Volume is a key driver of muscle growth and strength gain. It is pretty easy to understand that the more work you do, the more results you get, up until a point. In resistance training, we generally measure training volume by virtue of the number of sets you perform. But there is actually quite a bit of nuance to this discussion.
However, to really dig into this topic, I am going to need to assume that you have already read our article on understanding reps, as this does cover a lot of stuff around reps that will allow you to better understand and utilise the information in this article. Our articles on RIR and RPE and tempo are also quite helpful in rounding out your knowledge of reps, and thus will allow you to better understand volume.
If you haven’t already, it would be incredibly helpful to also read our articles on why exercise is important, the goals of exercise, the types of exercise we have available to us, and to have a rough idea of the general exercise guidelines. It would also be helpful if you had a good understanding of why and how we use resistance training to build muscle and strength. I am also going to assume that if you intend to use this information to make better exercise programs, you have already spent some time thinking about your exercise selection and have ensured it is appropriate for your goals.
You can also visit our exercise hub for more content on exercise.
Before we get stuck in, I would just like to remind you that we offer comprehensive online coaching. So if you need help with your own exercise program or nutrition, don’t hesitate to reach out. If you are a coach (or aspiring coach) and want to learn how to coach nutrition, then consider signing up to our Nutrition Coach Certification course. We do also have an exercise program design course in the works, if you are a coach who wants to learn more about effective program design and how to coach it. We do have other courses available too.
Now, with all that out of the way, we can actually get stuck into the discussion of volume!
Table of Contents
Sets (Volume)
Why Multiple Sets
What is Volume
How Many Sets
Allocating Volume Across All Muscle Groups
Frequency
In the next article in this series, we need to discuss rest periods, as these also inform our resistance training programming choices.
Volume Conclusion
Training volume is incredibly important to understanding how to use resistance training to get results in strength and hypertrophy. There are some subtle nuances to the discussion, but overall, it isn’t too complicated to understand. In general, the following guidelines make sense for most people (assuming you work in the 6-12 rep range):
- 4-8 sets per muscle group per workout.
- 10-20 sets per muscle group per week.
- Ideally, volume is to be spread across at least 2 workouts per week.
- ~60-120 sets per week total.
- Volume is to be spread fairly evenly across all muscle groups, although it can make sense to push volume for specific muscle groups at different periods of time.
As with everything, there is always more to learn, and we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface with all this stuff. However, if you are interested in staying up to date with all our content, we recommend subscribing to our newsletter and bookmarking our free content page. We do have a lot of content on how to design your own exercise program on our exercise hub.
If you would like more help with your training (or nutrition), we do also have online coaching spaces available.
We also recommend reading our foundational nutrition article, along with our foundational articles on sleep and stress management, if you really want to learn more about how to optimise your lifestyle. If you want even more free information on exercise, you can follow us on Instagram, YouTube or listen to the podcast, where we discuss all the little intricacies of exercise.
Finally, if you want to learn how to coach nutrition, then consider our Nutrition Coach Certification course. We do also have an exercise program design course in the works, if you are a coach who wants to learn more about effective program design and how to coach it. We do have other courses available too. If you don’t understand something, or you just need clarification, you can always reach out to us on Instagram or via email.
The previous article in this series is about Rep Tempo and Time Under Tension and the next article in this series is about Rest Periods, if you are interested in continuing to learn about exercise program design. You can also go to our exercise hub to find more exercise content.
References and Further Reading
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Paddy Farrell
Hey, I'm Paddy!
I am a coach who loves to help people master their health and fitness. I am a personal trainer, strength and conditioning coach, and I have a degree in Biochemistry and Biomolecular Science. I have been coaching people for over 10 years now.
When I grew up, you couldn't find great health and fitness information, and you still can't really. So my content aims to solve that!
I enjoy training in the gym, doing martial arts and hiking in the mountains (around Europe, mainly). I am also an avid reader of history, politics and science. When I am not in the mountains, exercising or reading, you will likely find me in a museum.