How anyone uses this much volume!?

BigJB · Aug 7, 2009

OK Branch is the man and I'll probably get flamed but...

How he or anyone uses this much volume for any body part ill never know. Does it really take this much to get a full workout??

**broken link removed**

jm425 · Aug 7, 2009

Bro, what he does is high volume training. That is how I used to train. I would do anywhere from 12-16 sets for bis and 12-16 sets for tris in the past. It doesn't work for everyone. Some people respond better from low volume training. You just have to experiment and see what works for you. Oh and metroflex is a ghetto ass gym but it's hardcore. I trained there once years ago with Johnny Jackson.

Gunsmith · Aug 7, 2009

I think its alot easier to do that much volume when you only do a quarter of a rep !!

He is obvously doing somthing right but it seems that you would get more muscle envolvment if the muscle were streached more and contracted more rather than doing partial reps , but maybe that how his style works best for him

Dado5 · Aug 7, 2009

I do high volume training by Milos Sarcev. And it helped me gain 30lbs so far.
I went from 160 to 220 in 4 y. and in a year from 220 to 250 (with high volume )

donjoy · Aug 7, 2009

Tough to say. I would hazard a guess at great genetics, diet, supplementation.

Whew I know I couldn't do it though.

Athlete · Aug 7, 2009

Well, watching him train biceps now... I've only counted him going to failure, or at least close to failure, on 4 sets out of 12... so.. I think that's the key here.
.. and when he goes to failure it's usually a drop set.

So in reality, he's only doing 4-6 "real" sets, the rest are more pump-sets... which also stimulates growth to a degree (amount of total workload)... but it doesn't tax the CNS as much.

Lou · Aug 7, 2009

Obviously is doing something for him dont you think?

BigJB · Aug 7, 2009

Yeah, its definitely working for him. It just seems to me though that it would hinder growth for anyone else but the genetic elite but, I'm a low volume guy.

Diesel City · Aug 7, 2009

BigJB said:
OK Branch is the man and I'll probably get flamed but...

How he or anyone uses this much volume for any body part ill never know. Does it really take this much to get a full workout??

**broken link removed**

Certainly he didn't just start with that much volume. You'd have to add to it over time.

SacToSD · Aug 7, 2009

Diesel City said:
Certainly he didn't just start with that much volume. You'd have to add to it over time.

that's what I think, too. From an unscientifically based opinion, I think that muscles need progressively harder workouts as they adapt to training. Would the same bench press weight work for you your entire life? No. You've got to add weight. But, do you only use bench press for chest? No. You started adding flies, inclines, declines, dips, etc. for variation and progressive resistance. Similar to theories about shocking the muscle with drop sets, supersets, negatives, my theory is that you need to increase the workload for added benefit. In my own experience, even though it's not specific to bodybuilding, you need to increase frequency and intensity to make gains. This came from my time road cycling. You don't automatically increase your time trial speed by doing the same intervals. You need to increase the duration of your intervals, add in different types of training, etc. Maybe the same applies to working out. Just like people tell me that for now, my legs only need squats and stiff leg dl's/leg curls. Then they say that down the road I should add in hack squats, leg press, leg extension, etc. All of this stuff is my own theory, so maybe I'm wrong. But if I know anything, it's that you can't do the same thing over and over again and expect different results. Maybe muscle physiology is different than that. I wish that there were more discussions on here about training principles. I am learning the ropes and need to sponge off of the more experienced people on here for novice to intermediate and advanced training principles.

jm425 · Aug 7, 2009

SacToSD said:
that's what I think, too. From an unscientifically based opinion, I think that muscles need progressively harder workouts as they adapt to training. Would the same bench press weight work for you your entire life? No. You've got to add weight. But, do you only use bench press for chest? No. You started adding flies, inclines, declines, dips, etc. for variation and progressive resistance. Similar to theories about shocking the muscle with drop sets, supersets, negatives, my theory is that you need to increase the workload for added benefit. In my own experience, even though it's not specific to bodybuilding, you need to increase frequency and intensity to make gains. This came from my time road cycling. You don't automatically increase your time trial speed by doing the same intervals. You need to increase the duration of your intervals, add in different types of training, etc. Maybe the same applies to working out. Just like people tell me that for now, my legs only need squats and stiff leg dl's/leg curls. Then they say that down the road I should add in hack squats, leg press, leg extension, etc. All of this stuff is my own theory, so maybe I'm wrong. But if I know anything, it's that you can't do the same thing over and over again and expect different results. Maybe muscle physiology is different than that. I wish that there were more discussions on here about training principles. I am learning the ropes and need to sponge off of the more experienced people on here for novice to intermediate and advanced training principles.

Bro, honestly speaking from my point of view............I've done a lot of different type of training programs from powerlifting programs to high volume. You can do all types of different exercises for each body part, but it won't make a damn difference for growth if you're not getting stronger. I've been lifting weights for 9 years. During that time I learned a lot from my mistakes. The only thing that puts on mass IMO, is heavy ass compound movements.

SacToSD · Aug 7, 2009

jm425 said:
Bro, honestly speaking from my point of view............I've done a lot of different type of training programs from powerlifting programs to high volume. You can do all types of different exercises for each body part, but it won't make a damn difference for growth if you're not getting stronger. I've been lifting weights for 9 years. During that time I learned a lot from my mistakes. The only thing that puts on mass IMO, is heavy ass compound movements.

point taken. I'm a human knowledge shamwow

jm425 · Aug 7, 2009

SacToSD said:
point taken. I'm a human knowledge shamwow

What? Your that crackhead that sells sham wows?

SacToSD · Aug 7, 2009

jm425 said:
What? Your that crackhead that sells sham wows?

I'll bet you didn't know this story:
Crime Scene | Police report: ShamWow guy punched prostitute

jm425 · Aug 7, 2009

I actually read about it right after it happened, hence the word "crackhead".

Tom · Aug 8, 2009

light weights work too

jm425 said:
Bro, honestly speaking from my point of view............I've done a lot of different type of training programs from powerlifting programs to high volume. You can do all types of different exercises for each body part, but it won't make a damn difference for growth if you're not getting stronger. I've been lifting weights for 9 years. During that time I learned a lot from my mistakes. The only thing that puts on mass IMO, is heavy ass compound movements.

everybody is different and what works for one won't work for another. i've been working out for 40 years and have seen guys with a barely athletic looking physique bench 350 lbs. and guys with huge round full muscles struggle with 315. you would probaly lose size with lighter weights and higher reps while others gain like crazy. it's all trial and error with the right combination of diet and genetics.

jm425 · Aug 8, 2009

Tom said:
everybody is different and what works for one won't work for another. i've been working out for 40 years and have seen guys with a barely athletic looking physique bench 350 lbs. and guys with huge round full muscles struggle with 315. you would probaly lose size with lighter weights and higher reps while others gain like crazy. it's all trial and error with the right combination of diet and genetics.

You have some valid points. However, the biggest guys out there don't lift light. If your stuck at the same weights for a year, your not going to grow any if much, no matter how much your volume or intensity increases.

Athlete · Aug 8, 2009

jm425 said:
You have some valid points. However, the biggest guys out there don't lift light. If your stuck at the same weights for a year, your not going to grow any if much, no matter how much your volume or intensity increases.

While this is definitely true, I got to a platue (sp?) while doing DC training.. I kept getting stronger, but I didn't grow.
So I switched it up and did 3 exercises per body part instead, straight sets... 1 exercise heavy (4-6), 1 medium (8-10, and last a lighter one (10-20).

Wam, I started growing again. I don't train DC anymore, because I grow better doing 3-4 exercises per bodypart, 1-2 sets each. I still aim to get stronger on the heavy exercise though.. but the extra workload and pump seem to do the trick growth wise.