Are You Doing Too Many—or Not Enough—Exercises Per Muscle Group? Here’s the Truth That’ll Change Your Workout Forever!

Pop quiz: Ever caught yourself wondering just how many reps and sets you should knock out to pack on serious muscle? Yeah, it’s that age-old question that tweaks even the most seasoned lifter’s brain. Most of us have heard the classic answer—three to four sets of eight to 12 reps—but hold on, the game’s evolving, and fresh research tells us muscle growth isn’t so boxed-in after all. Lower reps can fuel gains too, if you play your cards right. And let’s not forget the other puzzle pieces—load intensity, how long you catch your breath between sets, and how frequently you hit the gym—all these factors weave into the grand equation of hypertrophy, aka muscle growth. I’ve gotta say, it’s a numbers game alright, but it’s one where working smarter beats working harder every single time. What if I told you, many are missing a crucial variable: how many different exercises per muscle group they should be doing? The “more is better” rule is tempting, but science points to a sweet spot—and dialing into that can skyrocket your gains without wasting endless hours grinding out “junk volume.” Ready to uncover that magic muscle math? Let’s break it all down. LEARN MORE

POP QUIZ: HOW many reps and sets should you do per exercise to build muscle? If you’re in the know, you’re aware that the answer is generally three to four sets of eight to 12 reps (although recent research has shown muscle building can occur at lower rep ranges, too). You likely also understand that load, rest period duration, and training frequency are also key variables when it comes to packing on lean mass.

After all, hypertrophy (the technical term for muscle growth) is largely a numbers game, and getting the equation right can equal maximum gains in minimal time. You want to work hard, but your goal should be to work efficiently. Junk volume is a real problem you’ll want to avoid—especially if you’re working with limited time.

With that in mind, there’s one aspect of weight room arithmetic that many guys get wrong (or at least overlook): How many exercises you should perform per muscle group to optimize your results. “More is better” is the most common approach, but research shows that there are lower and upper limits to this muscle math—and hitting the sweet spot between them is key to getting (and staying) on the hypertrophy fast track.

How Many Exercises Should You Do Per Muscle Group?

The answer is different if your goal is strength or endurance (and more experienced lifters will be able to handle more volume), but if your primary focus is muscle growth, you should perform a minimum of three exercises per muscle group per week. Those exercises can be performed during a single workout (if you’re doing traditional split training, for example) or spread across two or three workouts (if you’re hitting your whole body each time), but the key is to perform at least three exercises per muscle group per week. (We’ll get into how to select those exercises in the next section.)

This applies to the big muscle groups, like the legs and back. For smaller muscle groups like the biceps, triceps, and shoulders, where lots of exercises will be single-joint movements, you can aim for fewer sets. “Perhaps one to two exercises,” advises Men’s Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., “since the functions of those muscles are simpler.” Also, keep in mind that the more complicated compound exercises will also involve those muscle groups, so you’re training them that way, too.

What’s the maximum number? That’s a good question—and one that science has yet to answer. Stacking on extra sets for each muscle group might also not be a realistic approach for regular guys with busy schedules. Who has time for that kind of targeted exercise volume except elite bodybuilders? In the real world, the consensus is that if you do between 10 and 20 sets (roughly three to six exercises) per muscle group per week, you’ll achieve the muscle-building sweet spot.

How to Choose Your Exercises for Maximum Results

Let’s start with the lower end of the spectrum, three exercises per week—a number that can be performed in a single workout or distributed across two or three training sessions, depending on your goals and schedule. Priority number one is to select an exercise that moves the targeted muscle group through maximum contraction and extension, and the associated joints through a full range of motion. If we’re talking quads, the barbell back squat is the perfect example.

Next, you want to choose an exercise that varies one of the following three variables: plane of motion, angle of attack (in other words, varying the position of the exercise from the first exercise), or portion of the strength curve (where in the movement you’ll be forced to exert the most force to complete the rep). Still focusing on the quads, that might mean a side squat, a leg press, or a front-loaded squat, respectively.

Finally, choose a challenging bodyweight exercise. Make no mistake, unweighted moves aren’t just for beginners. In almost every instance, there’s a bodyweight exercise that can be just as challenging (or even more so) than its fully loaded counterpart. In the case of the squat, that exercise could be the pistol squat, which is performed on one leg at a time. (If you can’t perform an unassisted pistol squat, hold onto a stable pole or other supportive structure to make it easier.)

Keep building your arsenal for each muscle group from there if you plan on hitting them more than once per week. The key is variation (within a structured program, of course). By consistently challenging each muscle group in multiple ways, you’ll ensure enough exercise variety in your training plan to not only maximize growth, but also to avoid plateaus.

Trevor Thieme is a Los Angeles-based writer and strength coach, and a former fitness editor at Men’s Health. When not helping others get in shape, he splits his time between surfing, skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and trying to keep up with his 10-year-old daughter.