Based on the research published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the belief that we just need to increase training volume is being shattered. Here's how.

A study by ENES published in Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise found that people who did high-volume training sets (52 sets) grew stronger and developed larger muscles than those who did lower-volume sets.

Now, the question is: do we also need to perform 52 sets every week to build muscle? The answer is a big no. Adding that much volume to one's workout will hamper muscle recovery and increase the risk of injury.  So, what should the practical approach be? 

A systematic review available on SportRχiv provides a more practical answer and a realistic estimate of the number needed to achieve muscle hypertrophy. This review concluded that, 

• 10-12 sets per week is optimal and works best for most people. 
• Doing 30-40 sets per week maximizes hypertrophy. But the condition is that one’s body is getting enough rest and recovery.
• For beginners, the magical number is 4 sets per week to build muscle. 

Point to keep in mind

The thing that truly matters is how hard one is training, not how much.  One must perform every set close to failure, meaning the muscle must feel fatigued at the end of each set.

Working out with maximum effort, getting proper rest, eating a balanced diet, and staying consistent with the training are more important than hunting for a specific number. 

A perfect and effective plan is to do 3 to 6 sets for each muscle group per session, and make sure to do this 3 times a week. Begin with a few sets; as one’s body adapts, gradually increase the sets. 

The major takeaway from this is that one must not go too far to develop muscles. Start with a little and gradually increase the sets with proper recovery and training hard, that is the correct way to build real progress in terms of hypertrophy. 

How many sets do you usually perform for a muscle group to have optimum development?

Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu