Question regarding training volume

[britlifter]

I know we can train a muscle 1x per week & give it all its work sets in 1 session eg "chest day" or "back day", or we can spread the work sets out as in an upper/lower or a 3 day total body routine..etc

But routine set up aside, may I ask you Mark what do you view as high, moderate & low set volume for a bodypart per week?

I dont mean sets per a particular exercise, or total sets performed in a workout but I mean total work sets for a particular bodypart including all exercises for that muscle per week eg:

4 sets bench press
4 sets chest dips
4 sets incline flyes

= a total of 12 total work sets for chest.

Here are my thoughts. The sets Iv suggested are direct work sets per bodypart, per week, depending on goal.

Strength, 2-6 sets. Strength/Hypertrpohy, 3-9 sets. Hypertrophy, 6-16 sets.

I would be real curious on your thoughts on the above Mark?
Thx!

[Mark Rippetoe]

It all depends. The sets have to have the number of reps specified, because that's what adds up to volume. But these matters are dealt with in detail in PPST.

[britlifter]

Yer, I am seriously considering getting my own copy of programming for strength training, Iv read the excerts from the site & its wetted my appitite!

Meantime Mark am I correct in my thinking that the heavier the weight or the closer to our 1RM for strength that in general the a lower volume of set/reps be used eg 5x5, 3x5, 3x3 etc. And that when training lighter around 70% 1RM for example typical bodybuilding hypertrophy training or RE work then set/rep volume would be higher eg 3x12, 4x8-10 etc?

Is this a decent basic understanding? Thx!

[britlifter]

May I ask your opinion Mark or Kyle of Chad Waterburys recommendation of a total of 24-50 reps per muscle group 2-4 times per week for optimal strength and hypertrophy? Thx!

[PMDL]

May I ask your opinion Mark or Kyle of Chad Waterburys recommendation of a total of 24-50 reps per muscle group 2-4 times per week for optimal strength and hypertrophy? Thx!

I'm neither of those guys, but from all the anecdotes of lifters and backed up by research, 20-60 reps per part, per session, with a frequency of 2-3 times per week seems to be about the right zone, at least to base a starting point.

Your real-life results, as always, may vary.

[britlifter]

I'm neither of those guys, but from all the anecdotes of lifters and backed up by research, 20-60 reps per part, per session, with a frequency of 2-3 times per week seems to be about the right zone, at least to base a starting point.

Your real-life results, as always, may vary.

Agreed, I personaly wouldnt train a bodypart more than 2 or 3 time a week and 20-60 reps per bodypart seems decent. Thx!