Resistance Training Volume Enhances Muscle Hypertrophy but Not Strength in Trained Men.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized controlled trial
PubMed 30153194 · doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000001764
What was done
Thirty-four healthy resistance-trained men were randomly allocated to one of three groups performing three weekly sessions for 8 weeks: low-volume (1 set per exercise per session, n = 11), moderate-volume (3 sets per exercise, n = 12), or high-volume (5 sets per exercise, n = 11). Muscular strength was assessed via 1RM squat and bench press, upper-body endurance via 50% 1RM bench press to momentary failure, and muscle hypertrophy via B-mode ultrasound at the elbow flexors, elbow extensors, mid-thigh, and lateral thigh.
What was found
All three groups showed significant pre- to post-intervention increases in strength and endurance, with no significant differences between groups (no specific numerical values provided in the abstract). Muscle size increased across most measured sites in all groups, with significant increases favoring higher-volume conditions at the elbow flexors, mid-thigh, and lateral thigh.
Why it matters
This trial shows that strength and endurance can be improved effectively with very low training volume, whereas maximizing muscle hypertrophy displays a volume-dependent response in trained men.
Limits
The sample size was small with only 34 total participants across three groups, and the intervention lasted only 8 weeks. The study included only young resistance-trained men, limiting generalizability to women, older adults, or untrained populations. The abstract provides no exact numerical data, effect sizes, or confidence intervals.