Strength

How many sets per muscle group per week for optimal hypertrophy?

Unlocking Optimal Hypertrophy: Finding the Perfect Sets

Yeah, so I think that this is a good question, how many sets per muscle group for optimal hypertrophy and I think that this really depends on your training status. So for example, if you're a novice, doing almost anything is going to result in a hypertrophic response, versus if you're more advanced, you're going to need more. So in order for a muscle to grow, you need to recruit muscle fibers and fatigue muscle fibers. So that insinuates a certain level of effort. The other thing that I would focus on is progressively increasing your resistance training volume over time. So another way to think about that is no matter where you're at right now, ensure that you are progressively overloading over time. So maybe that's more weight, more sets as we asked right here. So there's a lot of different ways to do that. But I would always consider the individual where they're at. Now research does suggest that per muscle group anywhere between 12 to 20 sets per muscle group might be optimal for hypertrophy. But you really need to think about the individual first, where are they at? Again, if they're not doing any strength training right now, anything is going to have a positive effect. If you're really advanced, you need to apply more and more of a stressor on your body to continue to see results.

The number of sets per muscle group for optimal hypertrophy depends on the individual's training status. Research suggests anywhere between 12 to 20 sets per muscle group, but it is important to consider the individual and progressively increase resistance over time.

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The optimal number of sets per muscle group for hypertrophy varies depending on your training status. Novices can see hypertrophic responses with almost any amount of sets, while more advanced individuals may require more sets. To promote muscle growth, it's important to recruit and fatigue muscle fibers through a certain level of effort. Additionally, progressively increasing resistance training volume over time is crucial. This can be achieved by adding more weight or increasing the number of sets. Research suggests that anywhere between 12 to 20 sets per muscle group might be optimal for hypertrophy. However, it's essential to consider the individual and their current fitness level. If someone is not currently engaged in strength training, any form of training will have a positive effect. On the other hand, advanced individuals need to continually increase the stress placed on their bodies to continue seeing results.

For weight loss, would you recommend cardio or weights?

Cardio or Weights for Weight Loss? The Surprising Answer

Alright, for weight loss, would you recommend cardio or weights? Now this is actually a little bit of a complex question. At the highest level, cardiovascular exercise is probably going to help you lose more weight. As a matter of fact, resistance training alone just by itself without being in a caloric deficit is about a kilogram of weight loss altogether. That being said, most people are actually, even when they say weight loss, they're probably more interested in body composition changes and then also keeping the weight off when they lose it. So two things. One, doing strength training will help to either A, increase muscle mass or at least preserve muscle mass when you're in a caloric deficit. So you'll have much more favorable changes in body composition, meaning the weight that you lose, as long as you're in a calorically restricted diet, will be from fat and not from muscle. This is going to be really, really important because if you lose weight, as you lose weight, your resting metabolic rate actually goes down. So if you lose muscle, your resting metabolic rate goes down. So what we want to do in order to ensure long-term weight loss maintenance is to make sure that what we're losing is primarily fat. So we want to retain as much muscle as we can because in the long run, that is going to help you keep the weight off. So high level cardio probably will make you lose more weight, but if the outcome that you're interested in is favorable changes in body composition and then long-term weight loss maintenance, I would do strength training. That being said, do both. Bye.

Cardio is best for weight loss, but strength training is better for body composition changes and long-term weight loss maintenance. It's best to do both.

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Regarding weight loss, the question of whether to recommend cardio or weights is complex. At a basic level, cardiovascular exercise is likely to result in more weight loss. In fact, resistance training alone, without a caloric deficit, typically leads to about one kilogram of weight loss. However, for many people, the focus goes beyond just losing weight. They are often interested in body composition changes and maintaining the weight loss over time. Here's where strength training comes in. When engaging in strength training, you can either increase or at least preserve muscle mass while in a caloric deficit. This leads to more favorable changes in body composition, ensuring that the weight lost comes primarily from fat rather than muscle. This is crucial because as you lose weight, your resting metabolic rate decreases. By retaining muscle mass, you can help mitigate this decrease and improve long-term weight loss maintenance. While cardio may promote greater overall weight loss, if your goal is favorable body composition changes and sustained weight loss, I would recommend incorporating strength training into your routine. Ultimately, it's beneficial to do both cardio and strength training for comprehensive fitness and overall health.

How should I balance a weekly workout routine to maximize strength and size gains but also power and speed?

Maximize strength, size, power, and speed in one workout routine!

So how should I balance a weekly workout routine to maximize strength and size gains, but also power and speed? So essentially, how can you be strong? How can you have bigger muscles? How can you still be explosive? So what you can do is you can stack your program actually with with all of these things. My preference is to do this is one either a start out with an Olympic lift, or what you can do is have your first lift be a heavy strength training lift. Maybe that's your back squat, deadlift, bench press, and pair that with an explosive movement. So maybe if it's a deadlift, you're doing a broad jump. If it's a squat, you're doing a box jump. If it's a bench press, maybe you're doing a med ball toss. After that, if you want to focus on hypertrophy, what you can do is have all of your accessory movements be in the hypertrophy rep range. So for example, do things that are you know, three to four sets of eight to 15 repetitions. So again, just have like your first main lift be more of that strength and or power outcome, however you want to stack those things together. And then have all of your accessory work be more geared towards that hypertrophy rep range and also weight.

Balance your weekly workout routine by starting with a heavy strength training lift such as back squats, deadlifts, or bench press and pair it with an explosive movement such as a box jump or med ball toss. For accessory movements, focus on hypertrophy rep ranges (3-4 sets of 8-15 reps) for optimal strength and size gains, power, and speed.

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To balance a weekly workout routine and maximize both strength and size gains, as well as power and speed, you can stack your program with different elements. One approach is to start with an Olympic lift or a heavy strength training lift like the back squat, deadlift, or bench press. Pair this with an explosive movement such as a broad jump, box jump, or med ball toss. This combination allows you to focus on both strength and power. 

If your goal is hypertrophy (muscle growth), you can structure your accessory movements to target the hypertrophy rep range. This means doing exercises for three to four sets of eight to fifteen repetitions. By integrating these rep ranges into your accessory work, you can further enhance muscle size.

Ultimately, it's about finding the right balance and sequencing within your workout routine. Starting with a strength or power movement and then incorporating hypertrophy-focused exercises can help you achieve the desired outcomes of strength, muscle size, power, and speed.

Are HIIT workouts an effective way to lose weight?

HIIT vs. Moderate Intensity: Which is better for weight loss?

Alright, so are HIIT workouts an effective way to lose weight? It's a really good question. The first part is that diet is always going to be our first line of defense for losing weight. Now, HIIT workouts are effective for losing weight. Adding exercise to a caloric deficit will help you lose more weight. But, for example, is HIIT more effective than what's called moderate intensity continuous training? No. So, any kind of exercise, aerobic exercise, as long as it's calorically matched, is going to be good for weight loss. So, the thing with HIIT versus moderate intensity continuous training is it's always a trade-off between intensity and time. Okay, so HIIT is high intensity, low time to get to a certain calorie amount. Moderate intensity continuous training, more time. Lower intensity training. Both are pretty much completely equated for weight loss. That being said, I know this is not necessarily the question, but HIIT probably is more effective for aerobic adaptation, so improving your aerobic health.

HIIT workouts can be an effective way to lose weight, but it is not necessarily more effective than moderate intensity continuous training. Both types of exercise are good for losing weight as long as it is calorically matched. However, HIIT may be better for improving your aerobic health.

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Are HIIT workouts effective for weight loss? It's a great question. While diet plays a primary role in weight loss, HIIT workouts can indeed be effective. When combined with a caloric deficit, exercise can enhance weight loss. However, when comparing HIIT to moderate intensity continuous training, neither is inherently more effective than the other for weight loss. Any form of aerobic exercise, as long as it matches the calorie expenditure, can contribute to weight loss. The difference lies in the trade-off between intensity and time. HIIT involves high intensity and shorter durations to reach a specific calorie burn, while moderate intensity continuous training requires more time with lower intensity. Both methods are equally effective for weight loss. It's worth noting that HIIT may be more beneficial for improving aerobic health and adaptation, although this may not directly relate to weight loss.

Are drugs like Semaglutide (Wegovy) recommended for routine weight loss? 

Semaglutide for Weight Loss: Not Recommended for Routine Use

All right, so are drugs like semaglutide, which is the brand name, Wigovy, it's also ozempic as well, recommended for routine weight loss? I would say that the answer is one, you actually have to qualify to get these medications. In research, it is if you have a BMI of 27 or comorbidities like hypertension, high cholesterol, or a BMI of over 30. Oftentimes, people will need prior authorization before they can even get these drugs. So for example, maybe they had to try something like metformin first. While these drugs in practice, we use them in practice for the company that I work at, and research are really effective for weight loss. There's two things. One, there's certain thresholds that you must meet to actually get these medications. So if you're just overweight and you don't have any comorbidities, you wouldn't actually qualify for this. And then the other thing is you might have to go through some prior authorization. So it's not necessarily routine weight loss that this is good for. It's really helpful for people that tried to lose weight in the past. They've tried a lot of things and nothing's worked. So again, these drugs are very effective, but I would not say that they're necessarily for routine weight loss.

These drugs, such as semaglutide and Wigovy (ozempic), are not recommended for routine weight loss. You must have a BMI of 27 or comorbidities like hypertension or a BMI of over 30 to qualify for these medications. Additionally, you may need to go through prior authorization before getting the drugs.

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When it comes to drugs like semaglutide, also known as Wegovy or Ozempic, being recommended for routine weight loss, there are a few factors to consider. Firstly, qualifying for these medications is essential. Research suggests that individuals with a BMI of 27 or higher and comorbidities like hypertension or high cholesterol, or those with a BMI over 30, may be eligible. Often, prior authorization is required before these drugs can be prescribed. While these medications have shown effectiveness in both research and clinical practice, they are not typically prescribed for routine weight loss. Certain thresholds must be met to qualify for them, and individuals may need to have tried other weight loss methods before being considered. These drugs are often beneficial for individuals who have struggled to lose weight with other approaches. So while they can be highly effective, they are not commonly used for routine weight loss purposes.

What are your thoughts on fasted workouts?

Fasted Workouts: Does It Really Impact Fat Loss?

So what I would say to this is what are my thoughts on a fasted workout. I would first say for what, you know, what it specifically what is the purpose. So maybe the purpose is fat loss. And the first thing that I would say is exercise in general, specifically without changes in your diet, typically leads to very, very modest changes in weight loss. I think that's actually something of over 250 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity cardio to actually achieve clinically relevant weight loss. So I would say it's completely fine. And I'm just not sure how much of an impact it would make on something like fat loss. I probably wouldn't do it too late in the day. So for example, I wouldn't work out do fasted cardio if it's at 12 o'clock, there's a lot of other benefits to fasting, which include longevity and things like that. But in terms of my thoughts on overall fasted cardio, I don't think it necessarily makes a huge impact on changes in body composition.

My thoughts on fasted cardio are that it is okay to do, but I'm not sure how much impact it would have on fat loss. It is important to note that exercise in general typically only leads to modest changes in weight loss and that you should not do it too late in the day. Additionally, fasting has other benefits like longevity that could be beneficial.

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When it comes to fasted workouts, I would first ask about the purpose behind it. If the goal is fat loss, I would mention that exercise alone, without dietary changes, typically leads to minimal weight loss. Significant weight loss usually requires over 250 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity cardio. While fasted workouts are generally fine, I'm not sure how much they specifically impact fat loss. I would recommend avoiding doing fasted cardio too late in the day. Fasting has other potential benefits like longevity, but in terms of overall thoughts on fasted workouts, I don't believe they have a significant impact on changes in body composition.

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Certified strength and conditioning specialist, personal trainer, PhD and fitness director at Sequence 

Neither AnyQuestion nor its Experts provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment or otherwise provide professional healthcare services.

Justin Kompf