More workouts don't always mean more muscle
Evidence of a Ceiling Effect for Training Volume in Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength in Trained Men - Less is More?
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Higher training volumes (15–20 sets) led to smaller strength gains than moderate volumes (5–10 sets).
Most fitness culture assumes more volume = more progress. This shows excess volume may impair strength development in trained individuals.
Practical Takeaways
If you're a trained lifter, try reducing your weekly sets per muscle group to 5–10 and see if strength improves.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Higher training volumes (15–20 sets) led to smaller strength gains than moderate volumes (5–10 sets).
Most fitness culture assumes more volume = more progress. This shows excess volume may impair strength development in trained individuals.
Practical Takeaways
If you're a trained lifter, try reducing your weekly sets per muscle group to 5–10 and see if strength improves.
Publication
Journal
International journal of sports physiology and performance
Year
2020
Authors
Matheus Barbalho, V. Coswig, J. Steele, J. Fisher, Jürgen Giessing, P. Gentil
Related Content
Claims (6)
In trained individuals, higher resistance training volumes lead to concomitant increases in both muscle hypertrophy and maximal strength.
When trained men do 15 or 20 sets per muscle group each week, they don’t get as strong as those doing only 5 or 10 sets — more work doesn’t mean more strength.
There might be a sweet spot for lifting — too little doesn’t help much, but too much also doesn’t help, and the best results come from just the right amount.
For guys who already lift weights, doing 5 to 10 sets per muscle group each week builds strength and muscle just as well as doing 15 to 20 sets — more sets don’t help much.
No matter if trained men do 5 or 20 sets per muscle group each week, they all get stronger and their muscles get thicker after 6 months of training.