Training Volume for Muscle Gains | Educational Video | Biolayne 

Might wanna up the volume of your videos Layne

I've been lifting for close to 15 years now and this video has finally given me the courage to try a four to six week block of just hammering one particular body part. My chest has always been my weak part, but I never wanted to be that bro in the gym who just comes in and does chest work, but screw it, you live only once.

The older I get the more I'm impressed with my high school football strength coach. He put us on pyramid style workouts based upon % of max and cycled lifting to failure. He also conducted aggressive circuit training in off season that included light weights with massive reps to failure and then negatives. All this way back in the mid to late 80's. Just started delving into this RU-vid "fitness" and lifting community and good to see the science finally catching up.

The idea of cycling volume is what Mike Israetel has been preaching for a while now. Would love to hear you two talk this concept out one day together. Would make a great podcast! I've personally setup my own routine similarly. I train for six weeks and then deload, but I divide these six weeks into two three week sections where I start volume low and progressively add sets. After that third week which is really high volume, I reset my set volume back down and increase load, followed by another gradual increase in sets.

I used to run a PPL with one heavy/low rep session, and one light/high rep session per muscle group. Best thing I ever did for my gains was switching to a body part split where I could just focus on one muscle group at a time, starting each session with a heavy compound, moving to another movement in the 10-15 range, and one last movement in the 15-20 rep range. This was LESS volume than what I was doing before on the PPL, yet I made about 80% of my gains when I switched to training this way and never looked back. For me these days, volume is just the number of hard working sets rather than RxWxS. If there's one thing I've learned about exercise science in the last couple years of me getting into lifting, is that the recommendations literally change on a cycle. One year everyone is preaching heavy loads, low reps, and the next year the complete opposite. Thank god there's people like Layne, James, Mike, Eric, Steve, Greg, etc. etc. in the world to guide through all the constantly changing science. You guys are the best!

Krieger also found that longer rest periods reduce the amount of training volume needed for a given level of hypertrophy. Just spitballing here, but I’d imagine the longer rest period allows (requires) the subject to lift heavier to hit the same RPE, so whatever is lost from doing fewer sets is gained through increased mechanical tension.

love the volume discussion - i've recently moved to a lower volume program and im progressing well

When I was powerlifting, I remember the prevailing thought was that you would start with a ton of volume, and then slowly increase weight over time. Naturally your volume would suffer, as the intensity would rise. Then after you peaked so to speak, you would kind of cycle back down to doing volume with your new strength gains and just repeat the process over again.

Thanks, now I don't feel so bad when I only do half my volume for a workout.

This goes along with Devon Larratt’s “Way of the Giant Pumpkin” training philosophy.

I’ve been resistance training since I was 14 years old, including competitive bodybuilding from 17-20 old. Anecdotally speaking, but as one double board-certified in internal and lifestyle medicine passed president of the national board of Physician Nutrition Specialists, the concepts that line by line here or what we have instinctively felt, followed and practiced for decades. Great to see it emergently being validated. Off to the gym to volumize!

Did Layne just describe the complete idea of Dr. Mike Israetel's volume periodization?

Layne - as an engineer, I appreciate your legit science-based inform. Also, I've been doing Crossfit for 7 years and this research is applicable for that training method. Keep up the great content.

Yeah people really don't understand how hard it is to lose muscle mass once you've built it. As long as you are generally lifting with weights that create enough tension in your muscles and you are eating enough to hold on to your muscle you won't lose it regardless of volume. During Covid shutdowns and even after, I went from 5x a week training high volume to 2-3x a week not being that consistent. Result was I lost no muscle size and lost a little strength on certain lifts.

This guy provides so much great content, it's insane

Cool video, i remember i was reading this from Lyle Mcdonald about building certain bodyparts with higer volume and maintain bodyparts with lower volume in blocks.

Very interesting that this theory you are describing here fits with the classical old eastern powerlifting/weightlifting periodization, and in fact, in most individual sports in general i belive: volume period(often the bigger bulk of the training), with proggresive volume building, adding week to week -> a little phase with lower volume to heal up -> followed by more spesific training (hence increasing intensity) -> competition -> rest (desensitize) -> repeat the cycle, adding wolume and adding volume in moderate/high intensity range.

Like most things, I believe growth from volume follows a Bell Curve. Once you pass a certain number of sets, maybe 5, there are diminishing returns. You will continue getting gains, but it requires a lot more work. The key to growth is making your body do what it's not used to.

Best video ever, this answered so many questions for me. Thank you so much for these educational videos

This is really good information. I feel that its close to physiologically proving what Aurthur Jones and Mike Mentzer discovered. Back then they just used the scientific method and assiduous record keeping and measurements. The Colorado Study was quite a curiosity, but it has more to do with the subjects possible illicit steroid use and miyonuclei retention spurring a faster mass gain.(He was getting back up to a weight he had previously achieved). We all need to strive to understand the physiological differences between muscle failure, stimulation of growth, repair of stressed muscle, and over compensative growth of extra muscle. This is the analogous concept of "inroad recovery" Mentzer talked about in his tapes. If you stress the muscle with heavy lifting before 72hrs(found to be true for 90% of trainees) you interrupt the recovery of old tissue and or the growth of the new extra tissue.

Very interesting topic, bumping the volume really works but it is best used for overcoming sticking points but the proposed specification routine to grow certain muscle groups is very valid option 💪🏻

I've installed a 20,000 watt PA sound system in my gym to maximise volume. Some times i will even play "pump up the volume pump up the volume" for even more volume.

This is the most fascinating take I have heard in a while and seems viable. Thanks for this!

Been following your stuff for years and only now I came to find out that you have a podcast...

Great video . This volume frequency stuff is super intresting especially the fact that you can bump up volume for one body part and maintain the rest with low volume 👌

Top vid mate, as usual!

I like this information. Anecdotal often equates to real world experience. Evidence is nice, but experience is priceless.

I got two jobs since January and I had very little time and motivation to workout for the past 6 months. I used to do full body workouts 3 times a week that took me at least an hour to complete. Less than a month ago I figured I'll try doing short push/pull/legs splits 6 days a week in which I do 3 sets of 5 bench presses and 3 sets of 5 overhead presses on the first day, 3 sets of 5 barbell rows and 3 sets of 5 weighted pullups on the second, and 3 sets of 5 squats and 1 set of 5 deadlifts on the third. I then add another 2.5kg to every exercise the next time around. These workouts take me approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete and the short length is probably the only thing motivating me to keep doing them. I have no idea if this is an effective way to train since I cut down volume drastically from what I used to do prior, but at least I'm doing something and I hope that counts for something.

Similar to Lyle McDonald's specialization cycles. Great minds think alike.

1 top set per muscle group 3x a week works well for me. In the gym less than 3 hours is nice too

Wow! THIS was incredible to learn! Thank Layne!

There's just no way I can train any body part several times a week, getting anywhere near 30 sets per week on something and not suffer grave effects of overtraining. I'm now over 50, and I really wish I had done all this work when I was much younger, LOL, when it would have been possible to train that much (for me, anyway).

Optimal muscle growth will never be backed up from science simply because everyone reacts different into different kinds of trainings and also because unlimited factors involved.So there can t be any accurate study ever. For example in my case the bro split that everyone is downgrading today is the only program that is giving me gains. I tested the high frequency/low volume programs like Upper/Lower and all that was happening was me getting smaller and smaller and exausted.

Came across this channel today. Instant sub!

Great, condensed content!

Thank you

Great material!

Have you ever looked into Hiit training? The one mike mentzer put on the bodybuilding map. Dorian Yates won 5 mr Olympias using it. It’s such an amazing concept and makes a lot of sense, at least to me it does.

I sort of did this inadvertently after a long hiatus from working out. I build leg muscle rather efficiently, and tend to have underdeveloped shoulder muscles...genes. I have been focusing on shoulder volume exclusively, while throwing in minimal (I'd say about a 1/4) volume for everything else. Long story short, my legs appear to be gaining mass regardless. Again, I had been out of the gym for about a year, so that change up could've made the difference. Either way, I'm enjoying some nice shoulder gains while everything else appears to be following in line. I'm about 3 months in. I might cycle in chest since I am also underdeveloped there. Maybe I'll collect some data on this next one.

Also you may add to the list of benefits for cutting volume on particular muscle group, the overall stress relief of joints and various aches and pains associated with certain movements. Im doing push pull legs, but everything on high volume, and my body aches like a muttafuker each week while on caloric deficit. Volume cycling sounds promising and worth 1 year dedication to try it out. Thanks Lane. Have you ever thought of doing a large experiment utilising your "fan base" ? especially for something like volume cycling? Have 100 individuals, at different training maturity and volume over the span of 1 year? Not sure how air tight the results will be, but the fun is guaranteed

great video thanks

Kind of makes sense, when I change volume in my experience, I see semi bigger growth in the transition period.

Ah, the eternal discussion, high intensity vs high volume, Mike Mentzer vs Serge Nubret. I have no scientific data behind this but my personal experience and theory is that since the body adapts, variation and periodization is the key to cotinues progress. Periods of low reps, heavy weight training. Periods of high reps, lighter weights training. Periods of HIT-training. Periods of high volume training. Mix and match (and mix the exercises too)! Surprise your muscles and force them to grow! We all have individual preferences and different genetical conditions that make us prefer a certain type of training. But by getting out of our comfort zone and vary our training regimen we prevent stagnation and plateus in our muscular development (regardless of if we are enhanced or not). So I think the answer to the eternal question "high intensity or high volume" is: Both! (but not at the same time). Variation is key! Just my 25 cents though... 🙂

Right now, I'm focused on breaking the squat world record. So what is your suggestion for volume. Let's assume a timeline of 10 months.

Hate to use the phrase "shock and awe", but for me me, it's the best way to train. Shock the muscle long enough for growth, then just maintain for a bit. Then shock it again. Rinse and repeat.

Great video!

Interesting, the old HST program used to have you doing a 2 week strategic deconditioning phase which was supposed to re-sensitise the tissue to lighter loads and lower volumes.

This sounds a lot like Dr Mike Israetel’s method of setting up a mesocycle where you go from your MEV (minimum effective volume) to your MAV (maximum adaptive volume) and then do a week of deload. This causes you to start at low volume and ramp up to higher volumes at the end. When you’ve hit your limit, you deload and start over.

I would normally not suggest this, but this is SUCH good info it NEEDS a clickbait title. 😂

If you haven’t seen it check out Mark Wildman’s volume cycle program videos, kettlebell focused but an interesting application of what this talks about

Learning from your videos thanks 🙂

I hope Layne could do a video on 3/7 method. I just began to use this method and it's brutal

I've heard of doing a 100 rep set can improve a lacking muscle. I have not tried it yet.

Cool info! 💪

I can use this right now. Time to turn up the delts and turn down everything else

Volume doesn't work for me very well. I've made the most stregthcand size gains training low volume more like Dorian or Doggcrapp. Muscle tension is the driver not pure volume

RP programs use this method. I finished their chest and back growth cycle and my legs stayed the same the whole time (maybe even grew) on pretty low volume

H.I.T high intensity training heavy duty wins 🏆 💪 the day and natty gains.

This video echoed with my experience. I got an injury in my lower back so I could not train lower body part. In that time, I was in a plateau with bench press for several months. Maybe that is a coincidence but my upper chest was able to make progress (+ 5 kilos bench)! Now I can train again but I have found this strange!

Hello, Dr. Norton. Do you sell any whey protein coffee creamer, without oil or sugar? Thanks

If you think about what your say it seems to make sense and visually evident with women I see training their glutes or men who hit chest more often they may of developed an adaptation but they usually have significant more visual impact vs the rest of the body because of the way they emphasize those areas, but it’s fair to say we are not sure if that person has a better genetic disposition for certain areas which may not require as much volume. It is fascinating 🧐 thanks for the research

Train harder than last time

I remember doing as many sets of 5 reps for 20 minutes with a simple moderate weight for my arms. Grew by 1.5inches in 10 weeks. Very bad muscle burn though.

The bar for 1000 reps is 45000 not 4500. Damn, Layne.

Question: is this cycling of the exercises performed at high volumne what is refered to as periodization?

Appreciated!

"There does not appear to be an upper cieling on the amount of volume"...A testament to the structure of the human body and its amazing abilities.In nature men have been called upon to perform unbelievable amounts of work.On farms in the past in construction and war,the list of burdonsome activities done on a day in day out all day rutine stretch back to the beginning .It would make sense that the body can handle a lot more volume and frequency than what we generally see or perform. Doesnt oxygen gym train their athletes with total volume inmersion for months at a time?

30-40 sets a week for legs holy fuck

I've been wondering this actually.

This made me think of Arnold’s “shocking the muscles” method.

Crom in his mountain of Gains! Saitama won't have shit on me!

It’s crazy how you’re fat, skinny, and above the natty limit and thus on steroids all at the same time

Interesting! What about full body workouts, have u ever done a video regarding that? If not what are ur thoughts?

I might be more comfortable with cutting volume soon then!

U must address the diff between a Natty and Enhanced Trainer (response to training and recovery). Huge diff when using these approaches.

If you make a bench press, 4 sets, triceps works for 2 sets?

Cool stuff - when u switching back and increase your leg volume again: do ramp to the old volume and above ? I mean will a slight increase after the „maintenance“ volume be sufficient to stimulate growth ?

1/3rd volume keeps muscle around on a eucaloric state. I wish there was a study on hypocaloric diets as to how much is needed. Does the AMPK stimulation from cardio and caloric restriction override some muscle sparing effects of resistance training? Lower basal insulin, testosterone, and IGF-1 could also skew results. We always see people in contest prep having to smash their workouts but seldom have the energy availability to recover. Is this dogma or could we get the same results with less training in a contest prep?

Hey man just found your channel, great science based tips. Question, how could this work with deload weeks and/or supercompensation?

This volume cycling sounds too good to be true (the growth part, not the maintenance) I have experienced myself the maintenance with volume drop, although for some muscles (mainly the back) the strength decreased (but not the size) I did always wanted to try just hammering some body part tho. So will give it a try. Although i feel quite evenly developed so I have no idea what to pick. TRAPS IT IS, THEN.

This sounds a little like set point theory in weight loss - rest then attack. I wonder if there is a unifying theory of everything somewhere in here?

I've been cycling volume based on Lyle McDonald's specialisation cycle approach. It works very well for me.

Wheres Migan? He should see this.

Years ago I wanted to figure out how far I could push volume and frequency for a single bodypart as I've never seen evidence you can overtrain a muscle (I actually emailed Layne to get his opinion on this too) because my chest was lagging badly so I started doing 9 sets a day x 6 days per week and my chest grew like crazy and is now arguably my strong point, I had to stop that volume due to the joints in my shoulders getting sore and reduced the volume back to normal but the gains didn't disappear so I can say from personal experience it's worth doing.

could this cycling also work for protein and hypothetically re sensitize yourself to the mtor stimulating effects of leucine

It does seem to make sense 😎💪🏼💪🏼

How about the Time under tension for each set? Will that be considered as volume as well?

Ahh yes volume... Presses up symbol and things get louder.

As Arnie would say, Shock ze muscle

When you say 30 sets of legs do you mean something like 15 sets for quads and 10 for hamstrings 5 for calves for example?

Layne, serious question, where do you get your t shirts? If one is wide chested and has bigger than average arms it's a nightmare finding slim fit crew neck shirts that don't make you look like a lego block.

You and Mike Israetel need to become best friends ASAP

Ive experimented a lot in my time, from doing the typical bb routine to running powerlifting programmes to whinging it and just doing something like 1 set of a compound lift a day to failure, on one body part but then hit it everyday. Made very good gains from that to! ive bought lifts up fast doing that weirdly. When it comes to lifting i think sometimes its good to think outside the box. You really dont need a lot to maintain muscle and strength either, 1 working set of each exercise you do for a given body part, once a week is enough in my experience to maintain strength and muscle, as long as youre not cutting. If you are then i think you need to hit that body part more often.. if you start loosing 2lbs in body weight between sessions i think that will have a negative impact, so its better to up frequency but keep volume low when cutting i think.

Sir,does our body adapts to cardio and burn less calories than last time doing same cardio(same efforts and duration)??

If you're in a cutting phase and you're really trying to focus on your diet, while maintaining the muscle you have, would it make sense to lower volume? I've heard a lot of people say you should train the same way whether you're in a bulking or cutting phase and just adjust calories, but I find that I consume more calories when I'm doing higher volume/more workouts.

Very interesting. So say you want to build legs so you increase volume and I assume continue progressive overload. For the parts you decrease volume do you still incorporate progressive overload? Thanks!

very interesting! How long should a cycle last?? i mean suppose i drop down the volume of back and triceps… to pump up the volume of chest and biceps! for how much time should i continue with high volume chest and biceps before to switch to other muscle group??

So would uping the weaghts by 5 pounds every 2 weaks helping you did this for 2 months

How long to resensitize again though 🤔. Hypothetically of course.

So basically it’s about intensity; not volume.