Training a Muscle 2x vs 3x a Week for Growth (New Study)

Summary

This video explores a study on muscle hypertrophy, comparing training frequency and set numbers. It divided subjects based on slow and fast twitch muscle fiber types, finding that training three times a week with more sets generally led to greater muscle growth for both groups. The study challenges the idea that fast twitch fiber individuals benefit from less training. It suggests that while higher set numbers contribute to growth, substantial gains can still be achieved with lower training volumes, emphasizing the importance of training frequency and individual response to training programs.

Takeaways

• 📚 The video discusses a study on the optimal training frequency and set numbers for muscle hypertrophy, comparing training muscles two times versus three times a week.
• 🧬 The study divided participants based on their muscle fiber composition, distinguishing between those with more slow-twitch (fatigue-resistant) and fast-twitch (high force but fatigable) fibers.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Subjects performed exercises targeting leg and arm muscles with varying training frequencies and set numbers to compare the effects on muscle growth.
• 📉 The slow-twitch group performed more repetitions than the fast-twitch group, suggesting a potential advantage in training capacity for those with more slow-twitch fibers.
• 💪 Both slow and fast-twitch fiber groups experienced greater muscle growth with a three-times-per-week training regimen compared to two times per week.
• 🔍 The study found no significant difference in muscle growth between the two fiber types, challenging the idea that fast-twitch dominant individuals benefit from less training.
• 📈 The majority of individuals in the study responded better to the higher frequency and set number of the three-times-per-week training.
• 🤔 The study raises questions about the specific contributions of training frequency versus set numbers to muscle hypertrophy.
• 📊 A 2019 meta-analysis suggested that when total weekly sets are the same, there is no significant difference in muscle growth between different training frequencies.
• 🔢 However, performing nine or more sets per week for a muscle group was found to be more effective for hypertrophy than fewer sets, as per another study.
• 👥 The study's results should be considered with the understanding that individual responses to training can vary, and the benefits of higher training volumes may not apply universally.
• 🔄 The video also mentions the importance of considering other factors such as training status and the potential for higher set numbers to affect recovery and muscle growth differently.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is the debate on how often one should train a muscle and for how many sets for optimal muscle hypertrophy, with a focus on a recent study comparing training frequency and set numbers.

What is the significance of the study that divided subjects based on slow twitch and fast twitch muscle fibers?

The significance is that slow twitch fibers are more fatigue-resistant but less force-producing, while fast twitch fibers are more forceful but more fatigable. This division helps to understand how different muscle fiber compositions might respond to varying training frequencies and set numbers.

What were the training routines for the subjects in the study?

Subjects trained unilateral leg extension, leg curl, and skull crusher for three to four sets of reps to failure. They performed these exercises two times a week with at least 72 hours rest between sessions for one side of their body, and three times a week with at least 48 hours rest for the other side.

What was the outcome of the study in terms of muscle growth for both slow and fast twitch fiber groups?

The study found that both slow and fast twitch fiber groups experienced more muscle growth when training three times per week with higher set numbers compared to training two times a week with fewer sets.

What does the study suggest about the correlation between muscle fiber type and the number of reps performed?

The study suggests that while slow twitch fibers are more fatigue-resistant, the number of reps performed does not strongly correlate with muscle fiber type, as both fiber types showed similar growth with the same training protocols.

What are some additional considerations mentioned in the study regarding the muscle fiber composition of the subjects?

The study notes that not every subject in the slow twitch group was slow twitch dominant, and some likely had a near 50/50 split of slow and fast twitch fibers. Similarly, the fast twitch group had an average split of 61/39, indicating a range of fiber types within each group.

How did the study address the issue of fatigue and recovery between the slow and fast twitch fiber groups?

The study found that feelings of soreness and fatigue were similar between the slow and fast twitch groups, suggesting that the training volume was not excessive for either group.

What does the 2019 meta-analysis mentioned in the script suggest about training frequency and muscle growth?

The meta-analysis suggests that when the total number of sets per week is kept the same, there is no significant difference in muscle growth between higher or lower training frequencies. However, training three times per week led to slightly better gains, although not statistically significant.

What role does the total number of sets per week play in muscle hypertrophy according to the script?

According to the script, performing nine or more sets per week for a muscle group tends to produce more hypertrophy than performing fewer than nine sets, indicating that higher set numbers can contribute to greater muscle growth.

What is the conclusion of the script regarding the optimal training frequency and set numbers for muscle hypertrophy?

The script concludes that training three times per week with more sets leads to greater muscle hypertrophy compared to training two times per week with fewer sets. However, it also emphasizes that substantial muscle growth can still be achieved with lower amounts of training, depending on personal goals.

What is the Alpha Progression app mentioned in the script, and how can it benefit users?

The Alpha Progression app is a fitness app that provides unique and advanced features for creating, tracking, and evolving hypertrophy or strength training programs. It allows users to generate evidence-based programs customized to their preferences and offers periodization options, automatic progression tracking, and exercise recommendations.

Outlines

00:00

💪 Training Frequency and Muscle Fiber Types

This paragraph discusses a study on the optimal training frequency and set numbers for muscle hypertrophy, focusing on the differences between individuals with more slow-twitch or fast-twitch muscle fibers. The study divided subjects into two groups based on their muscle fiber composition and compared the effects of training two versus three times a week with varying set numbers. The slow-twitch group, known for their fatigue resistance, and the fast-twitch group, known for their high force production but quick fatigability, were analyzed to determine if fiber type influenced the benefits of training frequency and set volume. The study found that both groups experienced greater muscle growth with a three-times-a-week training regimen, challenging the idea that fast-twitch dominant individuals benefit from less training. The paragraph also touches on the individual variability in response to training frequency and set numbers.

05:01

📊 Muscle Growth Analysis and Training Considerations

The second paragraph delves deeper into the study's findings, highlighting that the magnitude of training was not excessive for the fast-twitch group, as they experienced similar levels of soreness and fatigue compared to the slow-twitch group. It discusses the possibility that both training frequency and set numbers contributed to the greater gains observed with the three-times-a-week condition. The paragraph references a 2019 meta-analysis that suggests no difference in muscle growth when the total number of sets per week is the same, regardless of frequency, but notes that three times per week led to slightly better gains. It also mentions a study by Nez that found distributing sets across multiple days led to greater growth for some subjects. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing that while higher set numbers likely contributed to greater gains for many subjects, substantial muscle growth can still be achieved with lower set numbers, and it suggests that personal goals should guide training frequency and volume decisions.

Keywords

💡Hypertrophy

Hypertrophy refers to the increase in the size of cells, and in the context of the video, it specifically pertains to the growth of muscle cells. It is the main theme of the video, which discusses how different training frequencies and set numbers can influence muscle hypertrophy. For instance, the study mentioned in the script compares training muscles two times versus three times a week to determine the optimal frequency for muscle growth.

💡Training Frequency

Training frequency is the number of times a muscle group is trained within a week. It is a key variable in the study discussed in the video, where subjects were divided into groups that trained their muscles two times or three times a week. The video aims to clarify the impact of training frequency on muscle hypertrophy, showing that three times per week led to greater muscle growth in the study's participants.

💡Set Numbers

Set numbers refer to the total number of sets performed for a particular exercise or muscle group during a training session. The video script explores how varying set numbers, in conjunction with training frequency, affects muscle growth. The study found that higher set numbers, when combined with a three times per week frequency, contributed to greater hypertrophy.

💡Slow Twitch Fibers

Slow twitch fibers, or Type I muscle fibers, are characterized by their fatigue resistance and low force production. In the video, the study divided subjects based on their muscle fiber composition, with one group having more slow twitch fibers. The script suggests that individuals with a higher proportion of slow twitch fibers might benefit from higher training volumes due to their fatigue-resistant nature.

💡Fast Twitch Fibers

Fast twitch fibers, or Type II, are high force-producing but quickly fatigable muscle fibers. The video discusses how subjects with more fast twitch fibers were thought to potentially benefit from lower training volumes to avoid overreaching. However, the study's results challenged this notion, showing that even fast twitch dominant individuals could grow well with higher training volumes.

💡Fatigue Resistance

Fatigue resistance is the ability of muscle fibers to withstand fatigue over time. The script mentions that slow twitch fibers are highly fatigue resistant, which is why they might be more suited to higher training volumes. This concept is crucial in understanding the individualized response to training programs based on muscle fiber composition.

💡Overreaching

Overreaching refers to a state where an individual trains to the point of diminishing returns or excessive fatigue, potentially leading to a decline in performance. The video script suggests that individuals with more fast twitch fibers might be more susceptible to overreaching, which is why training frequency and set numbers are important considerations in their training programs.

💡Muscle Fiber Type

Muscle fiber type is determined by the predominant type of muscle fibers in an individual's muscles, which can influence their training response. The video script discusses how the subjects were categorized based on their muscle fiber type, which was then correlated with their training outcomes, challenging the assumption that fiber type alone dictates optimal training volume.

💡Unilateral Leg Extension

Unilateral leg extension is a specific exercise mentioned in the script that was part of the training regimen in the study. It targets the quadriceps muscles and was performed by subjects in varying frequencies and set numbers to evaluate its impact on muscle hypertrophy.

💡Alpha Progression App

The Alpha Progression App is a tool mentioned in the video for creating, tracking, and evolving hypertrophy or strength training programs. It offers advanced features to customize and periodize training, providing users with an evidence-based approach to their fitness goals. The app is highlighted as a resource for implementing the findings discussed in the video into a practical training regimen.

Highlights

The study compares training frequency and set numbers on muscle hypertrophy.

Subjects were divided based on slow or fast twitch muscle fiber composition.

Slow twitch fibers are fatigue-resistant but low force-producing, while fast twitch fibers are high force but easily fatigued.

People with more fast twitch fibers might benefit from less frequent training due to higher fatigue.

The study involved previously untrained individuals with fiber type measurements on lower body muscles.

Subjects trained specific leg exercises two or three times a week with varying sets and rest periods.

The slow twitch group performed more repetitions than the fast twitch group.

Muscle growth was measured in quadriceps, hamstrings, biceps, and triceps, with more growth observed with three times a week training.

The study contradicts the idea that individuals with more fast twitch fibers benefit from less training.

Having more fast twitch fibers did not lead to greater gains compared to slow twitch fibers.

The majority of individuals grew better with three times a week training.

The additional growth from three times a week training was only 1-5% more than two times a week.

The study suggests that a large bulk of gains can be achieved with lower amounts of training.

The study's results could differ if comparing more slow twitch dominant to more fast twitch dominant individuals.

Fatigue and soreness were similar between the slow and fast twitch groups, suggesting the training was not excessive.

A meta-analysis found no difference in muscle growth when total weekly sets were the same, regardless of frequency.

Higher sets per week (nine or more) produced more hypertrophy than fewer sets.

The study emphasizes that appreciable muscle growth can still be attained with lower training volumes.

The Alpha Progression app is mentioned for tracking and evolving hypertrophy or strength training programs.

Transcripts

welcome to the house of hypertrophy how

often you should train a muscle and for

how many sets is forever debated in the

industry this highly fascinating recent

study compared training your muscle two

times to three times a week for muscle

hypoy with different set numbers in this

video we're going to dissect this study

and then fit it into the rest of the

overall scientific research on training

frequency and sets for building muscle

so that by the end you'll have a clearer

understanding of what you need to know

now a cool thing about this recent study

is they divided subjects into those with

more slow twit or fast twitch fibers why

was this cool slow twitch fibers are low

Force producing but highly fatigue

resistant while fast twitch fibers are

high Force producing but very fatigable

previous Research indicates people with

more fast twitch muscle fibers tend to

experience greater fatigue and may be

more susceptible to overreaching thus

perhaps they benefit from training less

while those more slow twitch benefit

from training more let's dive into the

[Music]

study 21 pre previously untrained

individuals were divided into those with

more slow twitch or fast twitch fibers

the fiber type measurements were just

done on the lower body muscles but the

authors note lower body fiber type can

correlate with upper body fiber type all

subjects train the unilateral leg

extension leg Hur dumbbell coal and

skull crusher for three to four sets of

reps the failure with one side of their

body they perform this two times a week

with at least 72 hours of rest between

sessions thereby totaling six to eight

sets per muscle in a week with the other

side of their body they perform this

three times a week with at least 48

Hours of rest between sessions thereby

totaling 9 to 12 sets per muscle in a

week therefore both training frequency

and set numbers were different between

the conditions interestingly the slow

twitch group ended up performing more

repetitions compared to the fast switch

Group which might be logical as we know

slow switch fibers are more fatigue

resistant versus Fast switch fibers

however not all previous research has

established strong correlations between

fiber type and the number of reps

performed with a given loading

nonetheless quadriceps hamstrings biceps

and triceps H perv was measured and all

four of these muscles tended to grow

more with a three times per week

training this held true for both the

slow twitch and fast twitch fiber groups

therefore opposing the notion

individuals with more fast twitch fibers

benefit from Trading less there are some

additional crucial points from these

results but before revealing these it is

interesting to see that the slow twitch

fiber group grew just as well as the

fast twitch fiber group on average in

other words having proport tionately

more fast twitch fibers did not lead to

Greater gains versus having

proportionately more slow twitch fibers

how could this be after all in isolation

fast switch fibers appear to grow more

than slow switch fibers but fiber type

is just one of the many factors that may

determine how much muscle growth you

experience this may indicate that when

we compare a fast twitch fiber group to

a slow twitch fiber group these other

factors in the mix essentially mean

people with more fast touch fibers do

not always grow more than those with

more slow touch fibers returning to to

the findings as each subject trained

both two times and three times a week we

can see the individual responses and it

indicates the large majority of

individuals from both the slow and

fasted fiber groups grew better training

three times per week there were only a

few cases of gains being better with a

two times per week training for a person

however and this is a key Point despite

the average and the majority of the

individual's responses indicating better

gains with the three times per week

training the benefit was certainly not

large we're only talking about an extra

1 to 3% growth with the quads hamstrings

and biceps the triceps did see a greater

4 to 5% extra average growth from the

three times per week training which may

Point towards the fascinating idea of

some muscles selectively responding

better to more training regardless this

data still suggests a large bulk of

gains can be attained with lower amounts

of training now the subjects were

previously untrained so the benefit of

training more may increase with training

experience but as we'll dissect in some

upcoming videos various well well

trained individuals can still see

reasonable hypertrophy from lower

amounts of training switching up the

discussion remember that both training

frequency and set numbers differed

between conditions but which was it that

led to the more hypertrophy with a three

times per week condition to answer this

we need to briefly decipher the current

research on training frequency and sets

for muscle hypertrophy before this

however we need to touch on some

important considerations with this study

in this study the slow twitch group of

course had proportionately more slow

twitch fibers versus the fast twitch

group however not every subject in the

slow twitch group could be described as

slow twitch dominant as the numbers in

the study indicates some of the subjects

likely had a near 50/50 split of slow

and fastwitch fibers conversely the fast

twitch group had an average 61 39 split

of faster slow twitch fibers therefore

the results of this study could be

different if we compared more slow

twitch dominant to more fastwitch

dominant individuals another

consideration is that as already

mentioned there's evidence people with

more f switch fibers experience greater

fatigue and are more susceptible to

overreaching since the fast switch group

grew well training three times per week

with 9 to 12 weekly sets per muscle this

magnitude of training wasn't excessive

for them in fact feelings of soreness

and fatigue were actually similar

between the slow and fast switch groups

in this study but it remains possible if

reasonably higher set numbers or

frequencies were used the fast switch

group would struggle to

[Music]

recover so was it the training frequency

set numbers are both that contributed to

the greater gains with the three times

per week condition as established in

this 2019 meta analysis when the total

number of sets performed per week was

kept the same there was no difference in

muscle growth between dividing these

sets into higher or lower frequencies

however when we go ahead and graph the

muscle growth of the various frequencies

we can see that the three times per week

frequency led to slightly better gains

this was not statistically significant

statistical significance isn't

everything but in this specific context

there are quite notable differences

behind the studies comprising this data

nonetheless it's still evident

substantial average hypertrophy is

achieved across a wide range of

frequencies fortunately an important

study by Nez released last October

revealed something highly interesting

they had trained men perform nine sets

for the quadriceps in a week one leg

performed all nine sets in one session

while the other leg distributed the nine

sets across three non-consecutive days

per week some subjects saw similar quad

growth between the one times and three

times frequency While others saw greater

growth with the three times frequency

accordingly the greater growth for some

subjects in the previous study could

possibly be due to the three times per

week frequency itself however it is

likely that for many if not all of them

the higher sets were contributing to as

identified in this meta analysis

performing nine or more weekly sets for

a muscle group produced more muscle

horty than fewer than nine weekly sets I

do want to point out that the this data

still reinforces the notion that a large

bulk of gains can still be achieved with

lower set numbers some of you may be

wondering about how even higher set

numbers per week compared to moderate

values as well as the role of training

status stay tuned as in the next few

weeks we'll have some updated videos

related to this some of you may also be

curious about efficiently creating

tracking and evolving your hypertrophy

or strength training most fitness apps

are basic and virtually the same but the

alpha progression app provides unique

and Advanced features without being

overwhelming the app can help you

generate an evidence-based program

customized to your desires in just a few

minutes with Advanced options to

periodize sets and Reps in reserve and

Implement scheduled D loads with a touch

of a few buttons you can personalize

things further the app saves you Time by

automatically generating graphs that

display your long-term progression which

may allow you to spot Trends in your

training scrolling through their massive

exercise database you may discover

exercises you never knew existed during

workouts the app analyzes your past

performance to provide Progressive

overload recommendations the link in the

comments and description allows you to

try out the app's premium features free

for 2 weeks and if you like it and

decide to go beyond the link provides

20% off a subscription the app is truly

exceptional with the review speaking to

[Music]

this in summary this paper found

training three times per week with more

sets led to Greater muscle ey purch Fe

compared to training two times per week

with fewer sets in both a slow twitch

and fast twitch fiber group we've

previously seen that when total set

numbers per week are equated some

individuals do grow more with a three

times per week frequency so it's

possible the three times per week

frequency may have contributed to the

greater growth for some subjects however

the highest set numbers were likely

contributing to the greater gains for

many too as meta analytic data finds

performing nine or more sets for a

muscle group in a week produced more

growth and Performing fewer than nine

sets having said all this it's it is

still worth emphasizing appreciable

musai perch fee is still attained with

lower amounts of training so is an

option on the table depending on your

personal goals thank you for watching

feel free to check out the alpha

progression app or our recent deep dive

into building the lats