CIO #108
How many sets per week for muscle growth, Endurance training benefits, and More
Check Out What I’ve Been Checking Out
What I’m Reading
“Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: A systematic review and meta-analysis”
I recently re-read Schoenfeld and Colleagues’ 2016 meta-analysis on the relationship between resistance training volume and muscle growth. Put simply, they explored whether doing more sets of resistance training per muscle group per week leads to more muscle growth.
The most commonly touted interesting takeaway is that they did generally find that there was a dose-response relationship: more sets per week generally led to more muscle growth. However, if you look closely, you’ll find another interesting takeaway, in that their meta-analysis suggests that completing less than or equal to 4 sets per muscle group per week still leads to meaningful–though lesser–muscle growth.
“Clearly, substantial hypertrophic gains can be made using low-volume protocols (≤4 weekly sets per muscle group). Such an approach therefore represents a viable muscle-building option for those who are pressed for time or those to which the conservation of energy is an ongoing concern (i.e., frail elderly). However, the present analysis shows that [higher volume] protocols produce significantly greater increases in muscle growth than [lower volume]”
Specifically, their meta-analysis found that completing less than or equal to 4 sets per muscle group per week led to a 5.5% increase in muscle mass. In comparison, they found that completing 10+ sets per muscle group per week led to an 8.6% muscle gain.
So, as the quote above from the study suggests, this is good news for anybody looking to put on a meaningful amount of muscle mass while saving time and energy.
What I’m Watching
“Why Is Endurance Training Important? (Do We REALLY Need It?)”
“SLOW vs FAST REPS: Which is BETTER for MUSCLE GROWTH?”
“Does Protein Source Actually Matter For Muscle Growth?”
“Do You Really NEED Isolation Exercises To Grow Muscle?”
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