Are more sets better for building upper body muscles?
Effect of resistance training set volume on upper body muscle hypertrophy: are more sets really better than less?
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
More sets don’t lead to more muscle growth in beginners
Common gym wisdom says 'more is better' — bodybuilders and influencers often recommend high-volume routines. This finding contradicts that belief for untrained individuals.
Practical Takeaways
Beginners can start with fewer than 3 sets per upper body exercise and still expect solid muscle growth.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
More sets don’t lead to more muscle growth in beginners
Common gym wisdom says 'more is better' — bodybuilders and influencers often recommend high-volume routines. This finding contradicts that belief for untrained individuals.
Practical Takeaways
Beginners can start with fewer than 3 sets per upper body exercise and still expect solid muscle growth.
Publication
Journal
Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging
Year
2018
Authors
C. V. La Scala Teixeira, Y. Motoyama, P. H. S. M. de Azevedo, A. Evangelista, J. Steele, D. Bocalini
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Claims (3)
Lifting weights more each week helps your muscles grow, but after about 10 sets per muscle group, doing even more doesn't help much — the extra effort gives you way less bang for your buck.
If you're new to lifting, doing just a few sets per workout might be enough to build upper body muscle — doing more sets probably won't give you much extra benefit.
We don't know if doing more or fewer sets of weights is better for building upper body muscle in people who already work out — there just aren't enough good studies that look at this specifically.