The recommended number of workouts (exercises) per muscle group depends on your training split and goals, but generally:
- Per training day: It is common to perform 2 to 4 different exercises per muscle group when training that muscle directly. This allows for about 8-15 total sets per session per muscle group, which is effective for muscle growth
- Per week: Most people benefit from doing 4 to 12 different exercises per muscle group per week , accumulating around 15-20 total work sets weekly. This volume supports hypertrophy and progressive overload
By Training Split
Training Split| Exercises per Muscle Group per Workout| Total Exercises per
Muscle Group per Week
---|---|---
Full Body| 1-2| 2-10 (depending on frequency)
Upper/Lower| 2-4| 4-12
Push-Pull| 2-4| Up to 12
Arnold Split (6 days/week)| 3-5| 6-10
You can vary exercises throughout the week to address different angles and avoid overuse injuries
Sets and Volume
- Aim for 3-5 hard sets per exercise , with a total weekly volume of 10-25 sets per muscle group for optimal growth.
- Research suggests a minimum effective dose of about 4 sets per muscle group per week , with the best hypertrophy results often seen around 30-40 sets per week for advanced trainees
- Beginners can start with fewer exercises and sets, such as 1-2 exercises per muscle group with 3 sets each
Summary
- Perform 2-4 exercises per muscle group per workout.
- Accumulate about 15-20 total work sets per muscle group per week.
- Adjust based on your training split, experience, and recovery capacity.
- Focus on progressive overload and training intensity for muscle growth.
This approach balances variety, volume, and recovery for effective muscle development
