High Intensity Training (HIT) and volume training are two different approaches to strength training, and both methods have their advantages. Let’s explore them in more detail:
HIT is known to be an effective training method to increase physical capacity. Here are some key points:
- HIT focuses on high intensity and short duration.
- Interval running uphill, where you stay in the high-intensity zone (85-95% of maximum heart rate), is an effective form of HIT.
- For strength training, it is most effective to train with an intensity of 85-90% of 1RM (repetition maximum).
Volume training aims to increase muscle size throughout sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. This is growth of the part of the muscle cell that does not directly contribute to muscle strength, but can still increase in size. Here are some important points:
- Volume training involves many exercises and sets per muscle group.
- Time under tension (TUT), higher volume and repetitions in the interval 10-20 are typical for this form of training.
HIT involves a few sets per muscle group and a focus on intensity-increasing techniques, while volume training includes more exercises and sets per muscle group with longer sessions and somewhat lower intensity. Research suggests that both methods can produce good results, focusing on different types of muscle growth.
Now it should be mentioned that there are many definitions of what HIT is, ranging from Dorian Yates-type training programs which are essentially volume programs with a bunch of rather heavy warm-up sets that he doesn’t count, to Mike Mentzer-type madness during his last years, where he recommended as little as one set per muscle group every 14 days. Instead of reinventing the wheel here, I’ve instead just adapted a proven HIT program that works very well, namely Dante Trudel’s “doggcrapp” program 2).
The program is based on proven methods and approaches such as Dante Trudel’s “doggcrapp” program and Steve Holman’s training plan. It focuses on stimulating both myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, and provides readers with a structured exercise regimen to achieve muscle growth.
Myofibrillar hypertrophy and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy are two different types of muscle growth that occur in response to different training methods:
- Myofibrillar hypertrophy:
- This refers to the increase in size and number myofibrils in the muscle cells.
- Myofibrils are the contractile units in the muscles that provide strength and power.
- Obtained by lifting heavy weights with fewer repetitions.
- Gives increased muscle strength.
- Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy:
- This means an increase in the volume of sarcoplasmwhich is the liquid and energy-storing molecules inside the muscle cells.
- Achieved through higher volume and longer sessions with something lower intensity.
- Contributes to session muscle sizebut not necessarily increased strength.
Trudel’s philosophy is, in short, that a stronger muscle is a bigger muscle. For example, if you go from doing 10 reps of 100kg in a squat to doing 10 reps of 150kg, your thighs will have gotten bigger in the meantime. Logically enough. The key factor in training is to have progression in the load (weights) over time, and constantly push yourself to lift heavier weights, or more reps of the same weight. Technically, this means that the training focuses on something called myofibrillar hypertrophy.
1) HIT = high intensity trainingcharacterized by few sets per muscle group and diligent use of intensity-increasing techniques. Volume training = many exercises and sets per muscle group, longer duration of the sessions, somewhat lower intensity.
2) Dante also includes extreme stretching in his program, we have omitted that here.
In the volume section of the program should we focus on increasing muscle size through sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. This is growth of the part of the muscle cell that does not contribute to muscle strength, but which nevertheless has great potential to increase in size. Much of the size of bodybuilders comes from just this type of muscle development (and it explains how some bodybuilders can be so huge without being particularly strong).
To adapt this concept, we have developed a training program that combines three weeks of HIT followed by three weeks of volume training. This program takes inspiration from Dante Trudel’s “doggcrapp” program, which focuses on progressive loading and myofibrillar hypertrophy.
In addition to presenting the program, we provide a brief explanation of the two types of muscle growth: sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar hypertrophy. This article intends to introduce an exciting training program based on recognized methods and experiences from the bodybuilding community.
ALSO READ: Dorian Yates – All or Nothing! If I were to talk about the “secret” to my progress as a bodybuilder, it would be: “Give it your all, when you do something. Or blow it!”
First three weeks:
Økt 1:
Biceps: Standing bar curls or seated dumbbell curls or biceps curls in a machine
Underarms: Hammer curls or forearm curls with a bar or reverse bar curls
Adding: Standing toe raise or seated toe raise or donkey toe raise
Biceps femoris: Lying thigh curls or seated thigh curls or straight deadlifts
Front thigh: Squats or hack squats or leg presses
Økt 2:
Breast: Hammer strength chest press or Incline bench press or Smith machine bench press
Shoulders: Military press or Hammer strength shoulder press or medium-grip upright rows
Triceps: Narrow bench press or French press or machine dips
Back width: Wide grip pull down or narrow grip pull down or Hammer Strength underhand grip pull down
Back thickness: T-bar rowing or deadlift or standing pole rowing
- Choose one of the exercises for each muscle group in each training session.
- All the exercises must be done for 6-8 reps until absolute failure, followed by 10 seconds of rest and then as many new reps as you can manage followed by 10 seconds of rest before taking as many reps as you can manage again (this is called Rest-pause, and you can read about it in my article on Intensity Techniques).
- Rest 2-3 minutes between each exercise.
Next three weeks:
In this phase, we switch to training four days a week, and we will no longer use intensity-increasing techniques. We’re not even going to run all the sets to failure. For each exercise, you should use the same weight for all sets, and that weight should be so light that you would be able to do 12-15 reps on it if you pushed yourself to failure on the first set. However, we are only going to do 10 reps on all sets, so that means that sets number 1 and 2 will feel quite easy, while only on set 3 you have to really push yourself to manage 10 reps, and on set number 4 you will most likely not able to do 10 reps. When you manage 10 reps on all sets, increase the weight next time. Here you must also have short breaks between sets, only 30-45 seconds between sets.
Here too, we have not bothered to reinvent the gun, we have instead modified an excellent program by Steve Holman from Ironman magazine. All the muscles in the upper body are trained 3 times in 2 weeks, while the legs are trained once a week.
Økt 3:
Breast:
Incline bench machine 4 x 10
Cable crossovers 4 x 10
Seated chest press 3 x 10
Pec dec 4 x 10
Back:
Pull-downs 4 x 10
Cable rowing underhand grip 3 x 10
Dumbbell Rowing 3 x 10
Narrow grip pull downs 3 x 10
Face pulls 3 x 10
Stomach:
Leg raises 4 x 10
Crunches 4 x 10
Økt 4:
Front thigh:
Squat 4 x 10
Lunge 4 x 10
Kick out 3 x 10
Hack squats 2 x 7
Lower back and thigh biceps:
Back raise 4 x 10
Thigh curls 4 x 10
Straight mark 3 x 10
Adding:
Standing toe raise 3 x 10
Seated toe raise 3 x 10
Økt 5:
Shoulders:
Upright rows shoulder width grip 4 x 10
Dumbbell overhead press 3 x 10
Side Raise 4 x 10
Conversely, 3 x 10 are flown
Triceps:
Press down 3 x 10
French press 3 x 10
Overhead extensions with rope 3 x 10
Cable pushouts 1 x 12
Bench dips 1 x 15
Biceps:
EZ bar curls 3 x 10
Cable curls 3 x 10
Spider curls 3 x 10
Underarms:
Reverse curls 3 x 10
Then the whole thing can be repeated ad infinitum…
High Intensity Training (HIT) and volume training in summary
- HIT (High-Intensity Training) and volume training are both effective methods for muscle growth and strength gains.
- While HIT focuses on short and intense training sessions with few repetitions and sets, volume training emphasizes more repetitions and sets with moderate load.
- An optimal approach may be to combine both methods by including periods of high intensity and periods of high volume in the training program.
- This provides varied stimuli to the muscles and can help avoid plateaus and promote continuous progress in training.
