Are You Doing Enough Volume For Maximal Muscle Growth?

There's something I'd like you to think about ahead of your next workout - and that is your training volume.

Are you doing enough for maximal muscle growth? If you're not, you will be by the end of this short piece!

HIT vs Volume

Advocates of High Intensity Training (HIT) train with only a handful of sets in comparison to traditional training; 1 set per exericse and around 4 exercises for each body part, and in some cases less. Their workouts are generally capped at 45 minutes, too.

But the main difference is that for this one set during HIT, they go ALL OUT to complete muscle failure. Basically, their VOLUME of training is not as high during traditional resistance training - this is the key point (and comparison) we're looking at here.

On a side note, HIT is not to be confused with HIIT (note the extra "I") which is cardio and not weights. They both require maximum intensity but just obviously under different circumstances.

Mr Olympia Dorian Yates and Arthur Jones of Nautilus

HIT was brought to the mainstream by 6 X Mr Olympia Dorian Yates after being first popularised by inventor Arthur Jones, who owned the Nautilus gym equipment company.

Many gym rats caught on and some are still advocates because "It's what I and Dorian Yates have always done and we're jacked!"

But the beautiful thing about science is we can learn about what we have or haven't been doing and how it measures up in a controlled setting.

As you'll see by the results, greater volume appears to be better for maximal muscle growth and HIT training may be better left alone.

The Research - What Was Found?

The final analysis comprised 34 treatment groups from 15 studies, and looked at "the effects of total weekly resistance training volume on changes in measures of muscle mass" (1).

The researchers found a graded dose-response relationship whereby hypertrophy progressively increased from 1-4 weekly sets per muscle group per week, to 5-9 weekly sets per muscle group per week, and then 10+ sets per muscle group per week. Also, "the results of a dose-response relationship strengthened when more accurate site-specific measures of hypertrophy were used (MRI, ultrasound)."

Obviously, more volume was better!

The reseachers add that 10 sets was the minimum dose they were able to see that maximised muscle growth - but with limited data in this area they still cannot make any definite recommendations.

Furthermore, the limited data into trained subjects means the researchers are hypothesizing that more experience should mean more volume - but they have set up a study to try and answer this very question.

The researchers conclude:

"The findings indicate a graded dose-response relationship whereby increases in resistance training volume produce greater gains in muscle hypertrophy."

The full text as time of writing still isn't available, but I couldn't help but at least bring the headline findings to your attention; every week you're in the gym making less mistakes is a victory for me and my job here!

But the surface findings are pretty clear, more volume = more muscle mass. Now whilst this may seem like common sense, so many people still don't want to believe it.

The other downfall I see to HIT training, is the limited rest periods.

We know thanks to very recent data that around 2 minutes of rest in between sets is ideal - so by combining limited rest which doesn't result in optimal growth and just one set to failure which doesn't appear to be enough - you're really short-changing yourself of gains - that's the bottom line.

Think About This:

If you went to 100 different bodybuilders and asked them how they got jacked, you'd most likely get 100 different answers.

Some would say "HIT training bro" and others would say "limited rest bro, keep the muscle pumped!" My point is, that both of these, whilst they "work" are not ideal.

So this, my dear reader, is why we have science. So we can actually dechiper WHAT works and what doesn't!

When someone does 50 different things as part of their "get jacked" routine, it's IMPOSSIBLE to know which one of those things is actually leading DIRECTLY to muscle growth - another reason we have science and I deal with it here.

Practical applications for your Gym Workout Routine

You'll want to pump at least 10 sets for any muscle group you're trying to make significantly bigger - according to these findings.

Don't rob yourself of more gains because of a glossy magazine article with a strategy that was followed by a Mr Olympia.

The legendary Dorian Yates (my favourite bodybuilder of all time) experienced massive injuries with the "balls to the wall" HIT approach, tearing his triceps off the bone in the lead up to his final Mr Olympia victory in 1997, where he then retired.

There were other injuries too, including a torn bicep in 1994 (Dorian still went on to win that show, too!)

Granted, Dorian's food intake was low (these injuries were weeks out from his shows) and therefore his body couldn't recover as well and was prone to injury. But the fact remains that ONE set of maximum failure can tend to make one push it too far and suffer an injury.

I for one tried HIT years ago before I took to researching my training adequately - and I experienced a painful shoulder injury resulting in weeks out of the gym. My favourite bodybuilder was doing it - so why shouldn't I?!

But let's too remember that Mr Yates obviously trains under different circumstances to natural bodybuilders like the bulk of us - so thinking his training program will do the same for natural bodybuilders is not your best bet.

So I hope this information helps - don't starve your muscles of volume and subsequent gains!

"Stay Fit, Stay Flexed!"

Reference

(1) Schoenfeld B, Ogborn D, Krieger J. Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal Of Sports Sciences. DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2016.1210197

Author

Dayne Hudson

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