Training frequency vs training volume

For a novice beginning the gym, the enthusiasm is always very high. They want to train 4 to 5 days per week, are super excited to get results as quickly as possible, and use their new found energy in a positive way. Unfortunately the clients expectations of attaining quick results rarely synchronise with reality of consistency putting in the hard yards at the gym. Their focus has now shifted to why they haven’t achieved their goal, and gym frequency has been significantly reduced down to 2 days per week and the workouts become harder to complete. Beers at the pub on a Friday afternoon sound much more tempting and pleasurable than a hard legs session. This is the common path a new trainee will take and in a matter of months lead to drop out completely from the gym or classes.

Educating clients on how long and how much work needs to be put in to change their body is the most reasonable way to getting on the right track. Rather than just having a crazy first month, which can be a great way to kick start some progress, at least outline a plan that can be adhered to. For instance :

Month one - train 4 or 5 day per week

Month two and three - 3, 4, or 5 days per week

Month three to six - 3 or 4 days per week

Six months to one year - 3 days per week minimum

(Now the habit is set and we can sustain our new body with this level of fitness)

Having a training plan is half the battle when trying to develop new habits. Keeping in line with the training frequency allows a minimum and maximum effort to develop. Some weeks you may feel amazing and train everyday but other weeks life gets in the way and you can’t train as much. Having a plan will give you a pathway to follow especially when motivation drops and energy levels are down. Just go three times and tick the box for that week. It doesn't matter if the workouts were easy or hard, it only matters that you trained that week. Without a plan, the unconscious mind will again take over and your 6 months of hard work will all be for nothing if you stop completely and go back square one.

So even a frequency of twice per week can be acceptable to achieve amazing results if you keep active out of the gym, by keeping your daily step count up (>10k), and sustain this routine for a number of years. Looking far into the future and having realistic and measurable goals will lead to extra motivation after 12 months, for example, knowing you have lost 6-8 kg this year and have another 6-8 to go. Losing belly fat slowly and steadily also gives the body time to adjust its appetite to the new weight, and reset its metabolism and will help avoid any yoyo weight gain.

Now the second variable is training volume. What is this exactly, volume is weights is the sets X repetitions X weight lifted per session.

For eg: Bench Press 3 sets of 10 rest @ 100kg = 3 x 10 x 100 = 3000kg

So for an entire chest workout you would calculate the total weight lifted. Just add up the volume for each exercise and you have your workout volume. Small increases in volume each week will lead to progress, wether it be for muscle building or fat loss. The act of tracking and becoming aware of your workout will yield amazing results.

The same can be applied to running, swimming or rowing, and other forms of cardio. One of the main reasons people don’t progress in cardio for fat loss is the volume and/or intensity both stays the same. Only go to the gym for 1 hour of walking, yes you will lose fat in the first month but progress will slow after these initial losses. The volume remains the same, but if you walk uphill at 10 degrees at the same pace the intensity lifts and progress will follow.

There are many more variables that can be manipulated to continue to progress besides just increasing volume (weight, reps or sets). Working different range of motions, reducing rest, adding multiple exercises in a row rather than resting, slowing down the tempo, speeding up the tempo or adding pauses, increasing resistance with thera bands or adding eccentric resistance, working unilaterally and bilaterally are all ways we can stimulate adaptation to ensure progress is made.

Having this knowledge, now you must apply it. There is no need to spend two - three hours at the gym (unless of course, you love it!). Consistently training a minimum frequency each week will achieve amazing results in the long term. Calculate your training volume or have a personal trainer help you with it, and make sure you spend your time efficiently in the gym by not resting too much and getting the work in. The results will follow. Tracking volume and frequency are the simplest variables that will keep you on track to achieve the results you have set out initially.