Volume - what does it mean?

Beau

Don't really understand this aspect of weightlifting. If a new program (i.e. different number of sets and reps for same exercises) decreases the amount of volume I lift in an excercise does this mean I'm not working as hard or as efficiently? I just don't get it.

Brian?

Do you have an example of a program that does this?

Its my understanding that if you lower the volume of your training i.e. you do fewer sets or reps, you counter balance this by increasing the intensity by raising the weight being lifted.

Example:

Your are currently doing 3x12 60Kg on your bench but switch 5x5 75Kg. You have therefore lowered the volume but increased the intensity.

It makes no sense to lower the volume and lower the intensity.

Al_Fernz

briankeating wrote: »

It makes no sense to lower the volume and lower the intensity.

Unless you're performing a deload.

Colm_OReilly

AFAIK volume = tonnage when dealing with strength workouts. Don't have SS to hand to confirm.

Al_Fernz

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

AFAIK volume = tonnage when dealing with strength workouts. Don't have SS to hand to confirm.

For a second there I though you wrote "toneage," Colm. As in "if you want to get get awesome toneage so girls can fawn over your hawt abz, I recommend you volumize your routine."

I should never have doubted you. My bad.

amazingemmet

Volume is total amount of weight lifted in a certain exercise

ie 3 sets of ten reps at 100kgs has a volume of 3000kg iirc

Beau

briankeating wrote: »

Do you have an example of a program that does this?

It makes no sense to lower the volume and lower the intensity.

eg I was squatting 8 sets of 4 at 95kg -97.5kg and now with SS (thought I'd give it a go) I'm doing 3 sets but am only able for 100kg of 5 reps. This is a signifigantly less volume, but is it enough intensity? Obviously I'll be upping this every workout but that was after my first go at the program.

I don't understand that tonnage thing either.

Hanley

Beau wrote: »

eg I was squatting 8 sets of 4 at 95kg -97.5kg and now with SS (thought I'd give it a go) I'm doing 3 sets but am only able for 100kg of 5 reps. This is a signifigantly less volume, but is it enough intensity? Obviously I'll be upping this every workout but that was after my first go at the program.

I don't understand that tonnage thing either.

Tonnage = weight lifted x reps x sets (I'm only saying this to give an explanation, don't get hung up on it. Trying to track it, and more importantly make sense of it, is a fools errand)

So for you doing 8 sets of 4 reps with 95kg you get a total tonnage of 3,040kg (95 x 8 x 4). With 3 sets of 5 on 100kg you get 1,500kg. BUT (and this is important) it doesn't really matter all that much.

Tonnage tracking, and the management of volume to that degree is something only top level elite lifters need to worry about, and even then it only matters for Russian style training cycles.

Intensity (for weight lifting) is the weight you're lifting as a percentage of your one rep max. So for instance say you could squat 120kg, 95kg is 79% (95/120) and 100kg is 83% (100/120). While 5kg might not sound like much, 4% is a significant enough amount to increase your working weights by.

Measuring your intensity and planning training off that is probably more useful that trying to track tonnage. The best way to get a feel for how varying intensity levels works for your training is to get your one rep max on the lifts you're going to be doing. From there you can work backwards and find out what sort of reps you can handle with a given percentage.

Say you test your squat and it's 120kg, you can do 3x5 with 100kg at the moment, eg you can do 3x5 with 83%. If you spend time training and 6-8 weeks down the road you can do 3x5 with 107 or 110kg then your max will obviously have moved up. You can use percentages to estimate this, 129kg and 132.5kg would be your respective estimated maxes in this case (107/.83 and 110/.83).

I'm in serious danger of going in too deep here and just confusing your further so I'll stop. If you've any more questions about it, then fire away!

Brian?

Hanley wrote: »

Tonnage tracking, and the management of volume to that degree is something only top level elite lifters need to worry about, and even then it only matters for Russian style training cycles.

Thats good, cause I had no idea what it was until now.


Would I be right in saying that at all levels its imprtant to track both intensity and volume?

Brian?

Al_Fernz wrote: »

Unless you're performing a deload.

You're right, I meant that I didn't see the point in starting a routine that lowered both your volume and intensity.

Beau

Ok thanks Hanley, you did actually explain that very well.

I think its something (re: intesity levels) I'll have at the back of my mind rather than something I'll put to much thought into.

Thanks