Brad Schoenfeld, a leading exercise-science professor at CUNY Lehman College, Bronx NY, New York City. He’s revolutionized our understanding of muscle growth and exercise. Schoenfeld has more than 300 research studies, reviews and book chapters to his credit—mainly in exercise science and sports nutrition. Lately though, his research has focused on how to most effectively build muscle hypertrophy. His latest research emphasizes the importance of training volume and loading while addressing misconceptions that pervade popular fitness discourse.
The Role of Volume and Loading
Schoenfeld highlights two critical factors that influence muscle development: training volume and loading. He recommends that individuals aiming to build muscle should target a range of 10 to 20 sets per muscle group each week. This recommendation is a slam dunk for busy schedules. It works well for those who don’t want to spend hours at a time exercising.
“But as a general guideline, to optimize hypertrophy you want to be somewhere between 10 to 20 sets per muscle per week.” – Brad Schoenfeld
His studies demonstrate that muscle growth can be roughly the same if you lift lighter weights with higher repetitions. This approach can be equally as beneficial as lifting heavier weights for fewer reps. Schoenfeld further admits that there’s been a dramatic change in his thinking over the years when it comes to loading as the primary exercise stimulus.
“In certain respects, my views have done a 180 [over the years], and nothing can be characterized more so than loading.” – Brad Schoenfeld
Schoenfeld describes one particularly influential 2012 study. This study demonstrated that training at 30% of 1-repetition maximum (1RM) was just as effective for promoting muscle growth compared to training at 80% of 1RM. This groundbreaking finding indicates that individuals can achieve similar muscle growth regardless of whether they are lifting light weights for higher repetitions or heavy weights for fewer repetitions.
“It was on untrained subjects doing leg extensions, and it showed that there was no difference in whole muscle hypertrophy between 30% 1RM (which is like 30 reps) versus 80% 1RM (which was like eight reps).” – Brad Schoenfeld
Individual Differences in Training Response
Schoenfeld is adamant though that everyone responds differently to a given stimulus. He makes the case that some people do better on less training. On the other hand, some need much more volume to see their best results. Such variability highlights the need for personalizing workout regimens according to the specific experiences and responses of individuals.
“Some people respond better to lower volumes, some people need more volume to maximize their results.” – Brad Schoenfeld
He challenges the fitness community to start respecting the way our bodies respond to various forms of training. By simply paying closer attention to their body’s cues, people can tweak their routine to maximize their gains in a smarter way.
“You need to really start to be in tune with your body.” – Brad Schoenfeld
Schoenfeld suggests that you do three to four sets of basic movements, such as squats and leg presses. Try to get in these exercises two to three times per week for best results. This focused approach to targeting specific muscles is an efficient way to cover all areas of training while following the recommended training volume.
Time Efficiency and Training Strategies
Schoenfeld addresses the practical applications of using different repetition ranges. Just because doing 30 of something sounds awesome doesn’t mean it is the right approach. That’s great, but it can result in significantly longer workout times compared to performing sets of 10 repetitions.
“If you’re doing 30 reps, the sets are going to take triple the amount of time if you’re training with 10 reps.” – Brad Schoenfeld
This knowledge is a critical boon for those with busy calendars who often have a hard time finding longer chunks of time to train. By emphasizing shorter, more effective workouts, people can get real results while saving time.
Schoenfeld warns that these lighter loads need to be done with some intensity. It’s the most effective when you truly take your muscles to failure. Be sure to push yourself, particularly on the final few reps of every set!
“The caveat to this is that the lighter loads have to be taken with a high degree of effort. If you do not extensively challenge your muscles — meaning that the last few reps are difficult to complete — you’re not going to achieve gains.” – Brad Schoenfeld
As a result, he cautions that muscles will require more recovery time. This occurs especially if you are not acclimated to those training intensities or volume. This focus shines a light on the importance of incremental increases to training patterns.
Navigating Misconceptions in Fitness
Schoenfeld declares alarm over what has been the rampant miscommunication across social media. Fitness beginners are frequently confused by conflicting recommendations regarding the effects of exercise on building muscle. This misunderstanding sometimes leads to dangerous training approaches.
Sometimes I really believe it’s just ignorance. They get into a rut and it’s simply ‘oh, have to do this, have to do that.’ Try to be intuitive. – Brad Schoenfeld
Schoenfeld’s research reinforces an argument we’re passionate about here at Fitness in the Scientific Wild West: scientific literacy matters. He urges all of us to challenge conventional wisdom. Through an emphasis on evidence-based practices, he strives to improve the collective knowledge of the fitness community.
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