Manipulating volume?

[roundedback]

So we all know that 3x5 is less volume than say 5x5 at a given weight. 3x5 is 15 reps with that weight and 5x5 is 25 reps with that weight.

But what if you just did 30 singles with that weight instead? It would still theoretically be more volume than 5x5 right?

[Adam Skillin]

So we all know that 3x5 is less volume than say 5x5 at a given weight. 3x5 is 15 reps with that weight and 5x5 is 25 reps with that weight.

But what if you just did 30 singles with that weight instead? It would still theoretically be more volume than 5x5 right?

Yes, 30 > 25.

[roundedback]

Yes, 30 > 25.

Yes that's what I'm getting at. But my question really is whether rest times contribute to overall volume or not. 30x1 has more rest involved than 5x5.

[Joe Murphy]

I'd have to ask, "Why?" singles. With only two minutes of rest this would take an hour--not time efficient and, I'm sure, not optimal for other reasons. Sometimes when I'm doing 5x5 workouts I think about doing something like 10,7,8 but haven't tried it... If I could do 10 or even 8 for one set I'd probably be using too light of weight.

[John Hanley]

Check out Dr. GainzZz's ™ blog series, "The Pendulum of Specificity". It's a must read. You'll find your answer (& lots more) there.

[roundedback]

Check out Dr. GainzZz's ™ blog series, "The Pendulum of Specificity". It's a must read. You'll find your answer (& lots more) there.

Ah. Found it. Very interesting.

Total work= weight x reps/time

So in theory 30x1 would only be more 'volume' than 5x5 if it is completed in the same amount of time or the threshold of time in which it becomes more total work than a 5x5.

Time to start timing my workouts? Lol.

[trapntan]

Time to start timing my workouts? Lol.

Pfft, get a wife, she'll let ya know..

[Miro]

Ah. Found it. Very interesting.

Total work= weight x reps/time

So in theory 30x1 would only be more 'volume' than 5x5 if it is completed in the same amount of time or the threshold of time in which it becomes more total work than a 5x5.

Time to start timing my workouts? Lol.

That could work. Maybe start with 1 min rest, and after the first 10 sets, increase rest to 90 sec, and after 20 sets to 2 min. That will be a total of 45 min rest. If your 5x5 is heavy enough that you need 10 min between sets, then it's about the same work as 30x1.

[heman]

I think both volume and tonnage are very rough measures, and they can't be compared that well when the amounts of reps in a set is different.

Take for instance a 3x5 with 100 kg and a 3x8 with 90 kg. The difference in tonnage is 44%, but programming wise the difference is hardly that big.

Ah. Found it. Very interesting.

Total work= weight x reps/time

This is quite confusing when you take it out of context.
He is talking about recovery ability in that paragraph and the timescale in that equation is a week (or a cycle), not the time between first rep in first set and last rep in last set in the same workout.

in physics work is independent of time. work = Force x length. weight can be used as force and rep can be used as length so it is pretty much the same as tonnage.

[atb5161]

in physics work is independent of time. work = Force x length.

Actually, in physics, work is this:

W = C⌠Fdx = Fxcos(Θ), where C is some constraint from from point X1(t1) to X2(t2)

and no, I didn't just look at wikipedia for 5 minutes...


...I'll see myself out...