Low-volume resistance training, defined as one set per exercise, can effectively stimulate muscle hypertrophy in trained individuals, suggesting it is a time-efficient strategy for muscle growth.

Study: Higher resistance training volume offsets muscle hypertrophy non-responsiveness in older individuals.

Even if you're already fit, doing just one set of an exercise can still make your muscles bigger — at least for some people. This study shows that one set works for many older adults, so it's a quick way to build muscle without spending hours at the gym.

Study: Divergent Strength Gains but Similar Hypertrophy After Low-Load and High-Load Resistance Exercise Training in Trained Individuals: Many Roads Lead to Rome.

Even if you're already fit, doing just one tough set of exercises with lighter weights can still make your muscles bigger — just like lifting heavy weights, but it takes less time.

Study: Pectoralis Clavicular and Sternocostal Thicknesses Increase Similarly in Response to One and Three Sets of Pec Deck Resistance Training in Untrained Young Men

The study found that doing just one set of an exercise works about as well as doing three sets for building chest muscle in beginners. But we don’t know if it works the same way for people who are already fit.

Study: Pectoralis Clavicular and Sternocostal Thicknesses Increase Similarly in Response to One and Three Sets of Pec Deck Resistance Training in Untrained Young Men

The study found that doing just one set of an exercise works about as well as doing three sets for building chest muscle in beginners. This supports the idea that short workouts can still build muscle.