One Set or Three Sets? Same Muscle Gains!
Pectoralis Clavicular and Sternocostal Thicknesses Increase Similarly in Response to One and Three Sets of Pec Deck Resistance Training in Untrained Young Men
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
No regional hypertrophy differences between clavicular and sternocostal portions of the pectoralis major.
Many trainers believe different chest exercises target different parts of the chest (upper vs. lower), but this study found no such difference—even with a single exercise.
Practical Takeaways
If you're short on time, try doing just one set of pec deck or similar chest exercises to failure—your gains may be nearly identical to doing three sets.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
No regional hypertrophy differences between clavicular and sternocostal portions of the pectoralis major.
Many trainers believe different chest exercises target different parts of the chest (upper vs. lower), but this study found no such difference—even with a single exercise.
Practical Takeaways
If you're short on time, try doing just one set of pec deck or similar chest exercises to failure—your gains may be nearly identical to doing three sets.
Publication
Journal
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Year
2025
Authors
M. D. Pinto, Cristiano Ughini, João Pedro Nunes, E. Cadore, R. S. Pinto
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Claims (4)
When people who’ve never lifted weights before start training, some gain just a little muscle—like half a kilo—while others gain a lot, up to three kilos, in about two to three months.
If you're a young guy who hasn't trained before and you do pec deck exercises for 12 weeks, your chest muscles will get thicker—about 17–18% thicker in the upper part and 21% thicker in the lower part—no matter if you do just one set or three sets each workout.
If you're a young guy who hasn't lifted weights before and you do pec deck exercises for 12 weeks, you'll probably get about 43–46% stronger, no matter if you do just one set or three sets each time.
If you're a young guy who's never lifted weights before and you do pec deck exercises, your upper and lower chest muscles will grow the same amount—no one part gets bigger than the other.