Time/Volume Training

Time/Volume Training – A Program For Building Mass Even With Bodyweight Exercises!
By Nick Nilsson

This training style is VERY effective for building muscle even with bodyweight
training. It can be inserted into ANY training split…it can be used
as a total program or as a single training day. Powerful stuff!
This past summer, I was stumped…how could I use bodyweight training to build substantial muscle mass using exercises like push-ups where I was able to do 30 to 50+ reps per set!

Enter Time/Volume Training…

This technique allowed me to take exercises where I could do a TON of reps and turn them into effective mass-builders.

Basically, it’s kind of a cross between my Compound Exercise Overload training (where you take a weight you can do 6 reps with and do 3 rep sets until you can’t get 3 reps anymore, then you drop the weight and keep going – I’ll give you a link to that below so you can read more about it) and Escalating Density Training (by Charles Staley – where you take an alloted timeframe and do as many reps as you can within that timeframe).
Click here for more info on Compound Exercise Overload

http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue50.htm

Click here for more info on Escalating Density Training

http://www.fitstep.com/goto/edt.htm

Time/Volume Training is relatively simple. I’ll use back training for my example here (chin-ups, specifically).

For working back, I use a 15 minute block of time (this will vary according to bodypart – use less time for smaller parts).

* First, start by doing a set of 3 reps. Then stop and rest 10 seconds. Now do another set of 3 reps. Stop and rest 10 seconds.

* Keep going using 3 rep sets and 10 seconds rest until you can’t get 3 reps anymore. When you hit this point, begin taking 20 SECONDS rest in between your 3 rep sets.

* Keep going using 3 rep sets and 20 seconds rest until you again can’t get 3 reps anymore. Then take 30 SECONDS rest in between your 3 rep sets. If you have to increase again, go to 40 seconds, and so on.

* Keep going in this fashion until your 15 minutes are up.

It’s just that simple! Basically, the idea here is not to go to failure on any of your reps but to manage your fatigue so that you can maximize your training volume (i.e. more reps and sets).

And, because I originally worked up this technique to go with bodyweight training (where you can’t change resistance), instead of decreasing the weight (like in Compound Exercise Overload), you will instead just increase the rest periods, which gives your body a bit more time to recover in between sets, allowing you to keep doing sets with the exact same resistance.

But just because it’s originally designed for bodyweight training doesn’t mean you can’t use it with free weights and machines as well – it’ll work like a charm for that, too!

You’ll find when using this technique with different exercises (especially bodyweight exercises, where some tend to be a bit easier than others), you’ll be able to go longer before having to increase rest. For example, when doing chins, you’ll probably have to increase rest sooner than you will with push-ups.

But rest assured, even if you can do 50 push-ups, you’ll STILL get to a point where you’re not able to do 3 reps sets on 10 seconds rest and you’ll have to bump up the rest periods.

It’s a great way to work bodyweight exercises without resorting to high-rep endurance training. With the 3 rep sets, you’re still hitting the power-oriented muscle fibers, which is what allows you to make this type of training work for mass building.

Take a few minutes inbetween bodyparts for recovery.

Here are the time intervals I’ve been using for this type of training:

Back, Chest and Thighs – 15 minute blocks each
Hamstrings, Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps, Calves and Abs – 10 minute blocks each

I’ve also changed up some of the bodypart blocks so that I’m actually working 2 bodyparts at once (I did this with abs and calves).

Here’s a split I’ve been using (based on bodyweight training) but you can certainly feel free to come up with your own.

Just be absolutely sure to keep your total workout time to under an hour (I’ve been shooting for 40 to 50 minutes).

This type of training concept is simple enough where you can simply insert it into whatever your favorite training split is.

My preference is for a 2 day on, 1 day off, 2 day on, 2 days off type of training split, e.g. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday.
Day 1:

Back – 15 minutes of chin-ups – I was using a regular underhand, close grip for these, coming all the way up and down to full extension.

Chest – 15 minutes of dips – I was using two chairs with the back facing each other. I would set my hands on the tops of the chair backs and do dips in between the chairs. Works like a charm!

Combination of Calves and Abs – 10 minutes – NO rest in between bodyparts or sets. I would just go straight from one-legged calf raises (5 reps on each leg using no weight) then right into Abdominal Sit-ups (http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue9-ab-tip.htm) (5 reps on that exercise, too) then back to calves. Because they’re such unrelated bodyparts, their getting rest while you’re working the others, so you don’t need specific rest for them.

Biceps – because I was doing 15 minutes of Chins, biceps already got a lot of work. I would just finish the workout with one set of flexed arm hang. Click here for more info on that (http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue33.htm).

Total workout time: 45 minutes
Day 2:

Thighs – 15 minutes of Bench Step One Legged Squats – Click here for info on how to do this one (http://www.fitness-ebooks.com/bench-step-exercise.htm). Basically, this exercise is a one-legged squat done standing on a chair or bench. Because you’re standing up off the ground, you can drop down a lot further, increasing the overall workload. I also recommend hanging onto something for support. This exercise for this long will really beat the crap out of you.

Hamstrings – nothing for me here – the deep bench step squats were PLENTY of work for the hamstrings, believe me. In a normal split, you would do 10 minutes of hamstring work for this type of Time/Volume training.

Shoulders – 10 minutes of Pike Handstand Push-Ups. Click here for info on how to do this exercise (http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue47.htm). This is a great exercise for shoulders – it’s a bodyweight exercise, making it very effective for functional strength AND it’s easy enough where if you’ve got decent shoulder strength, you should be able to get good training volume. In that same link above, you’ll also find Horizontal Push-Ups, which is an easier version of it.

Triceps – 10 minutes of Close Grip Push-Ups – even though I can normally do about 40 to 50 of these in a row, after about 8 straight minutes on 10 seconds rest, I had to increase to 20 seconds rest. The fatigue catches up to you and you’ll really be feeling how effective this training is. I again finished with one set of the Flexed Arm Hang here.

Total Workout Time: 40 minutes

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That’s the scoop with Time/Volume Training! Like I mentioned, you can insert this methodology into pretty much any training split and any program. It’s one of THE best ways to get a mass-building effect out of bodyweight training (when you can get high reps with an exercise) that I’ve ever found.

Give it a try in your next workout to test the concept then try a couple of complete workouts with it. Then take the concept with you next time you travel and apply to some bodyweight training. You’ll look at the hotel gym (with the stationary bike with no seat and the squeaky hydraulic resistance machines) and LAUGH!

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Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 17 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including “Muscle Explosion! 28 Days To Maximum Mass”, “Metabolic Surge – Rapid Fat Loss,” “The Best Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of,” “Gluteus to the Maximus – Build a Bigger Butt NOW!” and “The Best Abdominal Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of” all available at (http://www.fitness-ebooks.com). He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.

Southwest Meatloaf

1 pound lean ground round
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
1/2 cup picante sauce
1/3 cup regular oats
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 large egg white
Cooking spray
1/4 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. Shape meat mixture into a 9 x 4-inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Brush ketchup over meat loaf.

Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes. Let meatloaf stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Makes 4-6 Servings
Serving Size: 6 ounces

Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 191
Total fat: 8 grams
Saturated fat: 2 grams
Cholesterol: 65 grams
Sodium: 600 mg
Carbohydrate: 5 grams
Protein: 34 grams
Dietary fiber: 2 grams

Pumpkin Custard

4-1/2 cups nonfat milk
2-1/4 cups egg substitute
2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk all ingredients together making sure that sugar is dissolved before you begin baking. Spray inside of individual ramekins or custard cups with nonstick spray and fill each 3/4 full with custard mixture. Place ramekins in a larger baking dish that will allow for water to come at least halfway up the side of the ramekins. Fill large baking dish with boiling water and cover the top of the ramekins with parchment paper sprayed with nonstick spray. Place two utensils or metal skewers on top of the parchment to keep from curling off in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes before checking with a skewer or fork tines to see if custard is cooked. The custard will continue to cook some as it cools so don’t over cook. Serve with fresh berries, papaya or other fresh fruit.

Makes 8-10 Servings
Serving Size: 8 ounces

Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 178
Total fat: 3 grams
Saturated fat: 1 gram
Cholesterol: 3 mg
Sodium: 199 mg
Carbohydrate: 25 grams
Protein: 14 grams
Dietary fiber: 2 grams

Ham and Cream Cheese Rolls

3 small (6 inch) flour tortillas
2 tablespoons reduced fat cream cheese
3 ounces ham, thinly sliced
1 cup alfalfa sprouts or radish sprouts
1 carrot, shredded

Spread cream cheese onto tortillas; place one slice ham on each tortilla and sprinkle with sprouts and carrots. Slice each tortilla into 6 pieces and secure with a toothpick.

Makes 9 Servings
Serving Size: 2 slices

Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 54
Total fat: 2 g
Saturated fat: trace
Cholesterol: 6mg
Sodium: 186mg
Carbohydrate: 6 g
Protein: 2 g
Dietary fiber: trace