Junk Volume
None of those easy sets are doing anything
If it doesnt challenge you, it does not change you
What is Junk Volume?
Junk volume refers to doing sets of an exercise that are not intense enough to produce any kind of adaptation.
Junk volume is not "warmup sets". Warmup sets are done for a specific purpose to increase circulation and prepare the body for more challenging sets. Very heavy weights can require more warmups.
Rather, junk volume refers to working sets that are of such low intensity that they cannot stimulate muscle growth.
Perfect example in this photo. That weight is way too light and would do nothing for muscle growth no matter how many times he rowed it.
I'll give an example, and a thinking exercise
Lets imagine you do dumbbell shoulder press. You can press 70lbs for 6-8 reps, depending on your energy levels. You have decently strong shoulders.
What would stimulate more muscle growth?
A. Doing 10 sets of 10 reps with 50lb DBs?
OR
B. Doing TWO sets of 8 and 6 reps (one set of 8, followed by one set of 6), with both sets done to failure?
The Answer is B
Now you might think, but 10 sets of 10 is so much more VOLUME. Surely doing that many sets is going to be fatiguing and its lots of time under tension!
Yeah, it is. 100 reps x 50lbs is 5,000lbs of volume
But NONE of those sets are intense enough to challenge the muscle ability to produce force
If this person can press the 70lb DBs for 8 reps, their 1 rep max on DB shoulder press is estimated at 85lbs.
50lbs is only 60% of their 1 rep max.
And to get a growth stimulus from a 60% weight, you would need to do TWENTY REPS to failure.
Not 10.
But what about TIME UNDER TENSION???
Time Under Tension by itself means nothing. Time under tension does not cause muscle growth, time under CHALLENGING mechanical tension causes muscle growth.
Muscles grow from time under mechanically challenging tension with muscle contracting close to volitional failure.
Said in plain english, the weight has to be heavy enough to be HARD to lift. And you need to do enough reps that you are straining to lift it.
If you do ten reps but could have done 20, that set is NOT stimulating muscle growth
This is why Progressive Overload is so misunderstood.
The ONLY recognized driver of muscle growth is challenging mechanical tension.
Everything else is a secondary proxy. You could do 20 sets a week if you wanted to of exercises. If none of those sets of are sufficient weight and intensity, YOU WONT GROW.
You need to push yourself in the gym if you want gains and change and growth. The sets MUST be challenging. More reps, more weight. Use whatever rep range you want ( I suggest the 6-12 range), but the principle remains the same.
Intensity of Effort directs the Extent of the Outcome
Not every exercise will progress for forever (the body has limits), but most people never train hard enough to realize their limits in the first place
Any questions? Let me know in the comments
Thanks for the article Alexander. I’ve been following an outline of your Longevity Program for sometime now(and love it). However I’ve been doing 2 sets of each exercise to failure. Interested in whether the following counts as progressive overload: let’s say I am doing 150 lbs OHP for 10 reps and 9 reps(to failure) and that’s my personal best. I come to the gym and can’t “get there” however I do 3 sets of 7/7/7. Since that is more volume, is that a form of progression? Thank you.
Does this apply to tall men? I did a quick read through of tallman training (will be doing a slower read soon) and I believe I picked up for taller guys it's better to do more reps.
I started to lower the weight and raise the reps for bicep curls as an example, and have felt like my workouts are better.