There’s lots of back-and-forth about the number of sets that’s best for optimal muscle growth…
Most of the biggest bodybuilders train with 10 to 20 sets a body part. Even Arnold back in the day (John Balik photo)… 
But there are reasons that works for them, which we’ll get to—plus what will work for you. First…
I want to clarify optimal volume for the average bodybuilder…
From a meta analysis that includes a number of studies on volume, it appears that most trainees get the most “true” muscle growth with 4 to 6 sets per week per muscle.
Gains drop off significantly after that—for most…
Remember, this is an average. You are an individual with unique requirements governed by age, stress, lifestyle, etc.
To break it down, if you train a muscle twice a week, use 2 to 3 near-failure sets at each workout per body part.
Does that volume seem too low? Not if you emphasize the ideal exercise plus an add-on move with a unique torque curve—either stretch or contracted…
What if you do more than that? We’ll look into that in this weekend’s training newsletters and dissect why and how pro bodybuilders get huge and takeaways you can use.
Note: See the ebooks below for more info on the ideal exercises and efficient workouts that adhere to the 4-to-6-sets true hypertrophy requirement.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
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