There’s a dose-dependent relationship between training volume (defined as the number of sets multiplied by the number of reps) and muscle growth. That means the more sets and/or reps you do, the more gains you can expect.

But, as we all know, more isn't always necessarily … well, more. For example, protein consumption. Or range of motion on exercises.

There will come a time when increasing your training volume will lead to diminishing returns or hurt your progress, right?

And if there is, where exactly is the line drawn? Find out in this article.

First, here’s what a set means

If you’re familiar with the basics of algebra, you’d know that the fewer variables there are, the easier the problem-solving process.

To illustrate, imagine having to solve “X+Y=15” vs. “X+B+C+D+E+H=15”.

While—ironically—it's technically impossible for anyone to solve either equation without further information, most people would agree that the first seems much more manageable.

So, when discussing how many sets and reps you should do to build muscle, it'll make sense for us first to “fix” one variable. Note: since both affect training volume, you can't have both of them changing at the same time.

And the variable we'll fix is the number of reps you do.

How, though? Answer: by training close to failure (i.e., 1 to 4 reps shy of failure).

Learn more about training to failure here:

Should You Always Train To Failure?

One of the most common pieces of advice? Probably that you need to train to failure — where you only ever end a set when it becomes physically impossible to move the weight any further.So — does training to failure lead to higher rates of muscle growth?

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That means we only count sets you take close to failure as “true sets”.

What’s the point of diminishing returns?

Now that we’ve got 1 variable out of the way, it’s time to address this question: “How many sets should I do for hypertrophy?”

The answer lies in a recent 2022 meta-analysis published in the Journal of Human Kinetics.

After comparing and analyzing hypertrophy responses to moderate and high training volumes, the researchers concluded that 12 to 20 weekly sets per muscle group per week might be an optimum standard recommendation for increasing muscle mass in young, trained men.

So, how many sets and reps should you do per workout to build muscle?

This truly depends on how frequently you’re training. In general, it’s best to train a muscle group at least 3 times weekly, so if you train it:

• 3 times weekly: ~4 to 6 sets per workout
• 4 times weekly: ~3 to 5 sets per workout
• 5 times weekly: ~2 to 4 sets per workout

That said, it’s worth remembering that volume is highly individual.

Studies only tell us about group averages, and some people may need higher volume ("diminishing" doesn't mean "zero" returns, after all!), while others may need lower volumes.

You may find the following guiding principles useful:

But wait. Why are women more fatigue-resistant than men? And do other sex-related training differences exist? (Spoiler alert: yes). Find more details below:

Strength Training Differences: Do Women Build Muscle Slower?

Women can’t build as much muscle (or as quickly) as men—agree? If you do, well, you’re about to get the shock of your life. Let’s get reading!

GymStreak BlogGene

A few more things to note

Your training volume is only part of the picture when you're trying to build muscle. You must also account for the following:

Takeaway

The higher your training volume, the more muscle growth you can expect.

However, there does come a time where more volume can cause diminishing returns—and research shows that this occurs when you exceed 20 sets per muscle group per week.

That said, it’s worth remembering that training volume can be highly individual.

To gauge what training volume works best for you, tracking your volume alongside your performance is likely a good idea. But how do you do that?

Well, why not log your workouts on GymStreak? It’s not just a workout tracker, as well—this smart, AI-powered personal trainer app can even help you program your training in such a way that optimizes your results.

See it in action: