- A new study in pre-print shows that doing fewer reps at higher volume weight can yield muscle gains.
- The findings suggests that even just doing two to three sets could see muscle growth.
- Here’s what that means for you and your workouts.
We’ve all been there: You overslept your alarm, or a meeting ran late, or your kids suddenly need an early pickup from school. Sometimes, life just eats into your gym sesh time. And it feels like the older we get, the less free time we have to dedicate to that precious “me time” during our workouts.
But new research suggests that at least when it comes to strength training, you can actually still see big gains from doing shorter, harder, and more focused sessions with heavier weights versus doing a ton of reps for a long period of time with much lighter weights. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a marathon gym session when you have the time, but this study provides some handy information when your schedule is tight.
Here’s what the study found, plus why lifting heavier for shorter periods of time can still help you see major gains.
Meet the expert: Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, is the co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab.
What did the study find?
The study, which was published in SportRxiv, is still pre-print (meaning it hasn’t been formally reviewed yet). In it, researchers analyzed dozens of existing studies to figure out how training volume per session influences a person’s muscle growth and strength gains.
The researchers discovered that while doing more sets when you lift can help build muscle, doing just one or two really hard, focused sets with heavy weights during your workout session can lead to meaningful strength gains, especially in people who consistently trained over several sessions a week.
No shocker here: As people did more sets per sessions, they increased their muscle size and strength. But the benefits leveled off for muscle growth after about 11 sets per session. In terms of building strength, the perks leveled off after two direct sets of one movement per session.
The takeaway? In most situations, more reps isn’t necessarily better. And tossing in extra sets may not do much more than burn time and wear you out. Instead, try going heavier.
Why is it better to do fewer sets with higher load?
Lifting heavier for a shorter amount of time can help to stress your muscles (a.k.a. working your muscles hard to get gains), leading to bigger results, says Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab.
“The lower amount of reps you do, the higher weight you should use,” he says. “Stressing your muscles more can build more lean muscle.”
How do I know what the right amount of weight is for my lifting sessions?
In most situations, it’s good to aim for between eight to 12 reps, Matheny says. “Pick a weight where you think you can do that over three to five sets with good form,” he says. “If you start to go over 12 reps consistently, add more weight.”
If you struggle to get in eight, it’s time to try a lower weight, he adds. “Try a weight and see how many reps you can do,” Matheny says. “That a good way to start.”
How often should I lift weights?
First of all, it’s always a good idea to mix in some weight lifting and strength work because it can help improve everything from metabolism to bone density and more. And while everyone’s bodies may require something slightly different, this particular study found that lifting about two times a week was helpful. That matches up with current exercise guidelines, which recommend that adults do at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise, along with two days of strength training.
And of course, Matheny recommends aiming to lift more if you can. “Ideally, lift weights every day,” he says. “You can rotate muscle groups.”
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.
