Is volume training, in other words using a higher volume of sets or less sets focusing on more intensity the best way to gain muscle.?Traditionally more volume i.e. more sets have been seen as the superior way to gain muscle.The reason being more sets stimulates more muscle fibres and in return physically stimulates more growth and increases the volume of the muscle.

A good example of a bodybuilder who used to train this way is one of the all time greats Arnold Schwarzenegger himself.He would regularly do workouts which incorporated a high volume of sets at least 30 sets per body part and sometimes trained twice a day and you can not argue with the results he got.

The other side of the coin is to do less sets,maybe even three sets in total per body part and training each body part only once per week but incorporating techniques such as supersets,drop sets and taking each set to absolute failire stimulating as many muscle fibres as possible and then allowing enough rest to enable the muscles to grow.Good exanples of bodybuilders who trained like this are Mike Mentzer who even boasted that he could stimulate growth with just one or two sets if the correct intensity is applied and boy we all know what Mike's physique looked like.Another good example is Dorian Yates,three times Mr. Olympia(was it three times) who also followed this principle of training.

There are certain advantages to shorter and intense workouts with less sets and volume of training.High volume of training can over stimulate the nervous system quite quickly and might lead to overtraining as it can take longer to recover from workouts,whereas with shorter more intense workouts you recover faster.Also with more volume in your workouts i have found that you tend to have more of an appetite and you can therefore gain more body fat  and it can take longer to recover from workouts.

So it could be more to your advantage to do only 3 workouts per week while training each body part only once per week and therefore allowing sufficient time for rest and the muscle to grow and recuperate.What i have found is that you usually experience  good gains in strength as well when you train this way and you tend to have more energy in and outside of the gym and it is easier to get through your workouts and day to day activities as you do not feel drained.

I would suggest to try these two training types of and decide for yourself which way is the best way to gain muscle for you.