If young guys who already lift weights do a lot of sets (27 per week) twice a week, they get noticeably stronger in static holds after 6 weeks—doing fewer sets (9 or 18) doesn’t seem to help much.

What we've found so far is that higher weekly resistance training volume—specifically 27 sets—may lead to greater improvements in isometric strength for trained young men, compared to lower volumes [1]. Our analysis of the available evidence currently supports this direction. We looked at 63.0 assertions from the research, and all of them support the idea that doing 27 sets of resistance training per week, spread over two sessions, leads to noticeable gains in static strength over six weeks [1]. In these cases, lower set counts—like 9 or 18 per week—did not produce similar results [1]. The individuals in these studies were young men who already had resistance training experience, so the findings apply specifically to that group. Our current analysis shows a consistent pattern: more sets per week, at least within this specific framework, are linked with better outcomes in isometric strength. However, we don’t have any studies that refute this claim, so we can’t yet weigh opposing results. That doesn’t mean they don’t exist—just that they weren’t present in the evidence we’ve reviewed so far. We also don’t know if going beyond 27 sets offers more benefit, or whether this volume works the same over longer periods. Recovery, injury risk, and long-term progress aren’t addressed in the current data, so we can’t draw conclusions about safety or sustainability. The evidence we’ve reviewed leans toward higher training volume being more effective for short-term isometric strength gains in this population. But our understanding is still evolving. Practical takeaway: If you’re a young man with lifting experience and want to get stronger in static holds, doing around 27 sets per week might help more than doing fewer sets—but listen to your body and consider whether that volume feels manageable over time.