Is Training Volume Overrated for Building Muscle?
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- Опубліковано 3 лип 2024
- is Training volume overrated for building muscle? Its really not that simple. But today I go over just that. You have to dive deep into what you consider volume in your workout. You can do the same workout but one person will call it low and one person will call it high volume. But what does that even mean. I know yo will love this video so make sure you watch the whole thing you wont be sorry.
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John Meadows is an American professional bodybuilder and entrepreneur with an intriguing story. While John now boasts a successful career as an IFBB Pro bodybuilder and fitness company owner, his journey towards the top was extremely difficult.
Growing up, John never met his father, and his mother died at an extremely young age. This meant John only had his grandmother to take care of him. When his grandmother tragically passed away in 1999, John was left alone without his family to support him.
As the years went by, John continued to face new adversities in his life. During his early days in bodybuilding, John suffered from a rare colon disease. After fighting the disease for several months, his colon burst - almost resulting in his death. Luckily, John was quickly rushed to an emergency room where his life was saved. After several months of recovery, John was finally back on his feet.
Coming back into bodybuilding, John used the very obstacles that almost cost him his life as ‘fuel’ to grow stronger. Ever since he recovered from the colon surgery, John has gone on to become a successful bodybuilder, entrepreneur, and inspiration for many people all over the world.
IFBB North American Bodybuilding Championships, Men’s Heavyweight, 4th place
2005
USA Bodybuilding & Figure Championships, Men’s Heavyweight, 13th place
Los Angeles Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Championships, Men’s Heavyweight, 4th place
2007
IFBB North American Championships, Men Heavyweight, 16th place
2010
IFBB North American Championships, Men’s Heavyweight, 12th place
2011
North American Championships, IFBB Men’s Bodybuilding: Heavyweight, 9th place
2012
North American Championships, IFBB Bodybuilding: Over 40 - Heavyweight, 2nd place
North American Championships, IFBB Bodybuilding: Heavyweight, 7th place
NPC Teen, Collegiate & Masters National Championships, Bodybuilding: Over 40 - Heavyweight, 2nd place
2013
Masters National Championships, Bodybuilding: Masters Over 40 Super Heavyweight, 2nd place
Masters National Championships, Bodybuilding: Masters Over 35 Super Heavyweight, 3rd place
2014
NPC National Championships, Bodybuilding Heavyweight, 6th place
Masters National Championships, Bodybuilding Masters Over 35 - Super Heavyweight, 2nd place
Team Universe, Bodybuilding Over 40 Super Heavyweight, 4th place
2015
NPC Universe, Bodybuilding Over 40 Overall, 1st place - Earned the Pro Card
Wings of Strength Texas, Bodybuilding IFBB Pro 212, 5th place
Tampa Pro, IFBB Pro 212, 3rd place
Vancouver Pro, Bodybuilding IFBB Pro 212, 5th place
2016
Wings of Strength Chicago Pro, IFBB Pro Men 212, 10th place
Toronto Pro, IFBB Pro Men 212, 10th place
Arnold Classic, IFBB Pro 212, 9th place
2017
#Workout #JohnMeadows #TrainingVolume - Спорт
Do you think training volume is overrated for building muscle?
I think it's a lot more about how close you are to failure. You can do lots of sets, but if you're not close to failure then you're missing out on hypertrophy. But a mix of high volume close to failure should lead to good hypertrophy
I find low volume strength training be best for me... 🤓 I barely ever grow under volume at all... I agree on effort!!! 😎👍🏻
I am not counting sets or reps. I only care about how I feel. If I think I can do one more set, that's nice. If I have the feeling I can't do any quality reps anymore I am done with the exercise.
Since I reduced the sets and the of exercises I've started seeing a new lease of growth ✔️
I dont think volume training is over rated IMHO I need both high/low volume to grow but hey if experience has taught me anything is everybody is diff and I truly believe its all bout nutrition!!!! 💯🇲🇽🇺🇸
I go to failure every time. Last week I almost went to the gym four times, but I failed each time. That’s four days of going to failure. Winner, right here.
LOL....true failure!
Fail to win 💪
Ha ha ha, I tried to get out of bed this week 7 times. But I failed!!! 😀
google Central Nervous System fatigue... it is possible to overtrain and I've done it before but it was combined with my type of work I do.
how cna you recover if you go to max failure in every set?
RIP John.
You still manage to help us, and be an inspiration even in passing. They don’t build em like you anymore.
True!
He was the chillest fitness youtuber to listen to. Still watch him all the time.
Shutup
my failure to hit the gym creates more volume around the waist....just kidding....great video!
You look like a strong Luke Skywalker with that Yoda shirt. Lol
😂😂😂
Luke Swollewalker.
Hah, 100% correttamente!
Would need to let the hair grow, but yeah.
I honestly loved the days when I never knew most of what I know about lifting. When i was young i would just lift the weight without caring about sets and reps. I would just eat and workout. The results were fantastic but now it's all this research this research that.
Bhatr Halkno dude I dirty bulked and felt like crap lol when I was younger
usually kids dont see any gains if they just life something without a routine
Oh no, thinkin hard, me no thinky
@@mrdune5479 what? excuse me
@@bestboy007 I'm not responding to you lol
Everybody promoted a different style. Mentzer and Yates promoted the one set method, others spent 3 hrs in the gym (Arnold). In the end, everything worked. Bottom line is, make your muscles work, be consistent and pay attention to your nutrition.
cj77 false. John meadows trains like Dorian. With his twist obviously. Mike Mentzer Never got injured by the way. Dorian got injured because at that time he was an innovator. No one walked that path before. He was the first mass monster ever. He took it to the next level with intensity. And he said that he got injured when dieting hard. Instead of slowing down close to competition he kept training super heavy while being depleted of nutrients. That’s how he got injured. His method is the best.
lacrahuntington if his method was the best then everyone with a brain bigger than a peanut would be doing it
@@Dr_Footbrake The thing is that Dorian's method requires mental fortitude that most people don't have. Yes, going in and lifting weights isn't hard in and of itself, however, that last small extra push is what a lot of people aren't willing to do, but it makes all the difference.
Also, Dorian's style of training pretty much required a training partner. However, there are other intensity techniques that you can apply if you don't have a partner and get a similar effect, such as Cluster sets, which John often talks about.
One would actually wonder, however, just truly how many total sets Mentzer might have really done, vice potentially merely claimed to have done to promote his 'Heavy Duty' stuff...
@@mdd1963 has it been proven ineffective in the last 40 years?
Too many people sacrifice effort in the pursuit of reaching an arbitrary number sets, just because they read in a study or somebody said that it was "optimal"... I prefer to keep intensity/effort as high as possible AND THEN adjust the volume
JC FITNESS ACADEMY This is something I've recently discovered for myself, to a "T". I was doing these comparatively low-effort sets just to hit a certain number and think I was training "optimally", then had the audacity to get frustrated at my lack of progress. Just in the past two weeks since I've implemented a lower volume, higher intensity approach I have seen changes in my physique.
Volume can go to the back of the line and stay there
The most worthy and honorable chemical reaction of them all....
Metabolic stress
Inherits kingship by default
Incontestable proclamation
Next
I like your channel best because you're honest and you don't shout at your viewers in videos. It's nice to learn and hear a fitness industry leader speaking normally to us.
Shots fired at Dr Greg xD
@@53Memati53 I personally like Coach Greg but I have to agree. Dude needs to take a chill pill sometimes.
You are the best !!! You have reconfirmed my conviction and my belief in Mike Mentzers principles.
John you are by far my favorite in this industry. So informative and knowledgeable. I watch and listen to you daily and want to thank you. I love seeing you let your son do his yo yo tricks mixed into your clips. You are a Good man. Thank you again
Keep growing that beard out, John. I think you'll look even more badass when it comes in full.
I also totally agree about training to failure with good form... at least on the final set of a given movement, sometimes the final two.
I love that sabertooth Action figure
Great video John, I believe in failure training too. I do last 1-2 sets to failure of each exercise.
I love how you know the difference from strength focused training and hypertrophy focused training. Some people like Steve Shaw, do not know the difference and therefore tell people to push for strength. I get that progressive overload works, but there will come a point where focusing on contracting the muscle / mind muscle connection is valuable for growth!
you can only get stronger for so long..!
I get so mental around this topic! Thanks John for bringing the subject in focus. RIP
really cleared some things up for me thank you! great video
Thanks for explaining that! Makes a lot of sense 😊
Thank you for confirming what years of lifting has taught me as well. My "preferred" training method is very similar to what you are discussing here.
This has been by far the most informative video on lifting ever done. This finally makes sense.
Just sending you a huge thanks for putting this awesome video out there
I love these talks, they really makes me think.
I think it's all about how you feel that day and listening to the body. You're right. Smart thinking
After searching and going through many, many videos, I FINALLY found the one that explains the whole "volume" question the best. A+ Sir!
Hi John, I really enjoyed hearing your approach to this topic.
It's not entirely dissimilar to Wendlers approach in 531 - ramping sets, last set is to form failure. It just validates your approach further.
Thank you for putting this content out and sharing your wisdom.
damn! this is the best video about volume and intensity. Your thinking is pretty much the same as mine, at one point i was really concerned about how much volume should i do and i was counting exact weekly volume blablabla, but then i just stopped caring and stopped counting my volume and just started to really focus on that quality hard intense top set and focus on progression
I always appreciate your advice. Thank you again.
Thanks for the tips ur videos are truly a big help.🍀💪
Exactly what I was wondering about. Thank you!
Hands down, best and simplest clarification on sets, volume, intensity(failure)...period! John is the truth!
Great video, this is gold!
Great info. Also the neural fatigue is something new I learned.
essentially just train according to your instinct like what old school bodybuilders do. If you have problem with recovery and your diet is on point then lower the volume. If you feel like you can push more then increase the volume.
I find higher intensity burn me out wayyyy quicker than higher volume ( and a lower intensity )
@@jfmorache It's the other way around for me, if I do too many sets I'll lose adherence. But I can do heavy weight low reps and low sets and I will train often.
“Fear is the path to the dark side…fear leads to anger…anger leads to hate…hate leads to suffering.”
One of the best video I have seen in the whole bodybuilding scene!
Thank John. Love your content.
really got me thinking, awesome vid
Recently subscribed to this channel after finding it through the Jujimufu collaboration, I have to say its absolutely fantastic especially the exercise index. So much knowledge just a click away Thanks for the great content!
thank you!
Loved the video. Needed that
Your videos are incredible. Thanks so much!
Again my friend you are right on point 👍.
Man honestly ppl saying going to failure is too much??? Really?! Sounds like they looking for an excuse because cumon this game is tough.
Great tip about neuro fatigue dude, as you say its all about muscle fibres activation not excuses for not having the grit.
Love your channel bro 👍
I really liked to hear your view on this. This is something I've struggled with for a while.
Thank you john for helping us
Really good point about neural fatigue vs motor units
You're a great guy! Keep up the good work
U always have cool t-shirt 💪😎
Excellent info sir ..and thank you..
This info are gold 🔥💪
Nice video man!
An observation that I have is that most of these videos I have to rewatch periodically, because they will click with me when I am in the right mindset. So I watched this video before, and it was great, but watching it right now again, it really made sense because I am at the right point with my thinking. This is probably my favorite muscle building channel.
thank you!
Perfect. Can’t agree more. This is what’s worked for me. No ones explained it this way but my exact method too
Really nice video, John! It's funny how one does not find videos on this topic that much and from an experienced lifter like you I might add. 100% fresh!
Funny how this topic comes back on my mind from time to time and it just so happens that all what you mentioned in your video seems as clear and sound to me now as it was 2 months ago when I first watched it!
Love it, this is absolute truth. I find you just realize this sort of thing the more time you spend lifting. Wish I had known this when I started lol 😉
For years I used to think I had to take every set to failure and would do between 15-20 sets. I’m pretty sure I’ve been overtraining and it finally caught up to me in my 40’s. So I appreciate your videos and have been applying your working up to the heavy 8 reps.
In my opinion, your body and muscles don't have a concept of set, reps, volume, etc. etc. All your body knows is whether it is being stressed at this time, and if yes, that it will need time to recover afterwards. I know it is somewhat of a useless advice, but people should just try to get in tune with their bodies, and then push their limits.
Great video John. Time and time again you speak sense and convince me that yours is one of the very few youtube channels worth following.
excellent post!
false. some people are non responders to low volume. they need more volume.
Props for the Sabertooth. This was good to hear as this is what ive been doing. Ill ramp up to my working sets just for my own safety
Hi John. Thank you for the information on volume. It is something I have agonised over for years. I train as you said you do. I use 3 sets to build up to the main one, then I do a couple of drop sets to make sure I have hit the muscle hard enough. But this style of training has only been relatively new for me. Thanks again.
Best advice I’ve heard yet, John.
I really like your style of doing things when I am focusing on hypertrophy.
Good tips, I apply same tactics and have seen optimal results.
Enjoyed your video. I learned a lot. I am a powelifter but I use bodybuiding to improve my lifts. Thanks a million. You are number 1. Hope yo meet you in the future!😉
thank you!
Great vid thanks man.
Man, I just found your channel, and love this, I've heard volumen is the main driven of hypertrophy, but with this video I see that the quality sets could be better. Great job, greetings!
Another awesome video! I almost never have a training partner with me anymore, so I end up doing drop sets on lifts I cannot take to failure on my own. Most of the time it goes well, but I have crossed the line a few times and fried myself. Thanks for the great videos!
Thanks mountaindog 1 video verry helpful to me make a difference the way i will work out now
This is exactly what I've been doing these last 3 months and I gained 13lbs doing it. My bench press shot up by only doing 1 set to failure (with a spotter!) as opposed to doing 3x5 routines. I can go to failure now and still recover from it, because in the end.. You're only doing 4 hard sets per workout. As John said at the end, on days you're feeling good, add a dropset or an amrap set with 50% of the weight. Works wonders for me. Thanks for another great video, John, this is gold!
ty my friend!
Thanks for the wisdom
The start of this video is truly amazing. Most people overlook so much when looking at programs.
Ive been involved in fitness for 35 years during my time in the UK military, as a private security contractor and now as a Risk manager, in that time ive also been a fitness advisor on the side. While im not into body building, i do follow Johns videos as he has a lot of relevant knowledge in the industry, albeit more specific to body buoilding.
This is such an appropriate video John for how I'm currently trying to track, analyze and apply progressive overload to my workouts.
I was hitting a muscle group about every 8 days with about 1000 seconds of TUT per muscle group. I recently realized that I can teach my motor neurons to work more effectively by practicing recruiting the muscles if I train all the muscle groups every day and aim for about 100 seconds of TUT.
The beauty of this method is that depending on what I want to prioritize, I can always sacrifice TUT from one muscle group and put it towards another.
Today at the gym, I got the craziest pump by doing drops sets for some muscle groups that had my muscles blowing up before the 100 second set ended!
I think what is great about this method is that overtime I can just increase TUT-slowly-per muscle group by adding a rest pause or simply another set.
This video and your explanation is great because it reminds me that I don't need to constantly increase TUT every day-which would surely plateau after a while- but I can focus on more intensity or the density of the entire workout.
Great and timely video as always.
p.s tried the bulgarian split squat drop set using the smith machine as the place to let your back leg rest and use your non-weighted hand to stabilize yourself even more. Mind blowing set!
I guess the only question is if my reasoning is okay to workout the entire body every day provided I keep volume in check and 80% of the exercises I choose are isolation ones as my focus is purely asthetic & for hypertrophy.
Thank you and keep up the good work!!
I've been training 3 years now and have tried so many different styles and volumes. The working up to one top set is definitely my favorite.
Great information
Great topic John. I've always seen this myself likewise as it seems so subjective as one person will say "dorian yates trains only one working set per excercise" (with two warm up sets) but then another person will train the exact same and call it three sets. and neither is wrong. When i first started back in the 90s i didnt know as much so just kept it simple and pushed my body to it's limits and pushed every set to failiure. i still do such now just as old habits die hard to the point i feel like im cheating myself if i do not. Funnily enough though this week ive actually started doing progressive sets, (4 sets moving up the weight each time to one last heavy set with an intensity technique at the end) im more used to 4 sets to failure with my heaviest weight i can manage for the amount of reps then maybe add an intensity technique at the end. im really enjoying this week and am really hoping my results do not diminish as a result of not going all out for 4 sets. it feels 'easier' but im not going to let that put me off and am going to stay with it a while to see how my body responds
Progressive sets didn't work for me, in the sense that I just wasn't feeling the muscles were getting enough stress. I gave it a week which i know isn't very long but I really wasn't feeling I was hitting the muscles with maximum effect so have reverted back to 3-4 sets with the heaviest weight i can manage for 6-12 sets to failure for each set. workouts were feeling too easy otherwise. I know its not good given that im 41 now and increasing my risk of injury but am keeping such in mind with my exercise selection at least.
Great content. Thanks! This talk reminds me of the last time I hit a PR in the strict Clean & Press. I used to work up to a top weight and do (typically) 8 hard doubles or triples (usually in the 85-90% range, which means I was hitting technical failure on some of theses sets); instead of that, I decided to train more like what I see from Olympic weightlifters: working up over more lighter sets, and then do a limited amount of heavy sets.
Before, I would do something like this: 135 lb x 3 x 2 sets / 155 x 3 / 175 x 3 x 2 sets / 200 x 2 / 205 x 2 x 8 sets (completely in the upper end of Prilepin Table at the 85-89% range)
Then, I started to work more like this: 135 lb x 3 x 2 sets / 155 x 3, 165 x 3, 175 x 3, 190 x 2 x 3 sets, 200 x 2 x 2 sets, 210 x 1, 220 x 1 x 2 solid singles (I could have done doubles had I really pushed it)
I was doing less, but not that much less. There were lots of lighter sets where I trained at those higher velocities, while I was still touching weights in the 90% plus range, but for very few lifts. In fact, most of my sessions were lighter: I would top it off with just a couple doubles at 200 lb.
When I finally attempted those two plates and a dime -- which is 239 lb on the bar I am using -- it felt really heavy as I catched the clean, but I pushed hard and I surprised myself as I felt the bar slowly sailing past the sticking point.
Looking back, I'd say that the heavy session I've used here as an example was too much on some days, and too little on some other days. I felt strong on that last single at 220 lb and I could have challenged myself with 230 lb, or go down in weight to 200 lb and see how many good reps I can get. I'll keep this in mind. Thanks!
you bet!
Good man 💪🏽💪🏽
More golden nuggets from the bodybuilding jedi.
I can't wrap my head around people who train but DON'T go to failure. How else does one expect muscle growth? The way I see it, if you don't do some sets to failure and beyond, you might as well be doing crossfit or HIIT, or some sort of hard cardio. End result probably about the same but with shorter workouts.
So interesting , you are so right . I always go to failure no matter what I do for the last set, then I may do partials or one more set and hold the movement half from the range of motion to challenge my self and my work out is usually between 4 to 8 sets 3 to 4 times a week. I have learned so much with your videos i hot so much results and so proud because I am a natural and working out because I love the burn . Another guy that is great is Jeff Cavaliere . You are my top Duo.
Well said John.. i think taking to failure is amazing it helps shock the body to growth.. its the last few reps that make the body grow.. but i feel frequency is still the most impt that..
I've always had the mindset that if you don't push yourself to failure, your body won't know that it needs to go beyond that point.
@@theveteranpress7715 Thats true but do not push yourself over the limit in every workout.. If not you might suffer Adrenal fatigue and that may lead to subpar workouts
@@theveteranpress7715 if Adrenal fatigue sets in.. just take a couple of days to a week off from training.. You should be good as new after that break
@@HulkyTrapz Bingo
One of the only ‘celebrities’ I have ever shed a tear over.
RIP John, god bless you and thank you inspiring me to start bodybuilding years ago.
I think the HIT is the best, but it's good to sprinkle pump sets sometimes. I also think for people with great genetics, whatever they will do they will grow. hard gainers or when you hit plateaus is when you should start really calculating what you do IMO
10:15 you will never your potential if you never push yourselves sir mountain john the legend 🙏RIP😢
Very well said, thanks! I think people differ greatly in their ability to push themselves. How hard something feels is very subjective, and people have varying ability to focus. So when one person says he went to failure, maybe he actually has three more good reps to go. I experienced the negative side of this, because I didn't realize how strong my focus ability was, so I was constantly going to failure in every set because I enjoyed the feeling of it. It was only when I did cardio with a heart rate monitor that I first realized that I am way to close to my max HR. It didn't feel like I was doing any work unless I was at 80% or more of HRmax, which is really counter productive for long cardio sessions. So I frequently got over trained with injuries, and now I have backed down in intensity with better results. It so happens that I follow your principles in this video, exactly as you outlined them. So you can add one more testimony that you are correct! I think gym training is first and foremost a mental exercise that happens to be performed on our bodies, the same way ashtanga yoga is not really a physical exercise - it is a mental exercise to learn to tolerate pain.
good points!!
Great video
More is not always better. I'd rather do one set to failure, using proper form and resisting on the negative part of the movement...than do 100 reps with no control.
I have been using the exact same model, never learnt it anywhere but I believe it's about the effort and I do feeder sets to prevent injury. Thanks for this video though
Hi John, I know that this video is a tad older. I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS. Down to earth, logical and inspirational.
I heard what you're saying about Nuero fatigue and it makes sense to some degree. As always, you've sparked my interest in this topic. I can't seem to find any references that define it. I'd love if you do another video to talk more about this topic and it's fundamentals or link to some other reference. Is there a way to overcome or enhance /streamline this process.
Sick beaard man!!
Volume is important, but intensity is way more. People are trying to replace intensity with volume.
John I respect you a lot. I have been watching you for years. :)
I appreciate that
Not enough UA-cam fitness channels discuss this topic, bc it is incredibly important in making progress and gaining confidence in your gym work.
The thing I realized when I did your low-volume workouts is you put tons of volume into warm-up sets. I think they are significant in terms of added volume even though they are not work sets. So I don't think volume is overrated, it's very important.
Even Wendler said the asorted sets before the last heavy AMRAP set were very much needed, and a critical part of the total work/volume equation....
You should arrive at a minimum of rpe 6 for hypertrophy and complete muscle recruitment so the volume that you think is extra it's not actually but it is good for preparing your snc, muscles and joints for the movement pattern that you are planning to do
i would agree....but you know how hard that last set was...I dont think most people take any sets that far..
You’ll never know if you are getting stronger from work out to work out unless you train to failure, it’s the only sure way of knowing you worked to your maximum , no body really knows the least amount of effort you need to put in to gain muscle size , but if you go to failure then you know you can do more than that
True people like to overcomplicate things with the like RPE, RIR, AMRAP, MPS ect.
People who are not seeing results simply aren’t training hard enough FACT
Agree. Also not everyone is the same. Different body types, age, goals. Form to me is most important. At 65 start an exercise light, work up, then to as close to failure as I mentally can. The mind muscle connection to feel the muscle I am targeting I need to maintain good form.
Great stuff as always!! Funny i was listening as eating dinner and my wife came into the room and I thought " No worries of John saying anything rude or lewd with wife listening ' Dont get me wrong rude / lewd doesn't bother me I'm no angel but Mountain Dog always keeps it family friendly and professional which is very respectable too ,, Also always tons of knowledge being shared !! Thx Mountain Dog
thank you for listening!
John this is great information very informative BUT it would be best to have a white board to illustrate this, just a thought, thanks for your insight.
I'm sincerely surprised that people are afraid of reaching failure on every exercise they do at gym, that's always have been a no-brainer to me
I always figured that if I'm crawling out of the gym at the end of my session then it was a good session. This neural fatigue information has me rethinking that approach.
Thanks for this video. I tend to do training like this. At 59 to try and go heavy right off = injury for me, so I work up to the hvy sets. Good to know i'm just not wasting my time. ;)
I asked Eric Broser basically the same question last week and his answer was identical to yours thanks John I'll definitely be watching...
oh cool, Eric is very talented and smart...
@@mountaindog1 You and Eric are the only guys I follow.Did your low rep to failure chest routine this morning but slightly altered.Started with incline Smith then incline db's then incline Hammer Strength and finished with the double dips (love these)...bro I am nice and sore thanks man and I'll be watching!
Damn, just got back from the gym and already got me wanting to go back to try this out!
Excellent!