How Many Sets Should You Do to Get Stronger?
DISSIMILAR EFFECTS OF ONE‐ AND THREE‐SET STRENGTH TRAINING ON STRENGTH AND MUSCLE MASS GAINS IN UPPER AND LOWER BODY IN UNTRAINED SUBJECTS
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Three sets didn’t improve upper-body strength or muscle size more than one set in beginners.
Most gym culture assumes more sets = more gains, and previous research often supports multiple sets for hypertrophy. This shows that assumption may not hold for all muscle groups in novices.
Practical Takeaways
As a beginner, consider doing 3 sets per exercise for leg workouts but only 1 set for upper-body exercises to save time without sacrificing gains.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Three sets didn’t improve upper-body strength or muscle size more than one set in beginners.
Most gym culture assumes more sets = more gains, and previous research often supports multiple sets for hypertrophy. This shows that assumption may not hold for all muscle groups in novices.
Practical Takeaways
As a beginner, consider doing 3 sets per exercise for leg workouts but only 1 set for upper-body exercises to save time without sacrificing gains.
Publication
Journal
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Year
2007
Authors
Bent R. Rønnestad, Wilhelm Egeland, N. H. Kvamme, P. Refsnes, F. Kadi, T. Raastad
Related Content
Claims (4)
If you're new to lifting, doing three sets of an exercise might not build more muscle than just doing one set—as long as you push each set to the point where you can't lift anymore.
If you're a new guy to lifting weights, doing 3 sets of leg exercises 3 times a week for almost 3 months will get you way stronger than doing just 1 set — like 41% stronger versus 21%.
If young guys who don’t work out start doing 3 sets of leg exercises instead of 1, they’ll get stronger legs and bigger thigh muscles—41% stronger and 11% more muscle—but their arms and chest won’t see the same extra benefit from doing more sets.
For young guys just starting out at the gym, doing 1 set or 3 sets of each exercise gives about the same strength boost in the upper body after 11 weeks.