Does doing more than four sets of resistance exercise build more muscle?

1 min readUpdated June 3, 2026

What the Evidence Shows

We analyzed the available research on whether doing more than four sets of resistance exercise builds more muscle, and what we’ve found so far is mixed. Some studies suggest that going beyond four sets doesn’t lead to much additional muscle growth, even when pushing to maximum effort [1]. Other...

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (0)
No supporting evidence found
Contradicting (0)
No contradicting evidence found
Primary Studies (3)

Ribosome biogenesis and resistance training volume in human skeletal muscle

DOI: 10.1113/JP279490

Does Performing Partial Repetitions Beyond Momentary Failure Enhance Muscle Hypertrophy in Volume-Load-Equated Calf-Raise Resistance Training?

DOI: 10.70252/ijes2026403

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

DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00670.2023

Update History

Published
June 3, 2026·Last updated June 3, 2026
  • Invalid Date2 new assertion(s) added
  • Invalid DateNew topic created from assertion

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