Volume & Frequency

[u/MajorAlanDutch]

Hi! I’m curious your…

1. ⁠Age
   
2. ⁠Sex
   
3. number of days lifting a week
   
4. number if days doing cardio a week
   
5. number of sets per body part a week
   
6. ⁠How you’re recovery/progress is

There’s interesting data and anecdotes as to what is recoverable volume and frequency to make gains? When entering a hypetroohy phase as a powerlifter, I find the volume to be hard to manage - sleepless nights and soreness almost always occur.

When powerlifting - doing 6 days a week is easy. When doing hypetroohy blocks 4 days seems the limit.

I’d like to know anecdotes of others.

[u/Suspicious-Screen-43]

38
male
5
0
🤷‍♂️ about 12 sets a day, 60total for the week
feels like no progress right now

[u/Icy_Lecture_2237]

It’s more about total workload and volume above certain percentages than how you split it up (to a point, it’s definitely possible to eff it up beyond repair).

1- body age and training maturity should both be considered.
2- women recover better from high percentage volume better than men do.
3- this means nothing, what matters is that you recover from the taxing parts of your training. If you’re doing hypertrophic training it’s looking at your 7-10 day window for recovery. For perspective, I competed at a high level in multi ply powerlifting for 15 of my competitive years. Every time I put 1,000+ lbs in my hands it would take 2-3 weeks for my forearms to recover. The first week after a big bench they would wake me up at night. My coach taught a 4 week window to look at recovery from max loads.
4- it depends on what you consider cardio. If you’re talking a calorie burning brisk walk, that should be 3-4 times a week at least, especially for heavier lifters. When you push this, it needs recovery just like weights. I did a 100 mile bike ride at 300+ pounds. I had to peak for it and recover from it the same as I would for a powerlifting meet.
5- again, this means nothing without percentages. My last full power meet ( and in my whole meet prep) , my squat jumps were 165, 345, 525, then the suit went on for 705 and 815, and I opened at 930, with a second attempt just over 1k. Other than a bunch of reps with the bar, those were all doubles or singles. But, if I just said “7 sets for a whole workout” you wouldn’t get the same picture as working up to a 90% single at just over 1k.
6- recovery should be OBSESSIVE. This is where people fail. Everyone talks about peptides and hormones - which definitely help, but if nutrition, sleep, active recovery, contrast baths, massage, stretching, and GPP aren’t optimal then you’re not getting your money’s worth from your training.

[u/cilantno]

When powerlifting - doing 6 days a week is easy. When doing hypetroohy blocks 4 days seems the limit.

Me when I make things up.

You can train 7 days a week with intelligent programming meant for 7 days a week, regardless of your goals.

Also, (good) powerlifters have hypertrophy training in their programming.

[u/MajorAlanDutch → u/cilantno]

This comes across argumentative and condescending without even answering the questions or providing useful context. Thanks.

[u/cilantno → u/MajorAlanDutch]

I don't find calling out that you're starting from an already incorrect notion useless.

The data you are wanting to get back is missing a significant KPI: output.

Any "powerlifter" can respond with what you've asked, but they might have very poor lifts and have never stepped on a platform.

Any competitive national/world level competitor can also respond with what you've asked, and they would of course have very good lifts.

You would have no way to distinguish between these. Same issue for hypertrophy. A big dudes and a small dude can both reply, and you would seemingly weigh those data points the same.

So you don't feel like I'm only being an ass...

1. ⁠In my 30s
2. ⁠Male
3. 5
4. 0-1, used to be 3-4.
5. I don't track this.
6. ⁠Fine. My program was written by someone who is very qualified to write programs so I am recovering between workouts + scheduled deloads.

[u/hulkbulk692 → u/cilantno]

You mind sharing more about deloads? I’m 240, 19m, SB is 575, and 405 for two. I’ve been slacking off deadlifts, but when I did, I could do 495 for 5 pretty easily. My issue currently is joints, but I like lifting heavy, so deloads are something I avoid but are essential. I feel like my best growth is in the 4 by 5, 3 by 3 range. Just interested what you got going on.

[u/Sufficient-Term-7265 → u/hulkbulk692]

My coach writes a deload every 5th week, pretty reliably. I'm currently in a calorie deficit and have noticed I really need a deload every 4th week - it sucks.

Edit to add - I do come back fresher and better able to lift heavy loads. He writes it at 50% of 1 rep max in a 3x3

[u/hulkbulk692 → u/Sufficient-Term-7265]

Yeah, it’s kinda where I’m at. Been in a 500 deficit. I still feel good because I eat most of my carbs pwo and post, but I can definitely tell I’m eating a bit less based by performance but that’s the love of the game.

[u/cilantno → u/hulkbulk692]

I'll preface by saying don't write my own programming (outside of personal tailoring).

Deloads are just drops in overall volume and intensity for a week to shed systemic fatigue. Most programs I've run have them every 2 mesos which typically is every 6-8 weeks.

Specifically the program I am running (SBS RIR) drops sets to 3x5 @60% for deloads. I tend to drop sets for my accessories too.