From the Brickyard | Subject: Cut the junk for best results
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You train hard.
You show up.
You grind.
But are you actually building?
Or are you just burning time and calories with junk volume?
What Is Junk Volume?
Junk volume is training that looks like work…
…but doesn’t actually stimulate muscle growth.
It’s any extra sets or reps that don’t stimulate growth.
Think:
- Doing light sets with no purpose, intention, or focus
- Doing compound moves that hit everything a little, but nothing well (such as thrusters and plank rows)
- Exercises thrown in just to “feel busy” or fill time
- Excess sets that are beyond your recovery capacity
Junk volume inflates your training log but doesn’t add bricks to your physique.
Why You Should Avoid Junk Volume
1. It Wastes Recovery
Musclebuilding is a stress–recovery–adaptation game.
If you’re spending precious recovery resources on low-quality volume, you’re robbing your body of gains.
2. It Masks Progress
You feel tired, you feel pumped—so you assume you’re progressing.
But progress isn’t about how wrecked you are.
It’s about how much quality stimulus you apply and how well you recover from it.
3. It Can Lead to Overuse and Injury
More volume = more reps = more wear and tear.
If that volume isn’t productive, you’re just speeding toward tendonitis or burnout.
4. It Slows the Mission
You’re here to build. Not to pretend.
Every set needs to have purpose—especially if you’re a busy dad, working man, and real-life Musclebuilder with limited time.
So What’s the Alternative?
👉 Spend Your Time On Productive Volume
That means:
- Targeting the muscle(s) you want to target, not just flailing around or using a bunch of muscles just to use a bunch of muscles
- Using optimal form, abiding by the tempo, and using a full range of motion
- Doing hard sets taken to failure or near failure in the proper rep range (3-15)
- Using an optimal amount of sets (3-5) to stimulate growth but not destroy yourself.
👉 Focus on Stimulus, Not Fatigue
Chase the signal, not the soreness.
If you can effectively stimulate the muscle in 4 sets, don’t do 8.
👉 Less but Better
3-5 brutal, focused sets > 10 lazy, sloppy ones.
You’re not there to fill time.
You’re there to build your damn body.
Bottom Line:
Junk volume is training without purpose. It’s moving just to move.
It kills your recovery, slows your growth, and makes your sessions longer without offering any real benefit.
Be smarter.
Train with intention.
Every set is a brick—don’t lay down garbage.
Brick by brick.
-Brickwall