Dr. Chester Sokolowski, one of the most muscular people Dr. Joey knows, trains most muscle groups with just 1 to 4 total sets per week. His reasoning: the widely cited 10-20 sets per muscle per week volume landmark isn't necessarily accurate, and strength progression, not hitting a specific set count, should be the real guide for whether your training volume is working.
Most hypertrophy advice centers on hitting a specific volume landmark, often cited as 10 to 20 sets per muscle per week. Dr. Chester Sokolowski, a PhD in exercise physiology and one of the most muscular people Dr. Joey knows personally, trains with dramatically less, and makes a compelling case for why.
What His Actual Training Looks Like
Chester trains most muscle groups with just 1 to 4 total sets per week. For quads, that might mean one set of squats, one set of leg press, and one set of leg extensions, three total sets, and he's done. For biceps, that could mean two sets on Monday and two sets on Friday, four sets total for the week.
I think we had some original volume landmarks where it's like, you got to do 20 sets a week, and seemingly people are stuck on that. You don't have to do all that volume to maximize muscle growth.
Why Strength Progression Is the Real Signal
Chester's core principle: about 80% of a muscle cell's volume comes from contractile proteins, the same proteins responsible for generating force. Since size and strength are closely related, consistently getting stronger, whether through more reps or more weight, is a reliable practical sign that your training volume and intensity are working, regardless of how many total sets you're doing.
A Simple Way to Find Your Own Optimal Volume
Overtraining Is About Volume, Not Failure
Chester specifically argues that overtraining is more closely associated with doing too much volume than with training too close to failure. If someone isn't progressing, his recommendation is to reduce the number of sets first, rather than assuming the fix is to train further from failure.
- Widely cited volume landmarks like 10-20 sets per muscle per week aren't a strict requirement for everyone to build muscle.
- Some experienced lifters train effectively with as few as 1 to 4 total sets per muscle per week.
- Consistent strength progression, not hitting a specific set count, is the real practical indicator that your training is working.
- If you're not getting stronger on a repeated workout, reducing volume, not necessarily backing off intensity, is often the fix.
- Overtraining is more closely linked to excessive volume than to training close to true muscular failure.
If you've been chasing a specific volume number without checking whether you're actually getting stronger, it may be time to flip the script: let your strength progression, not a landmark number, tell you how much volume you actually need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need 10-20 sets per muscle per week to build muscle?
Not necessarily. While that range is a commonly cited volume landmark, some experienced lifters and coaches train effectively with as few as 1 to 4 sets per muscle per week, as long as training intensity and strength progression remain high.
How can you tell if your training volume is too high?
If you repeat the same workout every few days and you're not getting stronger, either doing more reps at the same weight or more total weight, that's a sign your volume may be too high relative to your recovery capacity.
What actually causes overtraining, too much volume or training too close to failure?
According to this perspective, overtraining is more closely associated with excessive training volume than with training close to failure. Reducing the number of sets, rather than backing off intensity, is often the more effective fix.
Why does strength progression matter so much for muscle growth?
About 80% of a muscle cell's volume comes from contractile proteins, the same proteins responsible for generating force. Since size and strength are closely related, consistently getting stronger over time is a strong practical indicator that your training is producing muscle growth.
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