volume

Behind every incredible physique, there’s a story of hard work, discipline, and unwavering dedication. For Mike Mentzer, that story includes innovation and pushing the limits of the human body and mind’s capabilities. Mike Mentzer’s training was unlike anyone else’s of his time. The term legend...

by: Kyle Hunt When I first got into training it was bodybuilding that had my attention. I used to read all of the popular bodybuilding magazines – Flex, Muscle and Fitness, Muscular Development, MuscleMag, etc. I even read Arnold’s massive Encyclopedia to Modern Bodybuilding cover to cover...

The Texas Method: History and Background As far as I can tell, Olympic Weightlifting Coach Glenn Pendlay was the first person to popularize the Texas Method on the internet. As the legend has it, Glenn, working out of Mark Rippetoe’s Wichita Falls Athletic Club, had his Olympic lifters squatting...

Work capacity is the most important factor in training that people know nothing about. First, let me just start off with a working definition of work capacity and an explanation of why it’s so important. Work capacity is, essentially, the total amount of work you can perform, recover from, and...

Pop quiz, everybody. HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU SET A PERSONAL RECORD? A. Once per cycle B. Depends on how long you've been training. C. Every day. If you answered C, every day, then we're on the same page. If you didn't, I'd like to propose that you can – and should – set a Personal Record (PR)...

ROW SPECIALIZATION Most lifters have achy shoulders, poor posture, and backs so narrow they disappear when they turn sideways. So what's the best way to build a thicker back, improve posture, and prevent future shoulder issues? Do a row every time you train. To add slabs of muscle to your back...

The impetus for muscle growth is "progressive overload," which is the application of recurring "stress" over time. But we're not talking about the stress that makes you feel anxious and fearful; rather, we're referring to the physical (or mechanical) stress placed on muscle tissue from exercise...

How much cardio is best for dieters? While some will advocate not performing cardio when dieting, lest it causes a loss of muscle and strength, it is undoubtedly true that for most people trying to get as lean as possible, some form of cardio will be necessary to reach their goals. The question...

When we were young lifters, searching for answers usually meant imitating the workouts of the biggest guy in the gym or flipping to page 36 of a magazine to see our favorite bodybuilder's nutrition suggestions. Our naïve minds soaked up rivers of bro-science without even knowing it. To us, it...

The Mistake of Linear Program Design I find most people will design a program for themselves and follow it in a linear fashion, that is they run X times per week for Y distance, lift X times per week doing Y number of sets, etc. with little change over time. A result oriented program looks like...

Charles Staley, Bodybuilding, Strength Training, 1 As my colleague Will Brink likes to say, “From Mentzer’s ‘one set to failure’ to Poliquin’s ‘German volume training,’ there is no program which recommends using progressively lighter weightloads from week to week.” Brink is of course, alluding...

It’s a heavily debated issue on how often you should train a muscle group. A new study published in July 2022 in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports claims that a small amount of daily activity can be more beneficial than a single high volume session of exercise. The...

By Adam Bisek We all want the magic formula to building muscle, after all, who wants to waste their time in the gym haphazardly moving cast iron. When you’re a newbie to the muscle-building game simply putting in any time under the bar will result in measurable gains in strength and muscle...

What is the best rep range to use for muscle building? Well, what I am about to say might surprise you: There is no magical rep range. There are reasonable ranges, but at the end of the day as long as you aren't trying to turn weight training into an aerobic activity, most rep ranges between 5...

A lot of lifters don't obtain the physique they're hopeful for during bulking season. To make sure you do, check out these 8 diet tips for lean muscle gains! Bulking is awesome. I mean seriously, you skip the broccoli at dinner, ice cream is a staple, and you don’t feel like you are going to...

Most people only train their muscles once per week. New research shows that training more frequently might provide more room for growth. Learn more here! If you’re looking for a new approach to your training plan to stimulate new muscle growth, this might be the answer you need. You may or may...

It's time to challenge body parts that aren't responding to conventional training methods. This article presents 10 effective solutions that can help you get growing again. Brad Borland is a strength & conditioning specialist, cancer survivor and the founder of WorkoutLab. We all have them and...

This High Volume Training Upper/Lower workout program combines high volume training with high frequency training to help you build lean muscle mass! WORKOUT SUMMARY Main Goal Build Muscle Workout Type Split Training Level Advanced Program Duration12 weeks Days Per Week 4 Time Per Workout90-120...

This workout combines the main mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy to help you build some serious muscle. Try this split to put on quality summer mass! WORKOUT SUMMARY Main Goal Build Muscle Workout Type Split Training Level Beginner Program Duration12 weeks Days Per Week 5 Time Per Workout45-60...

What Number of Sets and Reps Works Best? Most people think the primary driver for muscle growth is volume, but most of these same people define volume as the number of sets you're performing in a training session (not counting your warm-up sets, mind you). More accurately defined, volume is...