How Many Sets Should I Be Doing?

This week we are going to be talking about training volume. You’ve probably heard a half a dozen different people tell you two dozen different things regarding how many sets, reps, and total workouts you should be doing throughout the week. We will dispel the common myths, go over what the actual science says, and how to optimize your recovery to get maximal results.

Common Myths Regarding Exercise Volume

“Do high reps, low weight so that you don’t get ‘bulky'”.
This is probably the most common phrase that I hear from the ladies in the gym. The truth? This is absolute nonsense. Ladies need strength training for their health, and you will never “look like a body builder” just because you lift heavy a few times per week.

4 sets of 12 reps
4 x 12 is the most common beginner volume. There is nothing inherently wrong with the volume, outside of the potential for over training if your intensity is high. The issue is that most people limit their intensity because they are trying to hit exactly 4 sets all with 12 reps. It is difficult to push yourself with this split.

You need at least 20 sets per workout to see growth
This one is not specific to 20 sets, I’ve heard lots of numbers thrown out there. However, the idea is that you have to have insane amounts of volume to see growth. This isn’t necessarily true. You might see more results with more volume, all things being equal, however you will see diminishing returns after around 2 sets per exercise provided your intensity is high.

How Many Sets/Reps Do I Actually Need Then?

Volume requirements really come down to intensity. Your muscles need a certain amount of intensity to excite them and trigger their growth response. What this means practically is that no matter how many sets you do, all that matters is total intensity. Let’s run a theoretical scenario. If you were to do 5 sets of an exercise at moderate intensity, with lots of gas left in the tank each set, assume that you would be training at 65% of your potential intensity. (This isn’t an actual scientific number, just an example for the sake of giving you a good idea of the concept.) Now let’s say that you were to do 2 sets of an exercise to extreme intensity, each set taken to almost absolute failure where you couldn’t possibly perform another full repetition. This might result in training at 85% of your potential intensity.

In the first example, you can see that because the individual wanted more sets, they sacrificed intensity and left potential growth stimulus on the table. On the second example, you can see that the individual would still have benefitted from more volume, however they still achieved better results despite the lower “volume”.

For the sake of time management, I normally recommend hitting every major muscle group/movement pattern for 8-12 sets/week. This is a nice, sweet spot where time and results sort of intersect on a chart. Yes, more volume would be good, but we aren’t made out of time. Less might be ok, but you’re leaving easy pickings on the ground. This can typically be hit with 3 full body days per week, but keep in mind that all of these volume recommendations are dependent on your intensity being high. If you don’t like the discomfort of lifting heavy and lifting hard, you will have to do more sets to get the same training intensity total.

Optimizing Recovery

As we’ve discussed in a previous post, sleep is your number one priority. Your body repairs and grows in your sleep, and lacking sleep absolutely destroys your growth potential. Aim for at least 8 hours and do not compromise.

Proper nutrition is your next goal, getting enough protein in – somewhere around 1.6-1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Micronutrients are also important, as a myriad of them are necessary for proper muscular function and growth.

Supplementation can also be incorporated to help accelerate muscle growth and repair. A multivitamin to help you hit your micronutrient goals, amino acids to help you get enough of the essential building blocks of muscle and creatine to help with muscle recovery and exercise intensity.