Bodybuilding is the art of using resistance training to build massive and aesthetically pleasing muscles. While the goal is clear, many differing opinions exist on the best approaches to training and nutrition in bodybuilding.
Recently, three experts — Dr. Mike Israetel, Eric Janicki, and Jared Feather — came together to debunk three common bodybuilding myths:
3 Bodybuilding Myths
- More time under tension (TUT) always means more muscle growth
- Exercise novelty is necessary for muscle growth
- More sets always equal more muscle growth
[Related: How Pro Bodybuilding Competitions Work]
More Time Under Tension Means More Muscle Growth
For many, the TUT debate is about what TUT means. When approaching it as the total time it takes to do an exercise, Janicki doesn’t believe this necessarily translates to growth.
The set that takes two or three minutes doesn’t make it more growth-promoting than one that takes 25 seconds.
—Eric Janicki
That likely concerns the stimulus quality during that TUT rather than just cumulative time. A 2011 study published in The Journal of Physiology highlights the potential importance of the time muscles spend under tension during exercise in maximizing muscle growth. (1)
Exercise Novelty Is Necessary for Muscle Growth
Dr. Israetel distinguished between necessary and optimal for switching up exercise routines. Introducing variety into workouts benefits mental engagement, joint and connective tissue health, and combating boredom.
“Switch it up once a mesocycle [or] keep squats in a high bar because they feel good for a year or two,” Dr. Israetel said. “But when your body tells you, ‘I hate this, I haven’t seen growth in a while, and my joints hurt,’ don’t attach your flag to the I never change my exercises.”
Janicki believes exercise novelty isn’t essential for growth, particularly for beginners, who often find a few movements that resonate. Challenges arise when individuals stick to the same exercises for too long.
Over time, those exercises’ effectiveness may have diminishing returns. Variety might help continued progress. Research supports incorporating advanced training techniques, such as drop sets, supersets, and cluster sets, to break through training monotony. (2)
Part of the fun is using different variants; angles on a cable, different machines, adding range of motion, or a foam block. All of these things have made the gym so much more enjoyable.
—Eric Janicki
More Sets Equal More Muscle Growth
Effective workouts commonly include factors like working close to failure, engaging multiple muscles, full range of motion, and incorporating eccentrics. Janicki argued that performing up to six working sets for the biceps often results in “junk volume” with little benefit. However, back training can benefit from significantly more sets — Janicki recommends the “golden rule” of six hard sets for larger muscle groups.
On the other hand, Feather highlighted the individual nature of volume tolerance, suggesting that many people can handle higher training volumes. Limiting oneself to two to six sets may not always be necessary. Feather advocated taking advantage of additional sets if they contribute to muscle growth.
Dr. Israetel pointed out that advanced, strong, and well-conditioned individuals may see diminishing, or even no, returns from performing more than six complex sets per muscle in a single session. However, going beyond six sets can benefit many. Research shows that performing 15 hard sets for quads over three weeks outperforms five to 10 sets, suggesting a trend favoring six to eight working sets per muscle per session as an ideal range for most people.
Dr. Israetel advised that if someone consistently exceeds the six-to-eight set range in a single session, they may achieve better results by distributing those sets across more frequent sessions to optimize the stimulus-to-fatigue ratio.
References
- Burd, N. A., Andrews, R. J., West, D. W., Little, J. P., Cochran, A. J., Hector, A. J., Cashaback, J. G., Gibala, M. J., Potvin, J. R., Baker, S. K., & Phillips, S. M. (2012). Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. The Journal of physiology, 590(2), 351–362. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200
- Krzysztofik, M., Wilk, M., Wojdała, G., & Gołaś, A. (2019). Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(24), 4897. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16244897
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