The Revive Stronger Podcast
405: More Volume, More Muscle | Looking At The Dose-Response Relationship Of Training Volume w/ Menno, Josh, Sam & Holly
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Understanding the limitations of ultrasound in measuring muscle growth has led to a call for large, well-designed studies with control groups for reliable results.
- Evidence on muscle swelling in high-volume training scenarios is lacking, emphasizing the need for further investigation in this area.
- The lightning in a bottle effect observed in studies questions the replicability and validity of findings, highlighting the importance of well-designed studies with control groups.
- Set volume per muscle group per week ranges between 10 to 30 sets, favoring higher volumes for maximum muscle growth and emphasizing high frequency training.
- Optimal muscle growth requires a balance in weekly sets per muscle group, suggesting a range between 6 to 20 sets per week per muscle, tailored to individual variability and goals.
- Transitioning from lower rep strength training to higher rep ranges is recommended for better recovery and injury prevention, focusing on 3 to 4 sets per exercise and training muscle groups 2 to 3 times per week.
Deep dives
Issues with Modal Ultrasound for Measuring Muscle Growth
Sam identifies issues with using modal ultrasound for measuring muscle growth, explaining its limitations in accurate measurement. He highlights the need for well-designed large studies with control groups to ensure reliable and valid results.
Relative Changes and Contextualizing Results
Josh discusses the importance of relative changes in muscle thickness measurements when interpreting research results. He emphasizes the need for additional evidence on muscle swelling in high-volume training scenarios.
Absence of Evidence for Muscle Swelling in High-Volume Training
Holly questions the evidence for muscle swelling in volumes exceeding 25 sets per week, highlighting the importance of investigating this aspect. Josh mentions a lack of research at very high volumes, suggesting the need for further studies.
Magnitude of Muscle Growth and Relative Changes
Sam and Josh delve into the magnitude of muscle growth seen in studies, comparing it to the thickness of a slice of bologna to provide a tangible representation. They stress the importance of understanding relative changes and the need for additional high-volume training research.
Critique of Research Results and Need for Replication
Sam discusses the lightning in a bottle effect observed in studies, questioning the replicability and validity of the findings. He emphasizes the necessity for well-designed studies with control groups to ensure accurate measurements and interpretation of results.
Set Volume and Practical Implementation
Set volume per muscle group per week can range between 10 to 30 sets, with a preference towards higher volumes for maximum muscle growth. Emphasizing high frequency training, the focus is on 10 to 30 sets per muscle group, considering factors like recovery capacity, caloric deficit, or specialization. Practical programming involves distributing sets based on fractional percentages to optimize stimulus towards specific muscle groups, ensuring exercise diversity, and focusing on exercise prescription tailored to individual circumstances and goals.
Considerations for Training Volume and Frequency
Higher volumes, ranging from 15 to 30 sets per muscle group per week, may suit advanced resistance trainers, while beginners may start at 6 up to 15 sets, progressively increasing over time. Within a training session, limiting sets per muscle group to around 6, with a preference for exercise diversity and targeting antagonist muscle groups, ensures a balanced approach to stimulus and recovery.
Importance of Internal Validity in Research
Shifting perspectives to value internal validity, research aims to understand the nature of relationships between dependent variables and outcomes. While ecologically valid studies reflect real-world scenarios, acknowledging sacrifices in internal validity is vital for accurate interpretation of research findings. Understanding the relationship between variables ultimately guides evidence-based conclusions and practical applications.
Optimal Muscle Growth Stimulus: Balancing Weekly Sets
For optimal muscle growth, the podcast discusses the importance of finding the right balance in weekly sets per muscle group. The range suggested is between 6 to 20 sets per week per muscle. Lower volumes around 2 to 5 sets can still promote muscle growth, while higher volumes above 21 sets may indicate specialization. The podcast emphasizes the significance of considering individual variability, training goals, and recovery capacity when determining the most effective set volume.
Practical Considerations for Hypertrophy Training: Rep Ranges and Training Frequency
In addressing practical hypertrophy training considerations, the podcast delves into rep ranges and training frequency. It suggests focusing on 3 to 4 sets per exercise, incorporating 2 to 4 exercises, and training muscle groups 2 to 3 times per week. Transitioning from lower rep strength training to higher rep ranges, like 12+, is advised for better recovery and injury prevention, especially for older individuals. The importance of progression monitoring, exercise variation, and auto-regulation in optimizing muscle growth is highlighted.
Percentage Increase in Muscle Growth: Realistic Expectations
When discussing percentage increase in regional muscle growth, the podcast draws attention to the challenges in measuring muscle growth accurately. A rough guide of 4 to 8 percent increase in muscle size is mentioned, aligning with research findings. However, the podcast underscores the importance of considering individual differences, measurement methods, and training status in interpreting muscle growth percentages. It also touches on the impact of training program design, resource allocation, and the limitations in detecting subtle growth differences in scientific studies.
The dose-response relationship between resistance training volume and muscle hypertrophy
This week we have a roundtable to discuss whether or note there is a dose-response relationship between training volume and hypertrophy.
Samuel Buckner and Holly Baxter recently authored (along with E.Moreno - not on the show) a paper that put some doubts into this relationship. And so they are on along with Menno Henselmans and Josh Pelland to try and dig deeper into our understanding.
One you don’t want to miss!
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:15 Background to why Sam & Holly were skeptical about the results being found in volume studies
16:14 Menno's & Josh's take on the discussion surrounding scientific findings
25:09 Is there a dose-response relationship?
34:26 Practical validity of findings
41:25 Skepticism over the results of Brad's lab
47:05 Criticism about data collection
55:51 Swelling, how much evidence is there in volume studies
01:05:20 Anecdotal evidence in conflict with the findings
01:13:37 Lab settings vs. real-life settings
01:17:18 Cell swelling in studies
01:27:56 Sam explains why he assumes the results are mostly due to cell swelling
01:44:39 What do we know about the dose-response relationship right now?
01:49:33 Practical applications
01:52:19 Set recommendation and how it's being made up
02:10:02 The more you can recover from volume, the more you want to add?
02:16:07 What can be expected in terms of muscle gains in a short period of time?
02:28:29 Conclusion
Paper
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/376670037_The_dose-response_relationship_between_resistance_training_volume_and_muscle_hypertrophy_There_are_still_doubts
Menno
https://www.instagram.com/menno.henselmans/
https://mennohenselmans.com/
Josh
https://www.instagram.com/josh.datadrivenstrength
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joshua-Pelland
Samuel
https://www.instagram.com/samuelbuckner/
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Samuel-Buckner
Holly
https://www.instagram.com/hollytbaxter/
https://bia-body.com/ig/
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