Wits & Weights | Fat Loss, Nutrition, & Strength Training for Lifters How Much Training Volume You REALLY Need to Build Muscle Over 40 | Ep 417
12 snips
Dec 24, 2025 Learn how mastering training volume can unlock muscle growth, especially for those over 40. Discover the 12 essential rules, from hitting the sweet spot of hard sets to understanding the impact of training near failure. Find out how too much or too little can hinder your progress. Periodizing your volume and eliminating junk sets are crucial for avoiding burnout and maximizing results. Track your progress effectively, and remember that volume is personal—experiment to discover what works best for you!
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Hard Sets Beat Tonnage For Hypertrophy
- Measure training volume by hard sets per muscle group, not total tonnage or raw sets.
- Hard sets standardize effort and predict hypertrophy better than inflated tonnage metrics.
Train Close To Failure
- Train most sets within one to two reps of failure to recruit high-threshold motor units.
- For big compound lifts, allow slightly more buffer (three to four reps) to manage fatigue safely.
More Volume Helps — Until It Hurts
- Volume follows a dose-response curve: more sets usually mean more growth but with diminishing returns.
- Extremely high volumes (25–30+ sets/week per muscle) can reduce progress due to excess fatigue.