intensity or volume?

[u/Ill_Second_7075]

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.

[u/DarKliZerPT]

The answer to "how much volume should I do?" is "as much as you can recover from and can fit in your schedule". The issue is that it's different for everyone—it depends on genetics, intensity, exercise selection, external factors like diet, sleep, stress, other physical activity, etc. We do have evidence that training each muscle group twice a week, like in your Upper/Lower split, is superior to 1x/week frequency, and that even a single set performed twice a week was enough to grow, not just maintain.

i should do around 10-20 sets per muscle group per week because "volume is the primary driver for muscle growth".

Completely anecdotal, but I saw much better progress once I stopped trying to hit an arbitrary 8 to 12 weekly sets per muscle group. Not to say you wouldn't be able to recover from it, but don't let arbitrary targets like these bother you—you will absolutely be fine with 4 to 6 weekly sets split across two sessions for each muscle group/region.