Volume Stuck

[iron addict]

If you respond well to volume from a size standpoint, but have an extremely difficult time adding strength while doing it, you will SOON find yourself STUCK. How to get out? Well, you can try decreasing the volume and frequency some. This may work perfect, but many people grow fast on a relatively high volume routine, but the gains are just not sustainable because the trainees strength level rarely budges.

A good approach to solve this problem is to simply insert some LOW volume weeks into the mix. Many will find strength absolutely skyrockets with the volume and frequency so low. Add a chunk of strength to all your lifts for a short time, then jump back on the volume. I use this system quite a bit with training clients and when you get the volume to low volume ratios dialed results can be nothing short of fantastic.

Iron Addict

 

[ironviking]

would it be wise to do the reverse of this
In other words, if you are doing low volume could you add high volume workouts in every five weeks or so. I have been doing this before my scheduled week off, not sure if the results I've been getting are from the week off, the high volume workouts, or a combination of both. The results have been good though, usually a little more vascular, more strength, and endurance. If I stay on high volume I quickly burn out and lose strength but one week seems to work well.

 

[iron addict]

Yes, you are doing the same basic thing. finding a ratio of low volume/volume that works for YOU!

Iron Addict

would it be wise to do the reverse of this
In other words, if you are doing low volume could you add high volume workouts in every five weeks or so. I have been doing this before my scheduled week off, not sure if the results I've been getting are from the week off, the high volume workouts, or a combination of both. The results have been good though, usually a little more vascular, more strength, and endurance. If I stay on high volume I quickly burn out and lose strength but one week seems to work well.

 

[kelsey]

I think alot of fine tuning your routine depends on your personality.

I was was reading some of louie simmons articles and he said that introverts normally get as much out of a workout with three or four movements as an extrovert gets out
of (like me) 10 or 12 movements included in a workout.
my training partner is an introvert and if he follows me around or out back to pull the sled he is dead.
But he gets stronger and continues to make progress althought he focuses on only those few hardcore movements.


And The more i think about it it proves true when i watch the guys around the gym and the way they train.

 

[maggmaster]

Ive been training low volume for almost 3 years and its been wonderful, I started when I first read IAs articles on Gotfina and have taken HIT basically as gospel ever since. I put literally hundreds and hundreds of combined pounds on all my lifts lifting very low volume very low frequency but I really didnt get that much bigger. Ive put on like 50 lbs but I started at 128 so im still sort of small. Recentely I decided to try something new and began using a routine called Armenhance that was developed by someone over at avant it rotates volumne and intensity and rep ranges in a way that I would never dream of doing on my own. Ive been on it for 2 weeks I have yet to do my first low volume week and I have put on 5 lbs I guess i was just validating what IA was saying, low volumes awesome but I think sometimes rotating volume is important to.

 

[jjjd]

of course it is.

this is basic to the whole soviet system best exemplified in Supertraining etc.

volume, like intesity, is a variable to be played with. people who pedantically state "volume is bad" create a self-fulfilling prophecy. sure, if you train low volume, you will have a low tolerance FOR volume. louie simmons borrowed some of this stuff from the russians with his concepts involving GPP etc.

low volume often follow high volume and allows supercompensation to kick in.

here's a basic periodization

(l=low, m=medium, h=high, v=volume, i=intensity)

wk protocol
1 mv/li
2 hv/li
3 lv/mi
4 mv/mi
5 mv/mi
6 hv/mi
7 lv/hi
8 hv/hi (week designed purposely to overreach slightly)
9 lv/li
10 mv/li

etc.

it's good stuff.

you can also throw in "waving" principles...

e.g. step forward, step forward, step back, step forward, step forward, step back, etc.

some of the famous OLer coaches had this down to precise parameters all graphed out with weekly tonnage, volume, etc.

fascinating stuff. and a way to create champions.