Let’s highlight the current research on the number of sets to lift per muscle group per week. Undoubtedly, volume is one of the top drivers of hypertrophy, but do more sets always lead to more growth? What is the minimum effective dosage?
Implementing the optimal weekly volume per muscle is crucial for anyone looking to maximize muscle growth consistently. We’ll delve into recent studies to uncover the nuances of training volume, exploring dose-response relationships, minimum and maximum thresholds, and training frequency. Furthermore, we’ll cover how training status affects optimal volume.
Minimum Threshold Volume for Hypertrophy
According to three reviews, the minimum threshold for hypertrophy seems to be between 6 and 12 weekly sets (2, 9, 11).
One of the lowest recommendations on weekly volume comes from a review recommending a minimum of four weekly sets where the last few reps are challenging to complete (7). Another recommendation on the low end comes from the American College of Sports Medicine’s resistance training guidelines of 2–4 sets per muscle group for 2–3 times a week, equaling a weekly training volume of 4–12 sets per muscle group (12).
These reviews examined many different studies on either well-trained men or athletic populations and equated most training variables except training volume to come to this conclusion. Each study reviewed, however, was conducted differently. For example, each study tested different muscles.
In sum, 4-12 weekly sets at or near failure may be enough volume to cause hypertrophic adaptations. Some people may need more weekly sets in underdeveloped muscles, though, while others may require fewer weekly sets on more responsive muscles. Add your weekly sets per muscle to see if you are in this range. If you’re in the 20+ sets per week group and constantly feeling fatigued, not seeing progression, or running short on time, reducing your weekly volume may be a good call while not sacrificing size.
Maximum Threshold Volume for Hypertrophy
Research seems more vague on the upper limit of weekly volume on hypertrophy. Some single studies have found positive results as high as 52 sets per week (4). One theory is that there is an inverse “U”-shape on the weekly volume where there is a sweet spot, and then as volume increases beyond that, hypertrophy results begin to diminish (6). Another theory is a dose-response relationship where hypertrophy results stop growing after a specific weekly volume (12).
The research's upper weekly volume limits suggest that 20-30 weekly sets at or near failure are effective (1, 2, 4, 6). However, weekly sets in this range only performed slightly better than those in the 12-20 range. If you’re short of this range and not seeing progression in size after a few consistent months of training, try increasing the weekly volume by a few sets.
In sum, research isn’t as clear on the number of sets you should do per week as the minimum for hypertrophy, but the maximum seems to lie somewhere in the 20-30 range.
Volume for Untrained Individuals
It is essential to examine the populations studied in research. Most research is done on trained males. However, a recent study tested untrained females' calve hypertrophy under different weekly volumes (8). Sixty-one untrained women were put into a 6, 9, or 12 weekly set group for calve raises.
Hypertrophy occurred in all groups but was slightly more in the 12 sets per week group. These results show that beginner women can experience calve muscle growth in as little as six weekly sets and can be experimented with other muscle groups.
Training Frequency
Training frequency refers to the total amount of training sessions in a given time, usually a week. Now that we have a rough estimate of an adequate weekly training volume, how many days should you train to hit that total weekly volume?
A review of training programs for hypertrophy covers many studies on this very question. In short, as long as the weekly volume is met, it doesn’t matter whether it is done all in one training or spread across multiple training sessions (7). However, numerous weekly training sessions will likely result in greater volume which may be helpful to some individuals who need more volume to receive muscle growth.
What Does This All Mean?
As little as four weekly sets may be enough to drive hypertrophy, with a rough median of twelve sets being a more common minimum finding in research. This minimum may be even more applicable to newer lifters or undertrained muscle groups. Each set must be done at or near failure, and the sets can all be done in one weekly session or multiple at no expense to the results.
The maximum weekly sets are less clear, but 20-30 sets may be the cap for now, where sets beyond that deliver less and less adaptation at the expense of more fatigue and recovery time. These findings may seem ambiguous, but they show a wide range of practical volume, which hopefully helps more people exercise without worrying about getting it wrong.
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