Is my workout routine junk volume?

[paula135711]

I understand that 15-25 sets can be the sweet spot for muscle groups each week. But when they say muscle group is upper chest seperate from lower chest or are they just considered as one muscle group that combined should be below 25 sets and anything above is junk volume.

Because l do incline bench press for upper chest 5 sets 8 reps for 70kg, then flat bench press for lower chest 3 sets 10 reps for 80kg, then do 2 deload sets of 60kg on flat bench for as many reps. 2 min rest in between each set. I do this 3x a week with rest days in between working out other muscle groups. Usually l fail on the last few reps of last 2 sets for incline bench and flat bench. And l have seen progression with my lifts.

If l add the amount of sets in total for just chest it's 30 sets sometimes even 35 if l just wanna add pushups in a week. But in terms of upper chest alone 15 a week, and lower chest 15 a week.

 

[dawn16]

@paula135711 If you just follow a premade workout program, that is benching specific like a powerlifting routine, all of this will already be figured out for you in the program as

 

[paula135711]

@dawn16 I’ve made my own workout program that l’ve learnt from many mistakes and basing it on how my recovery usually is. Most of my friends look at me as if l’m crazy when they see the amount of sets l do. But if it works for me, should l continue it since l’m making faster progress than my friends who actually do less sets

 

[taliporos]

@paula135711 The chest is the chest is the chest, I think. It’s all the same pectoralis major muscle, you’re just changing the angle in which you’re using it. The Flat Bench targets the middle of it but still incorporates the top and bottom - they’re not exclusively different muscles. Same with Incline Bench; it’s focus is on the top of the Pec, but that doesn’t mean it abandons the lower part.

I think the “junk” volume you’re afraid of comes from “deload” sets - which aren’t true deloads. Deloads should be days designated to doing 50% of the weight to give the muscles a reprieve and actively recover, rather than taking time off entirely. They should be programmed as a Deload Week.

You’re doing 2 sets at about 75% of your weight. This is closer to a Drop Set than it is a Deload. I’m assuming at this point that you’re eclipsing the hypertrophic range and effectively exhausting the muscles. This neither efficiently grows muscles nor burns calories and should be left out, especially since you’re already 8 sets in with major lifts. Remember, a pump does not necessarily indicate muscle growth. -- This is my take and I’d like a second opinion.

Also, because you’re doing this 3 days a week, I’m afraid you may not be getting enough rest and are throttling yourself. My solution would be to remove your 60kg sets and you’ve lightened your load by 6 sets immediately. I don’t know how long you’ve been doing this, but I feel like I’d implode after 3 weeks with this amount of volume.

Keep variance in mind, too. Using Dumbbells will activate different muscle fibers that will stretch you out of the junk volume zone. And don’t forget about your Flys.

Again, my perspective.

 

[paula135711]

@taliporos I really want to agree with this since l’ve heard many grow muscle quicker from less sets because they get more rest, but l don’t understand how my body is logically still making progress when l’ve been doing this amount of sets year round, with actual deload weeks after 6-8 weeks of training in between. I’ve gone from 90kg to 100kg flat bench for reps in a year while on my formulated workout and think my body has just gotten used to this volume of exercise. I’m 67kg 20 years right now and quite lean. And l know soreness isn’t a great indicator but l’m usually not sore if l do a total of 30sets a week for upper and lower chest. 35 sets is my limit where l actually start to feel sore and harder for me to recover. My other muscle groups like arms or shoulders l do even more sets a week since they always recover fast.

 

[taliporos]

@paula135711 Hey yeah! I mean, being 20 probably has something to do with it. If you keep seeing growth then don’t stop! I’m just reciting the research that we’ve both read. Keep at it!

 

[paula135711]

@taliporos Cheers man! And appreciate all the advice, different perspective and clearing me up about muscle groups.

 

[karlak55]

@paula135711 You can't specifically target each part of the chest like this, or at least you can't count it as such. This is A LOT of volume if you're taking these sets to failure. Some people can tolerate it, but I would say it's very likely you're hitting junk volume unless you're recoverability is really good.

 

[paula135711]

@karlak55 I wouldn't say my genetics are special or anything, but surprisingly l recover faster if l'm consistently training. But l really don't consider myself in top genetics since l've seen people who are just much better than me in lifts and aesthetics. So I don't know how l am doing this without reaching muscle damage if you really can't target muscle groups like this. I used to be worse last year and just train all year round and my progress stagnated for a bit, until l learned about deload weeks which l take every 6 weeks now and continue to progress not fast but enough for me to be satisfied. Note: l only fail the last 2 sets for any exercise usually as l struggle to finish the set and have to take a 30 sec rest to complete it. In one of my past posts you can see the progress l made which l'd consider quite decent so l feel like l'm doing something right even though all the studies are against me lol.

 

[karlak55]

@paula135711 A lot of "studies" imo poorly designed studies see that upwards of 40 sets to "failure" per muscle group per week is optimal. An absolute joke of the industry imo. Also my comments only apply if you take every one of those sets to absolute failure.

 

[paula135711]

@karlak55 Oh true l forgot how usually people train to failure and that's prob why they have less sets while l'm training with 2 reps in the tank until the last sets.

 

[karlak55]

@paula135711 yup exactly, I wouldn't say however that "most people train to failure" i definitely disagree with this. For example here

 

[paula135711]

@karlak55

Love the video and the faces he pulled, l understand what you mean by most average people don't know their true limit. I prob should have clarified and meant people who are either bodybuilder styler lifters and those who are more experienced gym goers tend to choose training to failure over leaving reps in the tank l feel.

 

[karlak55]

@paula135711 or we can at least agree, they think they are or are attempting to train to failure