The Poliquin Principles

QUESTION: Is it necessary to go for max singles if my goal is to build muscle mass? I understood that the most important factor in building muscle was doing lots of volume, not intensity. 

ANSWER: Marathon runners do a high volume of training, so although volume is important in building muscle, intensity is also important. But to more precisely answer your question: I believe it is important for a bodybuilder to perform periods of lower-rep, heavier weight training, not necessarily singles, but at least some sets of three to six reps. One reason I say this is that you will be stimulating growth in two types of muscle fibers, the type IIa with the higher reps and the type IIb with the lower reps. This means that although focusing on just higher reps can develop tremendous size, you cannot reach your full genetic potential in muscle mass if you do not also perform lower reps. In the past, bodybuilders often tested themselves with heavy lifts. Reg Park won the NABBA Mr. Universe in 1951 and could bench press 500 pounds. He was the first bodybuilder to do so. Park was 6’1” and had 20-inch arms, a remarkable achievement in that era. Bill Pearl could front squat 500 pounds and military press 320 pounds, and, in 1971 at the age of 41, he took on all comers in the NABBA Pro Mr. Universe competition.
Pearl won, beating out former Mr. Olympia Sergio “The Myth” Oliva
and future Mr. Olympias Chris Dickerson and Frank Zane. In 1981,
Mr. Olympia Franco Columbu could deadlift 700 pounds for repetition
although he weighed less than 200 pounds. So take a tip from these
legends of bodybuilding and don’t be afraid to lift some heavy iron!

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