Volume vs. Intensity for Hypertrophy: Which Is More Important?

What’s the one greatest strategy to prepare so as to construct muscle? 

Ask this query to a room stuffed with health specialists, and your ears will quickly be bleeding from the raucous response. 

Pay attention carefully, although, and also you’ll discover that the majority of their solutions will be bracketed into one among two camps: 

1. It’s best to prepare heavy (deal with depth).
2. It’s best to prepare lots (deal with quantity).

The “quantity vs. depth for hypertrophy” debate has been simmering for years, and zealots on each side of the fence make compelling arguments. 

Depth proponents declare that utilizing heavy weights for low reps produces extra rigidity in your muscular tissues, which is in the end what makes them develop larger and stronger. 

Quantity boosters contend that the whole variety of units and reps you do is what drives muscle progress, not the load on the bar. 

Who’s proper? 

As you may think, the reality is someplace within the center. Whereas one of many two is barely extra necessary than the opposite, neglecting both quantity or depth will handicap your beneficial properties. 

First, let’s outline what quantity and depth actually are (the reply isn’t apparent). 

What Is Quantity? 

Quantity refers back to the whole quantity of labor an athlete is doing over a time period, and in weightlifting, it may be measured in a number of methods. 

One fashionable methodology of calculating coaching quantity is to multiply the load utilized by the units and reps carried out on an train. That is known as quantity load. For instance, in case you do 3 units of 5 reps of squats with 315 kilos, your quantity load could be 4,725 kilos (3 x 5 x 315).

This method produces massive, spectacular numbers that may be enjoyable to trace, however adjustments in quantity load don’t correlate properly with muscle hypertrophy or energy acquire.

In different phrases, quantity load is what a enterprise proprietor may name a “self-importance metric,”—a stat that makes you’re feeling good however doesn’t assist you perceive your personal efficiency in a method that informs future choices.    

For instance, let’s say you turn from 3 units of 5 reps of squats with 315 kilos to three units of 12 reps of squats with 185 kilos. This bumps up your quantity load to six,660 kilos—a 40 p.c improve—however research shows that this isn’t more likely to produce extra muscle progress and can in all probability lead to much less energy acquire.

The explanation for that is that any weightlifting set taken near failure within the vary of 6-to-20 reps will produce about the identical quantity of muscle acquire. That’s, a set of 6 reps taken simply shy of failure will produce related outcomes as a set of 20 reps taken simply shy of failure.

Which means wildly completely different quantity hundreds can produce roughly the identical quantity of muscle acquire, so how are you supposed to make use of these numbers to optimize muscle progress? You may’t.

One other strategy to observe your coaching quantity is whole repetitions, however that is flawed for a similar motive quantity load is. Utilizing the identical instance as earlier, 3 x 5 reps provides you 60 p.c fewer reps than 3 x 12 reps, but each of those exercises are more likely to produce related quantities of muscle progress. The identical factor is true of monitoring quantity as units x reps—the numbers merely don’t correlate with muscle hypertrophy. 

So, what’s one of the simplest ways to quantify quantity for the needs of exercise programming? Most research exhibits that the reply is laborious units, that are units taken inside 1-to-3 reps of muscular failure. 

There are a couple of caveats to this you’ll study in a second, however as a common rule, monitoring the variety of laborious units you do is one of the simplest ways to trace weightlifting quantity.

What Is Depth?

Depth refers to how laborious an athlete is coaching, and in weightlifting, it may be measured in various methods. 

One of many easiest and most helpful methods to measure weightlifting depth is a system generally known as Reps In Reserve (RIR), which is what number of extra reps you could possibly have carried out in a set earlier than failure.

Failure is the purpose at which you’ll’t full one other rep with good type, and you may consider it because the restrict of your capability. Principally, it’s the utmost variety of reps you could possibly do with a specific weight in case you had a gun to your head (or possibly 1,000,000 {dollars} ready for you, if lucre is extra motivating than self preservation). 

When you estimate roughly what number of reps it might take to succeed in failure with a specific weight, you possibly can measure your weightlifting depth by way of what number of reps you could possibly have carried out, however didn’t. In different phrases, what number of reps you had “in reserve” on the finish of your set. 

In the event you’re like most individuals, that is the way you naturally speak about your weightlifting units. After a set of laborious squats, as an example, you may say, “Man, that was a grinder—I had possibly 1 rep left within the tank.”

To estimate your RIR for a specific set, ask your self this query on the finish of the set, simply earlier than re-racking the load: “If I completely needed to, what number of extra reps may I’ve gotten with good type?”

The reply is your RIR. 

So, how are you going to use RIR that will help you construct muscle? By paying attention to your RIR on the finish of every set, you possibly can make sure you’re utilizing heavy sufficient weights to maximise muscle progress. 

Scientists nonetheless debate how shut you must prepare to failure to construct muscle, however an excellent rule of thumb is that you must finish most of your units 1-to-3 reps shy of failure, or 1-to-3 RIR.

There are a couple of different methods to measure weightlifting depth which can be price studying about:

Measuring your weightlifting depth as a share of your one-rep max is a great tool for periodizing your workouts, nevertheless it’s sometimes pointless for many people who find themselves new to weightlifting. 

Relative perceived exertion is solely how laborious a exercise feels on a scale of 1-to-10, and it tends to work greatest for measuring depth in endurance or blended sports activities (soccer, basketball, and many others.). RIR is solely a greater method of measuring RPE for weightlifting. 

Quantity vs. Depth: Which Is Higher for Hypertrophy?

Neither—you want each! 

Many individuals make the error of considering that constructing muscle is all about how a lot you carry or all about what number of units and reps you possibly can cram into your exercises, however each approaches are wrongheaded. 

To grasp why, you first want to know what causes muscle progress within the first place. 

“Muscle progress happens attributable to cumulative rigidity stimulus over time,” explains Dr. Eric Helms, a researcher, pure bodybuilding coach, and member of Legion’s Scientific Advisory Board. In different phrases, you construct muscle by contracting your muscular tissues at a ample depth for a ample length over time. The method of accelerating the quantity of rigidity your muscular tissues are uncovered to over time is called progressive overload. 

You may improve this “rigidity stimulus” over time in two methods: 

1. Improve the quantity of rigidity produced in every rep by lifting heavier weight.
2. Lengthen the period of time your muscular tissues are uncovered to rigidity by doing extra units or reps. 

With the primary possibility, you employ heavy weights for comparatively few reps, forcing your muscular tissues to contract very laborious for a short time period. With the second possibility, you employ lighter (although not essentially “simple”) weights for extra units or reps, forcing your muscular tissues to contract reasonably laborious for an extended time period. 

Thus, you wind up producing about the identical whole quantity of rigidity with each approaches. This is the reason research exhibits that units taken near failure within the 6-to-20-rep vary all produce about the identical quantity of muscle progress—they produce about the identical quantity of cumulative rigidity by the top of the set. 

Right here’s an instance to assist illustrate how this works in apply.

Think about you bench press 225 kilos for five reps. The muscle fibers in your chest, shoulders, and triceps are redlining throughout all 5 reps, however the set solely lasts about 15 seconds. Now think about that you simply bench press 185 kilos for 10 reps. Though your muscle fibers don’t contract fairly as laborious on any particular person rep, they achieve this for twice as lengthy, producing about the identical quantity of whole rigidity.

Thus, technically, quantity is the first driver of muscle progress, as a result of it’s the quantity of rigidity over time that makes your muscular tissues larger. 

That mentioned, that is predicated on a couple of necessary components: 

First, you’re taking your units pretty near failure (1-to-3 RIR is an effective goal). In the event you don’t push your self laborious sufficient in your units, they gained’t generate sufficient rigidity to appreciably stimulate muscle progress.

Second, you’re utilizing sufficiently heavy weights. Research exhibits that untrained folks want to make use of not less than ~30% of their one-rep max to optimize muscle progress, and that individuals with extra weightlifting expertise might have to make use of even heavier weights (no matter what number of units they do or how shut they take them to failure). 

Third, you’re doing units within the 6-to-20-rep vary. In the event you do extra reps than this, you’ll possible have to make use of weights which can be too gentle to stimulate ample rigidity in every set (see the earlier level). In the event you do fewer reps than this, you’ll considerably cut back the period of time your muscular tissues are compelled to supply rigidity, thus shortchanging your beneficial properties. 

This final level is price elaborating on in additional element.

The Drawback with Too A lot Depth

Many individuals suppose that the extra weight they will carry, the extra muscle they’ll construct, and find yourself coaching like powerlifters. 

This strategy is alluring as a result of the load on the bar (or dumbbell) is a simple, tangible proxy for muscle acquire. If I can simply add one other 10 kilos to my bench press, which means I’ll acquire muscle for certain! 

The issue with this line of considering is that getting stronger isn’t what causes muscle progress—muscle progress truly causes energy acquire, as a result of “ . . . larger muscular tissues are stronger muscular tissues,” explains Dr. Helms. 

“Subsequently, muscle progress ought to finally lead to energy going up,” he elaborates. “However don’t get so hung up on energy to the purpose that you simply suppose placing weight on the bar is the one factor that issues, or that doing so is what causes hypertrophy. It’s truly the opposite method round, elevated energy is an indication that you’re offering an sufficient overload for hypertrophy. You not solely have to use a rigidity stimulus (acting at an sufficient RPE) for muscular tissues to develop, but additionally guarantee you could have offered sufficient of that rigidity (quantity; variety of units).”

Principally, in case your energy goes up—in case you’re capable of carry extra weight on the similar RIR, the identical weight for extra reps, or for a similar reps with extra reps in reserve (it feels simpler), then it is a signal that you simply’ve offered sufficient progressive overload (rigidity) to construct muscle, nevertheless it’s not what actually makes your muscular tissues develop. 

Thus, the three major causes so as to add weight to the bar in your exercises are: 

1. To make sure that you’re nonetheless taking your units shut sufficient to failure to maximise rigidity in every exercise. In different phrases, to take care of the effectiveness of your units for constructing muscle.
2. To enhance your capability to maneuver heavy hundreds, which lets you rack up extra rigidity extra simply throughout your exercises. 
3. To gauge how properly your program is working. For instance, in case your energy hasn’t gone up for some time, it’s an indication that your program won’t be offering sufficient rigidity (undertraining), is perhaps offering an excessive amount of (overreaching), or that you simply won’t be recovering properly out of your coaching. 

The Drawback with Too A lot Quantity

At this level, you could be questioning, if extra rigidity equals extra muscle progress . . . and extra units equals extra rigidity . . . and coaching with gentle weights and excessive reps lets you get extra units . . . then why not simply prepare with gentle weights and excessive reps? 

In different phrases, why not prepare how most muscle magazines say you must—bombing and blasting every physique half with as many reps as you possibly can abdomen?   

The issue with this myopic deal with quantity is that there’s additionally a qualitative facet to rigidity.

If the weights you’re utilizing are too gentle, they gained’t produce sufficient rigidity to stimulate an considerable quantity of muscle progress even in case you’re doing lots of reps. 

As an excessive instance, an expert bicycle owner may do 30,000 pedal strokes (reps) throughout an extended exercise, which produces extra whole rigidity than any bodybuilding exercise you could possibly think about. This nonetheless isn’t superb for constructing massive legs, although, as a result of the diploma of rigidity produced by every pedal stroke is just too small to stimulate a lot muscle progress. 

The identical precept holds true for very high-rep weight coaching—it doesn’t “depend” towards your rigidity whole the identical method heavier weightlifting does. 

There are three different issues with actually high-rep, low-intensity coaching: 

First, it’s very time consuming. In the event you prepare with 40, 50, and even 60% of your one-rep max, you’re going to be doing about 35, 25, or 15 reps per set, which takes a very long time. These units additionally are likely to cause lots of cardiovascular fatigue (they make you out of breath), which takes longer to get well from. 

Second, this type of coaching tends to be very, very disagreeable. For instance, a study printed within the Journal of Energy and Conditioning Analysis discovered that though folks doing 3 units of 25-to-35 reps per set gained simply as a lot muscle as folks doing 3 units of 8-to-12 reps, they rated their exercises as way more uncomfortable and sometimes threw up whereas coaching. 

Third, doing very high-rep units on workouts just like the squat, bench press, and deadlift will be harmful, as your type usually begins to pull anchor as you turn into extra fatigued. 

Thus, whereas quantity is necessary, you additionally don’t wish to achieve this a lot that you simply aren’t capable of prepare with sufficiently heavy weights.

So . . . How Ought to I Prepare?

The place does all of this go away us? 

The burden of the scientific proof signifies these are good tips for balancing quantity and depth to construct muscle:

• Do 10-to-20 units per muscle group per week.
• Use 60-to-95% of your one-rep max (between 2-to-15 reps) for many of your units.
• Take all units 1-to-3 units shy of failure (1-to-3 RIR).

When it comes to what number of of your units ought to be dedicated to lighter or heavier coaching, Dr. Helms recommends that you simply get about ⅔ to ¾ of your whole units within the 6-to-12-rep vary and the remaining units within the 1-to-6 and 12-to-12-rep ranges.

In the event you’re in search of a exercise program based mostly on these tips, take a look at my Bigger Leaner Stronger and Thinner Leaner Stronger packages for women and men, respectively.