I come across the term "Training Volume" and "Intensity" a lot, but I'm not exactly sure what it means.
For example: Some peoples body's cannot tolerate a lot of training volume. Make sure your level of intensity is very high this week.
What exactly is training volume and intensity
Are they different/similar?
Is it the same as your training workload?
If you could give examples that would be great as well.
Thanks.
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12-09-2007, 03:52 PM #1
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Define the Fitness Terms "Volume" and "Intensity"
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12-09-2007, 03:59 PM #2
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volume is how many sets or reps.. increase the volume is increasing the ammount of sets or reps you do
intensity is how much you can make yourself sweat..lol
increase the intensity is taking shorter rest periods between sets..or doing supersets or giant sets.. just something that makes you work harder
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12-10-2007, 05:27 AM #3
Volume = reps x set x load. For example, if you do 135lbs for 10 reps and 2 sets, your volume is 2700lbs (135 x 10 x 2 = 2700).
Intensity is the percenatge load used relative to your 1 rep max (RM). For example, if your 1RM is 200lbs and you use 180 lbs (90% of your 1RM), that is training with high intensity. On the other hand, if you used 100lbs (50% of your 1RM) that is a low intensity.My Training Journal...
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12-10-2007, 05:58 AM #4
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12-10-2007, 09:41 AM #5
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12-10-2007, 10:51 AM #6
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Honestly I don't think much if any of the terminology involved in strength training is set in stone. Ask a dozen different people, get a dozen different answers.... even if each person you ask is a respected and established expert in the field.
Personally what you are calling volume, I would call workload. Volume to me is just the total amount of sets and reps regardless of the loading.http://youtube.com/user/Kiknskreem
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12-10-2007, 12:03 PM #7
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12-10-2007, 12:23 PM #8
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12-10-2007, 02:27 PM #9
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12-10-2007, 02:44 PM #10
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12-10-2007, 02:44 PM #11
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12-10-2007, 03:07 PM #12
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12-10-2007, 03:20 PM #13
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If you use a periodized program, your weekly volume fluctuates but your total tonnage for the cycle should be more than it was in your previous cycle. I was taught to track things this way 3 1/2 decades ago. It isn't a question of being right or wrong it simply makes it a bit easier to set up and analyze a cycle. And besides that I'm right.
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12-10-2007, 03:51 PM #14
In basic terms, volume is "how much you do".
intensity is "how hard you do it" in terms of relative effort. This gets fairly nebulous sometimes.
As kiknskreem said, you will get different definitions with different contexts.
For example, in bodybuilding, "intensity" is often described as how many reps you do towards your ultimate ability with a given load. So, doing 9 of a possible 10 would be higher "intensity" than doing 8 reps. But from a weightlifting perspective, intensity is the percentage of 1RM, so a set of 3 at 80% is higher "intensity" than a set of 12 at 60%, even if you do the 60% to failure.
In terms of volume, sets/reps/frequency gives the most useful definition in a bodybuilding perspective. In weightlifting total poundage sets/reps/weight is used and becomes relevant as a variable, especially when you don't vary sets and reps as much.CSCS, ACSM cPT.
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12-10-2007, 05:28 PM #15
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Just to add to the confusion here are some more ways to define Intensity & volume. (strength & conditioning journal: Periodization the effects of manipulating volume & intensity part 1. by Stone & O Bryant et al. Apr '99)
Volume
represents the amount of work
performed per exercise, per day,
per month, and so on. Work =
force distance. Consider performing
5 repetitions of a squat
with 100 kg in which the vertical
excursion was 0.6 m. The positive
work performed would be 100 kg
0.6 m 5 repetitions = 300 kg-m
(= 2940 joules).
A secondary
method for estimating training volume
is to calculate the repetitions
accomplished. Of these 2 methods,
volume load gives a superior
estimate of the training volume
Intensity represents power output.
Power is equal to work/time
and is related to the rate of energy
consumption. In our previous example,
if the work during the squat
(300 kg-m) were performed in 20
seconds, then the power output
would be 300 kg-m/20 seconds =
15 kg-m/second (= 147 watts). This
calculation represents the average
concentric power during the execution
of the exercise. In most sports,
power is the most important characteristic
to develop (5, 23, 28, 30).
Two different intensities or
power outputs are involved in
strength training: training intensity
and exercise intensity. These intensities
can be calculated or estimated
in different manners.
Training intensity represents an
estimate of the average rate at
which training proceeds; exercise
intensity represents the actual
power output for a single movement
or group (set) of movements
(20).
Training intensity can be estimated
by the average mass lifted
per exercise, per week, per month,
and so on. Exercise intensity can
be monitored by the relative intensity
(RI; percentage of 1 RM [defined
as the athlete?s 1-repetition
maximum lifting weight]). The example
in Table 1 is taken from actual
data; by comparing these 2
days, it can be seen that day 1
produced a higher volume (i.e.,
more work: 8400 vs. 4750 kg) but
at a much lower training intensity
(35.8 kg/second vs. 40.8 kg/second).
Thus, training volume can
be estimated by the volume load
and training intensity by the average
weight lifted. If reasonable
weights are being used in training,
heavier weights (for the same exercise)
will produce a higher training
volume and intensity. This is not
true for exercise intensity.
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12-10-2007, 06:03 PM #16
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12-10-2007, 06:25 PM #17
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12-10-2007, 06:42 PM #18
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12-10-2007, 06:46 PM #19
I think 'load' just basically encompasses the whole overall "thing", lol.
like "whats was the load"? it was 24000lbs with 72% avg intensity and 4 lifts over 90%.
whereas volume is just volume. Although I have seen load also used to stand for just volume.
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for the original poster. "intensity" has 2 meaning depending on who u ask and I think u have already seen both answers. for bb'ers it sort of means "difficulty level"...like going to failure is more intense than stopping short of failure etc. but from a 'strength" standpoint such as powerlifting or olympic weightlifting "intensity" means percent of 1 rep max. So if u max 300lb and you worked out with 240 then you were using 80% intensity
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12-10-2007, 06:48 PM #20
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12-10-2007, 07:19 PM #21
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12-10-2007, 07:48 PM #22
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One of the definitions of volume is "a mass or quantity, esp. a large quantity, of something"....
Volume in this sense simply being as descriptive training term.... a third variable is not necessary as would be a third dimension if you were using the word in the sense of spatial relations.http://youtube.com/user/Kiknskreem
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12-11-2007, 05:18 AM #23
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12-11-2007, 06:20 AM #24
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04-29-2014, 12:53 AM #25
the intensity definition is not true. Intensity relates to the amount of mass (weight) used in comparison to a maximum effort of an individual.
For example: A person who prepares for two sets of one rep maximum weight is said to be using HIGH intensity and LOW volume. On the other hand, a lifter using 4-6 sets of 8-12 reps with 40% of the maximum is said to be using LOW intensity and HIGH volume.
In general, both terms are juxtaposed to each other. That said, rest has little to do with either phrases, other than usually when the intensity increases, the rest period increases while the volume increases, the rest period decreases.
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