Volume Makes You Strong

When it comes to training, we all know that the Big 3 lifts make us strong, and they need to be worked, but what about the other stuff?

Sure, lifting heavy weights for 1-3 reps builds strength, but is that all there is?

Of course not.

We need to lift heavy weights and we need to train in the 90% + range sometimes.
Not every session, not every day, but it needs to be done.

What about volume training?

Volume makes you strong right?

Yup.

We need to do some Volume training on the big lifts and some volume on our Accessory and Assistance too, but how can we add some more in and not burn ourselves out?

Today, I am going to give you ONE idea on how to add extra volume to your training that will yield huge dividends. It also will not affect your recovery if done right.

And, it raises your GPP, build some muscle and prepares you to hit bigger weights easier.
Sounds like a winner doesn’t it.

And it only takes a few minutes.

I am always looking for ways to improve performance and it doesn’t need to be complicated.

I am a huge fan of simple, not easy.

 
I stole that line from Greg Robins, an excellent coach who used to work at TPS. It’s gold.

Adding in extra volume to your training can easily be done by performing a few bodyweight movements after your General Warmup.
I add this in to a lot of my programs and it has never not paid off.
It’s also simple, but not easy.

Here’s how it goes:

You will pick a series of body weight exercises and then do a TOTAL number of reps in as few sets as possible.
EG: If it says 25 reps, do each exercise for as many reps as you can, then go to the next one.
Stop when you hit the required number of reps for each.
Do this before each training session.

This should take no more than 10 minutes.

You will find that it gets easier to do more reps each week, but by adding reps it makes it “not easy”.
You also don’t count these towards anything that is in your program, meaning that if your program has 4x12 Glute Ham Raises with bands as a third or fourth exercise, these are just a bonus.

Here is a second look at how it can be done.

This also is simple, but not easy.

Keeping the total number of reps the same has the total volume the same, but you get a training effect because you will be doing more reps per set.

EG:

Week 1, you get 10 GHR, 15 pushups, and 15 Fat Guy Pullups in your first set, that means that you better do at least 11 GHR’s, 16 pushups, and 16 Fat Guy Pullups in your first set next week, AND more on each successive set.

As an example, I had a National Champion Discuss thrower who I trained years ago, and she couldn’t do one Glute Ham Raise when I started coaching her. Her Glute and Ham strength was grossly deficient.

One of the ways we brought them up quickly was every time she came to the gym she did a set number of GHR’s before she trained.

We actually had to begin with Back Raises because one GHR was not possible, so we did the same number for a few weeks as illustrated in the second option above.

After a few weeks, we tried the GHR, she did one.

So, I started her out with a low total number, I think it was 10 total.
After a few weeks, 4 if I recall, she was doing all 10 in one set.

I then added in more reps and a few more exercises as illustrated in the first example.
Within about 2 months she was smashing sets of 20 in the GHR.

We also did lots of work in her training to build strength in the posterior chain, including Band  Assisted GHR’s.

Guess what?

Her throws were further in the next season.

Of course, this extra work was not the only reason for this, but it helped.
We found a weakness, and we eliminated it.

How do you choose exercises?

Well, you can just choose basic body weight exercises, or you can figure out where you are the most deficient and hit that area.
Let’s say your lats are WEAK, it might be a good idea to add pullups in, or Fat Guy Pullups, or Band Assisted Pullups.

How about your lower back?
Maybe Back Raises?

Seems simple right?

I also like to rotate the exercises after a month or so if the athlete is getting really strong at them.
I’d rather rotate the exercise than make it more complex. What I mean is that I want this to be low nervous system, low intensity muscular work.

If they are strong at the GHR, I am not adding weight or a band to it, at least in the early stages of this.
I’d swap out the exercises and change the stimulus to get a different response.

Maybe we swap GHR’s for Single Leg Back Raises or Back Raises, or 45 Degree Back Raises, swap the Pushups to Blast Strap/TRX Pushups, and the Fat Guy Pullups to Band Assisted Pullups or Regular Pullups.

Get it?

This has been around for a long time and many good coaches use this idea to build weaknesses.
It has worked very well for my athletes and clients.
I hope it works for you too.

That’s all for this week, I have to get out of here and go see Hatebreed and the Dropkick Murphy’s tonight because it’s St. Paddy’s Week.
And then Agnostic Front and Dropkicks on Saturday.
And then Bruins on Monday.

Yes, there will be whiskey.

Ask me a question-Be sure and Type to Murph in the header

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