High intensity or high volume?

[Drummer]

I notice that intensity works for me... but some muscle groups dont respond etc. I usually train:

Warm up walk,
warm up muscle group,

2 sets to fail for all remaining excersizes for the day. If i make 8 reps, i go up in weight.

any opinions?

~DB~

[St]

I like 10-12 rep.But my favorite is Hit,love drop sets,or rest-pause,but i need GH as i get to many injury's,so i don't train this style all the time hard on the body,plus i don't want to get to big to fast.

[Bowlcut]

What do you mean by intensity?
The actual definition of intensity is what percentage of the 1 RM you are using in the exercise.
So 60% of your 1RM for 10 reps is low intensity, where doing 90%+ of your 1RM is high intensity.

Training at a high intensity will give you the "hard" look.

[BolicPower]

I notice that intensity works for me... but some muscle groups dont respond etc. I usually train:

Warm up walk,
warm up muscle group,

2 sets to fail for all remaining excersizes for the day. If i make 8 reps, i go up in weight.

any opinions?

~DB~
Is good, i try six to eight reps till fail with the heavy weights. Some reps a little more for de smaller muscle grops

[canadianmuscle0803]

give me your definition of intensity and we can go from there.

[Drummer]

What do you mean by intensity?
The actual definition of intensity is what percentage of the 1 RM you are using in the exercise.
So 60% of your 1RM for 10 reps is low intensity, where doing 90%+ of your 1RM is high intensity.

Training at a high intensity will give you the "hard" look.

about 80% or more. I train at over 80% 1 rep max. If i can get 1 rep more over the previous workout, i consider it good progress. If i cant for more than 2 workouts, i change the routine in order to use muscle confusion. It works for me, i have to train hard to put on size.

~DB~

[Drummer]

give me your definition of intensity and we can go from there.

intensity for me is using heavy weights that you cannot lift more than 7 times. Usually over 80% 1 rep max.

intensity = heavy weight low reps
volume = light sets high reps

both have different effects. Growth is found in intensity for the most part. strength and endurance is found in volume.

I train high intensity low volume to grow.

dont forget, 1 in 10 people will grow easily no matter what they lift. Yes, i hate you guys :laugh

i train 10-12 only on calves, bi's and center delts. they dont respond well to high intensity for me.

i only go high volume for calves, bi's and center delts.

~DB~

[gustavo77]

I mostly train hi-intensity in the 8-12 rep range. Aside from warm-ups i usually do 1-2 all out sets to failure and beyond with the use of forced reps, drops sets or rest-pause.

[Drummer]

damn... if i tried to lift 80% (more toward 90%) max id never hit 10-12 reps... im tired after 5!

[canadianmuscle0803]

intensity for me is using heavy weights that you cannot lift more than 7 times. Usually over 80% 1 rep max.

intensity = heavy weight low reps
volume = light sets high reps

both have different effects. Growth is found in intensity for the most part. strength and endurance is found in volume.

I train high intensity low volume to grow.

dont forget, 1 in 10 people will grow easily no matter what they lift. Yes, i hate you guys :laugh

i train 10-12 only on calves, bi's and center delts. they dont respond well to high intensity for me.

i only go high volume for calves, bi's and center delts.

~DB~

i like your style.. personally I train high intensity with everything i do.. its the only way to break down small muscle fibers and grow, even if im cutting i try and keep my weight as heavy as possible, clearly i cant lift the same amount of weight when im restricting my calorie intake but i do what i can.. rest is a very big key in the intensity at which you train as well.. i find guys dont rest enough in between sets and then perform the next set with less then maximum output, the same thing can be said about a 100 meter dash runner, if you tell him to perform the same 100 meter run with little rest he wont even come close to the time he ran in his first time out.. rest is key.. i try to rest 1.5 minutes after a set of failure. low volume/heavy weight.. only way i train, and its the only way i get real results.

[canadianmuscle0803]

I mostly train hi-intensity in the 8-12 rep range. Aside from warm-ups i usually do 1-2 all out sets to failure and beyond with the use of forced reps, drops sets or rest-pause.

Dorian Style training?

[Drummer]

i like your style.. personally I train high intensity with everything i do.. its the only way to break down small muscle fibers and grow, even if im cutting i try and keep my weight as heavy as possible, clearly i cant lift the same amount of weight when im restricting my calorie intake but i do what i can.. rest is a very big key in the intensity at which you train as well.. i find guys dont rest enough in between sets and then perform the next set with less then maximum output, the same thing can be said about a 100 meter dash runner, if you tell him to perform the same 100 meter run with little rest he wont even come close to the time he ran in his first time out.. rest is key.. i try to rest 1.5 minutes after a set of failure. low volume/heavy weight.. only way i train, and its the only way i get real results.


I forgot the mention that... i only lift for size... so, rest periods have no limit. I follow TheTruthAboutBuildingMuscle by Sean Nalewanyj. I rest until i feel 100% for the next set. Sometimes a few minutes, even 5, on squats and deads. For me, a 350lb dead or a 315lb squat wears me out like MAD.

~DB~

[Drummer]

My whole concept is very simple for lifting days :

-5 min. fast walk
-4 weight acclimation sets (ramp up) for warm up on first excersize of the day only. E.G. flat bench on chest/tri day.

-2 heavy sets to failure for each remaining excersize. no more than 3 different excersizes per muscle. (e.g. for chest day - dips, flat and incline. I mix it up for muscle confusion).

-when training natural, total day does not exceed 1.5 hours TOTAL.

No drop sets, no past fail reps. when i fail, i FAIL hard, and get the bar removed. Its the only way i grow. And it makes my face look like a tomato ;)

~DB~

[canadianmuscle0803]

I forgot the mention that... i only lift for size... so, rest periods have no limit. I follow TheTruthAboutBuildingMuscle by Sean Nalewanyj. I rest until i feel 100% for the next set. Sometimes a few minutes, even 5, on squats and deads. For me, a 350lb dead or a 315lb squat wears me out like MAD.

~DB~

like i said, i like your style :)

[tex]

i rest-pause and dont go above 10 reps for my total for most bodyparts....legs are diff.....i do straight sets up to 15 reps but i go shit-heavy to the point of gasping for air on deaths door.......

[Drummer]

i rest-pause and dont go above 10 reps for my total for most bodyparts....legs are diff.....i do straight sets up to 15 reps but i go shit-heavy to the point of gasping for air on deaths door.......

thats the only way to go on legs - till i feel sick to my stomach - especially when im training all natural (for the last couple years). Thats where you get your best natural hormonal boost - gh, igf, test or whatever...

~DB~

[gustavo77]

Dorian Style training?

Similarly but with a little higher rep range. Dorian did 6-8 reps for upper body and 10-12 reps for lower body on his main sets. I go 8-12 reps on upper body and 10-15 reps on lower body. Occasionally I throw in a widowmaker set of 20 reps for quads or hams after i've completed my main sets to failure.

I honestly believe (for my body anyway) that moderate reps (8-15), performed with crazy intensity hits the fibers deeper and induces more growth than sets in the 4-6 rep range. Look at the trend with most pros since Ronnie came along...many have switched over from the 6-10 rep range to the 10-15 rep range.

[Drummer]

Similarly but with a little higher rep range. Dorian did 6-8 reps for upper body and 10-12 reps for lower body on his main sets. I go 8-12 reps on upper body and 10-15 reps on lower body. Occasionally I throw in a widowmaker set of 20 reps for quads or hams after i've completed my main sets to failure.

I honestly believe (for my body anyway) that moderate reps (8-15), performed with crazy intensity hits the fibers deeper and induces more growth than sets in the 4-6 rep range. Look at the trend with most pros since Ronnie came along...many have switched over from the 6-10 rep range to the 10-15 rep range.

For me, i dont do well over 10 reps. I also dont do well under 5. I try to aim for complete failure by 8 (7) and i feel a good balance of fatigue and failure. I think thats what people mostly aim for... but who knows cause everyone is different

~DB~

[Bowlcut]

Keep in mind the higher the rep range the less time between sets is required.

If you haven't done singles or triples in awhile you should try because you will add a bunch of size doing them.

[Drummer]

Keep in mind the higher the rep range the less time between sets is required.

If you haven't done singles or triples in awhile you should try because you will add a bunch of size doing them.

Singles or triples? I assume you mean rep ranges?

~DB~

[O-Train]

intensity for me is using heavy weights that you cannot lift more than 7 times. Usually over 80% 1 rep max.

intensity = heavy weight low reps
volume = light sets high reps

both have different effects. Growth is found in intensity for the most part. strength and endurance is found in volume.

I train high intensity low volume to grow.

dont forget, 1 in 10 people will grow easily no matter what they lift. Yes, i hate you guys :laugh

i train 10-12 only on calves, bi's and center delts. they dont respond well to high intensity for me.

i only go high volume for calves, bi's and center delts.

~DB~

This is the thread I was thinking of. Volume refers to total poundage and/or total number of reps/sets, so rep scheme and weight isn't necessarily a factor. Number of sets is more important to consider when you are talking volume. That one is absolute, intensity can be defined a bunch of different ways. For example doing squats for 20 reps to failure could be quite "intense" but not above 80% of 1RM.

Also you mentioned "growth found in intensity, strength/endurance from volume." I disagree. Muscular strength and muscular endurance are very different. You would have to train very differently to achieve strength vs. endurance. Also of course growth and strength are related since a given volume of muscle can produce a given amount of force. I think it's mostly an issue of word use (like the other thread).

He was refering to reps ie. singles, triples.

[Bowlcut]

Singles or triples? I assume you mean rep ranges?

~DB~

Yes.

[Ritch]

I used to train in the 6-8 rep range on mostly everything, then would do some strength training in the 2-5 reps then go back to 6-8 comming back a little stonger. Always 3 exercises with 2 sets per exericise for the 6-8 rep training, and 2 exercises are chosen for strength training going for a few more sets total.

If I try and do 3 sets on the first movement with the 6-8 rep training what happens is I just can`t maintain proper intensity on the rest of my sets on the other exercises. I think it`s better to spread out the sets with many exercises because they stimulate the muscles in different ways for hypertrophy.

Now I still train with the same number of sets but in the higher rep range 8-12. I know there is an specific time frame when it comes to rest with a given amout of reps, but for me it just works best using a good 3 minutes of rest, maybe even more on squats.

It dosen`t matter if my workout goes longer than an hour and I`ve actually gotten bigger since I`ve thrown this concept out the window. To an onlooker I may not look like I`m training very hard, but it`s what works best for me. Also between exercises I will rest 3 minutes then do a warm up set or two for that exercises giving me about 5 minutes rest from the previous movement. Will usually do some stretching to pass the time...

Every once in a while I try and do more volume but I burn out quickly. I would say my training style resembles Dorian`s the most. Just wanted to add I`ve tried many high intensity methods and did a few consultations with Mike Mentzer (R.I.P) himself over the phone back in 1997.

[St]

I like Yates training Style most.

[NorthOf60]

i like your style.. personally I train high intensity with everything i do.. its the only way to break down small muscle fibers and grow, even if im cutting i try and keep my weight as heavy as possible, clearly i cant lift the same amount of weight when im restricting my calorie intake but i do what i can.. rest is a very big key in the intensity at which you train as well.. i find guys dont rest enough in between sets and then perform the next set with less then maximum output, the same thing can be said about a 100 meter dash runner, if you tell him to perform the same 100 meter run with little rest he wont even come close to the time he ran in his first time out.. rest is key.. i try to rest 1.5 minutes after a set of failure. low volume/heavy weight.. only way i train, and its the only way i get real results.

This is right on the money. This is how I pack on strength. The rest point is so true, I aim for 1.5 to 2 minutes after a set.

[faller]

I'm a big fan of Bill starr-Glenn Pendlay's Periodized 5x5.

[Drummer]

This is the thread I was thinking of. Volume refers to total poundage and/or total number of reps/sets, so rep scheme and weight isn't necessarily a factor. Number of sets is more important to consider when you are talking volume. That one is absolute, intensity can be defined a bunch of different ways. For example doing squats for 20 reps to failure could be quite "intense" but not above 80% of 1RM.

Also you mentioned "growth found in intensity, strength/endurance from volume." I disagree. Muscular strength and muscular endurance are very different. You would have to train very differently to achieve strength vs. endurance. Also of course growth and strength are related since a given volume of muscle can produce a given amount of force. I think it's mostly an issue of word use (like the other thread).

He was refering to reps ie. singles, triples.

I guess i should have worded it like this :

Do you grow better with high reps low weight (10-15, 3 sets) or high weight low reps (5-8, 2 sets, complete failure). I guess its all in the way you perceive the terminology.

For me, Ive made good gains by lifting weight that i cant hit 8 reps on. If i hit 8, i up the weight. I only to 2 heavy sets in this fashion for each excersize. Currently i train naturally an never lift for more than an hour. Rarely train any body part more than once a week. Hopefully this clears up what i meant to say.

And id definitely agree that strength is co-related to size, albiet to a diffent degree from person to person, but still co-related. Just worded it wrong.


~DB~

[Drummer]

Keep in mind the higher the rep range the less time between sets is required.

If you haven't done singles or triples in awhile you should try because you will add a bunch of size doing them.

I havent done my max's in a while... good idea tho, im gonna get on it for a for a bit and see how much further ive gone.

~DB~