Volume vs. Intensity In your Workout

How to vary your training to fit your goal or context

This week I’ve been battling an upper-respiratory virus that is sapping my energy. As a result, I’ve listened to my body and taken adequate time to rest and recover.

Yesterday was the first time I lifted weights in a week. During that week, I took a few rest days, did a few short mobility and cardio workouts, and two yoga flows, plus took short walks, to stay moderately active while I healed. On one of those walks, I heard an interesting suggestion on MindPump podcast episode 1044 about volume vs. intensity in a workout (skip directly to 54:37 for discussion on this topic).

Sal spoke about how volume and intensity in a workout are often inversely related. Adam piped up too, explaining that volume is how much you lift (referring more so to number of sets and reps) and intensity is how hard (how heavy, and maybe how much explosiveness).

So, if for whatever reason (in my case, illness) you know you won’t be able to execute a workout with your usual amount of intentsity (weight), one option is to switch out for lighter weight and add more volume (sets or reps) instead. Or, vice versa, if you’re pressed for time one day, you could go heavier and add intensity to your workout, but only do a couple of sets per body part before getting on with your day.

Example: Switching intensity out for volume

By yesterday, I was feeling antsy to lift. While the week-long break was much needed and actually felt great, it had been a long time since I’d taken a full week off of lifting. So, I decided to do a strength training workout where I did my usual lifts but lowered my weights and upped my reps. I also did a few supersets of 2–3 moves back to back, for example:

• 45 degree hyper-extensions with a light dumbbell straight into light Romanian deadlifts (RDLs) to target the hamstrings.
• Bodyweight pushups on dumbbells straight into light bench press to work on wrist position and target chest.
• Bodyweight chinups straight into assisted chin-ups straight into inverted rows to target back — see video below:

Sure enough these supersets did the job and spiked my heart rate, even though I kept my weight low, and I got a nice workout in. Afterwards, I had more energy than I’d had all week! [update: the next day I was sore in that GOOD way that says I worked my muscles in a different way that’s requiring my body to build and adapt in my hamstrings! Win!]

What about you? Do you find it difficult to take time for rest? Don’t be afraid to take a step back, listen to your body, and switch up your routine from time to time, especially if life is crazy or you’re not feeling great. Remember that working out is a stress to the body, so if you’re already stressed due to illness or work/life stuff, a tough workout may be the last thing you should add to your plate. Walking or stretching are great options when you’re not feeling 100%. When do you do feel ready to pick your workout back up again, you can play around with what workout you do, what you emphasize (volume or intensity) or even things like your rest time between sets, and see how it impacts your workout. ❤️