Does doing more sets per week lead to more muscle growth?

We looked at two key assertions from the evidence, and both support the idea that higher training volume—meaning more sets per week—leads to better muscle growth [1,2]. In one analysis, 33 studies supported this link, with no studies contradicting it ¹. A second assertion noted a similar trend, with another 33 supporting data points and none refuting it ². This means every piece of evidence we’ve reviewed so far points in the same direction.

However, we also found that while the trend is clear, the difference between low, medium, and high set ranges isn’t strong enough to say with full confidence that more sets always lead to noticeably better results ². In other words, the benefit appears to exist, but how large that benefit is—and whether it keeps increasing with more and more sets—remains less certain.

Our current analysis shows that the evidence leans toward more weekly sets being helpful for muscle growth. But we don’t yet have enough data to define an ideal number of sets, or to say how much growth you can expect from increasing volume.

Practical takeaway: If you're not seeing the muscle gains you'd like, adding a few more sets per week might help—but don’t assume more is always better. The evidence we’ve reviewed suggests a positive link, but individual results may vary, and other factors like recovery and nutrition also play a role.