Weekly volume per muscle group: how many sets they get

You’ve been training for months and don’t know whether you’re falling short or overdoing it. The doubt is legitimate: volume is the variable that matters most for hypertrophy, and most people fail by defaulting to too little or too much, not because of technique.

This article is aimed at people with at least 3-6 months of consistent training, who already master the basic patterns and want to fine-tune how many sets to do per muscle per week. If you have less than that, don’t obsess over this yet: with 8-10 weekly sets per large muscle group you will already progress.

What counts as an “effective set”

Not every set counts equally. When we talk about volume for hypertrophy, we count hard sets: those performed between 5 and 30 repetitions, leaving 0-3 repetitions in reserve (RIR).

A warm-up with the empty bar doesn’t count. A set of 15 repetitions at RPE 5 doesn’t either. If there isn’t enough mechanical tension near failure, that set doesn’t stimulate meaningful growth. You can explore this further in the article on when to go to failure and when not to.

MEV, MAV and MRV: the three thresholds

These concepts come from the work of Mike Israetel (Renaissance Periodization) and align with the evidence compiled by Brad Schoenfeld (2017, Journal of Sports Sciences).

• MEV (Minimum Effective Volume): the minimum to progress. Below it, you maintain or lose.
• MAV (Maximum Adaptive Volume): the zone where most of the growth occurs.
• MRV (Maximum Recoverable Volume): the ceiling before recovery fails and you start stalling.

The practical idea: start near the MEV, progressively increase toward the MAV over a 4-8 week block, and deload before touching the MRV.

Weekly volume ranges per muscle group

These ranges are taken from the review by Schoenfeld et al. (2017, Journal of Sports Sciences) and from Israetel’s guidelines. They are weekly hard sets, adding up all the exercises that work that muscle.

Muscle group	MEV	MAV	MRV
Chest	8	12-16	20-22
Back	10	14-20	25
Quadriceps	8	12-18	20
Hamstrings	6	10-14	16-18
Glutes	6	10-16	20
Shoulders (deltoids)	8	12-20	24-26
Biceps	8	12-18	20-22
Triceps	6	10-14	18
Calves	8	12-16	20
Abs	6	10-16	20

Watch out for overlaps: pull-ups count toward back and biceps. The bench press counts toward chest, anterior deltoids and triceps. If you count separately without cross-referencing, you inflate your real volume.

How much volume according to your level

Beginner (0-12 months): 8-12 weekly sets per large muscle group. With this you progress almost with any reasonable structure. Prioritizing technique and consistency is what matters.

Intermediate (1-3 years): 12-18 weekly sets. Here you notice you need more stimulus to keep increasing loads. A good time to split the work into 2 sessions per muscle per week.

Advanced (3+ years): 16-22 weekly sets, with clear periodization and deloads every 4-6 weeks. Above 20 sets the return diminishes and the risk of stalling rises.

Frequency: spreading volume across the week

A meta-analysis by Schoenfeld, Ogborn and Krieger (2016, Sports Medicine) showed that, when volume is equated, training each muscle 2 times per week produces more hypertrophy than 1 session alone. Beyond 2-3 weekly sessions per muscle, the evidence is limited.

Practical rule: if you do 16 chest sets per week, it’s better to do 2 sessions of 8 than 1 of 16. The quality of the last sets in a long session drops considerably.

How to progress volume without overdoing it

Start the block near the MEV. Add 1-2 sets per muscle each week if recovery is going well. Signs that you’re close to the MRV:

• Performance stalled or declining 2 weeks in a row.
• Persistent joint pain.
• Worse sleep, odd appetite, zero desire to train.

When these appear, do a deload week: cut volume in half while keeping intensity. You return fresh to the next block.

The rest between sets also determines how much volume you can tolerate: sets with 1 minute of rest hit the nervous system harder than sets with 3 minutes.

Common mistakes when calculating your volume

1. Counting warm-up sets as hard. They don’t count.
2. Ignoring overlaps: rowing counts toward back and biceps; squats count toward quadriceps and glutes.
3. Jumping from MEV to MRV in 2 weeks. Progression is gradual, not a switch.
4. Never deloading. Without deloads, your MRV drops over time and you stall.
5. Comparing your volume to that of an advanced bodybuilder. Their MRV is your guaranteed injury.

Warning: if you have joint, lumbar or active tendon pathology, these ranges don’t apply as-is. Consult a physiotherapist before increasing volume.

3 actions to apply tomorrow

1. Count your real hard sets from the last week, per muscle, without tricks. Compare with the table.
2. If you’re below the MEV, add 2-3 weekly sets to the group you want to prioritize.
3. Split that volume into at least 2 sessions per week per muscle.

Frequently asked questions

How many sets per muscle group per week to build muscle?

For most people, 10 to 20 weekly sets per muscle group is the range where hypertrophy occurs. Beginners at 10-12 already progress; intermediates move in the 14-18 range; advanced lifters reach 20 with periodization.

Is more volume or more intensity better?

Both variables matter, but volume is the main driver of hypertrophy as long as sets are performed near failure (RIR 0-3). With very light loads (less than 30% of 1RM), the stimulus drops even if volume is high.

Can I do 30 chest sets per week?

You can, but it probably won’t pay off. Above 20-22 sets the return falls and the risk of local overtraining (shoulder, elbow) rises. Recent studies by Schoenfeld explore high volumes, but the evidence remains limited above 25 sets.

Does cardio count toward leg volume?

Not as hypertrophy hard sets. Running or cycling generate fatigue that affects quadriceps and hamstring recovery, but they don’t replace squats or Romanian deadlifts in terms of hypertrophic stimulus.

How often should I do a deload week?

Every 4-6 weeks if you train near the MAV, or when 2-3 signs of accumulated fatigue appear in a row. In short blocks of high volume (advanced lifters), even every 3-4 weeks.

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