Volume Enhances Muscle Building

Training to build muscle allow us a lot of variety with regards to reps, weights, sets and rest.

You can use just about any combination you want as long as it hits enough "volume"

 

Volume, in the context of muscle building, refers to the total amount of work performed in a workout, typically measured by the number of sets, reps, and weight lifted. It's a key factor in muscle hypertrophy, the process by which muscle fibers increase in size.

Here's why volume is important for building muscle:

1. Muscle Damage: When you lift weights, you cause micro-tears in your muscle fibers. These tears, when repaired, result in muscle growth. Higher volume workouts create more of these micro-tears, stimulating greater muscle growth.

2. Metabolic Stress: High volume workouts create metabolic stress, which is associated with the buildup of metabolites such as lactate and hydrogen ions in the muscles. This metabolic stress signals the body to adapt by increasing muscle size and strength.

3. Mechanical Tension: Volume allows for sustained mechanical tension on the muscle fibers during a workout. This tension is a primary driver of muscle growth. By performing more sets and reps, you provide more opportunities for the muscle fibers to be under tension, stimulating growth.

4. Progressive Overload: Building muscle requires progressively overloading the muscles over time. This means gradually increasing the stress placed on the muscles by increasing volume, intensity, or both. Without sufficient volume, it's challenging to progressively overload the muscles and stimulate further growth.

Volume and Intensity were topics of my Muscle Month Program

Up next is TIGHT28 may 25 - June 22 2024

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