🔍 Introduction
If adherence is the foundation of the pyramid, the next step is learning how to structure your training workload.
Here we find three key variables: Volume, Intensity, and Frequency (VIF).
These three are inseparable: adjusting one will affect the others. Understanding and applying them correctly is what separates a random plan from an effective program.
“Real progress comes from finding balance between how much you do, how hard you work, and how often you repeat it.” — Eric Helms
🧩 1. Volume – The total amount of work
Volume refers to the total number of effective sets performed for a muscle group or movement pattern within a week.
Modern scientific evidence indicates that volume is the main driver of muscle hypertrophy (up to a point).
📊 General recommendations
10 to 20 weekly sets per muscle group or movement pattern.
Beginners may progress with fewer (8–10), while advanced lifters often need more (15–20).It’s ideal to distribute that volume across several days to avoid excessive fatigue and improve recovery.
Progress happens within a response range, not a fixed number — everyone has their own “optimal stimulus volume.”
📘 Key concepts
More isn’t always better: when volume exceeds your recovery capacity, progress stalls.
Quality over quantity: 12 focused, high-effort sets with good form are worth more than 20 half-hearted ones.
Volume evolves with experience: as you get stronger, you’ll need more work to keep adapting.
Each Gravl program’s volume is adjusted automatically based on your level.
The AI Split dynamically modifies your number of sets and reps per muscle group according to your performance and recovery data.
The more consistent you are, the more accurately Gravl estimates your effective volume.
⚡ 2. Intensity – The degree of effort and load
Intensity can be understood in two ways:
Load intensity: the weight used relative to your 1RM (one-repetition maximum).
Effort intensity: how close you are to muscular failure in each set.
Both directly affect neuromuscular adaptation and which muscle fibers are stimulated.
📊 General recommendations
For strength: work between 75–90% of 1RM, or in 1–6 rep ranges.
For hypertrophy: most work should be in 6–12 rep ranges, stopping 1–3 reps before failure.
For muscular endurance: 12–20 rep ranges with lighter loads but maintaining a high effort level.
⚙️ Practical keys
Avoid complete failure in most sets — it’s not necessary or sustainable.
Use effort tracking (RPE): Gravl will ask after your hardest set how many reps you could have done beyond failure.
Mix intensities: alternating heavy and moderate sessions creates a more complete stimulus and reduces overload risk.
Be honest when recording your effort level — Gravl adjusts your loads and reps based on these inputs to keep you within the optimal intensity range.
🔁 3. Frequency – How often you train each muscle group
Frequency refers to how many times per week you train a specific muscle group.
Increasing frequency allows better volume distribution and more frequent exposure to the training stimulus, which improves technique and recovery.
📊 General recommendations
2 or more times per week per muscle group or movement pattern.
Training a muscle only once a week can maintain results but rarely drives further progress.Optimal frequency depends on total volume: more volume → more training days to spread it effectively.
For most users, 3–5 training days per week are enough to cover all major muscle groups.
⚙️ Practical keys
Splitting your work across days prevents excessive fatigue.
Repeating movement patterns improves technique.
A higher frequency doesn’t mean more time — it means smarter distribution of total workload.
Gravl structures your weekly sessions based on your availability and recovery.
The algorithm automatically balances volume and intensity so you can maintain an effective frequency without overtraining.
🧠 Balancing Volume, Intensity, and Frequency
These three variables constantly interact:
If you increase volume, you’ll need to adjust intensity or frequency.
If you raise intensity, you may need to reduce total volume.
If you train frequently, each session must be controlled in effort and duration.
Finding your personal balance is key — and Gravl helps you do that automatically by analyzing your performance data and trends.
💬 Conclusion
Training effectively isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing enough, with the right load, the right amount, and the right frequency.
These three elements — Volume, Intensity, and Frequency — form the core of every well-designed program.
At Gravl Academy, these principles are embedded in every workout: the system adjusts your key variables dynamically based on your consistency and performance, so you can focus on what truly matters — training, enjoying, and progressing.