Evidence Based Training for Building Muscle
A fantastic paper by Schoenfeld et al. dropped, covering the latest training recommendations to maximize muscle growth. I’ve broken down the key points for you, but if you want to dive deeper, the full paper is available for free download.
Key Takeaways:
Reps Range for Growth: Aim for a range of 5-20 reps per set. Sure, muscle growth can happen outside this range, but sticking to 5-20 reps is likely your best bet for getting the most out of your time and effort.
Set Volume Per Muscle Group: Start with at least 10 sets per muscle group each week. Beginners might see progress with fewer sets, while those who are more advanced may need to push beyond this, hitting a higher set minimum weekly.
Training Frequency: If you’re doing less than 10 sets per muscle group per week, training frequency isn’t a big deal. But if you’re doing more than 10 sets, spreading the volume across multiple days could be more effective.
Rest Between Sets: Take as much rest as you need between sets to ensure you’re not carrying fatigue into your next set. As a general rule, go for at least 2 minutes of rest for compound movements and at least 1 minute for isolation exercises. Of course, adjust these times based on how you feel and your specific needs.
Exercise Variety: Use a mix of exercises that hit the same muscle group from different angles to fully stimulate the muscle. Keep your core compound lifts consistent in your program and rotate isolation exercises more frequently.
Training to Failure: You don’t need to always train to failure to build muscle, but it can be used strategically. If you decide to take a set to failure, save it for the last set of an exercise and stick to isolation or machine-based moves. Most of your sets should stop a couple reps short of failure.
Remember, these are general guidelines based on what works for most people. There will always be individual differences—some might need to tweak these recommendations to see what works best for them.
Use this as a guide, not a set of strict rules!
Hope that helps!
PS: I’m releasing a FREE guide on building muscle this week. Make sure to stay tuned on my Instagram to grab yours!
With love,
Sandra xxx