Strength training

What the research says about getting stronger, building muscle and keeping training in a busy life.

Eighteenth-century anatomical print of the back muscles of a figure looking over the shoulder

3 October 20267 min read

How fast do muscles grow? What the studies measure week by week

During the first three to four weeks, much of what you measure may be swelling. According to a researchers' model, real muscle growth starts after about eighteen sessions. After a few months, controlled studies land on average at a little under a kilo of extra lean mass, with huge differences between people.

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Cigarette card from 1888 showing strongman Emil Voss with arms crossed

3 October 20268 min read

How do you get stronger? What the research measures on load, reps and rest

In the largest analysis, 178 studies with 5097 participants, heavy programmes with several sets, at 80 per cent of your maximum or more, scored best for strength. Lighter training makes you stronger too. Train the movement you want to get stronger at and gradually add load or reps. Training to failure proved unnecessary for strength.

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Greek amphora with two athletes and an aulos player

2 October 20269 min read

How often should you do strength training per week? What the research really says

Twice a week is enough for most people. With the same number of sets, spreading them over one, two or three sessions makes little difference to muscle mass. For strength, the most recent research points to a possible advantage for training more often. The practical minimum is four sets per muscle group per week. For more muscle mass, the newest position stand recommends ten sets or more.

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