A recent article published by Dr. Layne Norton’s powerlifting coach, Zach Robinson, and colleagues analyzed training volume and frequency for hypertrophy and strength. Unlike traditional models that exclude secondary muscles from set counts, their meta-regressions incorporated “fractional sets,” counting indirect work as half sets for secondary movers. (1)
For instance, the chest is the primary mover during bench presses, but the triceps and front delts do a lot, too. Thus, a bench press set is counted as a full set for the chest and half a set for the triceps and delts. “This was more accurate,” says Norton.
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Optimal Sets for Size & Strength
The study found that a minimum of four sets per muscle weekly was needed to stimulate muscle growth, while five to 10 sets optimized muscle gains. Interestingly, gains continued beyond 40 weekly sets, albeit slower. “They didn’t really find a cap [for sets],” Dr. Norton inserted.
Conversely, strength peaked with much lower volume, around five sets per week. Norton mentioned that “most of these studies weren’t using low reps like you’d use if you’re a powerlifter,” such as three to five reps. Rather, they used higher ranges, which could significantly impact strength gains.
Dr. Norton posits that strength favored more frequent sessions or fewer sets per session, likely because it required more energy to maximize force output.
Volume Cycling for Muscle Gains
“More volume doesn’t seem to have a negative effect on hypertrophy. In most cases, [More volume] favors more hypertrophy,” Dr. Norton explained.
While 40-plus sets weekly per muscle is a lot of volume, the meta-analysis begs the question, should you try it? The answer is yes “[If] you want to be the most muscular human you can possibly be and have all the time to do it,” Norton supposes.
Dr. Norton endorses volume cycling — alternating high-volume training for one muscle group at a time while reducing the volume for others — as a more practical strategy. Muscle gains can be maintained or even increased with a fraction of the initial volume used to build muscle mass. (2)(3)
“If maximum strength is what you care about, have multiple sessions per week of the exercise you want to get stronger at,” Dr. Norton concluded.
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References
- Pelland, J., Remmert, J., Robinson, Z., Hinson, S., & Zourdos, M. (2024). The Resistance Training Dose-Response: Meta-Regressions Exploring the Effects of Weekly Volume and Frequency on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gain. Retrieved from https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/460
- Mpampoulis, T., Stasinaki, A. N., Methenitis, S., Zaras, N., Bogdanis, G. C., & Terzis, G. (2024). Effect of Different Reduced Training Frequencies after 12 Weeks of Concurrent Resistance and Aerobic Training on Muscle Strength and Morphology. Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 12(7), 198. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports12070198
- Bickel, C. S., Cross, J. M., & Bamman, M. M. (2011). Exercise dosing to retain resistance training adaptations in young and older adults. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 43(7), 1177–1187. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e318207c15d
Featured image via Shutterstock/PeopleImages.com – Yuri A
