Does doing more sets over time make muscles stronger and bigger?
Does increasing the resistance-training volume lead to greater gains? The effects of weekly set progressions on muscular adaptations in females
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Adding 4 sets every two weeks led to greater muscle growth in the vastus lateralis, but adding only 2 sets did not—despite both improving strength.
Many assume any increase in volume helps muscle growth equally, but this suggests a minimum threshold (4 sets/fortnight) may be needed for hypertrophy in trained individuals.
Practical Takeaways
If you're a trained female lifter, try increasing your weekly leg workout sets by 4 every two weeks to potentially boost strength and quad muscle growth.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Adding 4 sets every two weeks led to greater muscle growth in the vastus lateralis, but adding only 2 sets did not—despite both improving strength.
Many assume any increase in volume helps muscle growth equally, but this suggests a minimum threshold (4 sets/fortnight) may be needed for hypertrophy in trained individuals.
Practical Takeaways
If you're a trained female lifter, try increasing your weekly leg workout sets by 4 every two weeks to potentially boost strength and quad muscle growth.
Publication
Journal
Journal of Sports Sciences
Year
2025
Authors
Alysson Enes, C. L. Correa, Mauro F Bernardo, Guilherme Nass Salles, Gustavo Oneda, D. Leonel, Steven J Fleck, Stuart M Phillips, E. D. De Souza, Tácito P. Souza-Junior
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Claims (3)
For women who already lift weights, slowly increasing how many sets they do every couple of weeks doesn’t help them build thicker thigh muscles any more than just keeping their workout the same over 12 weeks.
If women who already lift weights increase their workout volume every couple of weeks, they’ll get stronger on the leg press faster than if they stick to the same number of sets the whole time.
If women who already work out increase their leg training gradually over 12 weeks, they might build more muscle in their quads than if they stick to the same number of sets the whole time—especially if they add four sets every two weeks.