Making the transition from a beginner, to intermediate, to an advanced lifter usually involves increasing your workout training volume to some extent. The better shape you are in physically, the higher your work capacity, and the more volume of training you can handle.

For example, a beginner workout may consist of 6 sets per body part (i.e. 3 sets of 2 exercises).

An intermediate workout may consist of 9 sets per body part (i.e. 3 sets of 3 exercises).

And an advanced workout may consist of 12 sets per body part (i.e. 3 sets of 4 exercises).

While this is good general training advice, it breeds the "more is better" mentality. After all no one wants to remain a newbie for long, so for a lot of guys they jack up their training volume too much, too soon, with the hopes of speeding up their gains in the gym.

Another problem with this train of thought is that if doing 12 sets per body part is good for an advanced lifter, will doing even more sets be better? How about 15 sets, or 20 sets, and beyond… Will this make you an "extremely advanced lifter"…?

While there is no hard set rules for exactly how much training volume you should do, there are some general guidelines that you can follow. Performing 9 sets per workout should be adequate for smaller muscle groups like biceps, triceps, calves, and abs. And doing around 12 sets per workout will be enough volume for larger muscle groups like chest, back, and thighs.

For advanced lifters the key to making further progress is by training with progressive overload (gradually increasing the weights you lift) and by cycling your workouts with different training protocols, NOT simply adding more volume.

Note: if you would like help in cycling your workouts and learning how to provide your body with unique muscle stimulation, you should check out the Total Fitness Bodybuilding Workout Of The Month program here.