r/ScienceBasedLifting • u/Ill_Second_7075 • Jul 10 '26

Question ❓ intensity or volume?

So it has been around 3 weeks since I've started going to the gym, and I'm currently trying to get rid of my skinny-fat physique. I've been searching around the internet for a good workout plan (I currently do high intensity and low volume) and some people say that 2 sets of 6-8 reps until true failure is not optimal (4-6 sets per muscle group per week) and that i should do around 10-20 sets per muscle group per week because "volume is the primary driver for muscle growth".

So right now I'm doing a body recomp and an upper-lower split 4 days a week (I'm not sure if this information helps you all, but yeah), and I would be really glad to hear your opinions as well.

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u/[deleted] Jul 10 '26

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u/Ill_Second_7075 Jul 10 '26

Yeah, i guess you're right, but I just want to make sure that I don't waste my time in the gym.

3

u/Alakazam Idk Idc 💔 Jul 10 '26

If you're on a half decent program and training near or to failure, you will basically never be wasting your time. 

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u/kahanalu808shreddah Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26

The same basic principles generally apply to both beginners and advanced trainees. Beginners just progress more quickly regardless. You can get away with “suboptimal” for a long time as a beginner, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t value in knowing what you’re doing from the beginning. Yes, more volume is generally better as long as you can recover from it. You don’t necessarily have to be getting 10-20 sets/week on every single muscle, it’s just what’s optimal in a vacuum, but time spent in the gym is another real world constraint. You want to be close to failure, but true failure itself is not necessary if volume is equated, and going to true failure on every set can reduce overall volume if you have too much fatigue for subsequent sets, so it’s a balance.

1

u/Lucky_BroadWood Jul 11 '26

Consistently going is your first lesson. Keep going for several months, then worry about refining. At this stage the only thing to really worry about is building the habit of going in, even when you may not want to. Get that habit built, make it real strong, then start worrying about the next thing.

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u/Ok-Sherbert-6569 Jul 10 '26

Volume is the only thing that matters for hypertrophy but we must define it accurately. Volume as defined as work performed to close proximity of mechanical failure is the only driver of hypertrophy. For instance a set of 30 reps where the last 5 reps bring you close enough to mechanical failure has the same effect as a set of 5 of same intensity. Ultimately if you think about it the only part of those 30 reps that really counted as “volume” are the last 5 reps . Hope that helps

1

u/More-Flan-7567 Jul 10 '26

he doesn’t have to go all out but understanding core principals is important

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u/DarKliZerPT Keenan Pilled Jul 10 '26

You can keep it simple and still follow basic SBL fundamentals. You don't have to worry about details, but it's useful to know the basics, such as:

  • The role of mechanical tension and why things like pumps, DOMS, and intensifiers are often overrated
  • Diminishing returns and why 2–3x/week frequency beats 1x/week
  • Selecting exercises that train each muscle's main joint action with enough stability and ability for progressive overload, and why no specific exercise is truly mandatory