High Volume Training led to increased muscle size, whereas the high-intensity program did not. The high-volume group had greater increases in sarcoplasmic hypertrophy than the high-intensity group. The high-intensity group had greater increases in muscle strength than the high-volume group.
HIGH VOLUME VS HIGH-INTENSITY WHICH IS BEST FOR GAINING MUSCLE BACKED BY SCIENCE SUMMARY
- High Volume Training led to gaining muscle faster, whereas the high-intensity program did not.
- The high-volume group had greater increases in sarcoplasmic hypertrophy than the high-intensity group.
- The high-intensity group had greater increases in muscle strength than the high-volume group.
WEIGHT VS VOLUME: IS ONE BETTER FOR GAINING MUSCLE FASTER?
If there is ever a more controversial subject on muscle growth, it would have to be what is better for muscle growth? Heavy weight training or high-volume training. Heavy weight training involves using weights at 85% of a 1RM with few repetitions (i.e., 5 reps or less). High-volume exercise involves lighter weight (60-65% of a 1RM) with repetitions between 10-12.
HIGH VOLUME WORKOUT LIKE ARNOLD OR HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING LIKE RONNIE
If you read the message boards, someone will say, “Ronnie Coleman had the greatest physique of all time, and he trained with heavy weights!” They will usually drop a line in the same sentence about the thickness of Dorian Yates being attributed to heavy weight training. On the other hand, Arnold Schwarzenegger and many other world-class bodybuilders have used high-volume training. There are plenty of bodybuilders that have trained with high-volume training to build impressive physiques. The great Sergio Olivia was known for his high-volume workouts, which helped him build an incredible physique. Much like keto vs. high carbs for weight loss, there is an intense debate about which training style is best.
HIGH VOLUME WORKOUTS CAN WORKOUT…UP TO A CERTAIN POINT
Previous research has shown that volume is correlated with muscle growth up to a certain point; after that, the more sets you perform can cause decreases in muscle size. When volume is standardized between protocols, muscle growth is equal whether you train with heavier and lower reps or higher reps and moderate weights. If you train with heavier weights, it’s very difficult to increase volume because of the excessive fatigue with high-intensity exercise. Volume is the total workload performed, which is sets x reps x weight.
Most people increase volume by adding sets, but you can also increase volume by increasing the weight. Researchers compared muscle strength and size to a high-volume vs. high-intensity protocol, which increased each week’s total workload. The researchers had the heavy weight group increase the weight by 2.5% each week, while the volume group increased the sets. See the chart below:
INTENSITY VS VOLUME? WHICH GAINED MORE MUSCLE?
At the end of the six weeks, both groups increased their total workload, but the high-volume group performed more volume (8,100 kg) versus high-intensity training (7,296 kg). Only the high-volume group increased muscle size (+3.1%) compared to the high-intensity, heavy weight group (-0.1%). Also, the high-volume group had greater increases in sarcoplasmic hypertrophy (i.e., expansion of the non-contractile tissue).(1)
Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is the increase in the volume of the sarcoplasm within the muscle fiber, which increases its size. The sarcoplasm is everything in a muscle fiber that is not muscle fiber. The high-volume group performed more volume than the high-intensity group; it would have been interesting if they made the volume similar between the groups; it could be expected that both groups would have had similar muscle growth.
Chestnut and Docherty reported similar increases in muscle growth of the upper arm following 10 weeks of upper body resistance training using ~85% of 1RM for 6 sets of 4 repetitions versus ~70% for 3 sets of 10 repetitions when the volume was similar.(2) Mitchell and colleagues reported that performing three sets of knee-extensor training to fatigue at 30% or 80% of 1RM resulted in similar increases in quadriceps volume measured by MRI.(3)
Results on Gaining Muscle Faster Study
Muscle strength increased more for the high-intensity group compared to the high-volume group. This study proves that higher volume, bodybuilding-style workouts with lighter weight (60% of a 1-RM) with 10 reps produced greater volume and muscle size than a program using reps of 5 with a heavier weight.
Remember that you can get stronger each week and not increase muscle size as the high-intensity exercise group did. If you want to add strength phases into your program, that’s perfectly fine, but for getting bigger, roughly 80% of your routine should be with higher volume exercises with multiple sets.
HIGH VOLUME VS HIGH-INTENSITY STUDY SUMMARY
- · High Volume Training led to increased muscle size, whereas the high-intensity program did not.
- · The high-volume group had greater increases in sarcoplasmic hypertrophy than the high-intensity group.
- · The high-intensity group had greater increases in muscle strength than the high-volume group.
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