Volume in strength training is a measurment of the amount of work performed in any given period. It is extremely important to plan and control training volume to prevent over-training, as all training is cumulative and can influence recoverability .
Within strength training a number of mechanisms should be used to measure and monitor volume.
The volume of training must be balanced to prevent injury first which also includes recoverability and then on its effects on physical attrubutes that include hypertrophy, strength, power and endurance.
It is generally thought that when two individuals of comparable strength are on the same basic program the individual who has the greater volume will always be stronger. However the principle of individualization must be taken into account before making any assumptions in regards to volume.
Key issues in strength training volume include:
Volume is inversely related to intensity. If volume is high, then intensity is lowered to accommodate the increased volume. To be able to successfully increase intensity, the volume must be first reduced.
A linear progression for volume not recommended when looking at a multi-year periodization plan. Once volume has peaked at a certain level, intensity has a far more important role and therefore should play a more important role in the overall program design.
Volume is dependent upon the individuals’ recovery capacity or recoverability. The higher the individuals’ recoverability, the higher the volume of training that may be tolerated.
Measuring volume in strength training:
Per Training Session:
Time
Total duration of a training session is not a accurate measurement of volume as it does not distinguish between rest periods and actual work time therefore may not the best measurement of volume however rest periods can play into this and could be factored into the equation. Total working time does have some merit and this is where time under tension comes in to consideration also.
Number of reps
The number of reps perform per set and per session can have a factor into the equation, however alone it is limited as a measure of volume.
Number of Sets
The number of sets has been shown to a more effective tool in measuring volume than reps or time.
Time under tension
A limitation of using sets as a measure of volume is the inability to compare time under tension between repetitions of different exercises.
How to calculate volume in seconds in time under tension:
1. Time per rep: Eccentric + pause + concentric + pause
2. Time per set: Time per rep X number of reps
3. Time per exercise: Time per set X number of sets
Per Day
When multiple training sessions in a single day total volume should be accounted and closely monitored as this can influence recovery.
Per Week
Measuring training volume over a single week can provide objective overview of the training volume as training frequency could greatly influence the total volume performed when balanced with recovery.
Per Training Block or Phase
This is useful when developing an annual plan to account for recovery and time spent on specific qualities or skills.