If you're new to weight training, doing three sets of each exercise instead of just one will help you get stronger faster — and after about nine weeks, the difference becomes even bigger.

If you're new to lifting weights, doing a moderate amount of workouts each week will make you stronger faster than doing very few workouts — and you'll keep getting stronger week after week for the first 9 weeks.

If you're already fit and lift weights, doing 5 to 10 sets per muscle group each week will make you stronger—but doing more than that (like 15 to 20 sets) won't make you any stronger, no matter how hard you push.

If you're already fit and lift weights, doing way more sets (15–20 per muscle group per week) doesn't make you stronger faster—in fact, you might even gain less strength than if you stick to just 5–10 sets.

If you're already experienced with weight training, doing 5 to 10 sets per muscle group each week builds just as much muscle and strength as doing 15 to 20 sets—so going over 10 sets won't give you extra gains.

If you're already fit and lift weights, doing anywhere from 5 to 20 sets per muscle group each week will make you stronger and build more muscle — and it doesn't matter much which number you pick within that range.