Mr. Olympia 1-Set Mass Workout?

Q: You recommend around 3 sets per muscle at each workout. Some even say that 1 set is enough. I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around such a small number. I can’t see Arnold or Jay Cutler getting to Mr. Olympia status with that low volume.

A: And for good reason: There is a definite correlation between extra volume and more mass—up to a point; however, there are also other considerations…

1) Genetics (and /or age)

2) Drugs

3) Time

The first two are fairly obvious. If you have the right genetics and drugs, you can grow from large amounts of work—possibly 15 to 20 sets per muscle.

But even if you have excellent genetics and no drugs, you may be able to tolerate higher volumes and grow fairly fast—but you’re not going to be Mr. Olympia…

You have to ask yourself if all the extra time is worth it for a slight bump in gains. Remember, research suggests that the first set for a muscle is the most hypertrophic—and it takes 4 additional sets to get the stimulation of that first set—diminishing returns…

But five sets requires a lot more recovery ability. And imagine 10 sets. You’re obviously not going to double your gains doing twice or even three times your volume. Your gains will be moderately better, at best…

So you must ask if all the extra time is worth it for a slight increase in muscle mass.

In Old Man Young Muscle, Chapter 8: Volumize to Pack On Muscle Size?, I put it this way…

Depending on your age and a few other factors, in general I would say yes, you can volumize for more muscle size. For me, however, my goal is to do the most efficient workout I can, with as few sets as possible to get the results I’m satisfied with.

I accepted my bodybuilding-genetic shortcomings ages ago, continuing the above thought with: “I knew early on that the only way I would become Mr. Olympia is if I changed my last name to Olympia.”

And to be clear, with superior genetics and the right drugs, Mike Mentzer did achieve Mr. Olympia status with only 3 to 4 sets for each muscle, so it is possible (John Balik photo).

Note: For more on efficiency-of-effort mass training, the ideal exercises and workouts that build plenty of muscle with 35-to-45-minute workouts 3 days a week, see the ebooks below.

Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.