In this video, we're gonna figure out the BEST number of sets you should do for achieving
the best gains.
Let's get to it.
Now, if you have been following fitness science in recent years, you've probably learned about
something called training volume, a very straightforward but also science-supported training concept.
In short, training volume is the total load lifted for any given exercise and commonly
quantified by multiplying the amount of sets, reps, and weight lifted.
Now in the science, greater volume does generally lead to greater gains but with drastically
diminishing returns at higher volumes.
So, our ultimate goal would be to adjust our volume to a point where we can achieve a solid
amount of gains without it becoming very inefficient.
And, THAT'S where sets come in.
Just think about it for a moment.
Out of the three factors, reps, sets, and weight, which will impact volume the most
by adding just one or two to it?
Clearly, it's sets.
In fact, in studies investigating volume directly, many times, but not all the time, they simply
change the number of sets the subjects perform when prescribing different levels of volume.
That said, as you become stronger, the weight you lift will also obviously increase, which
makes weight the better factor to consider when making gradual increases to volume over
time.
But before that, we do have to figure out the number of sets.
So what _would_ be the so-called “best” number of sets to do?
Now, for you guys that just want an easy answer for some decent gains, then I would say performing
10 to 16 sets per muscle group per week is probably sufficient for most people.
But of course, if you are more into some caveats, nuances, and personalized considerations,
or, ya know, the ol' "it depends" factors, or if you find yourself as part of the 20%
of people that don't respond well to 10 to 16 sets, then there is a bit more to figuring
out the "best" number of sets for you to do.
First, to clarify, all this volume talk so far is mostly about muscle gains.
For strength gains, the principle of specificity applies.
In short, to lift heavy, you need to train heavy, like training between 80 to 100% of
your 1 rep max.
Volume does still play a role though and a portion of strength does require more muscle,
so it somewhat goes hand-in-hand.
But now, let's get to some things that might actually affect the number of sets you do.
First is whether you train close to failure.
When talking about how many sets to do, we're usually referring to hard or effective sets
and not things like warm up sets.
Hard sets are typically sets where you lift close to the point that you physically cannot
do any more reps, or in short, lifting close to failure, about 1 to 3 reps shy of it.
Training close to failure is very important, and arguably just as important as sufficient
volume.
But if for some reason you cannot train close to failure, say for the sake of safety or
minimizing fatigue, then increasing volume by adding maybe one or two extra sets can
provide some buffer for it.
But best case is to train close to failure whenever possible.
Another thing to consider is the amount of time you're resting between sets.
If you're not recovering enough between sets by resting, say only 30 to 60 seconds, then
you're gonna end up lifting fewer and fewer reps for each subsequent set, which cuts down
your volume.
Best case is to rest more, like 2 to 3 minutes between sets, especially for bigger compound
lifts, so you can do more reps per set.
But, if for some reason you have to rest very little, then again, adding more sets can offset
some of the drop in performance.
Frankly, this is a pretty inefficient way to train.
I wouldn't do it unless you really have to.
More rest is better.
Yet another thing to consider is training frequency, which doesn't exactly change the
number of sets you do but how you distribute them.
To keep things short, training each muscle group 2 to 3 times per week seems to be the
best for gains.
So, with 10 to 16 weekly sets, that's about 3 to 8 sets per muscle group per workout.
Now, if you really wanna get into the weeds, then you can also consider something called
set ratios.
You see, for compound exercises, the muscle groups involved in it aren't all used to the
same capacity.
Certain muscle groups will do relatively less work than others.
However, we typically count the compound sets as full sets for these muscle groups, even
though the set didn't work the muscles enough to be considered a hard set.
Because of that, some proposed the idea of using set ratios.
In short, we should use a smaller ratio, like .5 to 1 or so, when contributing sets to a
muscle group that did less work in a compound.
That then means that we'll either need to add more sets to the compounds to bring the
set count up or do extra accessory sets targeting that specific muscle.
But the problem is, we're not great at knowing exactly which muscle should use different
set ratios, let alone what ratio to actually use.
It's still important, though, to acknowledge the fact that muscles are worked differently
in compounds.
So we might have to use a bit of critical thinking here.
It's no an exact science, but if you feel that certain muscles aren't getting enough
work, then adding more sets or more accessories can help.
And lastly, perhaps the most essential thing to consider in terms of sets, volume, and
really, everything, is… you.
When we talk about all the fun science and data, you gotta keep in mind that we are talking
within the realm of averages.
However, when it comes to volume, the individual results making up that average can vary significantly.
For example, in a 2019 study, some individuals in one group were actually able to achieve
greater muscle gains than some individuals in another group that lifted FIVE times more
volume.
However, you wouldn't know that if all you look at were the averages, where the higher
volume group did achieve greater gains, on average.
So really, what determines the best amount of sets to do will be how you personally respond
to it.
You might be the few that need very little volume or the unfortunate few that needs way
more volume than others.
It's gonna come down to you experimenting, comparing your progress, and most importantly,
giving things enough time to play out.
It doesn't get more “it depends” than that.
But before you get scared about figuring things out yourself, let's break everything down
together.
Remember, the weekly 10 to 16-set range for each muscle group is still a good place to
start.
I would even start off with only 8 sets if you're not used to the level of volume.
However, in certain situations, bumping up your sets to something like 12 to 20 sets
might be helpful, especially if you're not training close to failure or resting very
little in between your sets.
On top of that, adding more sets can be a way to push through training plateaus or build
up any muscles that are lagging behind.
And again, for some people, adding more sets is not so much an option but a requirement
if they don't respond well to lower volumes.
That said, it's probably not a good idea to try to squeeze all of your weekly sets into
one single session.
Instead, it's better to spread them out to 2 or 3 workouts per week.
Also, keep in mind that for compound exercises, some muscles involved might not be sufficiently
trained.
Adding some accessory sets for those muscles or adding more sets to your compounds might
be good ways to compensate for it.
Now, if you do add more sets, remember that there will be diminishing returns at higher
volume levels.
It'll be up to you on how much more volume you're willing to do for what might amount
to only a fraction of additional gains.
Oh, and of course, I cannot forget about recovery.
More volume means more fatigue, which naturally means more recovery needed.
There are a few ways to approach this.
One is to take a week or so off from training completely once your performance starts dipping.
Or you can also plan it ahead of time, maybe once every 6 weeks or every 10-12 weeks if
you're a beginner.
Another recovery option is to deload, where instead of a full break, you still train but
reduce volume by about 50% for about a week.
And finally, another option is to reset or cycle your set volume.
Instead of training 20+ sets every single week, perhaps dial it back down to 10 to 12
weekly sets for the next month and then slowly build back up to the higher set count.
Kind of like a periodization with your sets.
Managing fatigue is probably the most underrated aspect of training, so I definitely suggest
that you pay particularly close attention to it, cause it's not always about busting
your booty, no matter how satisfying that muscle pump feels.
Good luck with your training.
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