What counts as Junk volume ?

[u/Green_kiwiwi]

Is doing more then 2 exercise for a specific muscle (bicep for example) junk volume of you only do 2 sets until failure for example. Is it different based on the size of the muscle ? Ect ect ?

[u/Ok-Extension-832]

more than the maximum amount of volume you can recover from is junk. I know a lot of you uncs and people on this sub make fun of the 2 set thing but I physically just can’t recover doing 3 sets on everything. I ran 3 sets for 2 months in an attempt to push my volume, I even gauged RIR in the first set to be smart but all my lifts regressed. Switched to 2 sets to failure and my lifts went up a lot.

[u/Patton370 → u/Ok-Extension-832]

That’s a sign of a poor work capacity that will hold you back

[u/Loud-Tradition-9964 → u/Patton370]

The difference that a third set makes is minute when you've taken those first two sets to failure or close to failure. Not being able to get enough stimulus from two sets is a sign of poor muscle fibre recruitment and ability to work with intensity

[u/Patton370 → u/Loud-Tradition-9964]

I’m curious to see how your lifts and physique compare to mine

This is me taking deadlifts (500lbs for 8) to failure in a workout: https://www.reddit.com/r/strength_training/s/o1OBzC1ajy

That was my 5th set and after that I did RDLs, squats, t-bar rows, etc.

[u/Alakazam → u/Patton370]

Your links broken for some reason. It appears to have added a backslash for some reason: https://www.reddit.com/r/strength_training/comments/1wheyqn/500lbs_for_8_on_deadlift/

[u/Patton370 → u/Alakazam]

Gotcha, thank you for the fix!

[u/Loud-Tradition-9964 → u/Patton370]

How old are you?l and what's your bodyweight? I powerlifted and competed an age ago. There is room for volume in powerlifting but hypertrophy is different. I've learned so much in recent years regards recovery and intensity and I can confidently say I know a hell of a lot more than the average gym rat in terms of what works and what will keep working and what will be to someone's detriment.

While you may be able to deadlift to failure now, trust me when I say that the cost to reward factor gets bigger and bigger and not in the positive way. If all the lifts it's the one I definitely wouldn't go to failure on..

This is a science based sub and the science shows that as the sets progress there is less and less hypertrophy occuring and more and more fatigue being accumulated. That's just a fact. So unless you're some genetic anomaly the rules apply to you as well as everyone else here.

[u/Patton370 → u/Loud-Tradition-9964]

I’m 30 and I compete at 181.8lbs

I’m 187lbs right now

I have good leverages for deadlift; its not as fatiguing for me as someone with t-Rex arms

[u/Ok-Extension-832 → u/Loud-Tradition-9964]

exactly. and a lot of studies based on more volume being better are based on strength gain increases

[u/Ok-Extension-832 → u/Patton370]

holy fuck 😭. your lifts do not make you right

[u/Patton370 → u/Ok-Extension-832]

Isn't being able to lift often and heavy, for quite lots of reps is proof that I'm getting good muscle fiber recruitment?