If you want to gain more muscle in the year ahead, then there are certain training variables you need to get right. The right amount of weight, right number of reps, right amount of intensity, and right exercises might all pop into your mind. But one of the most important variables of all is how many sets you do per muscle per week. Scientists and coaches call this “volume.”
How many sets to gain muscle has been one of the most researched topics in bodybuilding science in the last 15 years. But despite the wealth of studies we have to reference today, how many sets is still a controversial topic. So much so, that dudes get into fights over it on the internet (especially on You Tube, where there are debates and critique videos galore).
Some coaches and scientists say that the more sets you do, the more muscle you gain. Others say this is true but only up to a certain point. After that, there are diminishing returns, and ultimately a plateau and even a regression (the “U-shaped” curve). Still others say that a high set volume will simply lead to overtraining and burnout. They suggest that fewer sets with a higher intensity is better.
If you search long enough across the whole spectrum of research you can find studies that suggest a volume of any where from 4 to 45 sets!
It’s confusing, I know. But now there is some brand new research that helps shed some light on why there are still so many questions about this. It has also helped us refine our understanding of this topic better than ever.
The Biggest Study On “How Many Sets” (Volume) Ever Conducted
The largest study looking at how many sets to gain muscle was recently published in the scientific journal SportsRxiv (Pelland et al). This thing was a monster – 47 pages long. And yeah, I’m a bodybuilding science nerd so I read it. It was not a single study, it was a meta-analysis of 67 different studies on the subject.
The statistics stuff was over my head, but by reading the intro, discussion, and conclusion, the message was pretty clear. I wouldn’t want you to endure the torture of reading science papers like this, so here’s what I did for today’s Blog:
I wrote a super short summary of the key points. If you apply these newest science-based guidelines on volume to your workouts, you are virtually guaranteed to optimize you muscle gains.
Keep in mind that ultimately, you’re going to have to experiment to see what works best for you. But with guidelines like these, it makes it easier for you to know what to try.
1. Early research found that 4 to 5 sets of an exercise was superior to 1 set. This debunked the idea of single set training being the best, which was promoted by “high intensity training” advocates for years.
2. Follow up studies found that 6 or more sets was even better than 4 or 5.
3. Scientists widely agreed that there is a “dose-response” increase in muscle gain up to around 10 sets per muscle per week. (Possibly 11 or 12)
4. Continued research discovered that you gain even more muscle increasing to 15 to 20 sets per muscle per week.
5. More is not always better, however. At some point near 10 to 12 sets, while gains can keep going up with more, there is a point of diminishing returns.
6. Due to diminished return on time and effort invested, it might not be worth it to keep raising volume even higher. An exception might be competitive bodybuilders and lifters really serious about maximizing gains. But if you have the time, you can experiment and see how higher volumes (in the 13 to 20 range) work for you.
7. A great method is to try higher volume training only for a single body part you want to work hard on improving. (While staying with lower volumes for the rest of the muscles).
8. When trying to increase volume to max out gains, it’s also a great idea to use added sets as a method of progressive overload. Rather than spiking sets suddenly or arbitrarily, instead increase sets slowly over time, especially when you’re stuck and you can’t increase the weight).
9. When volume gets very high it increases the risk of physical overtraining and mental burnout. It can also get unsustainable and impractical due to the extra time required.
10. Scientists say ultra-high volume training (like over 20 or even 25+ sets per muscle per week) might still stimulate additional muscle growth. This is uncertain due to lack of research. But again, the diminishing return on investment makes it exponentially less efficient, less practical, and higher risk.
11. Most experts agree that you’ll reach a total plateau point and believe there’s a “U-shaped curve.” That means you gain more muscle for a while, but then at some point you flatline then even start going backwards due to overtraining and under-recovery.
12. When volume starts getting high near the end of a training block, a sensible strategy is to “de-load”, drop back down and repeat the cycle. This increases benefits while decreasing risks because you’re not on high volume all year round.
13. This newest research also points out that small synergist muscles like the triceps are getting worked in compound exercises like the bench press (where chest is the prime mover), but they’re not worked directly. Scientists suggest you could count an exercise like the bench press as a half a set for triceps. (My opinion: I think a simpler method is to just do a little less volume for smaller muscles. So if you were aiming for 10 to 12 sets for chest (a major muscle), you might get by with as little as 6 to 9 sets of direct work for the smaller tricep muscles.
So there you have it – a short and simple summary of what 67 studies have said about volume as we head into 2025. I hope you found this helpful and if you have any questions, please feel free to post in the comments below.
Train hard and expect success!
Tom Venuto
Founder of Burn the Fat Inner Circle
Author of Burn the Fat Guide To Flexible Meal Planning For Fat Loss
PS. If it’s the nutrition and meal planning side of things where you need more help than the training side, then be sure to check out my latest ebook here: www.BurnTheFat.com
About Tom Venuto
Tom Venuto is a lifetime natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, fitness writer and author of Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat Burning Secrets of Bodybuilders and Fitness Models and the national bestseller, The Body Fat Solution, which was an Oprah Magazine and Men’s Fitness Magazine pick. Tom has appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, Oprah Magazine, Muscle and Fitness Magazine, Ironman Magazine and Men’s Fitness Magazine, as well as on dozens of radio shows including Sirius Satellite Radio, ESPN-1250 and WCBS. Tom is also the founder and CEO of Burn The Fat Inner Circle – a fitness support community for inspiration and transformation
Scientific Reference:
Pelland J, et al, The resistance training dose-response: Meta-regressions exploring the effects of weekly volume and frequency on muscle hypertrophy and strength gain, Sport Rxiv, 2024.
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