Resistance Training Volume Enhances Muscle Hypertrophy but Not Strength in Trained Men.

Plain-language summary

This study set out to see whether doing more weekly sets of resistance training builds more muscle and more strength in men who already train. Trained men were assigned to low, moderate or high weekly set volumes for 8 weeks, with muscle thickness and strength measured before and after. Muscle size grew more as weekly sets went up. Strength gains were much the same across the three volumes, so more sets bought size without buying strength. Another study here, on rest periods between sets, comes from the same research group.

Key findings

• All groups gained similar strength and endurance, regardless of training volume.
• Higher training volumes (more sets) led to greater muscle growth in the arms and thighs.