How Many Exercises Per Muscle Group for Hypertrophy

How Many Exercises Per Muscle Group for Hypertrophy

For muscle growth, the answer is 2-4 exercises per muscle group, which should total 10-20 hard sets per week. This is the most effective range for most people. Focusing on this target prevents you from doing too little work to grow or too much work to recover from. It’s a common misconception that a wider variety of exercises leads to better results. In reality, this often leads to analysis paralysis and a phenomenon known as 'junk volume'-work that creates fatigue without stimulating growth.

This framework applies to both beginners and intermediate lifters. The key is not the variety of exercises but the total weekly volume and intensity. A program with fewer exercises performed with high effort will always produce better results than a program with many exercises done with low effort. This guide will break down the science behind this principle, show you exactly how to structure your training, and provide sample templates you can use immediately.

Why More Exercises Can Actually Stop Muscle Growth

The most common mistake we see is adding more exercises to feel more productive. This often leads to junk volume. Junk volume is work that creates fatigue but is not effective enough to stimulate muscle growth. Your energy and recovery capacity are finite. Spreading them across 5 or 6 different exercises for one muscle means the quality of each set drops significantly.

Muscle growth is driven by mechanical tension. This is achieved by taking sets close to failure, typically within 1-3 repetitions of not being able to lift the weight again. It is much harder to maintain this intensity across many different movements. For example, performing 12 high-quality sets from 3 chest exercises is far more effective than performing 12 mediocre sets from 5 exercises. Your central nervous system (CNS) fatigue accumulates with each set, and by the time you get to your fourth or fifth exercise, your ability to recruit muscle fibers and generate force is severely diminished.

The goal is to maximize the Stimulus-to-Fatigue Ratio (SFR). Every exercise has a certain amount of muscle-building stimulus and a certain amount of systemic and local fatigue. A good exercise provides a high stimulus for a low fatigue cost. Spreading your volume across too many exercises often means you are choosing movements with a lower SFR, accumulating more fatigue for less growth.

The right metric is the number of hard sets per week. Focusing on this ensures every set you perform contributes directly to your goal. Here's exactly how to do it.

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How to Structure Your Weekly Training Volume

Follow these three steps to build a program that works. This method focuses on what matters and removes the guesswork.

Step 1. Find Your Weekly Set Target

Your goal is 10-20 total hard sets per muscle group, per week. If you are new to lifting, start at the low end, around 10-12 sets. If you are more experienced and recover well, you can work your way up toward 20 sets. A hard set is one where you finish knowing you only had 1-3 more reps left in the tank (a Reps in Reserve or RIR of 1-3). This ensures you are creating enough stimulus for growth.

Step 2. Choose 2-4 High-Quality Exercises

Select exercises that allow you to apply progressive overload safely. For large muscle groups like the back or legs, you might use 3-4 exercises to target different functions. For example, for your back, you could choose a vertical pull (pull-ups), a horizontal row (barbell rows), and a pullover movement. For smaller muscles like biceps, 2 exercises are usually sufficient, such as a standard dumbbell curl and a hammer curl. A 'high-quality' exercise has a few key traits:

• High Stability: It allows you to focus on the target muscle without wasting energy on balancing.
• Good Resistance Profile: The exercise challenges the muscle through its full range of motion.
• Allows Progressive Overload: You can easily add weight, reps, or sets over time.

Step 3. Distribute Your Sets and Track Total Volume

Assign your target sets across your chosen exercises. Let's say your weekly target for your chest is 12 sets. You could structure it like this: Flat Barbell Press: 4 sets, Incline Dumbbell Press: 4 sets, and Cable Flys: 4 sets. That's 3 exercises to hit your 12-set weekly goal.

To ensure you are progressing, you must track your total volume, which is calculated as Sets × Reps × Weight. For example, 4 sets of 10 reps at 100kg is 4,000kg of volume. Manually calculating this for every muscle group is time-consuming. This is why the Mofilo app automatically tracks your total volume for you. You just log your sets, reps, and weight, and it handles the math.

Sample Workout Templates: Putting It All Together

Theory is great, but how does this look in practice? Here are three sample templates based on popular training splits. These are starting points-adjust the exercises and volume based on your experience and recovery.

1. Full-Body Split (3 Days/Week)

This split is excellent for beginners as it trains each muscle group frequently, promoting skill acquisition and muscle growth.

• Workout A
• Barbell Squats: 4 sets of 5-8 reps
• Flat Dumbbell Press: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Barbell Rows: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
• Bicep Curls: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
• Workout B
• Romanian Deadlifts: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Overhead Press: 4 sets of 6-10 reps
• Lat Pulldowns: 4 sets of 10-15 reps
• Leg Press: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
• Tricep Pushdowns: 3 sets of 10-15 reps

*Weekly Structure:* Alternate workouts with a rest day in between (e.g., Week 1: A, B, A; Week 2: B, A, B). This provides ~12 weekly sets for major muscle groups.

2. Upper/Lower Split (4 Days/Week)

This split allows for more volume per session and is a great step up from a full-body routine.

• Upper Body Day
• Bench Press: 4 sets of 5-8 reps
• Pull-Ups (or Lat Pulldowns): 4 sets of 6-10 reps
• Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Seated Cable Rows: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 4 sets of 12-15 reps
• Tricep Extensions: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
• Lower Body Day
• Barbell Squats: 4 sets of 5-8 reps
• Leg Curls: 4 sets of 10-15 reps
• Leg Press: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
• Romanian Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Calf Raises: 4 sets of 15-20 reps

*Weekly Structure:* Train two days on, one day off, two days on (e.g., Upper, Lower, Rest, Upper, Lower, Rest, Rest). This hits each muscle group twice a week with 14-18 sets.

3. Push/Pull/Legs (PPL) Split (6 Days/Week)

This is an advanced split for those who can recover from high frequency and volume.

• Push Day (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps)
• Incline Barbell Press: 4 sets of 6-10 reps
• Flat Dumbbell Press: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Lateral Raises: 4 sets of 12-15 reps
• Skull Crushers: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
• Pull Day (Back, Biceps)
• Barbell Rows: 4 sets of 6-10 reps
• Lat Pulldowns: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Face Pulls: 3 sets of 15-20 reps
• Dumbbell Bicep Curls: 4 sets of 10-15 reps
• Leg Day (Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Calves)
• Squats: 4 sets of 6-10 reps
• Romanian Deadlifts: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Leg Extensions: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
• Seated Leg Curls: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
• Calf Raises: 4 sets of 15-20 reps

*Weekly Structure:* Push, Pull, Legs, Push, Pull, Legs, Rest. This provides 16-20+ sets per muscle group per week.

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What to Expect When You Focus on Volume Not Variety

When you shift your focus from exercise variety to set quality, you will notice changes quickly. Within the first 2-4 weeks, you should feel stronger and more confident with your chosen lifts. You are no longer spreading your energy thin, allowing you to apply more effort and progress faster on what matters.

Visible muscle growth takes longer. Most people see noticeable changes after 8-12 weeks of consistent training and proper nutrition. If you stop getting stronger or feel constantly fatigued, it is a sign to adjust. You may need to lower your weekly sets to improve recovery or slightly increase them if you have hit a plateau. Listen to your body and track your performance.

This approach is not a quick fix. It is a sustainable framework for long-term progress. Consistency with a simple, effective plan will always outperform a complex plan that you cannot execute well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is one exercise per muscle group enough for hypertrophy?

For very small muscle groups or for absolute beginners, one exercise might provide enough stimulus initially. However, for most people and larger muscles, 2-4 exercises are better to target different muscle fibers and movement patterns.

How many exercises should I do for small muscles like biceps?

Small muscle groups like biceps, triceps, or calves generally require less work. Two well-chosen exercises for 10-12 total hard sets per week is a very effective target for growth.

Does this apply to both compound and isolation exercises?

Yes. The principle of 10-20 hard sets per week applies to your total volume. You should use a mix of compound exercises (like squats or bench press) and isolation exercises (like leg extensions or bicep curls) to reach your target.