Research

Energy balance

Higher training volume (moderate to high) is associated with higher responder rates for muscle hypertrophy compared to low volume, although intensity can compensate for low volume.

If you have time to train, moderate to high volume (8-24 sets per muscle group per week) is likely to yield better hypertrophy results than very low volume. However, if you are time-crunched, high-intensity low-volume training can still be effective. Prioritize consistency and intensity over sheer volume if necessary.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
When directly compared, higher RT volume seems to induce more prominent muscle strength responsiveness than low volume (matched intensity) in trained and untrained youth... Regarding muscle hypertrophy, from studies that compared different RT dosages, two studies favored high-volume RT to responsiveness
Tomé Edson dos Reis Moda et al. · Sports Medicine and Health Science · 2023

Why this rating

Based on multiple studies in the review, but heterogeneity in protocols and measurement methods limits certainty.

Source

Responsiveness of functional performance and muscle strength, power, and size to resistance training: A systematic review

Tomé Edson dos Reis Moda et al. · Sports Medicine and Health Science · 2023

DOI 10.1016/j.smhs.2023.12.003

systematic_review · n=921Cited 1×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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