In our busy modern lives and juggling various commitments, it can be difficult to fit training into your schedule for weeks or months at a time. If you can only perform 1-2 workout sessions or 3-4 sets during the week, you may think that this isn’t enough to make a big difference. New research results may surprise you and motivate you to move your body and activate your muscles even during your hectic week. Let’s take a look at the research, the results, and what we can get out of it.
the study
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In the study, available as a preprint on SportRXiv, the goal was to determine how factors such as total number of sets per week and total number of sessions per week influence strength gains and muscle growth . This extensive meta-analysis included 67 studies and more than 2,000 individuals.
result
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The good news is that researchers found that the minimum dose needed to promote detectable muscle growth was 4 sets per week, and the minimum dose needed to promote small but detectable increases in muscle strength. They concluded that the effective dose is just one set per week.
hypertrophy
They found that the amount of sets or total number of sets per week was positively correlated with muscle growth, with the effect decreasing beyond about 12 to 20 sets per week per muscle group. We also found that the optimal range for muscle growth is approximately 5 to 10 sets per week for each muscle group. The researchers suggested that total volume is more important than the frequency of programmed sessions when it comes to muscle hypertrophy.
Improving physical strength
The researchers showed that volume was also positively correlated with strength gains, plateauing after about four sets per week for each muscle group. They concluded that the optimal range for strength building is approximately 2 sets per week per muscle group.
Take-out
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Doing more sets and weekly sessions will further promote muscle growth and strength gains over time, but this study shows that gains diminish after a certain point that’s worth keeping in mind. is shown.
Results will vary depending on individual factors. However, as the researchers stated, training a muscle group for just four sets per week is the minimum effective dose that results in “detectable improvement” in muscle growth.
Most importantly, the takeaway from this is that even if you can only perform one set per week, you will see small strength gains over time. Even if you only do four sets a week, your muscles will grow even bigger, so it’s worth the effort even if it takes a little longer to reach your goal. You need to recognize and thank yourself for taking active steps to improve your health and build muscle strength.
