Training Volume: How Many Sets Per Muscle Group?

**0 to Elite course · Lesson 49 of 100 · Level 3: Novice to Intermediate** In lessons 47 and 48 you chose a split. Now we fill it in. Training volume, the number of hard sets you do for each muscle every week, is one of the biggest levers for muscle growth. Here is how to set it and adjust it. ## What is training volume? **Training volume** is how much work you do. There are a few ways to measure it, but the most useful for lifters is simple: **count the hard sets per muscle group per week**. A hard set is a working set taken reasonably close to failure, roughly 0 to 3 reps in reserve, as you learned in https://syp-fitness.co.uk/rpe-and-reps-in-reserve. Warm-up sets do not count. Neither does a set you stop with eight reps still in the tank. This matters, because ten easy sets do far less than five genuinely hard ones. ## How many sets per muscle group per week? Research and coaching experience point to a broad pattern: more weekly sets tend to produce more muscle growth, up to a point, after which extra sets just add fatigue. A widely used starting range for most intermediate lifters is roughly: * **Around 10 to 20 hard sets per muscle group per week** for muscle growth. * Towards the lower end (about 10) if you are newer, older, under a lot of stress, sleeping poorly or dieting. * Towards the higher end only if you recover well and have built up gradually. Treat these as guide rails, not a target to hit on day one. Many people grow well on the lower end, and jumping straight to the top usually backfires. > Beginners need far less. If you are still progressing on the [3-day full body plan](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/post/full-body-workout-3-days-a-week), stay there. Volume becomes a tool once progress slows, as described in https://syp-fitness.co.uk/novice-to-intermediate-lifter. ## How to count your sets Take your plan and tally each muscle. Count a set fully for the muscle it mainly trains. For muscles that help out, count it as roughly half. For example: * A bench press set counts as 1 set for chest and about half a set for triceps and front shoulders. * A row or pulldown set counts as 1 set for back and about half for biceps. * A squat set counts as 1 set for quads and about half for glutes. Do this for the [upper/lower split](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/post/upper-lower-split) from lesson 47 and you will find chest and back land around 9 to 11 sets each per week. That is a solid, sensible starting point. ### Split the sets across the week Spread volume over at least two sessions per muscle. Per session, many lifters find that beyond around 6 to 10 hard sets for one muscle, the quality of each extra set drops off. If you need more, add another session rather than a longer one. ## How to adjust volume over time 1. **Start at the low end.** Run it for 4 to 6 weeks and track performance. 2. **Check the signals.** Are your lifts going up? Are you recovering between sessions? Is soreness manageable (see our full guide to [DOMS](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/post/muscle-soreness-relief))? 3. **If progress is good, keep it.** Do not add sets just because you can. 4. **If progress stalls but recovery is good,** add 1 to 2 sets per week for the lagging muscle. 5. **If performance drops and you feel run down,** you are doing too much. Cut sets by about a third or take a deload (lesson 52). Priorities matter too. You do not need high volume for every muscle at once. Push volume up for one or two muscles you want to grow, and keep the rest at a maintenance level. That links to fixing weak points, which you will meet in Level 4. > Very high volume with poor recovery raises the risk of overuse injuries. Persistent joint pain, unusual fatigue that does not lift with rest, or a resting heart rate that stays high are signs to back off, and to see a GP if they continue. ## Your action steps 1. Write every muscle group down the side of a page and count your current hard sets per week for each, using the half-set rule. 2. Circle any muscle under about 8 sets or over about 20 sets and adjust your plan towards the 10 to 15 range. 3. Check your last week's log: cross out any set that finished with more than 4 reps in reserve. Those were not hard sets. 4. Pick one muscle you most want to grow and plan to add one set per week to it over the next four weeks, if recovery allows. ## Frequently asked questions ### How many sets per muscle group per week to build muscle? A common evidence-based starting range for intermediates is around 10 to 20 hard sets per muscle per week. Start near the lower end and only add sets if you are recovering well and progress has stalled. ### Do warm-up sets count towards volume? No. Only working sets taken reasonably close to failure, around 0 to 3 reps in reserve, count as hard sets towards your weekly volume. ### Can you do too many sets? Yes. Beyond what you can recover from, extra sets add fatigue without extra growth, and performance starts to drop. If lifts go backwards and you feel run down, reduce your sets. ## Keep going Previous: [Lesson 48: The Push Pull Legs Routine Explained](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/post/push-pull-legs-routine) Next: [Lesson 50: Intensity vs Volume: Which Matters More?](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/post/intensity-vs-volume) Lost your place? [See the full course map](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/post/how-to-get-fit-from-scratch). > **Want Artem to coach you through it?** SYP Fitness is a private 1-to-1 personal training studio at 2-4 Navigator Square, Archway, London N19 3UB. 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