Volume Training vs Strength Training

So this is a question people often ask, so this is why I will address it.

What is the difference between 10 reps for strength and 10 reps for Volume?

Is there even a difference?

Ok so the term VOLUME in this situation comes from the old school technique of "German Volume Training." Now you might be saying what is that? Well German Volume Training (I will use GVT for short) is the technique most commonly referred to by lifters refer to as the 10x10.

What is 10x10

10x10 is short for 10sets of 10reps.

**Since my mission in the fitness industry is to simplify everything I will even explain sets and reps. (Reps are one movement from beginning to end. Example 1 push up is considered one REP. Rep is short for repetition. One Squat is 1 REP. also: Sets are a group of REPS so if your workout calls for 4sets of 10reps then if it is pushups you should 10 pushups(reps) than break then repeat that 3 more times.)**

Ok so back to volume training... Volume training is a method of both building strength and size. The method is effective but taxing. This is not something I would recommend for people who do not already have experience lifting for at least 1 year. I seriously stress that this is REALLY HARD stuff it is not something you simply do and then walk out of the gym normally. It hurts (obviously in a good way) but it hurts none the less. What your goal to do here is to preform 10sets of 10reps with the HEAVIEST WEIGHT YOU PHYSICALLY CAN! This means that you should not go so heavy that your form is bad and you should not go so light that you will be able to do even 12 reps. There is a learning curve with this workout as most people don't know the exact weight they can do exactly 10reps with.

Myth Busting
There are a lot of pages on the internet that you will find stupid statements that say that you can ONLY build mass if you are doing low reps. This is absolutely false. There are thousands of ways to build mass other than low reps. The simple definition of muscle growth is that you tear your muscle down(microscopic sized tears not injury sized tears) and your body heals it and in the process makes it bigger/ stronger.

The technical term for muscle growth is Hypertrophy- what this is basically is the tearing down of a muscle and the body's natural instinct to repair it. When your body repairs the muscle it gets stronger denser and slightly larger. (**Disclaimer to the ladies** when I say slightly larger I mean so small you could never notice it unless your muscle fibers were under a microscope.)


Back to the difference between 10 reps for strength and 10 reps for Volume or Mass

10 reps should be 10 reps right?

YES!!!! thats why I hate this question!

10 reps is 10 reps and always will be just 10 reps.

Really what you are asking in this question is will the number of sets I do make a difference in terms of volume. 

This is the real true question! Yes the number of sets you preform of an exercise makes all the difference. The average weight lifting routine from start to finish should have no more then 15sets* and no less than 10sets. The reason  is on average if you do 15sets in a single routine with the right amount of rest your workout should take anywhere between 35min-50minutes. The average person rests 1 minute or more between sets before they resume the next so on average most people will take 50 minutes to complete a 15set routine.

When you do volume training 10x10 you use the same equipment same weight (unless you are getting so tired you need to make it lighter) over and over again with 45sec- 1min 30sec rest. NO MORE NO LESS! This is fast paced usually a 10x10 workout should only take 15-30min tops. This is higher intensity and you are tearing your muscle down a lot faster and a lot more effectively. This is why you can both gain strength and size while only using 10 reps. This is the most effective way for intermediate lifter to gain strength and size I highly recommend you try this... But remember this is very intense so make sure you have a friend with you and take safety precautions when attempting a 10x10 routine.

(sorry for how long this one was but you will hopefully understand it finally)


Thanks for reading!
Sincerely,

Frank