this is the best or most efficient protocol.
Bodybuilders and trainers who advocate a higher-volume approach may argue that because the majority train in this manner, it must be the best way. Other bodybuilders claim to achieve extraordinary development with a fraction of what is considered typical. Noteworthy is 6-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates,’ who was known to perform one all-out set to muscular failure for an exercise, while also limiting training frequency to a 4 day per week split routine.
How much is enough?
A meta-analysis of resistance training research revealed that for “athlete populations” optimum results appear to occur with a mean training volume of 8 sets per muscle group performed twice weekly (3). Additionally, longer workouts have been shown to be associated with reduced intensity of effort, decreased motivation, and alterations in immune response. And many researchers have proposed that intense workouts should not last longer than one hour to ensure maximal training capacity throughout the exercise session. Higher volume training like the typical 20 sets per muscle group may exceed this time frame-especially if more than one muscle group is trained in an exercise session. Evidence has also shown that volume even more than intensity has a greater correlation with overtraining. High training volume often results in a decrease in the ratio between testosterone to cortisol, which may impede muscular gains (2).
Other research suggests, that a threshold exists where more volume will not translate to more progress or continued benefits and may eventually inhibit growth (4). Additionally, it becomes increasingly apparent that this “ceiling” will not be consistent among all people and may be dependent on a variety of factors.
Although “more” is often construed as being superior to less --- and this ill-conceived notion rings especially true as it relates to training volume --- it makes the most sense to achieve the desired result by training with the minimum volume of exercise necessary. That said, determining a point of diminishing returns can become difficult, if not impossible.
Regulating Volume
Periodization templates are often used as a means of regulating training volume to avoid overtraining and to continue progressing. However, this option might better serve the less experienced lifter. With experience comes a better ability to determine when to revise training schemes and increase or decrease exercise volume. I have often likened this to a training “sixth sense”. This is something that cannot be obtained from a textbook and is invaluable when formulating a training program. For the veteran, training volume may be best adapted daily and weekly by paying close attention to dynamic variables such as nutrition, rest, recovery and stress-(both physiological and psychological). Thus, it is critical for these individuals to embrace the concept of self-regulation and attune their training based on biofeedback or instinctive cues.
Conclusion
Many questions still need to be answered in order to achieve the best possible success within a resistance training program, and the variables that influence hypertrophy-including volume- occur along a broad continuum. Pinpointing an “ideal” protocol is never quite black or white as the best programs appear to be found within a compromise. Furthermore, just as our physiology is continuously changing, our training must also be dynamic and adaptive.
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