What is Workout Volume?
“Workout Volume” refers to the amount of work, aka the total number of reps, done in one workout session. Your workout volume will determine the number of sets you do.
Four Steps to Creating a Workout with the Ideal Workout Volume
Step 1: Learn How to Measure Workout Volume
Step 2: Determine your Ideal Workout Volume
Step 3: Determine your Ideal Number of Sets and Reps
Step 4: Build Your Workout!
Step 1: Learn How to Measure Workout Volume
– Method A: The Classic Formula – NOT A GOOD METHOD!
The classic formula used to determine workout volume is to multiply Weight x Reps x Sets. Let’s assume you lift 150 pounds for 3 sets of 8 reps. Below is your ‘workout volume’ based on this classic formula:
Workout volume (based on classic formula)
= Weight x Reps x Sets
= 150 x 8 x 3
= 3300 pounds
However, this method is not accurate because it does not take into account the type of exercise being performed. Some exercises are easier to perform and achieve much higher volume than others. For example, it would be relatively easy to perform the Leg Press at 250 pounds for 3 sets of 20 reps and achieve a training volume of 15,000 pounds (250 x 3 x 20). However, it would not be easy to perform the Bench Press at 250 pounds for 3 sets of 20 reps! However, if you use the classic formula, workout volume would be the same for both exercises, which is obviously not the case.
– Method B: Number of Sets – NOT A GOOD METHOD TOO!
Another popular (but inaccurate) way to measure workout volume is by the total number of sets performed. For example, if you performed 6 sets of an exercise, that’s a higher training volume than someone who did 4 sets.
This is a flawed approach too because it doesn’t taking into account the number of reps. For example, if you did 6 sets of 1 rep (total = 6 reps), that is obviously less effort than 4 sets of 12 reps (total = 48 reps). However, if you use Method B to measure workout volume, you would have achieved a “higher” workout volume with 6 sets.
– Method C: Number of Reps – THE BEST METHOD!
As shown earlier, both the classic formula and the number of sets are inaccurate in measuring workout volume. The most useful way is to use Number of Reps as a gauge of workout volume. For example, if you did 48 reps for one exercise and 24 reps for another, 48 reps will be a higher “workout volume” than 24 reps.
Step 2: Determine your Ideal Workout Volume
In step 2, we need to determine the ideal workout volume. As mentioned in step one, workout volume is measured by the total number of reps. Hence, the ideal workout volume refers to the ideal total number of reps per workout session.
To determine the ideal workout volume, a team of sport scientists painstakingly reviewed and analyzed a huge number of strength-training scientific studies. Therefore, their research paper is exceptional because it draws a wholesome conclusion from numerous studies, as compared to other research papers which only analyze a single experiment. Below is the ideal workout volume based on the paper’s analysis:
Ideal Workout Volume
Bigger muscle groups: about 30-60 reps per workout session
Smaller muscle groups: about 20-30 reps per workout session
Breakdown:
Chest: 30-60 reps per workout
Quadriceps: 30-60 reps per workout
Hamstrings: 30-60 reps per workout
Back: 30-60 reps per workout
Shoulders: 20-30 reps per workout
Triceps: 20-30 reps per workout
Biceps: 20-30 reps per workout
Abs: 20-30 reps per workout
Calves: 20-30 reps per workout
And there you have it! The ideal workout volume per workout, backed by scientific research. The next step is to determine the ideal number of reps and sets.
Step 3: Determine your Ideal Number of Sets and Reps
In the previous article on Workout Intensity, you have already learned about the ideal number of REPS per set. Below, is the ideal number of SETS you should perform, based on your workout goals.
Strength:
If performing 1-5 reps: 6-8 sets
Muscle Gain:
If performing 6-8 reps: 3-4 sets
If performing 9-12 reps: 2-3 sets
Endurance:
If performing 12-15 reps: 2-3 sets
If performing 15-20 reps: 2 sets
Step 4: Build Your Workout!
In the fourth and final step, you will learn how to build a workout with the ideal workout volume using the knowledge gained from the first three steps. Let’s assume you are trying to determine the ideal workout volume for your chest. Your goal is to gain muscle mass.
1. Learn how to measure workout volume:
In step one, you learned to measure workout volume using number of reps.
2. Determine your ideal workout volume:
In step two, you learned that the ideal total number of reps per workout is:
Bigger muscle groups: 30-60 total reps per workout session
Smaller muscle groups: 20-30 total reps per workout session
Hence, your chest workout should have a total of 30-60 reps per workout because it belongs to the big muscle group.
3. Determine your ideal number of sets and reps:
Because your goal is to build muscle mass, the ideal set/rep range for your chest workout is 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps or 2-3 sets of 9-12 reps.
4. Build Your Workout!
Based on the first three steps, your chest workout would look like this:
Bench Press: 3 sets of 8 reps (24 total reps)
Incline Bench Press: 2 sets of 12 reps (24 total reps)
Total Workout Volume For Chest: 48 reps
– Ideal Workout Volume!
The total number of reps performed is 48 (24 plus 24), which is within the ideal volume range (30-60reps) for larger muscle groups.
– Ideal Number of Sets and Reps!
3 sets of 8 reps and 2 sets of 12 reps are both within the ideal rep/ set range for muscle gain (see step three).
And that’s the end of this article. You are nearing the end of this workout guide. By now, you have already learned how to set your workout goals, how to create the ultimate diet, how to warm up, how many times you should work out per week and how to determine the number of sets and reps. In the next chapter, you will learn how to build the BEST workout routine for yourself.
This article is part of a completely FREE and FANTASTIC workout guide to teach YOU how to gain muscles and lose fat. See below:
The Ultimate Guide to Working Out
1. Five Steps to Achieving Your Workout Goal
2. The Ultimate Diet to Build Muscle and Lose Fat
3. How to do a Proper Warm Up
4. Workout Frequency/ Split – How Many Times Per Week Should You Work Out?
5. Workout Intensity – How Many Reps Should You Do?
6. Workout Volume – How Many Sets Should You Do?
7. How to Build The Best Workout Routine
8. Progressive Overload – The Secret to Getting Workout Gains!
9. Workout Routines to Build Muscles and Lose Fat Fast
