Elite Physique The New Science of Building a Better Body

Muscle Rules
53
Since that time there have been numerous improvements in the way you can
program progressive overload. We start by covering the components of volume
and intensity, as well as the relationship between the two. Note that this section
on progressive overload contains the most technical information in this book,
and it may not be of interest to you. If you want to better understand the relationship
between volume and intensity, read on. However, if you’re just an avid
lifter who wants to build a better physique, you can skip to the next chapter. With
that caveat out of the way, let’s cover the components of progressive overload.
Volume
Volume is the amount of load that can be calculated in pounds or kilograms
for each workout, week, or training cycle. Volume affects neural, hypertrophic,
hormonal, and metabolic responses to exercise (Schoenfeld, Ogborn, and Krieger
2017). The simplest definition of volume, as it applies to resistance training, is the
total number of reps multiplied by load as shown in this equation:
volume = total reps × load (3.1)
If an athlete squats 5 × 6 (i.e., 30 total repetitions) with 250 pounds (113 kg), the
volume is 7,500 pounds (3,400 kg) (30 × 250 = 7,500). One way to program progressive
overload is by steadily increasing exercise volume. This helps improve
your work capacity while preparing your muscles, tendons, and ligaments for
the strain of high-impact activities that are common in sport. Equation 3.1 allows
you to determine a change in volume when different parameters are performed.
For example, an athlete performs 30 total reps of the squat with 250 pounds (113
kg) in one workout, and 40 total reps with 200 pounds (91 kg) in the next session.
Even though the load decreased, his actual exercise volume increased from 7,500
pounds (3,400 kg) to 8,000 pounds (3,630 kg). This volume calculation can be
paired with the intensity calculation we’re about to cover so you can determine
how they’re related in a training cycle.
Intensity
Intensity is a measure of effort as it relates to time or load. There are four ways
to increase intensity:
• Use a higher percentage of 1RM.
• Increase speed of movement.
• Decrease rest periods between exercises.
• Work closer to momentary muscular failure.
To calculate intensity, divide exercise volume by total number of reps. Keeping
with the earlier example, the squat volume is 7,500 pounds (3,400 kg), consisting
of 30 total repetitions. In this case, exercise intensity is 250 (7,500/30 = 250), as
shown in this equation:
exercise intensity = exercise volume/total reps (3.2)