Minimum volume for cutting

Sci

Sci

Well-Known Member
What's all your thoughts on this?

I'll be cutting for a couple more months, and I want to do a decent amount of exercise, but since I am only retaining lean mass, obviously doing a large amount of volume is unnecessary.

I've though about doing just one hard set to just below failure for about 8-10 exercises for the whole body, this would probably be enough to maintain mass, but I want to be cautious as to not detrain either. I have currently been doing 3 sets, but I'm beginning to wonder if this is really necessary for strength and mass retention?

Maybe one hard set? Maybe two-three cluster sets. Just curious.
 
You probably already know what I think: Id just jump between 8´s and 4´s(in your case 10´s and 5´s?) Skip SD(of course) Do one set on the 10´s and two on the 5´s. Use your current 5 and 10rm as your final day and as per vanilla do 75/80/85 etc. Get in metabolic work where you feel you can. I avoided failure during my whole cut, well..intentional failure at least.
 
I like to drop set and some times drop sets with super sets during cutting because that's what works best for me. Rep range 10-12. Though I split up my routine into back/bi, chest/tris days or back/tri chest/bi days x twice a week with volume around 9-12 per muscle group per week
 
Interesting. Yeah, I always thought that low volume HIT type training was too low volume for bulking hypertrophy, but a very good, efficient program for maintenance training.
I decided to do a HIT workout, Arthur Jones style. One warmup set, one work set to "failure" (form breakdown).
 
According to Lyle's info one third of what you did while bulking is enough for maintaining. So if you did 3 sets per MG, 1 is enough. I'd still do 2, though :D
The basic conclusion, again from both research and practical experience is that both volume and frequency of training can usually be cut by up to 2/3rds (that is, to 1/3rd of what you did to improve it) but with one massively important caveat: the intensity of that training must be maintained.
Click to expand...
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-2.html
 
Thanks Rihad, that's basically what I was looking for. I knew Lyle had some recommendation somewhere, but I'm so busy lately, I can't go looking for this stuff.

Thanks again, that sounds about right.
 
You're welcome. Actually I found myself adding an inch to my chest despite all this calorie cutting going on (went from 43.3" to 38.1", now up to 39.3") by simply doing more work with my chest & lats, albeit with newer exercises (incline CGBP on top of normal grip incline BP, and 1-arm DB rows on top of pull-ups/seated rows) for a total of 4 sets chest + 4 sets lats, while continuing to lose waist sizes, which is stupid according to the science, but you never know...
 
It's amazing what little intensive exercise it takes to maintain your general muscular size. However, expect your strength to probably suffer.
 
Since I was able to do so many exercises for only one work set today, I'll probably just stick with 8-10 exercises as originally planned, and so two sets. One set is decent, but often I feel like a second hard set "finishes me off" so to speak.
 
Re: original topic - I think you don't need much volume at all, depending on the load. Same principles as hypertrophy; you're wanting to push the factors & stimuli in favour of hypertrophy, against atrophy.

Both mechanisms are occurring at the same time, it's all about relative degrees.

I'd say 8-10 reps at 5RM, fewer at 3RM, more at 8-10RM.

My personal opinion is towards more load, less volume. It's a more important (and significant) hypertrophy stimulus (IMO), but perhaps even more relevant is how it better suits a cutting cycle. No extra calories to play with, CNS recovers less efficiently etc.
 
AlexAustralia said:
Re: original topic - I think you don't need much volume at all, depending on the load. Same principles as hypertrophy; you're wanting to push the factors & stimuli in favour of hypertrophy, against atrophy.

Both mechanisms are occurring at the same time, it's all about relative degrees.

I'd say 8-10 reps at 5RM, fewer at 3RM, more at 8-10RM.

My personal opinion is towards more load, less volume. It's a more important (and significant) hypertrophy stimulus (IMO), but perhaps even more relevant is how it better suits a cutting cycle. No extra calories to play with, CNS recovers less efficiently etc.
Click to expand...

Thanks, good input on balancing the stress of heavy loading with limited volume. I agree with your conclusions, and they roughly match what gblifter suggested as well.
 
Old and Grey said:
Manimal, no legs? You need a good foundation to build a big house on.
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I play competitive hockey year round which some weeks consists of two games a week plus one practice others a game and a practice. This is why I do not do a lot of leg exercises. As far as foundation for a big house goes... I live in a trailer park :p

Totentanz said:
Didn't you see the video he made?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS-oRydlnCE
Click to expand...

I enjoy watching the "don't be that guy" series on youtube just as enjoyable as broscience.


All kidding aside, I base my proportions along the lines of "The Grecian Ideal" and I have a bit yet to go with the classic physique of "muscle to bone ratio" but I'm only an inches off of some of them. Not everyone training wants to be the biggest guys in the gym and I don't care for bragging rights of how much I can lift, because words like "big" and "heavy" are all relevant to the individual training
 
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