30 Seconds SummaryTraining Frequency for Muscle Growth: What the Data Say
- Higher training frequencies (more than twice a week) appear beneficial for muscle hypertrophy, especially compared to training just once per week.
- The analysis revealed that subjects in higher frequency training groups experienced significantly more muscle growth compared to lower frequency groups, with a growth advantage of about 38%.
- While higher frequencies show benefits for both trained and untrained subjects, the effect size is more pronounced in untrained individuals.
- Training frequencies exceeding three times per week show a linear relationship with hypertrophy, suggesting that additional training days can further enhance muscle growth.
- The benefits of higher training frequencies might be attributed to increased muscle protein synthesis, more total training volume including warm-ups, and potentially higher effort per set.
- Factors such as training status, volume, and measurement methods (direct vs indirect) influenced the results, with higher frequencies generally favoring conditions of lower total volume and indirect hypertrophy measures.
- Practical recommendations suggest moderating frequency increases by spreading current volume over more days, and experimenting with higher frequencies particularly for weak points or when muscle group volume is low.
Stronger By Science
Greg Nuckols
