A simple program for comprehensive results

One of the wonderful things about the internet is the access it gives us to literally thousands of training articles. Complete, with pictures, videos, and of course training schedules.

While this is good for individuals obsessed with information about the pitfalls of weight training, all these often conflicting facts are bound to lead to serious information overload and, as a result, paralysis caused by researching.

It doesn't have to be this way. Building muscle, losing fat, or increasing strength are relatively simple endeavors, especially when you've seen each of them come true in a few thousand cases. In fact, if you doused the most successful trainers with truth serum, everything you really need to know to transform your physique they could probably tell you faster than you can read your favorite training website.

Here's what I think: information is great if it helps you reach your goals faster. In this article, I'm going to help you cut through all the confusion and conflicting opinions by giving you what you need to know about increasing muscle volume.

It will be to the point and without unnecessary stretching. Sound good? Let's do it!

Volume Training - Here's How We Do It

I'm going to offer you the exact training strategy we use every day at Performance U ("U" stands for University) to help our athletes and bodybuilders gain muscle volume (hypertrophy)

That means sets, rep ranges, pauses, workout splits, and a bunch of strategies to create workouts. Everything we've found to be best for achieving fast, demonstrable gains.

Volume training and its goals

Get bigger (gain lean muscle mass)

Speed up metabolism: Muscle tissue needs energy. Simply put, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn in a day. Plus, muscle is a metabolically active tissue. It's where fat is burned.

Improve the weaker/less developed parts of your body. This helps physique-focused athletes achieve the muscular symmetry that is desired at competitions.

To help contact athletes like American football/rugby players gain some of that "armor" to better handle the constant impact.

Improve tendon strength and muscle density as a foundation for the more intense, heavier "strength" part of training. "Strength gains independent of hypertrophy are possible due to anatomical changes in connective tissues and the angle of attachment of muscle fibers to tendons." (Jones & Rutherford; Narici et. al., 1989)

Help workout enthusiasts look better without clothes and hopefully get more girls - pretty girls like guys with big muscles!

Average length of one volume cycle

The average length of this phase is 4-8 weeks, depending on individual capabilities.

Taking into account the previous information, when training a bodybuilder or someone who wants to bulk up, this phase is extended to as long as it takes to gain the desired amount of lean muscle mass.

A common scheme is three weeks of heavy training, followed by a week of deload.

Exercise sets are repeated for 4-6 workouts before being swapped out.

The order of exercises is occasionally changed after three workouts (the actual exercises remain the same). This creates variety for the mind, changes the stimulus slightly for the body, and is an effective way to spice up your workout without dramatically changing the whole program - especially if what you're currently doing is working well.

Workout frequency

3-5 workouts per week, depending on how much time the client/athlete has to train.

Each muscle group/body part is trained 1-2 times per week.

Repetition ranges

Our average range is 8-15 repetitions.

From time to time we will add a set of more reps to increase the training volume. This is 20-25, sometimes up to 50 reps.

In the later stages of volume training or with advanced exercisers, we use intensification techniques to increase the volume of work. For example, crash sets, sets with short breaks and forced reps.

Number of sets per exercise

Our general range of sets is 3-4.

Training volume is normally added on a weekly basis. In the volume phase, we prefer to add training volume rather than adding load or shortening breaks.

A classic four-week program might proceed as follows: week 1: 3 sets, 8 reps; week 2: 3 sets, 10 reps; week 3: 3 sets, 12 reps; week 4: 3 sets, 14-15 reps.

Another method of increasing work volume over a four-week period may include adding sets and reps: week 1: 3 sets, 8-10 reps; week 2: 3 sets, 12-15 reps; week 3: 4 sets, 8-10 reps; and week 4: 4 sets, 12-15 reps.

We will also use pyramids in this phase. For example, like this: week 1: 8, 10, 12, 14 reps. Week 2: 14, 12, 10, 8 reps. Week 3: reps of week 1, with higher weights. Week 4: reps of week 2, with higher weights.You can also do this phase in waves.Here's an example: week 1: 10, 15, 10, 15 reps. Week 2: 12, 8, 12, 8 reps. Week 3 repeat the rep range from week 1, but with higher weights. Week 4: repeat week 2, but with higher weights.

Total number of sets per batch/muscle group per week

12-20 sets per body part per week

All sets can be worked in one workout per week, or split into several (2-3)

Muscle groups that require the most work to tame are trained several times a week.

Repetition rate

We don't pay much attention to the speed of individual repetitions in Performance U. Although, in the volume gaining phase we sometimes use a slower tempo. We aim for a 3-4 second long eccentric phase and a 2-3 second long isometric phase. We never slow down the concentric phase - it stays the same.

Break s

The breaks between sets are short to increase the growth hormone response.

The average length of a break is 30-60 seconds.

For higher repetitions (15+), extend the break to more than 90 seconds.

Intensity/Volume

The intensity of each set is moderate to high.

Beginners or those just practicing the first weeks of a new program should keep the intensity in the medium range. Basically, this means having a 1-2 repetition margin during each set.

Advanced or those in the advanced stages of the program should push the sets to exhaustion and sometimes beyond. We sometimes use the old bodybuilding method for maximum growth hormone response, "Do as many reps as you can, then two more."

"Growth hormone secretion is related to the magnitude of the effort expended:" (Pyka, 1992)

Training volume is high at this stage to induce cellular/physiological change (known as hypertrophy). The volume is added dramatically after the first 2-3 weeks, after the initial neurological change that always occurs when your body has to get used to new movements.

"When starting a new exercise or movement pattern, the progress of the first few weeks can be attributed mainly to neuromotor adaptation." (Komi, 1986)

"After the initial 'learning or refresher' phase, the subsequent increase in strength becomes primarily morphological-the muscle fibers increase in size." (Sale, 1988 )

Approach to training

In the volume phase, we mainly use traditional, old-fashioned exercises. We use two-handed dumbbells, one-armed dumbbells and machines.

Isolated exercises may be used in this phase.

Although we prefer free weights (one- and two-handed dumbbells), we can also use machines. Machines, due to the gearing, allow for sustained tension in the muscles. For example, a biceps lift with a single arm offers essentially no resistance at the bottom and top of the execution. Resistance occurs only in the middle part of the movement. However, the biceps machine deadlift offers sustained tension throughout the entire range of motion. Such constant tension can be very beneficial to volume training

At this stage, we mainly use the single-set method (as opposed to supersets - translator's note). For example: do set 1, rest, do set 2, rest, etc.

Superseries can also be used at this stage. If each series involves a different muscle group, make sure the break does not exceed the 60-90 second recovery window already mentioned. In other words, if you're doing a press/pull superset consisting of a supine press and overhead press, make sure that the break between sets of the press doesn't exceed 60-90 seconds. The same rule applies to pull-ups.

If you're using unilateral (one-sided) exercises, use the single-set method and make sure neither side gets a break longer than 60-90 seconds.

Examples of Performance University volume workouts

Here are some three, four and five-day training programs. Keep in mind that these programs are NOT designed to increase strength. These programs are strictly focused on muscle volume.

Three-Day Volume Training

Day 1 - Deadlift

• A) Shrugs, 4 x 8-12
• B1) Wide pulldowns, 3 x 8-15
• B2) Shoulder Shrugs, 3 x 8-15
• C) Single arm pull-ups in front of the body , 3 x 8-12
• D) Hammer machine pull-ups (Hammer strength high-low row), 3 x 8-12
• E1) Shoulder press on back of shoulder heads, 3 x 10-15
• E2) Biceps lifts, 3 x 10-15

Day 2 - Legs/Hip Rebound

• A) Squats, 4 x 10-15
• B) Front Squats, 3 x 8-12
• C) Back lunges, 3 x 10-12
• D1) Lunges, 3 x 8-12
• D2) Front Lunges, 3 x 8-12
• E1) Hip thrust, 3 x 12-15
• E2) Calf thrusts, 3 x 12-15

Day 3 - Deadlifts

• A) Single arm bench press or other free weight chest exercise, 4 x 8-12
• B) Positive incline press on Hammer machine (Hammer strength incline press), 3 x 8-12
• C) Overhead one-arm press, 4 x 8-12
• D) Push-ups (hands on med ball), 3 x 12-15
• E1) Standing arm raises, 3 x 12-15
• E2) Triceps extensions, 3 x 12-15

Four-day volume training

Day 1 - Deadlift/Pressure

• A) Wide pulldowns, 4 x 8-12
• B) Lunges, 4 x 8-12
• C) Seated pulley row (close), 3 x 8-12
• D) Single-arm bench press or other free-weight chest exercise, 3 x 8-12
• E) Shoulder presses (one arm), 3 x 10-15
• F1) Biceps lift, 3 x 8-12
• F2) Lateral shoulder raises, 3 x 10-15

Day 2 - Legs/Hips

• A) Squats, 4 x 10-15
• B) Front squats, 3 x 8-12
• C) Back lunges, 3 x10-12
• D1) Lunges, 3 x 8-12
• D2) Front Lunges, 3 x 8-12
• E) Calf raises, 3 x 12-15

Day 3 - Push/Pull

• A) Single arm bench press or other free weight chest exercise, 3x 8-12
• B) Positive Incline Press on Hammer Machine (Hammer Strength Incline Press), 3x 8-12
• C) Large dumbbell overhead press, 3x 10-15
• D) Rowing on the pulley while seated (wide), 3x 8-12
• E) Pulley Pull-ups, 4x 8-12
• F1) Triceps extensions, 3x 8-12
• F2) Back delts, 3x 10-15

Day 4 - Hip/Leg Area

• A) Deadlifts, 4 x 8-10
• B) Bulgarian split squats, 3 x 8-12
• C) Glute/ham raises, 3 x10-12
• D1) Hip thrust, 3 x 12-15
• D2) Calf raises, 3 x 12-15
• E) Cosgrove squat complex, 1-2 sets

Five-day volume training

The five day split is the same as the three day split, just with more training days during the week. This is what it would look like...

Week 1

• Mon - Deadlift (A)
• Tue - Legs/Hips (B)
• Wed - Pressure (C)
• Thurs - Rest
• Fri - Stroke (A)
• Sat - Legs/Hip area (B)
• Sun - Rest

Week 2

• Mon - Pressure (C)
• Tue - Stroke (A)
• Wed - Legs/Hip Area (B)
• Thurs - Rest
• Fri - Pressure (C)
• Sat - Stroke (A)
• Sun - Rest

Additional advice on volume training.

Since this phase is more physique-oriented than functional, finish a couple of workouts a week with full-body and/or low-intensity rotational exercises to maintain your functional (athletic) skills.

Add mid-body exercises to the end of your workouts.

It's essential to consume enough calories, protein and other nutrients during this phase, not only for the body to build muscle, but also for recovery from intense workouts.

Use these supplements regularly: whey protein, BCAA, creatine monohydrate and beta alanine. If you use them honestly and train to do so according to our plan, the changes in your appearance will be dramatic.

Words in conclusion
Do you know what it means to tell a secret? Well, I just did. And properly. I've just given you everything you need to build muscle according to Performance U. You currently have everything you need to get huge. And most importantly, absolutely nothing extra.

Now it's up to you to go to the gym and actually implement these methods and techniques. My work is done. (Hopefully not literally, then).

Written by: Nick Tumminello - 12/10/2010