How Much Volume Is Right FOR YOU (ft RP Hypertrophy App)

Summary

In this video, Dr. Mike from Renaissance Periodization discusses how to individualize training volume for muscle growth using the RP Hypertrophy app. He explains that optimal volume is determined by factors such as muscle pump, soreness, and personal fatigue perception. The app adjusts the number of sets based on these factors, allowing users to find the right balance between intensity and sustainability. Dr. Mike emphasizes the importance of honesty in assessing workout difficulty to ensure effective, long-term gains. He also highlights the app's customization features, enabling users to tailor their workouts to their specific needs and preferences.

Takeaways

• 🔢 The Renaissance Periodization (RP) Hypertrophy app adjusts training volume based on user feedback on pump, soreness, and workload.
• 💪 Pump is a key indicator of volume adjustment; if pumps are poor, the app may increase volume, but if pumps are great, it might not.
• 😣 Soreness plays a role in volume adjustment; no soreness might suggest the need for more volume, while excessive soreness could indicate overtraining.
• 🤔 User's perception of fatigue and recovery status is crucial for sustainable growth and is factored into volume recommendations.
• 🚫 The app asks about joint pain and muscle soreness post-workout to adjust volume, ensuring workouts are not causing undue stress.
• 🚦 'Push my limits' is a critical rating in the app; selecting it prevents volume increase for that exercise in future sessions.
• ⏱️ The app is designed to help users find a balance between volume and time commitment, allowing for quick workouts if needed.
• 🔄 Users have the flexibility to manually adjust sets in the app, and these changes will influence future workout recommendations.
• 💰 The app is available for purchase, with a yearly subscription offering savings and supporting the app's development.
• 🏡 Dr. Mike humorously mentions that supporting the app could hypothetically lead to him owning a mansion and unicorns, adding a light-hearted touch to the video.

Q & A

What is the main topic of Dr. Mike's 10th video in the Renaissance periodization series?

The main topic of Dr. Mike's 10th video is individualizing volume in a hypertrophy mesocycle.

What is the purpose of the new RP Hypertrophy app mentioned in the video?

The RP Hypertrophy app is designed to help users build and execute their hypertrophy mesocycles by adjusting training volume based on individual factors such as pump, soreness, and perceived fatigue.

How does the app determine the recommended volume for a user's training?

The app determines recommended volume by considering at least three factors: the user's pump level, soreness, and their perception of fatigue and recovery status.

What is the significance of being honest with oneself when rating one's workload in the app?

Being honest with one's workload rating is crucial as it allows the app to accurately adjust the volume for future workouts, ensuring that the training is sustainable and effective for muscle growth.

What does the term 'push my limits' signify in the context of the app?

In the app, 'push my limits' indicates that the user feels they have reached their maximum capacity for the current workout and does not want to perform additional sets for that particular exercise or muscle group.

How does the app handle the user's rating of joint pain and soreness?

The app asks the user to rate their joint pain and soreness after each workout, and it uses this information to adjust the volume for future sessions to ensure that the training is not causing excessive damage.

What is the 'last chance' feature in the app, and how does it work?

The 'last chance' feature allows users to manually adjust the number of sets for an exercise in the app after the initial recommendation. This gives users the flexibility to add or remove sets based on their current capacity and schedule.

Why is it important to avoid overwhelming volume in a hypertrophy training program according to the video?

Overwhelming volume can lead to psychological and physical burnout, making it unsustainable for long-term muscle growth. It's important to maintain a manageable volume that allows for consistent progress without causing excessive fatigue.

What is the significance of the 'pretty good' rating in the app's workload assessment?

The 'pretty good' rating indicates that the user can sustain the current volume of training over time, which is ideal for progressive overload and muscle growth without overtaxing the body.

How does the app ensure that the user's training is sustainable over the long term?

The app ensures sustainability by allowing users to rate their workload and adjust volumes accordingly. It also caps the volume increase in the last week of each mesocycle before a deload, preventing overtraining.

What advice does Dr. Mike give regarding the number of sets in a workout?

Dr. Mike advises that users should focus on the quality of the sets performed rather than the quantity, and to be honest with their workload ratings to ensure that the training is both effective and sustainable.

Outlines

00:00

💪 Personalizing Volume in a Hypertrophy Mesocycle

In this segment, Dr. Mike discusses the concept of individualizing volume within a hypertrophy mesocycle, a topic covered in the 10th video of a 12-part series. He introduces the Renaissance Periodization (RP) Hypertrophy app, which he promotes for sale in the video description. The app uses an algorithm that considers three factors to adjust training volume: pump levels, soreness, and personal perception of fatigue and recovery status. Dr. Mike emphasizes the importance of honesty in self-assessment for these factors to ensure sustainable and effective muscle growth. He also humorously touches on the idea of supporting the app financially to enable him to enjoy a luxurious life, including unicorns and synchronized dancing.

05:02

🔍 Understanding Workload and its Impact on Training Volume

Dr. Mike delves into the significance of workload in the context of the RP Hypertrophy app. He explains how the app prompts users to rate their chest workload after completing sets, using this input to adjust future training volume. The description outlines the importance of self-honesty when rating the difficulty of workouts, as this directly influences the app's volume recommendations. 'Push my limits' is highlighted as a critical rating that signals to the app that the user is at their desired volume threshold, preventing further increases. Dr. Mike provides an insider tip that using 'push my limits' will cap the volume for that exercise in subsequent weeks, unless the user manually adjusts it.

10:03

🛠️ Customizing Workouts for Time Efficiency and Personal Preference

In the final paragraph, Dr. Mike addresses the customization of workouts within the RP Hypertrophy app, focusing on time management and personal preference. He explains that users can manually adjust the number of sets to fit their schedule, using the 'push my limits' rating to signal to the app their desired volume cap. The app is portrayed as a flexible tool that adapts to user feedback, allowing for both automated adjustments based on ratings and manual overrides for specific needs. Dr. Mike assures viewers that the app does not judge users for their choices, promoting a supportive and non-judgmental approach to workout planning.

Keywords

💡Hypertrophy

Hypertrophy refers to the increase in muscle cell size due to an increase in protein content within the cells. In the context of the video, hypertrophy is the primary goal of the training program being discussed, with the video series focusing on how to build and execute a mesocycle aimed at muscle growth. The script mentions 'hypertrophy mesocycle' and 'hypertrophy app,' indicating that the content is specifically tailored towards optimizing training for muscle size increases.

💡Mesocycle

A mesocycle is a period of training, typically lasting several weeks to months, that is part of a larger training cycle or macrocycle. In the video script, the discussion revolves around individualizing volume within a hypertrophy mesocycle, suggesting that the video is providing guidance on how to adjust training volume over a set period to maximize muscle growth.

💡Volume

In strength training, volume refers to the total amount of work performed, often measured in sets and repetitions. The script discusses 'individualizing volume,' which means adjusting the volume of training based on individual responses such as pump, soreness, and recovery status. The video aims to educate viewers on how to modify their training volume to optimize muscle hypertrophy.

💡Pump

A 'pump' in bodybuilding refers to the temporary increase in muscle size and firmness that occurs during and after a workout due to increased blood flow. In the script, the app is described as taking into account the user's 'pump' as a factor in determining the appropriate training volume, suggesting that a good pump might indicate that the current volume is sufficient for stimulating muscle growth.

💡Soreness

Soreness, particularly muscle soreness, is a common response to exercise and can indicate the degree of muscle damage and subsequent repair process. The video script mentions soreness as one of the factors that the app uses to adjust training volume, implying that excessive soreness might be a sign of overtraining or that a volume increase may not be warranted.

💡Fatigue

Fatigue in the context of exercise refers to the decline in physical and mental performance that occurs as a result of exertion. The script discusses the importance of self-assessment of fatigue and recovery status for sustainable muscle growth, suggesting that overfatigue could lead to a decrease in training quality and hinder long-term progress.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability in training refers to the ability to maintain a training program over the long term without leading to burnout or injury. The video emphasizes the importance of sustainable training practices, such as not overwhelming oneself with volume, to ensure consistent progress and recovery.

💡App

The 'app' mentioned in the script refers to a tool designed to help individuals build and execute their hypertrophy training programs. It uses algorithms to recommend training volume based on user feedback regarding their pumps, soreness, and fatigue. The app is portrayed as a customizable tool that allows for individualization of training based on personal responses and preferences.

💡Workload

Workload in the context of the video refers to the total amount of exercise performed, which can influence the body's response to training. The script describes how the app asks users to rate the difficulty of their workout, which is used to adjust the volume in subsequent training sessions. This self-assessment is crucial for tailoring the training program to the individual's capacity and goals.

💡Deload

A deload is a planned reduction in training volume or intensity to promote recovery and prevent overtraining. The script mentions that the app takes into account the timing of deloads within a mesocycle, suggesting that strategic reduction in volume can be beneficial for long-term training progress and muscle growth.

💡Quality vs. Quantity

The script emphasizes the importance of performing a manageable volume of high-quality sets over a large number of sets with poor form or excessive fatigue. This concept underscores the idea that the effectiveness of a training session is more important than the sheer volume of work done, aligning with the goal of sustainable and effective muscle growth.

Highlights

Introduction to individualizing volume in hypertrophy training

Explanation of the new RP Hypertrophy app and its benefits

The importance of volume adjustment for sustainable muscle growth

How the app algorithm determines recommended training volume

The role of pump sensation in volume adjustment

The significance of soreness in determining training volume

The impact of personal perception of fatigue and recovery on volume

The psychological aspect of volume and workout planning

The concept of 'pushing your limits' in volume assessment

How the app uses joint pain and soreness feedback to adjust volume

The importance of honesty in self-assessment of workload

The practical application of the 'push my limits' rating in the app

How the app prevents overtraining by respecting user-set limits

The option to manually adjust sets in the app for personal preference

The app's customization to fit individual time constraints and goals

Final thoughts on the app's role in optimizing hypertrophy training

Transcripts

hey folks Dr Mike here for Renaissance

periodization video number 10 in the how

to build and execute your hypertrophy

mesocycle video series there's 12 videos

total so getting to the end of things

here today we're going to talk about

individualizing volume I'm going to tell

you all about how that works

and I'm going to try to show you how it

works with the new RP hypertrophy app

which is for sale the link is right in

the description below it's the top link

and by the way if you like it for a

month think about getting it for the

year for two good reasons one it

actually saves you 30 money which is

like a lot of savings definitely

consider that the other is it gets me a

lot of money and I like money don't you

like money it wouldn't be nice if I got

wealthy you could look from your not so

wealthy home up to my home on the hill

and you can see my unicorns practicing

for synchronized unicorn dancing which

is what I'm gonna get into when I'm a

trillionaire in any case

volume adjustment here we go

in the hypertrophy app and without it if

you want to do the stuff in your head

and be a proper scientist so to speak

the algorithm that determines your

volume that it recommends and by

recommends I mean it just physically

gives you fewer or more sets every

single time that you train

is complicated because at least three

factors go into it

the first factor is how pumped you're

getting if you're getting really crappy

pumps that are barely there it'll

probably want to raise your volume if

you're getting amazing pumps it probably

doesn't want to give you any more volume

because you're checking the green box

you're winning

the next one is soreness if you don't

get sore at all that's probably okay as

long as you're getting good pumps and

good progression

but if you're not getting great pumps

and everything else is mad if you're not

getting sore at all trying to do more

volume is probably a good direction

towards more growth but if you're

getting really sore especially super

ultra sore you don't want to do any more

volume and maybe even a little bit less

because there's too much damage and it's

Overkill but there's a third Factor

there

what your own perception is of your

fatigue and Recovery status

for sustainability purposes and

sustainably is the only way we grow

muscle enough of it in the long term you

got to keep coming back week on week

if you are doing an amount of volume

let's say 10 by 10 in the squat if

you're really having thought things

through

if you're doing an amount of volume that

overwhelms you

you feel psychologically and physically

under recovered yeah the pumps or

whatever the soreness is whatever you're

just drained you can't keep doing that

to yourself the point at which you

should feel completely drained and

overwhelmed is the last week of every

single mesocycle before the deload all

the weeks up to that should be much more

manageable so you shouldn't have a

volume that is overwhelming to you it is

not ideal or sustainable physiologically

and very importantly psychologically

like you guys ever looked at your plan

and you're like I have six sets of

upright rows

I'm gonna kill myself or just leave the

gym and never do an upright row ever

again

and if you do a lot of sets if you have

a ton of sets like way too many for how

much your volume tolerance is from what

your workload tolerances

you can get through them but you you

sort of there's a fatal conceit there

is that you are just getting through

them

right 15 16 17 rack fuck God I hear two

minutes later right here yeah

maybe if you had three or four sets of

upright rows and not six

you could focus like a fucking Cyborg on

those three or four sets and just

fucking grind them out perfect decentral

control everything because you're not

overwhelmed by the amount of volume you

have to do and then you could really do

a high quality job with those three or

four sets and get your best combination

of growth and fatigue because you could

get a little bit more growth from doing

six cents not so well then four sets

really well but the fatigue that comes

along for the ride is so high it's just

going to burn you out in a few weeks

anyway and you're not going to get a lot

of long-term gains

so

pump and soreness we already asked about

those

and talked about them in video number

eight perhaps handling all that already

but there is another question for

workload that the Apple asks you

independently let's look at this in the

hypertrophy mesocycle that we made

earlier so we're going to check this in

and it's going to say it's going to ask

about joint pain and chest soreness

let's say we got low pain and got a

little sore okay great and then just so

happens that at the end of the workload

for a specific muscle group every

exercise that goes in that muscle Group

which this bench press camera bar down

set is the last in this example

what we're going to have here is once we

check in and do as many reps it's going

to ask us joint pain again because it's

a different load so if you switch the

load sometimes heavier loads cause more

joint pains and lighter loads the app

will keep track of that which is really

neat say well I didn't get a joint pain

here the chest pump was actually really

good moderate and not amazing now the

chest workload question comes up I will

put a fine point on this this is where

honesty to yourself is the only only

only thing that matters let's take a

look at how and why so it says chest

workload

how would you rate the difficulty of the

work you did for your chest all of the

sets combined how do you feel was it

easy because look to be honest our

program currently is two sets of chests

you'd be like boom boom done right this

is the easiest thing in the world of

course you'd click easy that's obvious

next one is pretty good and this one I

would say like

it's something you can keep doing week

after week after week

in week one ideally everything should be

easy in weeks two three four Etc except

for that last week

you should probably be clicking pretty

good if you're not click easy or click

push my limits and the app will help

raise or lower your volume to get you

it's kind of trying to get you into a

pretty good State most of the time

if pushed your limits is what you select

here's how you feel about it right push

your limits means this and it means

exactly this let's say you had

seven total sets for chest

after set seven when you rack the shit

if your buddy turns to you who does not

have the RPI purchase app you scan man

I'm feeling it you want to do another

set you're like bro

that last set dot dot dot pushed my

limits

I don't think any more is a good idea it

really really the next set is going to

be junk volume for me the next set I'm

just gonna be like I'm still here I

think

pushed your limits means it was great

stimulus it wasn't too much but damn

it's getting close to that fine line

it's the same thing could be true with

like eating you know you like have like

a huge burrito at like the great Mexican

place down the street and someone's like

Are You full you're like bro I'm not too

full I'm not hurting

but if I have another

chip another corn chip and throw it in

my mouth another tortilla chip that'll

be that I'll be way overboard so push my

limits is I don't want to do any more

and here's a little Insider trick if you

click push my limits on any of your

muscle groups in the app in any given

session

the next time that session comes up

again next week it won't increase your

sets no matter what your rate for pump

or soreness or anything else it won't

increase them anymore Push by limits is

a hard stop to know more

seven sets that's it next week also

seven even if you the pump and soreness

and all this other stuff said hey like

you could do eight sets it won't go to

eight so if the app is overdoing the

volume for you that means you are not

being honest enough with your workload

rating so the workload rating is your

chance it's your second to last chance

to really decide do I want to do less

volume the same amount of volume or more

volume and if you're like look I don't

want to do any more volume I feel like

it won't be sustainable for me just say

push my limits you are not admitting

that your ego is weak we don't expect

you to be able to do more it's nonsense

let all that stuff just float right the

fuck out of your head again that I want

to push I want to press push my limits

but it was only four sets of leg press

like okay okay let me do the logic for

you that means you're a bad person they

mean someone who's better than you in

every single way who should be married

to the wife you're married to instead

she just found your dumb ass he could do

five sets of leg press is that what you

think the world has come to no if it

pushed your limits so push your limits

that's it now if you're like I'm just

being a wuss fucking don't push my

limits do you really think like I can do

more

I should do more hell yeah say pretty

good or easy but if it really is pushing

your limits don't do any more because

quality always comes before quantity

so be honest and of course if it's too

much because sometimes you like nine

sets of legs you really can't walk after

set six set six was officially your push

to limit set and you did three more

and I'm like look you got too ahead of

yourself you got excited you programmed

all these sets

put in too much if it's accurate then

the app will reduce how much work you do

next week I said earlier a second to

last chance I'll show you what the last

chance looks like and last chance is

repeating for always so let's say pretty

good we say okay great

if we want let's see if we go down to

Barb about Metro and it's programmed two

sets for us and we know like yeah last

week I did choose what I chose and it is

I understand it has capped me at two

sets because of what I chose but like I

was stressed I felt like what was too

much it was because my girlfriend was

breaking up with me and she physically

used my dog's body to hit me with it was

real nasty argument I can do more this

week you just go right up here and you

add a set no problem or if you have

three sets and you're like man I know I

rated what I rated but two sets is gonna

cook my ass you go over here and you

remove a set and you can do it anytime

you want so as a recap

soreness and pump stuff the app handles

for you be honest with that

the workload stuff be really honest with

that because it's the second to last

time really as a programmatic feed

forward thing it's the last chance you

get to tell the app hey uh I do want

more sets if you think it's good on

other grounds or no I definitely don't

want any more sets

the push my limits thing is a huge thing

to use for time saving

if you've used our templates before and

you rate accurately and you can

hypothetically do more they'll just keep

giving you more volume and you're like

fucking God why this is crazy I don't

want this and then people were saying

dude look I like you guys RP is great

but I'm doing two hour workouts I don't

have time for two hour workouts I want

an hour and that's it with this app you

build your workout you get to choose

when you build it exactly how many sets

you're going to do first week you can

edit all the sets yourself

condense it down to something that takes

you 45 minutes with a little bit of room

for adding a few sets here and there but

when you don't want any more sets you're

like my workout takes me an hour next

week it's going to also take me an hour

I don't want to take any more because I

only have an hour great just great push

your limits on everything it's not

judging you under the hood it's not

calling you a little bitch don't worry

about any of that stuff it's just gonna

say hey this is the most this person

wants to do set wise it still progresses

you unload it still progresses you on

reps you will still get phenomenal

results if you just say push my limits

it'll never add another set to that

muscle group or that exercise ever again

for the entire rest of the mesocycle as

long as you keep hitting push my limits

if you are strapped for time and if you

want a workout that's quick make a quick

workout right everything is push limits

rate all the soreness and pump and stuff

accurately and it will not increase your

sets any more than you wanted to and

last chance is like if you want another

set here and there you can always add it

manually and then next week it'll go

okay you do two sets the week before

this week you did three next week I'm

gonna assume you want to do three again

unless you want to delete it and go from

there so the app here is really just

infinitely customizable to exactly what

you want but it also thinks under the

hood it's like an expert system that

says hey like uh this is what I came up

for you is probably the best idea based

on your rating it has better ideas but

at the end of the day you are the

Arbiter you can always choose the Reps

load wait you can always modify them the

app is value free it doesn't judge you

but secretly this algorithm that judges

you morally and actually the app

collects your data stream off of your

apps like YouTube and judges the shit

out of what videos you're watching

hentai it'll judge you on that in any

case

judge you positively of course a man of

culture

I've said enough possibly too much Link

in the description to buy the thing buy

it I get more Lamborghinis we'll see you

guys next time next Tuesday for the next

video in the series peace homies