Barbell Total volume approach for hypertrophy

[Spartan Agoge]

It's time to complete the thread.

So, for several months I did an experiment. I had a total volume approach in training, without giving a sh*t about anything else, like rpe, training to failure, reps i reserve etc. My only goal was that my total reps are becoming more and more, progressively.

I started with straight sets. For deadlift for example i got my 6rm and started doing sets of 3 reps. Week 1 was 5x3, week 2 was 6x3 etc. Some weeks I wasn't raising the reps and I was doing the exactly same rep scheme as the previous week, in order to give my body some time to handle the volume and nit overtrain. But I was progressively doing more and more volume.

Later, I changed my approach and started doing a reverse pyramid scheme, with a top single and then more and more back off sets every week. Something like this:

Week 1: 1x1(top single), 4x2(90% of top single), 4x3(85%)

Week 2: 1x1, 5x2(90%), 4x3(85%)

Week 3: 1x1, 5x2(90%), 5x3(85%)

Every week one back off set more. Recently I was at a point of doing 1x1, 10x2(90%), 10x3(85%). Progressively higher total volume is the goal.

When the top single becomes too easy, I raise the weight by 5%, lower the volume by doing 4-5 less back off sets, and slowly build it again, in order to do just a little more volume than with the previous weight.

And I now can say: yes, it worked. I saw positive changes in muscle mass and strength. I believe (just my opinion) that the whole low volume approach (1 set to total failure etc) is again popular because people do not have the time, or the knowledge, or the mental capability to slowly increase their work capacity.

More volume does not mean more muscle mass. But, more volume, from which you can recover, does.

 

[Adachi]

without giving a sh*t about anything else, like rpe

When the top single becomes too easy, I raise the volume by 5%,

I don't mean to be smart about this (as I would say to my kids) I just wonder - as far as that top single is concerned - are you rating that by RPE on the day? or a rolling average RPE ? or something else(velocity maybe)? Not because I'm in doubt, but I'd like to try something like this in the future, and I want to understand your method, here.

 

[Spartan Agoge]

I don't mean to be smart about this (as I would say to my kids) I just wonder - as far as that top single is concerned - are you rating that by RPE on the day? or a rolling average RPE ? or something else? Not because I'm in doubt, but I'd like to try something like this in the future, and I want to understand your method, here.

*When the top single becomes to easy, I raise the weight by 5%, I meant to say.

As I said, when I was doing straight sets, it was sets of 3 with my 6rm.
Now, my top single is about 90% of my 1rm and I will very slowly increase it.

Let me give you an example. The 90% rm of my squat is 150kg. So, my top single will every time be 150kg. And my back off sets will be 135kg(90% of the top single) and 128kg(85% of the top single).
So, my training for squat will be like this:

Week 1: 1x1(150kg), 2x2(135kg), 2x3(128kg)
Week 2: 1x1(150kg), 3x2(135kg), 2x3(128kg)
Week 3: 1x1(150kg), 3x2(135kg), 3x3(128kg)
Week 4: 1x1(150kg), 4x2(135kg), 3x3(128kg)
Week 5: 1x1(150kg), 4x2(135kg), 4x3(128kg)
Week 6: 1x1(150kg), 5x2(135kg), 4x3(128kg)
Week 7: 1x1(150kg), 5x2(135kg), 5x3(128kg)

So, I keep the weight constant and I increase the volume of back off sets. More abd more total reps. If by week 7 150kg feel too light to be my top set, I increase the weight(and the weight of the back off sets), I drop the volume by 3-4 sets and start over. So:

Week 8: 1x1(160kg), 3x2(144kg), 3x2(132kg)
Week 9: 1x1(160kg), 4x2(144kg), 3x2(132kg)
Etc... Etc...

If i need a deload week, I take one. If I need to not increase the volume at all for 2 weeks, I do that. Progressively I increase my total volume and my work capacity.
There is no way I could recover in August from the workouts I currently do, but now, I have the work capacity to recover.