The Summary
In a large meta-regression of 67 studies involving over 2000 participants, researchers examined how weekly training volume (sets) and frequency impact muscle growth and strength. They found that while more weekly sets boost both muscle size and strength, the benefits show diminishing returns, especially for strength. Critically, increasing training frequency (how often a muscle is trained per week) led to significant strength gains but had a negligible effect on muscle growth. This suggests volume and frequency have distinct roles depending on the training goal.
Why this is interesting
This challenges the idea that a single training style maximizes all gym goals. It clarifies that for muscle size, total weekly volume is the king. However, for pure strength, training a lift more frequently is a potent strategy, even if the total volume isn't massive. This means you can tailor your program more precisely: prioritize accumulating total sets for muscle growth, but prioritize hitting key lifts more often throughout the week to increase your strength on them, knowing that endless volume for strength has sharp diminishing returns.