You’ve decided to stop spinning your wheels and start building real muscle. You’re hitting the gym, you’re eating the protein, but one question keeps coming up: How many sets should you actually be doing?

In the world of fitness influencers, you’ll see people doing 20+ sets per body part, spending three hours in the gym until they’re crawling to their cars. But if you’re a beginner (or even an early intermediate), that “more is better” approach is the fastest path to burnout and injury.

Based on Dr. Mike Israetel’s research at Renaissance Periodization, here is the definitive guide on choosing your initial set numbers to maximize growth while minimizing “junk volume.”

Phase 1: The “Learning the Ropes” Weeks (Weeks 1-2)

When you first start a new program or exercise, your primary goal isn’t absolute exhaustion—it’s technique. If you don’t master the movement, you won’t be able to push hard enough later to actually grow. For a deeper dive into proper lifting form, check out our technique guide.

• The Recommendation: 2 to 4 sets per exercise
• The Goal: These should be light warm-up and technique sets
• Pro Tip: If you nail the technique quickly, 2 sets are plenty. If you’re struggling to feel the muscle, stick to 4 sets to get more practice reps in

Phase 2: Transitioning to Hard Work (Weeks 2-4)

Once you know how to squat or bench without looking like a folding lawn chair, it’s time to add weight. This is where real hypertrophy (muscle growth) starts.

• The Warm-up: Use a “12-8-4” rep scheme (12 reps very light, 8 reps heavier, 4 reps heavier) to prepare your joints. See our warm-up guide for beginners for more details.
• The Work: Perform 1 to 2 hard working sets of 5–10 reps
• Why so low? Beginners make rapid gains with very little volume. At this stage, 1-2 sets pushed with high effort is often all you need to stimulate significant growth

SetsApart Tip: Track just your hard sets—not your warm-ups. The app’s hard set tracking helps you focus on the work that actually matters for growth, without cluttering your log with technique and warm-up sets.

Phase 3: The Sweet Spot for Growth

As you progress through your first few months, you can begin to “auto-regulate” your volume based on how your body feels.

• The Maximum Limit: Cap at 5 hard sets per exercise or muscle group per session
• The Weekly Total: For beginners, 10–20 hard sets per week, per muscle, is the research-backed optimum for hypertrophy
• The Recovery Rule: If you’re recovering from soreness and fatigue just in time for your next session, stay where you are. If you stop getting sore altogether and feel “fresh” too early, consider adding one set to that exercise the following week

This is closely related to the minimum effective dose concept—finding the smallest amount of training that still produces results. For beginners, that threshold is surprisingly low.

Why “More” Isn’t Always Better

A common mistake is trying to emulate professional bodybuilder routines. Doing 10 sets of legs four times a week is inappropriate for beginners.

1. Junk Volume: If you do too many sets, the quality of your effort drops. You start “mailing it in” just to finish the workout.

2. Diminishing Returns: If you need more than 5 sets per muscle to feel a stimulus, the problem isn’t the volume—it’s your technique and effort level. Learn more about training to failure and why effort trumps volume.

3. Time Efficiency: 6 hard sets of a compound movement (like squats or rows) can take significant time and energy. If you’re training properly, 6 sets is the absolute top-end limit for a single session. For more on structuring your training efficiently, see our guide on building muscle on a busy schedule.

The Bottom Line

Don’t get carried away with high-volume “bro-splits” early on. Focus on:

1. Flawless Technique: Ensure the target muscle is doing the work
2. High Effort: Make those 1-2 working sets count
3. Smart Progression: Only add sets if your recovery allows it

As a beginner, you have the advantage of growing from almost any stimulus. Use that to your advantage, train smart, and save the ultra-high volume for when you’re an advanced lifter.

Track Your Progress: SetsApart’s Volume Per Muscle Group feature makes it easy to see if you’re hitting that 10-20 set weekly sweet spot. No more guessing—just data-driven training.

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Source

This article was inspired by and summarizes key insights from the following video. Check out the video for more detail and subscribe to the channel—it’s a great resource for evidence-based training.

Watch the full video: How Many Sets For Beginners (Choosing Initial Set Numbers)