I have yet to be convinced that one actually needs 10-20 sets per muscle group per week to maximize hypertrophy.
I find that for most people, 4-8 direct sets per muscle per week is plenty, possibly even optimal.
Keep in mind that there is a bit of overlap from exercises targeting a specific muscle group, where other muscle groups are also getting INDIRECT volume, but the amount of stimulus in those cases is hard to define.
So when I say 4-8 sets per muscle group, I'm talking 4-8 DIRECT sets per muscle group per week.
If you train each muscle group around twice per week, it's fairly easy to hit 4-8 sets without needing to do a Tetris puzzle to fit all your volume into the week.
It also makes it much easier to accumulate relatively brief sessions while still making hypertrophy gains.
This is encouraging news.
But, it appears that most people in the fitness industry/social media fitness either refuse to share this information as some sly attempt to keep you frustrated, tired, and confused; or, the people spreading these outdated volume recommendations don't actually have any clue what they're talking about – which is usually a result of them having VERY LITTLE EXPERIENCE actually training other people (and possibly, themselves).
Even leaders within the evidence-based community, like Mike Israetel, Brad Schoenfield, and Menno Hennselman – formerly advocates for EXTREMELY high volumes – are coming out from their research labs saying that you don't need 10+ sets per muscle per week, and you don't need an entire laundry list of exercises per muscle group.
What do you all think?
What's the ideal amount of volume (in sets per week) you have found to be best for hypertrophy?
Comentários