What Is 'Junk Volume'? Here's How to Avoid Wasting Your Reps
If you're spending your well-earned free time in the gym, it's important to make your minutes count. It's all well and good putting in the graft, but if your reps are going to waste and not contributing to the gains you want, then it may be worth tweaking your programming to avoid including any 'Junk Volume'.
What is 'Junk Volume'?
'Junk Volume' simply refers to training that may take up your time and effort but doesn't result in any meaningful muscle or strength gains.
How Can I Tell If I'm Doing Junk Volume?
1/ Sets with Diminishing Returns
According to a new systematic review, increasing volume is crucial for maximising muscle growth. This research shows that the best results typically come from performing 30-40 sets per muscle group per week. However, beyond approximately 12-20 sets per week, the benefits start to diminish. The minimum effective dose for hypertrophy is around 4 sets per muscle group per week.
For strength gains, both higher volume and frequency are beneficial, but results plateau after about 4 sets per week per muscle group. The minimum effective dose for strength development is 1 set per muscle group per week. To further support this, new evidence found that higher weights with lower reps are better for building strength.
On the topic of volume for hypertrophy, researcher Dr. Milo Wolf explains in a YouTube interview with Dr Mike Israetel, 'There is such an amount of volume where you see some hypertrophy but not your best, and that might be around one to three sets. That would be the start of that inverted U relationship. As you increase volume you will see more growth, you kind of climb up that inverted U and you see more growth as you do more volume. But theoretically there then comes a plateau. Where doing more volume past that doesn't necessarily increase growth anymore, it just kind of gives you the same growth.'
Wolf continues, 'More volume leads to more growth, and we have studies looking at pretty high volumes. I recently looked at the research myself as well, and we have around eight studies looking at high volumes in excess of 20 sets per week per muscle. That's what is categorised as extremely high volumes for most people. And when you look at all of these studies, a few dozen studies, as I mentioned, you see that going up in volume from say 10 sets to 30, or even 40 sets, leads to more growth.'
2/ Lack of Individualisation
Even though the evidence suggests that these higher volume levels are optimal, as always, select exercises, intensities and training volumes that align with your preferences and physical limitations. If possible, gradually increasing your weekly volume to a certain point can further enhance muscle growth. However, this has to be within what is realistic for you, and paying attention to minimum effective doses may be more beneficial long term. Factors like training experience, genetics, and recovery ability can influence how much volume is effective, as well as the loads at which we lift and which exercises will be best to get the results we want.
3/ Not Enough Intensity
It's important to keep in mind that load (or intensity) plays a crucial role in muscle growth. Intensities that allow for more than 30 reps per set are less effective for building muscle compared to sets performed in the 5-30 rep range. To maximise muscle growth, aim for intensities that let your reps fall within this range, approaching failure by the end of each set. While sets with fewer than five reps or more than 30 reps can still contribute to muscle growth, their impact is significantly smaller.
4/ Lack of Recovery
High volume is mostly a good idea, but without adequate recovery or rest days in between your sessions, you could then hamper your intensity when you are in the gym. This would then mean your workouts contribute to junk volume due to them not allowing enough quality effort to push the needle.
5/ Quality of Effort
When it comes that quality that is necessary for muscular change, junk volume can also come from doing sets with poor range of motion, technique, low intensity, or without reaching close proximity to failure. Even if you hit the target number of sets, if the quality of effort is lacking, it may still be considered junk volume. Try to focus on technique that allows for a full range of motion in your reps with reps that target the muscle groups you want to be working. While you don't have to work to failure, especially for strength gains, working 2-5 reps short of failure is the sweet spot when it comes to making progress.
6/ Lack of Progressive Overload
Completing the same sets, reps and weights week in week out can also contribute to junk volume. Once the muscles become accustomed to a certain load and volume, we need to then challenge them to adapt to new stimulus. This could be by increasing reps, sets, weight, improving range of motion, technique, decreasing rest time, and adjusting other variables. This principle is referred to as progressive overload.
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