Challenging the 'More Is Better' Mindset
In the world of fitness, training volume—the total number of sets and reps you perform—has long been seen as the primary driver of progress. The prevailing logic is simple: to get bigger and stronger, you must consistently do more work. This has led many
to adopt high-volume routines, sometimes involving dozens of sets per muscle group each week. However, a fascinating new study published in early 2026 is questioning this long-held assumption, suggesting that when it comes to getting stronger, relentlessly adding more sets may not be the superior strategy. In fact, for experienced lifters, it might even be counterproductive. The research found that a group of lifters who maintained their existing training volume saw greater strength gains than groups who increased their volume by 30% or even 60%. This surprising outcome forces us to reconsider what really drives progress in the gym.
The Science of 'Just Enough'
The study, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, took a group of men with previous strength training experience and divided them into three groups for an eight-week period. One group continued with their normal training volume, acting as the control. The other two groups significantly increased their volume, performing 30% and 60% more sets, respectively. The researchers expected the high-volume groups to see the best results. Instead, they found the opposite. The control group, which did not add any extra sets, experienced the greatest increase in muscle strength. Interestingly, all three groups saw similar improvements in muscle size (hypertrophy). The crucial takeaway is that the extra work performed by the high-volume groups did not translate into better strength results and came at the cost of more time spent in the gym.
Volume, Intensity, and Diminishing Returns
This doesn't mean that volume is irrelevant. A large body of research, including a landmark 2026 position stand from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), confirms that higher volumes generally lead to greater muscle growth, recommending around 10 or more sets per muscle group per week for hypertrophy. However, the relationship isn't linear. Both strength and muscle gains appear to follow a curve of diminishing returns. While moving from one set to three sets yields significant benefits, moving from 12 sets to 20 might offer only marginal improvements, especially for strength. The latest research suggests that once you achieve a certain effective volume, adding more may simply increase fatigue without stimulating further strength adaptation. The key is finding the sweet spot where the training stimulus is strong enough to trigger growth but not so excessive that it hampers recovery and performance.
What This Means for Your Workout
For the everyday person trying to get stronger and healthier, this is great news. It reinforces the idea that consistency and quality trump sheer quantity. You don't need to adopt the punishing, multi-hour workouts of a professional bodybuilder to see fantastic results. The focus should be on progressive overload—consistently challenging your muscles—within a manageable training volume. The ACSM's updated guidelines emphasize that for most people, the most important factor is simply adhering to a regular resistance training program that hits all major muscle groups at least twice a week. Whether you use one heavy set or three moderate sets, the best program is the one you can stick with consistently over the long term. This study provides confidence that a more time-efficient approach can be highly effective for building strength, provided the intensity and effort are there.
