Is More Workout Volume Always Better

You’ve been told that to get bigger and stronger, you just need to do more. More sets, more reps, more exercises. But if you’re reading this, you’ve probably tried that and found yourself burnt out, sore, and stuck. The idea that more is always better is the single biggest myth in the gym.

Key Takeaways

• More workout volume is only better up to your Maximum Recoverable Volume (MRV), which for most people is 10-20 hard sets per muscle group per week.
• Any sets performed after your muscles are too fatigued to be stimulated effectively is considered "junk volume" that only hinders recovery, it doesn't build muscle.
• The quality of your sets (lifting with good form close to failure) is far more important for growth than the total quantity of sets you perform.
• Signs you're doing too much volume include stalled strength, persistent joint pain, and feeling constantly run down instead of energized by your workouts.
• The most effective strategy is to find your Minimum Effective Dose (MED) of volume, around 10 sets per muscle group, and only add more when your progress stalls for 2 consecutive weeks.

What Is Workout Volume (And Why It's Misunderstood)

The answer to "is more workout volume always better?" is a hard no, and understanding why will save you from years of burnout and stalled progress. You're likely stuck because you're confusing being busy in the gym with being productive. They are not the same thing.

Workout volume is technically calculated as Sets x Reps x Weight. It’s a measure of the total work you’ve done. However, most people simplify this and just think of volume as the number of sets they do for a muscle group. This is where the first mistake happens.

When you hit a plateau, the laziest advice you'll get is to just "do more." So you add another exercise. You turn your 3x10 into a 5x10. You spend two hours in the gym instead of one. You leave feeling exhausted, thinking you did a great job. But a few weeks later, you're lifting the same weight. You don't look any different. You've added work, but not results.

This is because not all volume is created equal. The only volume that matters for muscle growth is *effective volume*. These are your "hard sets"-the sets where you push yourself to within 1-3 reps of muscular failure. We measure this with a scale called RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion), where a 10 is absolute failure. Your hard sets should be in the 7-9 RPE range.

Any set that is too light (like a warm-up) or any set performed when you're already too fatigued to recruit muscle fibers properly doesn't count. It's just noise.

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The Law of Diminishing Returns: Why More Isn't Better

Your body grows through a simple cycle: Stimulus -> Recovery -> Adaptation. You provide a stimulus in the gym, your body recovers while you rest and eat, and it adapts by getting slightly stronger and bigger to handle that stimulus better next time.

Adding more volume is only effective up to the point where you can still recover. Once you exceed your body's recovery capacity, you're no longer stimulating growth-you're just digging a deeper hole of fatigue. This is where "junk volume" comes in.

Junk volume is any work you do that adds fatigue without providing a new growth stimulus. It’s the sets you perform after you’ve already done enough to trigger adaptation. Think about it: your first 3-4 sets of a heavy bench press are strong and crisp. By set 5, your form gets shaky and the weight feels twice as heavy. That 5th set isn't building your chest; it's just draining your energy for the rest of the workout and making it harder to recover for your next session.

Here are the clear signs you're doing too much volume:

• Your Strength Is Stagnant or Decreasing: If you were benching 135 lbs for 8 reps last week and can only get 6 this week, you're not recovering. More volume isn't the answer; less volume is.
• You're Constantly Sore: Being sore for a day or two is normal. Being so sore you can barely move for 4-5 days means you did too much damage for your body to repair effectively.
• Your Joints Ache: Muscle soreness is one thing; pain in your elbows, shoulders, or knees is a red flag. It means you're accumulating fatigue faster than your connective tissues can handle.
• You Dread Your Workouts: Feeling tired and unmotivated to train is your body's way of telling you it needs a break. Pushing through this feeling with even more volume leads to burnout.

How to Find Your Optimal Volume (The 3-Step Process)

Instead of guessing or blindly adding more work, you need a system. The goal is not to do the *most* volume possible, but the *least* volume necessary to make progress. This is called the Minimum Effective Dose (MED).

Step 1: Find Your Minimum Effective Dose (MED)

For 90% of people, the MED for muscle growth is between 10-12 hard sets per muscle group per week. Stop starting your programs with 20-25 sets. You have nowhere to go from there.

Start with 10 hard sets. This gives you a baseline and, more importantly, room to add volume later when you actually need it.

• Example Chest Workout (10 sets total):
• Barbell Bench Press: 4 sets of 5-8 reps
• Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Cable Fly: 3 sets of 12-15 reps

That's it. That's the entire workout. It might feel short, but if every set is a true "hard set" (RPE 8-9), it's more than enough to stimulate growth.

Step 2: Track Your Performance Religiously

Volume without tracking is just guessing. For the next two weeks on your new 10-set program, you must track your main lifts. Your logbook is your proof.

Progress isn't just adding weight. It can be:

• Adding Weight: You lifted 135 lbs for 8 reps last week, and 140 lbs for 8 reps this week.
• Adding Reps: You lifted 135 lbs for 8 reps last week, and 135 lbs for 9 reps this week.

If you are making progress in either of these ways, DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING. Your current volume is working. The biggest mistake people make is changing a program that is delivering results.

Step 3: Add Volume Intelligently (Only When Needed)

After 2-3 weeks, you might notice your progress has stalled. You've been stuck at 135 lbs for 9 reps for two weeks in a row. Now, and only now, do you have permission to add volume.

Do not double your volume. Add just 1-2 sets to the muscle group that has stalled. For our chest example, you could add one more set to the Incline Dumbbell Press. Your new weekly volume is 11 sets. Now, repeat Step 2 and see if that broke the plateau.

This methodical process of starting low and only adding volume when progress stops is the secret to long-term, injury-free gains. You're using volume as a tool, not a blunt instrument.

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What Is Maximum Recoverable Volume (MRV)?

Maximum Recoverable Volume (MRV) is the absolute most training you can do in a week and still recover from. It's the ceiling. For most people, this number falls somewhere between 20-22 hard sets per muscle group per week.

It's critical to understand that MRV is not a target you should aim for every week. It's a temporary peak you might push to for a few weeks to break through a stubborn plateau, typically followed by a deload week with much lower volume (around 6-8 sets) to allow your body to fully recover and adapt.

Trying to train at your MRV year-round is a guaranteed recipe for injury, burnout, and regression. It's like redlining a car engine every time you drive; something will eventually break.

This is NOT for you if:

• You are a beginner or intermediate lifter.
• You sleep less than 7-8 hours per night consistently.
• Your nutrition and protein intake are not dialed in.
• You have a high-stress life outside the gym.

This is for you if:

• You are an advanced lifter with years of training experience.
• You have stalled for over a month despite intelligently adding volume.
• Your sleep, nutrition, and stress management are all optimized.

For 99% of people reading this, your focus should be on mastering the 10-20 set range. Find your MED, make progress there, and only add volume when your logbook tells you it's time.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many sets per muscle group per week is best?

Start with 10-12 hard sets per muscle group per week. This is the Minimum Effective Dose for most people. Only increase this number by 1-2 sets when your strength progress stalls for two consecutive weeks. Most people will see the best results staying between 10 and 20 sets.

Is it better to do more sets or more reps?

It is better to add reps or weight to your current sets before you add more sets. This is the core of progressive overload. Once you can no longer add weight or reps to your lifts for two weeks straight, then consider adding one or two more sets to your weekly volume.

What is a "hard set"?

A hard set is a working set taken 1-3 repetitions shy of total muscular failure. On a difficulty scale of 1 to 10, this would feel like an 8 or 9 (RPE 8-9). If you could have done 5+ more reps, the set was too light to be considered a hard set.

How do I know if I'm doing junk volume?

If your performance drops off a cliff during your workout, you're doing junk volume. For example, if you get 10 reps on your first set of squats but can only manage 5 reps on your third set with the same weight, that third set was likely non-productive junk volume.

Should I count warm-up sets in my volume?

No, do not count warm-up sets. Volume only refers to your working sets, which are the "hard sets" performed close to failure. Warm-up sets are performed with lighter weight to prepare your muscles and joints; they are not intense enough to stimulate muscle growth.

Conclusion

More volume is not always better; *smarter* volume is. The goal isn't to annihilate yourself in the gym, but to provide the precise dose of stimulus your body needs to grow, and then get out.

Stop chasing fatigue and start chasing progress. Focus on mastering the 10-20 hard set range, track your lifts, and earn your right to add more work.