More lifts don't always mean more muscle growth signals
The degree of p70S6k and S6 phosphorylation in human skeletal muscle in response to resistance exercise depends on the training volume
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
S6 phosphorylation increased 55-fold after 5 sets, but Akt and mTOR didn’t change at all across volumes.
Everyone assumes more volume = stronger mTOR activation. This shows mTOR is saturated at low volume — the real volume effect happens downstream, which contradicts most fitness marketing.
Practical Takeaways
If you're untrained, aim for at least 3 sets per exercise to reliably trigger muscle-building signals — 1 set likely won’t cut it.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
S6 phosphorylation increased 55-fold after 5 sets, but Akt and mTOR didn’t change at all across volumes.
Everyone assumes more volume = stronger mTOR activation. This shows mTOR is saturated at low volume — the real volume effect happens downstream, which contradicts most fitness marketing.
Practical Takeaways
If you're untrained, aim for at least 3 sets per exercise to reliably trigger muscle-building signals — 1 set likely won’t cut it.
Publication
Journal
European Journal of Applied Physiology
Year
2010
Authors
G. Terzis, K. Spengos, H. Mascher, G. Georgiadis, P. Manta, E. Blomstrand
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Claims (6)
When guys who don’t normally lift weights do a tough leg workout on an empty stomach, their muscles show a big spike in two specific signals that tell the body to build more muscle, and this might mean doing more sets makes those signals even stronger.
If untrained guys lift weights on an empty stomach, doing 5 sets of exercise really ramps up a key muscle-building signal in their cells—but just 1 set doesn’t do much, suggesting you need more than a little effort to kickstart muscle growth.
When guys who don’t work out lift weights, their muscles turn on a specific stress signal—no matter if they do 1 set or 5 sets. It’s like the signal just needs the weight to be lifted, not how many times they do it.
For guys who don’t lift regularly, doing weight exercises doesn’t change a specific body signal (ERK1/2) 30 minutes after working out, no matter how hard or long they train — so this signal probably isn’t what tells their muscles to grow right after a fasted workout.
Doing more workout volume doesn’t necessarily make your muscles grow more—your body’s internal muscle-building signals stay about the same no matter how much you train.