When trained men do 15 or 20 sets per muscle group each week, they don’t get as strong as those doing only 5 or 10 sets — more work doesn’t mean more strength.
Scientific Claim
In trained men, resistance training volumes of 15 to 20 sets per muscle group per week are associated with smaller gains in muscle strength compared to 5 to 10 sets per week for most exercises after 12 and 24 weeks.
Original Statement
“G5 and G10 showed significantly greater increases for 10RM than G15 and G20 for most exercises at 12 and 24 weeks.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
overstated
Study Design Support
Design cannot support claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The abstract reports a statistical difference but does not confirm RCT design elements needed to infer causation. The claim must be framed as an observed association, not a causal effect.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Evidence of a Ceiling Effect for Training Volume in Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength in Trained Men - Less is More?
In trained men, doing more than 10 sets per muscle group per week didn’t make them stronger—actually, they got weaker gains than those doing just 5 to 10 sets.