The Complete Muscle Building Guide: Sets Per Week, Frequency, Load and Rest (13 Studies)

Two people start lifting the same week: one does 1 hard set per exercise, the other does 5. Who grows more, and who gets stronger? This guide walks through 13 studies, named out loud, with their numbers. Schoenfeld, Ogborn and Krieger (2017, 15 studies) found each extra weekly set was tied to about 0.37% more muscle gain. Schoenfeld (2019, 34 trained men) found 5 sets grew more muscle than 1, but strength rose about the same. The arms answered volume like any other muscle: 9 weekly biceps sets grew them and more grew them more (Heaselgrave 2019, 49 men; Brigatto 2022, 27 men). Schoenfeld, Grgic and Krieger (2019, 25 studies) found frequency did not matter when weekly sets were equal. Light loads grew muscle like heavy ones when every set went to failure (Schoenfeld 2017, 21 studies). Push-ups matched the bench press in two small trials (Kikuchi 2017, Calatayud 2015). True failure was not required (Refalo 2023), and 3-minute rests beat 1-minute rests in trained men (Schoenfeld 2016). In Damas (2016), fibre size only showed clear growth at week 10, and Peterson (2011, 49 studies) found adults over 50 gained about 1.1 kg of lean mass, more with higher volume. And in Bickel (2011), a third or even a ninth of the training kept young adults' muscle for 32 weeks, while older adults needed more. Chapters: 00:00 Two lifters, same gym, same week 00:58 The myth that more sets are a waste 02:05 The myth that more sets make you stronger 03:26 The myth that your arms need a magic number of sets 05:17 The myth that each muscle needs three days a week 06:14 The myth that only heavy weights build muscle 07:27 The myth that you need a gym to grow 09:02 The myth that every set must go to failure 10:30 The myth that no change by week two means it is not working 12:18 The myth that you lose it all when you cut back 13:55 The whole guide in one breath Sources: Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW, J Sports Sci 2017; Schoenfeld BJ et al., Med Sci Sports Exerc 2019; Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Krieger J, J Sports Sci 2019; Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW, J Strength Cond Res 2017; Kikuchi N, Nakazato K, J Exerc Sci Fit 2017; Calatayud J et al., J Strength Cond Res 2015; Refalo MC et al., Sports Med 2023; Schoenfeld BJ et al., J Strength Cond Res 2016; Bickel CS, Cross JM, Bamman MM, Med Sci Sports Exerc 2011; Elgaddal N, Kramarow EA, Natl Health Stat Report 2024; Damas F et al., J Physiol 2016; Peterson MD, Sen A, Gordon PM, Med Sci Sports Exerc 2011; Heaselgrave SR et al., Int J Sports Physiol Perform 2019; Brigatto FA et al., J Strength Cond Res 2022. Not medical advice. If you are older or have a health condition, talk to your doctor before starting or changing your training. #gymmyths #musclegrowth #hypertrophy #strengthtraining #homeworkout Count every set, every week: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ForrestFind... 🏋 Gym myths, checked. New one every day. 📒 Progressive Overload Tracker — 6-week printable workout log (PDF): https://wealthywellness0.gumroad.com/... 🛒 Same tracker on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/45558900... 🔗 Everything we make: https://fscholtesdowd.github.io/forre...