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Fitness, Workout

Single Versus Multiple Sets

Single Versus Multiple Sets

  • February 23, 2012 7:06 pm
  • 5 comments

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Author Rani visit my website

The evidence and definitive victor in the single vs multiple sets debate has gone through several stages. While the research is not new by any means, this topic still warrants investigation.

Single Set Failure Training And Science

In 1988, the American College of Sports Medicine published a review article comparing single set training with multiple set training (1). They found practically no difference in strength gains between the two regimens. Over the following decades as newer evidence amassed, several meta-analyses were done concluding multiple sets were superior for strength gains (2,3) however these were met with a scathing reception (4, PDF).

Finally, in late 2009, a meta-analysis was published that sought to reconcile objections raised to previous papers. It still found multiple set regimens to be more conducive to strength gains than single set regimens (P < 0.0001) (5).

Another year later, one more meta-analysis was published and this time examining the effect of set quantity on muscle hypertrophy (6). And again, it was found that multiple sets were superior than single sets (P = 0.016). Since this publication, the debate surrounding single vs multiple set routines has diminished considerably with few if no new studies being published on the topic.

A Conclusion, Of Sorts

The once highly contentious issue of single vs multiple sets was finally redressed in a meta-analysis that confirmed the superiority of multiple sets for both strength gains and muscle hypertrophy. While this may be a conclusion, the research will continue and the topics discussed in this article will either go on to be corroborated by subsequent lines of evidence, or possibly refuted, all this ultimately highlighting the importance of staying current with the literature.

Picture courtesy of US Navy.

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Latest Comments

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5 Comments

  1. jOin3r says:
    February 23, 2012 at 10:36 pm

    This is something I have been missing.
    Great article, informative, sourced.

    I’m so happy I did not unsubscribe from this blog. This article got my attention so I went and read 2 others you wrote.

    Great job. Keep them coming please.

    Reply
    • Rani says:
      February 24, 2012 at 4:40 am

      Cheers.

      Anyone interested in reading more about this subject should check out Wolf’s brilliant article on HIT – https://evilcyber.com/fitness/review-mike-mentzers-heavy-duty/.

      Reply
  2. Frank says:
    February 24, 2012 at 6:00 am

    This single set stuff never made sense to me!! I mean they say you should do one set of one exercise but then many exercises for the same muscles??

    Reply
    • Wolf says:
      February 24, 2012 at 9:20 am

      The second part of my HD/HIT review has an entire section dealing with this issue (plus a few more dealing with the one-set controversy as a whole). It’s in the publishing queue, should be out in a day or two. Stay tuned! 🙂

      Reply
      • evilcyber says:
        February 24, 2012 at 6:53 pm

        Monday it comes! 🙂

        Reply

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