Is this quote about volume true?

[Squat200]

This is from a BB website and I just want to know if this is a good amount of volume for an intermediate who uses only whey supplements - no gear or creatin. Is this true about volume?

"As a good rule of thumb, per week you can perform 20-25 sets for quads and hamstrings. 15-20 sets for the chest, back, and shoulders. 14-16 sets for calves, biceps and triceps. Abs can be trained for about 12 sets. More genetically gifted bodybuilders may be able to get away with more, but this amount works for most."

I'm coming back to bodybuilding after a few months off due to leg injury (I'm completely fine now) I would describe myself as intermediate, having trained for about 2 years.
I want to compile a routine where I work each muscle twice a week. I used to do once a week but I seemed to get stuck in a bit of a rut.

Thanks.

[Critical Mass]

I see nothing wrong with the statement. Legs usually need high volume and intensity to respond. Calves require the same. I guess the statement could be looked at as a basic rule of thumb. Of course, everybody is different.

Good luck on your comeback.

[Squat200]

Originally Posted by Critical Mass

I see nothing wrong with the statement. Legs usually need high volume and intensity to respond. Calves require the same. I guess the statement could be looked at as a basic rule of thumb. Of course, everybody is different.

Good luck on your comeback.

Cheers m8.
One thing I'm wondering is, if you look at the routine on the page where this quote is from
:One Major Muscle Group Per Day Advanced Bodybuilding Workout Split

It doesn't say anything about warm up sets. So if you can do 20-25 sets a week for quads, does this mean 20-25 working sets? Or are some of these sets warm up sets?
Thanks.

Ps I'm not doing the one body part a week routine, i did this for about 6 months and the results weren't great for me. I'm gonna hit every muscle twice a week.

[strawser9]

Originally Posted by Squat200

Cheers m8.
One thing I'm wondering is, if you look at the routine on the page where this quote is from
:One Major Muscle Group Per Day Advanced Bodybuilding Workout Split

It doesn't say anything about warm up sets. So if you can do 20-25 sets a week for quads, does this mean 20-25 working sets? Or are some of these sets warm up sets?
Thanks.

Ps I'm not doing the one body part a week routine, i did this for about 6 months and the results weren't great for me. I'm gonna hit every muscle twice a week.

just push yourself. Ease back into lifting, but quickly build up your workouts until you're draining everything you have. It doesn't matter if you do 12 sets or 1200 sets for a bodypart, if you don't train as hard and as efficiently as possible it won't mean anything! hit somewhere around 16 for each (obviously arms are different, since you're using them while doing all pressing/pulling motions). if you only feel like doing 12, then do those 12 as hard as you can. If you feel like doing 20, do 20 as hard as you can. You should feel it after you train!

[Squat200]

Originally Posted by strawser9

just push yourself. Ease back into lifting, but quickly build up your workouts until you're draining everything you have. It doesn't matter if you do 12 sets or 1200 sets for a bodypart, if you don't train as hard and as efficiently as possible it won't mean anything! hit somewhere around 16 for each (obviously arms are different, since you're using them while doing all pressing/pulling motions). if you only feel like doing 12, then do those 12 as hard as you can. If you feel like doing 20, do 20 as hard as you can. You should feel it after you train!

Thanks. I know what you mean about pushing hard. The thing is, before my injury, I was doing about 10 sets a week for each body part and the results weren't that great and I know from asking other bodybuilders that my diet was fine.
More than anything I think I need to increase the volume for my quads - ten sets a week just wasn't doing anything for me. Plus I was only working each muscle directly once a week and because of this I don't think I was hitting each muscle as often as I could have.
Right now I'm thinking of putting together a routine where each muscle gets hit directly twice a week and pairs Chest with Shoulders on Mon & Thurs, Back and Biceps on Tues & Fri, Legs and Triceps on Wed & Sat with Sundays off.
As for volume: (all split over two workouts)
Quads 20 sets a week
Hams 14 sets a week
Pecs 18 sets a week
Biceps 14 sets a week
Triceps 14 sets a week
Calves 10 sets a week
Front Delts 8 sets a week (this is low because they also get hit with the chest presses)
Lateral Delts 8 sets a week
Rear Delts 8 sets a week
Upper Traps 8 sets a week
Lats 12 sets a week
12 sets of Back Rows a week for general upper back.
8 sets of rack pulls a week for lower back (I love my rack pulls)
6 sets of standing DB wrist curls a week (I'm one of those ecomorphs who needs direct forearm work)

That's pretty much the volume I will do. And these are all working sets, it doesn't include warm up sets.

[Critical Mass]

Yes, the 20-25 sets a week would be working sets. Let me just say something here brother. I picture you in the gym, counting these sets out, and I dont want you to get so focused on the numbers. Muscle really doesn't respond that way. I'd rather see you go and chose a weight.... and thrash it! And just keep going more and more heavy.... and just keep repping it out.... and focusing on the intensity of the workout instead of "oh damn, I need to do x ammount more sets."

I'm sure you are focusing on the intensity. I just want to remind us, thats all. The goal I think almost all of us have is to lift heavier weight for more reps than we did last time we worked out. That leads to muscle.

[Squat200]

Originally Posted by Critical Mass

Yes, the 20-25 sets a week would be working sets. Let me just say something here brother. I picture you in the gym, counting these sets out, and I dont want you to get so focused on the numbers. Muscle really doesn't respond that way. I'd rather see you go and chose a weight.... and thrash it! And just keep going more and more heavy.... and just keep repping it out.... and focusing on the intensity of the workout instead of "oh damn, I need to do x ammount more sets."

I'm sure you are focusing on the intensity. I just want to remind us, thats all. The goal I think almost all of us have is to lift heavier weight for more reps than we did last time we worked out. That leads to muscle.

Thanks, I'll certainly take what you say into account. I will put a routine together along the lines I specified and look to more or less stick to the numbers, but I will focus on the intensity of the set I'm doing, rather than leaving something in reserve thinking about the sets still to come. This way if I cannot do the following set I won't mind too much because I'll know I've really worked the muscle very hard and tore it up - which as you rightly say, is the main aim.
One last question, as I've had a three month lay off should I ease my way back into lifting? This isn't a question relating to my knee injury (which is fine now) but a question about muscles in general.

[wala]

Originally Posted by Critical Mass

Yes, the 20-25 sets a week would be working sets. Let me just say something here brother. I picture you in the gym, counting these sets out, and I dont want you to get so focused on the numbers. Muscle really doesn't respond that way. I'd rather see you go and chose a weight.... and thrash it! And just keep going more and more heavy.... and just keep repping it out.... and focusing on the intensity of the workout instead of "oh damn, I need to do x ammount more sets."

I'm sure you are focusing on the intensity. I just want to remind us, thats all. The goal I think almost all of us have is to lift heavier weight for more reps than we did last time we worked out. That leads to muscle.

I believe this is some good info..

[Critical Mass]

Thank you brother Wala. Yes, Sq2, I sometimes ease back into training after a lay off. The first workout is light. The second one is moderate, and then to avoid injury, the third is................................................ ........ Oh hell, who am I trying to fool? After the first couple of sets with my buddies, I go right for the heaviest weight I can find and rep it out because they're all "ooooo, look at me, I'm Critical Mass, I'm all strong but I wont lift heavy weight, oooooo, look at me, I think I'm a personal trainer, ooooo!"

Screw those bastards.

[Malley]

I think its an ignorant statement. Volume doesnt work forever, you change things up once it doesnt work anymore. And to always use the same volume isnt going to work. Thats why we use things such as periodzation. Anything will work for you starting off, but get out of that cookie cutter way of thinking. Do alot of research and you will see there are millions of ways to get the results you are looking for outside of X amount of reps for legs and such....

[Squat200]

Originally Posted by Malley

I think its an ignorant statement. Volume doesnt work forever, you change things up once it doesnt work anymore. And to always use the same volume isnt going to work. Thats why we use things such as periodzation. Anything will work for you starting off, but get out of that cookie cutter way of thinking. Do alot of research and you will see there are millions of ways to get the results you are looking for outside of X amount of reps for legs and such....

But the point is I'm not new to lifting and the volumes I've used in the past two years haven't been that effective. So I'm upping it to see if this works. You have a point that things need to be changed every so often, and that's exactly what I'm doing.

[Malley]

By all means up it. But the key is constantly change variables so things do work. One set rep/set/rest period scheme will not work....

[Squat200]

Originally Posted by Malley

By all means up it. But the key is constantly change variables so things do work. One set rep/set/rest period scheme will not work....

My plan is to use a high volume routine for 3-4 months then change to a low volume (say 15 sets a workout) routine with a lower rep count.
Also in my high volume routine I do vary the rep schemes - for example on Tuesday I do back and biceps, the back sets are lighter with 12 rep sets and the biceps do 8 rep sets. Then on Fridays it switches so the back does 8 rep sets and the biceps do 12 rep sets.
Sort of heavy/light alternating for all muscles.
This is the routine I've come up with:

Monday - Abs, Chest & Triceps
Seated Crunches 3x12
Flat Bench 4x8
Decline Bench 3x8
Inlcline Flyes 2x10
Tricep Pushdowns 4x12
CGBP 4x12

Tuesday - Back and Biceps
CG Chins 3x12
Wide Grip Pulldowns 3x12
Back Rows 4x12
DB Back Rows 3x12
Shrugs 3x8
BB Curls 4x8
DB Curls 4x8

Wednesday - Legs and Shoulders
Squat 6x12
Leg Extensions 4x12 (wish I had leg press machine)
Calf Raises 5x15
Deadlift 3x10
Leg curls 3x12
DB Shoulder Press 3x12
Lateral Raises 3x12
Rear Delt Rows 3x12

Thursday - Abs, Chest and Triceps
Seated Crunches 3x10
Flat Bench 3x12
Incline DB Press 3x12
Flat Flyes 2x15
Tricep Pushdowns 4x8
CGBP 4x8

Friday - Back and Biceps
Chins 3x10
Stiff Arm Pulldowns 3x8
Back Rows 4x8
DB Back Rows 4x8
Shrugs 3x12
BB Curls 3x12
DB Curls 3x12

Saturday - Legs and Shoulders
Squat 6x8
Leg Extensions 4x12
Calf Raises 5x10
Deadlift 4x8
Leg curls 4x8
DB Shoulder Press 3x12
Lateral Raises 3x12
Rear Delt Rows 3x12

Sunday - Ache all over!

[strawser9]

legs deserve their own day.