3DMJ Godfather Saga - ‘23 Prep - Ep. 4 - Set Volume & Exercise Selection

[@XTheSpartanX7]

My favorite bodybuilder of all time. Thanks for everything you’ve put on KZbin over the years. You make it look sustainable and fun.

[@deejayspillz]

I also do upper/lower, three days a week. Anytime I’ve tried to up my frequency or volume, my progress stalled. I always end up going back to this same type of routine. Lifting for 30 years and my logbooks don’t lie. Perfect amount of volume, intensity and recovery. Love it! Looking forward to following your journey.

[@jeffalberts7968]

For one who has trained for 30 years, this does not surprise me at all! Experience goes a long ways towards self mastery! Cheers to you! Thanks for the support and Happy Holidays!

[@TypicallyUniqueOfficial]

Jeff, you’re a huge inspiration to me and someone I try to aspire to be like / the kind of person I want to grow into.

[@ctestare2625]

Watching Jeff and Berto execute reps is just so 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼 always try to learn from them.

[@underminded02]

Short and straight to the point. Great video, thanks!

[@jeffalberts7968]

Thanks and you're welcome! Happy Holidays!

[@simonh.1433]

Hey Jeff, You are an absolute role model for the sport and life in general. I discovered you recently and i am totally obsessed with the content that you provide, thank you for your efforts. I gained some insights from a training perspective aswell as your mental approach for balancing training,life and family. I am 30 years of age and left my home country a few years back to now live in Thailand with my beautiful fiance and hopefully a growing family in the next couple of years. Your videos and your personality in general are providing guidance and experience/perspective for somebody like me that is approaching a more mature way of living nowadays compare to my 20s. I dont really have much more to say, just felt the necessity to thank you.All the best, Simon

[@jeffalberts5077]

Thank you so much. So happy to pay it forward. Appreciate the support. Thanks for chiming in.

[@ParvParashar]

Absolutely outstanding video! It’s highly informative and super helpful. Thank you so much for such great work! I really appreciate you for sharing your valuable wisdom with us. I’m deeply grateful to you for all the help you’ve provided by sharing all the amazing information. 🙌

[@MA-ji2qv]

All makes sense....listen to your body and pick the right exercises that give the best stimulus while controlling the overall volume. Thanks for sharing!

[@davidbritz27]

Thank you Jeff for the great content.

[@ryanhauser4993]

Thank you for putting out content like this--I find it very helpful!

[@Team3DMJ]

More than welcome, glad it helps and Happy Holidays! -Jeff

[@07kilianarjunata66]

Thanks for the video! Happy Holidays Jeff!

[@jeffalberts5077]

You’re welcome! Happy Holidays to you and yours!

[@jessealvarez5416]

Thanks 👍 for the inside Look

[@jeffalberts5077]

You’re welcome! Happy Holidays

[@sfarsitulumi]

Happy holidays everybody

[@jeffalberts5077]

Happy Holidays

[@GabrielSantos-mo8mc]

Hi Jeff. I'm a complete beginner. I wanted to know if it's possible to use the same volume and same exercises for the rest of your life, without changes.

[@kalinative69]

What is your frequency and sets per week ?

[@nekroos9547]

4 times per week

[@FrogmortonHotchkiss]

Appreciate the clear info, Jeff. Did you build your physique like this, or is this 'maintenance'? It's way less than what I do (natty) and I'm no spring chicken myself - both training & chronological age. Perhaps I could cut down...

[@richardtrass]

Awesome Jeff. Ever considered doing weighted ring push ups instead of the versions used in your video? Using a weight vest etc. The set up looks awkward for what you showed for push ups but looks worth the effort tho👍.

[@jeffalberts7968]

Thank so much and no I haven't because I don't have the equipment for it. With that said, I have done them before in a commercial gym and they're solid. I have thought about getting a vest for sure to make things more practical. Thanks for nudging me to likely pull the trigger and at least invest in a vest. Happy Holidays!

[@richardtrass]

@@jeffalberts7968 thanks for the reply Jeff. Rings are super cheap and I reckon you could hang them from your power cage or smith machine. I’ve got the Kensui weight vest. Works nicely. Can’t wait for your next video. I always learn so much whenever I listen to you❤

[@paulmurphy5510]

Im assuming you are using an A/B/A B/A/B 3 days per week structure? it scrolls quickly past the frequency remark on the spreadsheet. Thank you and Merry Christmas

[@jeffalberts7968]

Yes, and if you pause it, you'll get a good look and I'm going to be breaking down my split as the week's go on...I don't want to make the videos too long as it's a lot to digest at once. Happy Holidays!

[@KevinGordilloArchive]

Hey Jeff awesome video. New fan here. Question: do you do upper/lower on M/W/F? 3x a week? Thanks In advanced. All the best.

[@catkit86]

New fan here! Curious, how long are your general workouts?

[@Simoayed]

Is there a reason you use push-ups as your only chest movement (based off shown spread sheet) and not traditional bb or db pressing? Thoughts on dips? Thx!

[@jeffalberts5077]

Traditional bb and db pressing gives me shoulder discomfort. Any exercise can be good or bad depending on individual context.

[@mikelutti8501]

Hey Jeff happy holidays! Had a question curious what you did to the powertec leg sled foot plate? I'm always questioning my own angle on the machine. Your range ROM is sick! All the best

[@gabrielviana1762]

Could you explain about Warm Up sets? Do you do before every exercise some sets? How many? Tks e happy holidays

[@EchoInRed]

Is your set volume higher in off season or during calorie surplus periods? How much higher?

[@VanillaBearBeeston]

Very clear and concise video Jeff, thank you! How would you recommend going about trying a decreased volume? Like many I have been drawn into the higher volume MEV-MRV group with adding weekly sets and dropping RIR. Whilst I feel like I’ve added some muscle from progress photos, my performance is really hard to judge because there are so many variables… Currently hitting on average around 15 sets/body part having kept volume static through my last block but wondering if it would be worth trying lower and really focusing on higher intensity and quality. Maybe 10-12 sets? I would say I’m an intermediate / early advanced based on the guidelines on progression in the Muscle and Strength pyramids. To summarise: how do you approach de escalating volume in new clients that have been on much higher volumes? Do you just drop them down aggressively, monitor, and then increase as necessary?

[@jeffalberts7968]

Thank you, appreciated. Dropping down 1/3 volume is a good place to start and see what your response would be. Keep in mind, atrophy occurs when you don't train for weeks, so you're still training with intent, so all what you would be doing is resetting a baseline to work from. From there, focus on performance more so than just adding in sets and see how that plays out. Read my response to Wes Robinson and that might help to get more insights. Happy Holidays!

[@TheJacobRReynolds1]

Curious as to what the leveraged back machine is in there

[@wdadwawdadawdwdwa4133]

Do you still make significant progress after all those years of training?

[@wesrobinson7506]

Great video, Jeff! Do you keep your weekly volume the same when cutting? I’m looking into trying to lower the volume approach. Sometimes I feel like I don’t recover well even from a moderate volume

[@jeffalberts7968]

Thanks and volume is dependent on recovery regardless of the phase I'm in. With that said, this if from an IG post I made a while back...Quality over Quantity. Aim for load/rep increases with your defined full ROM, faster rep speed & form improvement. Viable pathways to quality progression. IMHO, adding sets as a means of progression shouldn’t be top priority. “But Jeff, volume is a driver for hypertrophy, we should be doing more over time.” I digress, hear me out from a pragmatic perspective. If you’re well versed with form, have a high degree of skill (rep 10 looks like rep 1), can grind to pristine high RPEs and you’re no longer capable of performance increase (load, reps, rep speed,form improvement) and it’s not due to fatigue, then I’d be good with adding sets as a means of progression. Why? Because you are technically sound and have energy availability, so the added sets would likely be productive. But, if you’re not progressing, it’s due to fatigue, you have room to improve skill then adding sets shouldn’t be the default as you’ll just be adding in substandard work and potentially escalating fatigue making it difficult to recover. Be honest, I’ve seen fluffy sets with meh form claiming RPE 9, but it’s more like 5-7 🤷‍♂ which doesn’t net too many effective reps. The 5 sets you want to do out of insecurity and or fear of lack of progression, in reality should be closer to 3 higher quality sets to get the same, if not more effective reps. I’ve often lowered my bbers set volume, increased overall recovery (time between sets/more rest days, etc) cleaned up their exercise form and had them focus on performance with more intention. Result? Quality volume. If needed, I still have the option of an added set or two but with fully charged batteries. Gains occur over time, so adding more sets (especially substandard sets) shouldn’t be the automatic default means to hypertrophy. Pragmatically, 3-4 sets/exercise, a “TRUE” RPE 8-9 is is most people’s wheelhouse and TIME/CONSISTENCY is the real driver to hypertrophy (I know, not a sexy sell). As you become more skilled, 3-4 sets in years 5,10,15,20,25,30 will generate more production than in year 1 as your ability to lift cleaner, heavier, add reps and ability to hit true proximity to failure steadily improves. Again, be honest, if you have room for skill improvement, that’s highest priority and not blindly adding in crappy ass sets as that simply reinforces substandard work. Just like any profession, learn skills to become more efficient. No business owner wants to pay for overtime especially if the work is lacking quality. Happy Holidays!

[@wesrobinson7506]

@@jeffalberts7968 thank you so much for taking the time to reply. Many excellent nuggets of wisdom in that response! I had to read that like 5 times lol! I think I’m going to try out with a lower volume approach (not that I have really been doing that much anyways ~12-15 sets per major muscle group -chest, back and legs- and 6-8 for triceps shoulders and biceps isolation). It’s also a thing of time management and trying to make the most of what I am able to do . I can really only make it to the gym 2-3 x per week for about an hour each session and I am not competitor. My wife and I are about to have another baby in a month which I am stoked for, but need to be realistic what I can set up in my next training block to check off at the gym and recover from with less sleep. Do you think 8 sets per muscle group per week is a good starting point ?

[@3rd_iimpact]

Thanks for the video, Jeff. How do I know when a specific muscle group needs more sets? And how do I enough I have enough sets?

[@bobjenkins4925]

Let's say your best performance on a particular lift for a muscle is 100lb for 10 reps, but for your next several workouts you're consistently getting 10 reps, (maybe 9 in one workout when you felt a bit off), but never more, it shows you're pretty well recovered & peaked, but you're not pushing any new growth, that's a sign to add more work.

[@deanbell2337]

Jeff uses a set volume approach and he bases progress off his logbook once a movements stalls he switches movement for something a like for example your doing 3x10 with 225 on incline smith for several weeks Jeff would now swap for incline db for a new stimulus to the bkdy and once the Db press stalls he will swap back or do another different movement

[@JulianWLucas]

Just a little confused, at the end of the video you said you rarely will go above 4 sets, but earlier in the video you say in writing you average 4-8 sets once every 7-9 days per body part. Can you clarify please? Also is that frequency/volume good for gaining phases? For a while I actually used to train similar to this body part frequency/volume. But I’d do it daily. So essentially an old school single body part bro split but without the excessive volume. Really only 8 sets max often only 2-4. So one work out is 2 sets of curls. Next work out two sets of hamstrings curls. Can’t say I gained, but my body felt great, and mentally as well. Knowing I just had to knock out few sets a day for one body part was just refreshing. Plus with the 7-9 days apart my specific muscle was fiendish to get a lift in. I for sure was strong. Muscle gaining was questionable unfortunately. Would love to see you talk more about your 7-9 days body part frequency. Happy holidays!

[@jeffalberts5077]

4 sets/exercise is what I was referring to there at the end and for me, yes, similar volume/intensity has created gains especially in a more fed state. Volume is individual dependent and again, as much as one can recover from. That’s the key, finding what that dose is for whatever phase one is in. Happy Holidays!

[@jeffalberts5077]

Forgot to mention, my last video (Ep. 3) I touched on training frequency so there’s a little context there. Future videos, we’ll keep adding more context to the training.

[@JulianWLucas]

Thanks for the clarification! And I’ll check out episode on 3.

[@latman1]

Good video those are kind of the same conclusions I've come to over the years I'm curious why you do that reverse bench with the plates hanging from your waist rather than just doing a dumbbell press or smith machine press🤔 have I missed your training schedule? How many days a week you're hitting it or you're rotation?

[@jeffalberts5077]

Thanks Tony. Left shoulder issue and painful to do tradition bb or db pressing. Push ups keep my shoulders really stable. Training 3x/week (upper/lower) and I talked about my training frequency in my last video (Ep. 3). Happy Holidays!

[@kalinative69]

Hi Jeff in your experience what is an advanced lifters mrv usually around 30 sets per muscle per week ?

[@jeffalberts5077]

30 sets/week is a ridiculous amount of volume regardless of class of bber you are especially if those 30 sets have plenty of intention behind them.

[@davidmadridmadrid]

No lateral shoulder work? Thanks, Mery Christmas

[@jeffalberts7968]

Not at the moment. My experience has been kind of meh with laterals. Overhead press has always brought me more success with my shoulder training. With that said, I do toss in laterals when my overhead pressing has my shoulders pissed off. I just came off a few blocks of training where laterals was my only direct delt exercise. Happy Holidays!

[@richardtrass]

@@jeffalberts7968 very interesting. Your shoulders are awesome so presumably you feel like your side delts get worked from the overhead presses?

[@jeffalberts7968]

@@richardtrass Inevitably the medial delt does help out with overhead pressing and one can certainly bias it more as well. I do have a lot of confidence with indirect work as past history has gifted me with that.

[@maximilianvonzehmen8261]

Unfortunately only recently became aware of this madness channel! Very good video Jeff, once again! I am impressed, however, that you have so few upper lower split exercises in your plan, and low volume to boot. Is that always the case or just in phases? Would love to see more on your workouts! Thanks!

[@biswajitborah9595]

Is 1 set enough if progressive overload is the main drive of muscle growth ?

[@daviddietsch]

no unless beginner

[@MyCronoz]

How often do you deload?

[@jeffalberts7968]

I train 3x/week (more times than not, Mon-Wed-Fri), so you can say I never really feel I get to the point where I need to take a "traditional" deload. One of the benefits of making sure rest is an equal part of the process. With that said, if fatigue does get too far out in front or me, it's as easy as adding in an extra rest day and or tapering 1-2 sessions down and that usually does it for me. Happy Holidays!

[@lionheart93]

do u wear olympic weightlifting shoes?

[@jeffalberts7968]

Squat shoes for some lifts. Happy Holidays!

[@maxmaximum-sh4bx]

For the algorithm

[@YsaakD]

Só quem veio pelo marombeiro natural curti!

[@hedbangerghost]

Hi, Jeff - great video! Wanted to ask if you start your blocks with more RIR and then ramp up the intensity or you try to stay 1-2 reps short of failure throughout the whole block? Happy holidays to you too!

[@jeffalberts7968]

Hello, thank you! I keep most of my lifts in the 0-3 RIR range (failure on exercises that are more conducive for it and usually on last set only) and the RIR range is based on the rep range and the exercise in question. RDL and leg press for example, bigger more technical lifts, 2-3 rir to keep myself on the safer side. Smaller exercises, typically closer to failure (0-2 rir). I don't undulate RIR weekly as again, I prefer things more static as it's easier to get a read on things. I think when there are too many moving parts/variables, especially because life outside the gym can be so unpredicatable I don't want to be too conservative on a given week when I'm very capable of pushing and vice versa...pushing too hard on a given week where there's too much going on in the real world. Sometimes when there's too many moving parts...it just makes people overthink too much while training and that can be debilitating for some. Happy Holidays!

[@hedbangerghost]

@@jeffalberts7968 Thank you!

[@richardtrass]

@@jeffalberts7968 super interesting reply Jeff