If you train a muscle three times a week instead of once, and you end up doing more total work, you’ll get stronger and bigger muscles—better than if you kept the same total work.

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Evidence from Studies

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Effect of different training frequencies on maximal strength performance and muscle hypertrophy in trained individuals—a within-subject design

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2022

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Effect of different training frequencies on maximal strength performance and muscle hypertrophy in trained individuals—a within-subject design

Score: 54

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276154

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If you do the same workout three times a week instead of once, and you end up doing more total weight lifted, you’ll get stronger and build more muscle—because you’re doing more work overall.

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