Free tool
Weekly sets per muscle checker
How much work each muscle gets in a week, and where to add sets.
Short answer: The 2026 American College of Sports Medicine position stand favoured higher volumes and summarised the evidence as around 10 or more weekly sets per muscle group. No optimal number is established, and no ceiling either.
Count the hard sets each muscle gets in a normal week, including the sets it gets from compound lifts. A bench press counts for your chest; a row counts for your back.
Hamstrings and glutes, Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps get less work than the rest — the easiest place to add sets.
- Chest12 sets · ◆ In range
12 hard sets a week sits in the range the evidence favours. There is no proven best number, so there is no need to chase a higher one.
- Back14 sets · ◆ In range
14 hard sets a week sits in the range the evidence favours. There is no proven best number, so there is no need to chase a higher one.
- Quads10 sets · ◆ In range
10 hard sets a week sits in the range the evidence favours. There is no proven best number, so there is no need to chase a higher one.
- Hamstrings and glutes8 sets · ▽ Below
8 hard sets a week. Muscle can grow on less, and the first sets you add are usually the most valuable, so this is the easiest place to add work.
- Shoulders8 sets · ▽ Below
8 hard sets a week. Muscle can grow on less, and the first sets you add are usually the most valuable, so this is the easiest place to add work.
- Biceps6 sets · ▽ Below
6 hard sets a week. Muscle can grow on less, and the first sets you add are usually the most valuable, so this is the easiest place to add work.
- Triceps6 sets · ▽ Below
6 hard sets a week. Muscle can grow on less, and the first sets you add are usually the most valuable, so this is the easiest place to add work.
Total: 64 hard sets a week across all seven muscle groups.
Counting hard sets is a practical way of measuring training volume (Baz-Valle, Fontes-Villalba and Santos-Concejero, 2021). The 2026 ACSM position stand favoured higher volumes and summarised the evidence as around 10 or more weekly sets per muscle group, while stating that no optimal number of sets can currently be determined. There is no established ceiling, so nothing here is called wasted work. Educational estimate for adults aged 18+. Not medical advice.
Work out what weight to use next session.
Time your recovery with the rest between sets timer.
Machine taken? Find three swaps.
Switching implements? Convert dumbbells and barbells.
Something feels off in a lift? Fix my exercise
Educational information for adults aged 18 and over. It does not diagnose, treat or manage any medical condition. If you have a health condition, or symptoms that worry you, speak to your doctor or a health professional.