You have two men in the gym, and both have the same bench press max.
Science says if you give them 80% of that 1RM, they should be able to bench press 7-8 reps with it.
One man does nine reps; the other did five reps. What does this mean?
Science, when it applies to exercise science, is a framework of ideas that shapes the work you do in the gym. It is not a bible that should be taken literally without deviation.
Case in point:
In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that a high-intensity (3–5 RM), low-volume resistance training program utilizing a long rest interval (3 min) is more advantageous than a moderate-intensity, high-volume (10–12 RM) program utilizing a short rest interval (1 min) for stimulating upper body strength gains and muscle hypertrophy in resistance-trained men during an 8-week study. (1)
Controversy continues to exist regarding how much volume is needed to maximize muscle hypertrophy. The American College of Sports Medicine position stand recommends that novice individuals perform 1–3 sets per exercise of 8–12 repetitions with a moderate load (70–85 % 1RM) while advanced individuals should perform 3–6 sets per exercise of 1–12 repetitions with a loading range of 70–100 % 1RM
With respect to advanced trainees, the wide loading range was recommended to target both mechanical and metabolic (hypoxic) stimuli to maximize muscle growth in a periodized fashion. These guidelines are consistent with a recent survey of 127 competitive bodybuilders, which found that more than 95 % of respondents used 3–6 sets per exercise in their training programs
Despite this apparent congruity between science and practice, some fitness professionals have challenged current opinions, claiming that a single set, when taken to muscular failure, is as effective as higher RT volumes. For example, a recent review attempted to make the case that training volume was unrelated to muscular gains, postulating the performance of a single set per exercise is sufficient to maximize hypertrophy more efficiently than higher-volume routines (2)
Two different statements are both supported by science and practice. Which one do you follow?
If you jumped down the rabbit hole of hypertrophy and strength studies, you would be lost in space with a plethora of knowledge at your fingertips with nary a method to apply it until you use the art of programming to implement it.
What is the art of programming?
The art pertains to analyzing your needs or your clients’ needs. The art understands that optimal training stimulus (OTS) can vary from person to person with:
Optimal sets for growth
Optimal sets for strength increases
Type 1 to Type 2 fiber ratio
Optimal recoverability
Determining your optimal sets for growth using a practical-based method takes time and patience. Let’s face it, gaining strength and size takes patience; therefore, if you are hellbent on being impatient about this, you are in the wrong hobby.
It is generally agreed upon that ten sets per week is a good starting point for hypertrophy volume (3), but you will most likely need to adjust. How much is highly individualized. Start with ten sets a week, not a day, a week. Using higher frequency training (4) is ideal for this, as you can lay it out like this:
Training Focus for Hypertrophy:
Quads - 10 sets
Hamstrings/Hinge - 10 sets
Calves - 10 sets
Mid back - 10 sets
Chest - 10 sets
Upper back - 10 sets
Shoulders - 10 sets
Biceps - 10 sets
Triceps - 10 sets
If you look at this on paper, it seems disorganized, but if you put it into context in a training layout, it will look something like this:
Training week layout
You have five exercises daily with no more than 23 sets per day of work across the board. Of those 23 sets, only a handful are true working sets.
From this layout, you can adjust volume up or down as needed.
This is where you utilize common sense in your training and start deviating from the framework of science with how you lay your program out.
Compile a list of 3 exercises per body part to work from with suggested rep ranges.
Quads:
Squats - 3RM to 20 reps per set - growth factors for squats vary in individuals greatly depending on femur length, the strength of your trunk, injury history, and leg strength.
Leg Press - 10 to 20 reps per set
Leg Extension - use a single joint machine to ease the joints and 12 to 25/30 reps a set.
Hinge/Hamstrings:
Deadlift - 2RM to 8/10 reps per set - primarily a strength movement and a poor muscle builder, but the base-building potential warrants its inclusion
DB RDL - 10 to 15 reps per set
Prone Leg Curl - balance out the hip-focused hamstring movements with a knee flexion hamstring movement using 12 to 20 reps per set
Calves:
Seated or Standing Calf Raises - 8 to 20 reps per set.
Mid Back:
Barbell Row - 8 to 15 reps per set. Your back is primarily made up of Type 1 muscle fibers (6) so using reps, control, and good execution will reap benefits greater than a heavy 3 to 5 reps of ego rowing.
Single Arm DB Row - 8 to 25+ reps per set.
Chin-ups - 5 to 10+ reps per set
Chest:
Barbell Bench Press - 3RM to 20 reps per set.
DB Incline Bench Press - 8 to 20 reps per set.
Machine Chest Fly - 12 to 25 reps per set. The actual function of the pec is moving your arms in the exact way this exercise forces you to do. If you look at the diagram of the pec musculature, you will see where the pec minor attaches into the shoulder.
The Pec
Upper Back:
Face Pulls - 12 to 25 reps per set.
Bent Over Rear Delt Fly - 12 to 20 reps per set.
Incline Prone Rear Delt Fly - 12 to 20 reps per set.
Shoulders:
Standing Barbell Press - 3RM to 20 reps per set
Seated DB Shoulder Press - 8 to 20 reps per set DB Lateral Raises - 12 to 20 reps per set
Biceps:
Barbell Curls - 10 to 15 reps per set
Hammer Curls - 10 to 15 reps per set Cable Curls - 10 to 20 reps per set
Triceps:
Close Grip Bench Press - 6 to 12 reps per set
Rope Pushdowns - 10 to 20 reps per set
Overhead Extensions - 10 to 15 reps per set
Your basic framework of exercise selection should be simple, from various humerus and femur positions relative to your body, hand positions (supinate, pronate, neutral grip), and rep ranges.
You can run with these exercises for a long time, using them systematically to track volume, progress, and intensity, while experimenting with tempos and loading parameters.
After 8 to 10 weeks of following the basic layout, reassess what is growing, what is getting stronger, and what needs more work.
If you have a lagging body part, adding more volume isn’t always the answer, as there is a ceiling for time, recovery, and “doing too much for the sake of it.”
The most time-efficient way to increase stimulus is by adding intensity techniques, which I will discuss in Part 3.
You will stick to the plan for weeks at a time, using your own physique as a metric of what type of rep ranges work best, what the OTS is, and what exercises elicit the greatest muscular response.
You may love squatting, but leg pressing helps your quads grow larger. That is not a death sentence to your ego; it tells you to hit squats for strength work and focus on leg pressing for hypertrophy.
Once you start to develop your OTS, you have learned what the art of strength training is. You took scientific principles and adapted them to your personal needs. You will not learn that by reading until you can quote studies verbatim; you will learn this by taking basic knowledge and applying it to the ultimate canvas; your effort and your body.
In part two, I will write about using Prilepins Chart and percentage-based programs to create a custom strength program.
You may ask yourself, is this the same thing as MRV?
Not entirely, because I don’t believe in high-volume programs for most trainees.
The more volume you add to a workout, the less intense you will train. Performing 5x10 across the board means fatigue, a lack of effective reps, and recovery will be compromised for volume stroking.
OTS is using the volume and time you have to make an effective training program, and with all three parts of this blog series, you will be able to understand effective program design.