How to increase volume? FREQUENCY!

We all know from research that volume gives results. Rather a proper correlation of volume and intensity but that is not what I want to write about today. Simplified, the lifter who accummulated the biggest tonnage lifted over several months (volume) is going to be the strongest at the meet.

Very important: provided the maximal volume is just below your individual limit of recovery and your body can adapt to the training stimulus. This is individual and you have to find out for yourself.

But how do you increase volume without making the sessions too long and too tiring tapping into you recovery reserves and without overtraining? You have to do two things: adding sets with frequency and moderating intensity levels. Most of the sessions are going to be relatively short and the % of intensity is goin to be faily low.

It is common for lifters in the former Eastern bloc to squat 2-3x a week, bench press 3x a week and deadlift 2x a week. It has many benefits: you practice the competition lifts a lot, you build the key muscle groups, you increase the neuromuscular coordination for the powerlifts.

Below is and example of a 4 week cycle where three weeks are heavy or moderate heavy and the 4th week is a deload week. you take the doubles from the third week as your estimate for your new max for calculating poundages for the next 4-week cycle. There is nothing wrong increasing the weights every other cycle. Especially if you are an experienced lifter, progression is going to be slow.

week 1

squat 4 x 4 (4 sets of 4) @ 70%

pause bench press 5 x 2 @ 65% (2 sec pause)

hypers 2-3 sets

triceps pushdowns 2-3 sets

paused deadlift 4 x 3 @ 65%

bench press 4 x 4 @ 70%

DB Bulgarian split squats 2-3 sets

GHR 2-3 sets

bench press 5 x 3 @ 75%

squat 5 x 3 @ 75%

pull-ups 2-3 sets

week 2

squat 5 x 3 @ 80%

incline bench press 3 x 6

Paloff press 2-3 sets

lat pulldowns 2-3 sets

deadlift 4 x 3 @ 75%

bench press 1x 5 @ 65%, 2 x 4 @ 70%, 2 x 3 @ 75%, 3 x 2 @ 80%, 2 x 3 @ 75%, 2 x 4 @ 65%, 1 x 6 @ 60%, 1 x 8 @ 55%

face pulls 2-3 sets

bench press 5 x 3 @ 80%

pause squat 3 x 2 @ 65%

GHR 2-3 sets

hypers 2-3 sets

week 3

squat 5 x 3 @ 80%

bench press 5 x 3 @ 80%

squat 3 x 3 @ 70%

hypers 2-3 sets

deadlift 3 x 2 @ 85-90%

paused bench press 5 x 2 @ 70%

DB Bulgarian split squat 2-3 sets

squat 4 x 2 @ 85-90%

bench press 4 x 2 @ 85-90%

triceps pushdowns 2-3 sets

week 4

squat 2 x 2 @ 65%

bench press 2 x 2 @ 65%

pull-ups 2-3 sets

deficit deadlift 2 x 2 @ 65%

incline bench press 3 x 6

DB rows

bench press 3 x 3 @ 70%

squat 3 x 3 @ 70%

GHR 2-3 sets

dynamic side plank 2 sets

Good luck :)