Don't Be A Volume Goober

I used to be a volume goober. I thought that if I just did more exercises in the gym, I would get more jacked and strong. I remember vividly that my workouts would just be from going on one machine to the next until I had gone through every machine in the gym (no joke, I actually thought this was proper training).

Adding endless volume to your training is not how you get stronger (in most cases). My general rule of thumb is that if you are training for either powerlifting/bodybuilding/strongman, then doing more than 8 exercises in the gym is useless.

I have found through experimentation and conversations with advanced lifters that ~8 exercises are as many you need per session to make all the gains you need for progress in strength and size. A lot of trainees (especially beginners) fall into the trap of thinking that more is always better. This is almost always NOT true when it comes to strength training. You are MUCH better off putting more intensity and effort into your exercises rather than just doing more exercising with no intent. The truth is that if you are training legitimately hard, you WILL be fried after 8 exercises. 

Note: This recommendation doesn't really apply to performance or olympic weightlifting training. Both of these will generally be even more technical and challenging on the body and nervous system, so you should probably do even less volume. Most olympic lifters I know do 3-4 exercises in a workout and then they're done.

Also, please don't take this message the wrong way. Just because I hate doing endless exercises doesn't mean that you should only do 1 exercise in the gym and leave. I believe that through trial and error you should find the best amount of volume that works for your individual capabilities. Most guys are going t be fine with 6-7 exercises per session maximum. Some guys with stressful work and poor sleep could only do 4 exercises. Younger guys with optimised recovery (such as myself) can push it to 8 exercises in a single session. Above 8 exercises per workout, you're just being a goober. 

Practical Tips To Help You Determine Volume

Start with the lower end of volume. If you can go through workouts whilst training hard and you still aren't fried at the end, then you can add in more volume. But there will be a certain point were your body tells you to stop, and that is where you should cap volume. If you are someone who has terrible recovery, just start with 4-5 exercises. If you have better recovery, start with 6 exercises. Also, keep in mind you can just add sets to your existing exercises rather than adding in more exercises. This will be enough to drive progression without majorly impacting recovery. Refer to the table below:

Just keep in mind that volume requirements are highly individual. All that I have described in this post is the MAXIMUM amount of volume you should do. Many of the people I coach only do 5 exercises per session and they make excellent progress whilst only spending 1-1.5hrs in the gym. More is not always better!

If you have any questions, put them in the comments below!

- Hawtsauce