3 Maxims of Training for Muscle Growth: Getting Back to Basics
The truth is simpler than they want you to believe. Decades of exercise science research consistently point to three fundamental principles that drive muscle growth: training intensity, training volume, and progressive overload.
They aren’t fancy concepts — they’ve been recognised since the time of the ancient Greeks. These principles are the bedrock that separates effective muscle-building programs from flashy gimmicks.
Understand these three principles, and you’ll have a simple and effective framework for designing and performing training programmes. Cut through the noise, avoid common pitfalls, and focus your energy on what actually works.
Whether you’re a beginner picking up a barbell for the first time or an intermediate lifter wanting to break through tough plateaus, these three maxims can provide the scientific foundation for sustainable long-term growth.
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Maxim 1: Training Intensity — Thou Shalt Train Hard
Training “intensity” refers to how hard you’re working relative to your maximum capacity. It is usually expressed as a percentage of your one-repetition maximum (%1RM), or how far you are away from failure. Don’t confuse “intensity” with screaming, grunting, or other gym theatrics. It’s a precise, measurable concept that quantifies effort, which corresponds to the amount of mechanical tension in your muscle that is necessary for growth.
Current evidence shows that muscle growth occurs across a broader intensity spectrum than traditionally thought. The “moderate” intensity zone of 60–85% 1RM (6–15 repetitions) provides the most efficient stimulus for hypertrophy and is the best evidenced. However, even low-intensity loads (under 50% 1RM) can stimulate muscle growth equal to heavier loads — but only when performed at high levels of effort near failure. Without maximum effort, moderate to heavy loads (above 60% 1RM) are more effective and efficient for growth.
Measuring ‘Effort’ & Intensity
The Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale provides a practical way to gauge intensity, though it’s inherently subjective. It’s usually measured on a scale of 1–10. We’re all familiar with it and have probably been asked it before. However, an inherent limitation of it is that one person’s 6 is another person’s 8 — it is subjective.
A more focused, but still subjective, alternative is the “Repetitions in Reserve” (RIR) measure, which indicates how many more reps you could perform before failure. An RIR of 2 means you stopped when you thought you could do two more reps. This makes RIR potentially more accurate than RPE for weightlifting.
For hypertrophy training, you should aim to finish most working sets with an RIR of 1–3, ensuring high effort levels that stimulate growth while minimising risk and prolonged recovery time.
Common Intensity Mistakes
Training too light: While low-intensity training (under 50% 1RM) can stimulate growth, your ‘working sets’ require maximum effort near failure. If you’re not pushing to high effort levels, moderate to heavy loads are superior for muscle building.
Training only heavy: Constantly training above 85% 1RM primarily develops 1–5 RM strength. While incorporating heavy periods can improve your ability to lift heavy loads, spending the majority of time in the 60–85% 1RM range provides the most efficient and effective hypertrophy stimulus.
Summary
Intensity is a strong signal for muscle growth, but it must be applied consistently within the hypertrophy-specific range. Too light fails to provide adequate stimulus; too heavy limits volume, increases fatigue and injury risk. The “sweet spot” is RPE 7–9, RIR 1–3 or 60–85% 1RM to optimise the mechanical tension that drives growth.
Maxim 2: Training Volume — Thou Shalt Train Enough
Training volume represents the total amount of training work done, typically measured in terms of weekly sets per muscle group. However, for measurement purposes only, “effective sets” or “working sets — are those performed at high levels of effort or near failure that provide the greatest growth stimulus. When measuring volume for muscle hypertrophy, count only high-effort sets, excluding low-effort warm-up or preparatory/ramp-up sets.
Current research indicates that 10–20 weekly sets per muscle group optimise muscle growth, with little additional benefit beyond this range. That said, measurable growth can occur with as few as 3 sets per week, but higher volumes generally produce superior results up to the 10–20 set threshold.
The Volume Landmarks
Understanding volume landmarks helps you structure effective training:
“Minimum Effective Volume”: The smallest amount of training that produces measurable muscle growth. For most muscle groups, this falls around 10 sets per week (or possibly less for newbies). Training below this level produces little meaningful growth over time and could be considered time-wasted.
“Most Efficient Volume”: The highest volume you can recover from and sustain while still making progress (i.e., muscles are getting measurably bigger and/or at least stronger). This varies significantly between individuals, but typically ranges from 12–20 sets per muscle group per week. Exceeding this may lead to wasted time, stagnation, or regression.
“Maximum Effective Volume”: The absolute ceiling of volume you can handle before performance declines. Training at this level may yield temporary size and strength improvements. However, in the long run, it is time-inefficient and unsustainable.
Individual and Muscle Group Variations
Research seems to suggest that there are large individual responses to volume, with some people responding better to lower volumes while others need higher volumes to maximise growth. Additionally, different muscle groups also respond differently: Larger muscle groups (lats, quadriceps) respond well to higher volumes within the 10–20 set range. Whereas, smaller muscle groups (biceps, triceps) may respond optimally to the lower end of the volume spectrum.
Novice lifters and older adults show particularly good responses to lower volumes (under 10 sets per muscle group per week), making volume periodisation especially important for these populations.
Volume Myths Debunked
“More is always better”: Growth rates increase linearly with volume, then level off after a certain amount (i.e., diminishing returns). It seems that beyond 20 sets per muscle group per week, returns diminish or may even regress due to injury or recovery limitations.
“Frequency doesn’t matter”: When total weekly volume is the same, splitting volume across two sessions is better than doing it all in one session. However, there’s no extra benefit to splitting beyond three sessions per week. But there appears to be no harm either.
“Volume-load is king”: While volume-load (sets × reps × weight) provides useful tracking metrics, volume (sets) is generally a better long-term predictor of muscle growth outcomes than total tonnage.
Remember: Volume provides the total growth stimulus over time, which accumulates into muscle growth (“hypertrophy”). Too little volume fails to maximise your growth potential. Too much volume exceeds recovery capacity, increases injury risk and impedes progress. Begin with research-backed ranges, then adjust to your recovery, individual response, time-availability and personal preferences.
Maxim 3: Progressive Overload — Thou Shalt Progress
Progressive overload is the gradual increase in stress placed on muscles over time, forcing the body to adapt by repairing, strengthening, and growing muscle fibres and surrounding connective tissues. This principle creates a positive feedback loop: overload stimulates hypertrophy, and hypertrophy enables greater overload capacity … and so on … and so on.
The fundamental rule is that the “overload”, like volume, must be enough to stimulate growth whilst avoiding injury or overtraining. As you gain muscle and strength, gradually increase training loads to maintain progress through various methods to maintain the growth stimulus.
Methods of Progressive Overload
“Load Progression”: Adding more weight increases the force your muscles must produce to move the weight. This is highly effective and simple, but requires proper technique to prevent injury.
“Volume Progression”: Increasing total work through additional sets, reps, and/or load. Calculate as sets × reps × load (tonnage). When comparing workouts, use identical exercises with consistent technique, range of motion, and rest periods.
“Frequency Progression”: Training each muscle group more often leads to higher total weekly volume and more frequent growth stimulus. Ensure adequate recovery to avoid increasing injury risk or overtraining.
“Density Progression”: Shortening rest intervals raises overall training “density”, creating a greater growth stimulus. Rest can be shortened, but should ideally be kept long enough to maintain lifting the same loads across the sets.
“Time Under Tension”: Slowing eccentric (lowering) or concentric (lifting) phases, or adding pauses during transitions, increases time-under-tension — this is another stimulus for muscle growth.
The Progression Timeline: Evidence-Based Implementation Guidelines
Progress gradually: Aim for small increases session-to-session (2.5–5% load increments) to allow adaptation without increasing injury risk. It’s easier to increase load between sets than decrease once you’ve started the set, so ensure it is gradual.
Track training: Use a simple diary, log or apps to track weights, sets, reps, and subjective effort for consistent progression. Progression should be tracked.
Prioritise technique: Maintain correct and consistent movement patterns for accurate progress tracking. Never sacrifice form/technique for heavier loads — you can’t trick the muscle into growing by cutting corners. Poor technique can significantly delay progress and increase injury risk.
Incorporate deload weeks: Planned reductions in training intensity or volume (typically every month) allow recovery without impairing muscle growth and may help prevent overtraining.
Respond to “biofeedback”: You can adjust training variables based on performance variations and external factors (e.g., motivation, fatigue, sleep quantity/quality, movement pattern, etc.). Progress isn’t linear — plateaus and regression are normal and may indicate the need for rest or programme changes.
Manage expectations: Even with perfect training, progress will eventually slow as you near your genetic potential. Reaching this point is the summit, not a ceiling. You can still increase your muscle strength and health outcomes even at your genetic “ceiling/summit”. Reaching it isn’t an excuse to stop.
Interactions Between Maxims
The connection between progressive overload, intensity, and volume becomes clear: intensity determines the “efficiency” of the muscle growth stimulus for each rep, set, and session; volume determines the quantity of it; and progressive overload ensures that the stimulus is sufficient and sustained over time. Remove any component, and the muscle-building equation becomes incomplete.
Conclusion: The Foundation of Sustainable Growth
The path to effective and efficient muscle growth doesn’t need to be complicated — it demands mastery of three fundamental maxims. Training intensity provides the growth signal by creating optimal mechanical tension, primarily in the 60–85% 1RM range, but you can also operate outside this range. Training volume delivers the total stimulus through 10–20 working sets per muscle group weekly. Progressive overload ensures continuous adaptation by gradually increasing training demands over time.
These principles work together “synergistically”. Intensity without enough volume limits total (or sustained) growth stimulus. Volume without appropriate intensity wastes time and energy. Both intensity and volume without progressive overload are effective short term, but will eventually lead to training plateaus. Understand all three, and you have a simple and effective framework that cuts through noise and focuses on what research consistently proves effective.
The beauty of these maxims lies in their simplicity and universal application. Whether you’re designing your first training program or reflecting on an advanced training routine, these principles provide the scientific foundation for sustainable muscle growth. They’ve guided lifters for decades — and will continue to, no matter the latest trend or gimmick.
The next step in training programming is to balance these three training maxims with rest and recovery (“periodisation of training”). However, focus on these three principles, track your progress methodically, and trust the process. Your muscles will respond more effectively to the consistent application of evidence-based tenets than to chasing the latest viral workout fad or milligram muscle growth supplement.
N.b. This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare provider before making health decisions.