Multiple Sets, One Set, Failure, Near Failure: New Study
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For over 50 years, the most hotly debated topic among strength training practitioners, coaches and trainees continues to be:
One set of a strength training exercise OR Multiple sets (generally 3 sets of 10 repetitions)?
Two factions. The debate is heated. Choose your side. ...Montagues and Capulets. The American political left and political right. I assure you, the single and multiple set debate is far more polarizing.
I’ve been an advocate of performing one set to the point of momentary muscle failure since 1998. However, I remain in the minority. The vast majority of trainees and coaches continue to espouse the superiority of performing multiple sets.
To be clear, it probably shouldn’t be an either/or debate. Of course, one can stimulate profound benefits by adhering to a single set regimen or a multiple set regimen. At Discover Strength, for over 18 years we’ve had a leaning toward a single-set approach, but we do judiciously include a variety of multiple set protocols (“3 Strikes” and “Reverse Progression” are among my favorites). They both work.
However, I’m eternally interested in questions like:
Which works better?
Which works better relative to the time investment?
Which works better for which population (what does an “advanced” trainee need versus a novice to strength training?)?
In perhaps the most fascinating study of 2024, researchers attempted to answer these questions.
The study featured 42 male and female participants. All 42 participants had significant strength training experience using multiple sets. They could be viewed as “advanced” trainees.
Researchers divided the 42 subjects into two groups:
Group one performed one set to muscle failure – the point where they couldn’t possibly perform another rep with good form.
Group two also performed one set of each exercise, but instead of going to failure, they trained close to failure. Specifically, they trained to the point where they had two “reps in reserve,” meaning they stopped the set when they felt they could still do two more. Note, relative to most of the world, this is still very intense strength training.
Both groups performed nine exercises per workout and trained twice per week (this is sounding familiar!).
The results?
The group that trained to failure produced better results in terms of muscular adaptations and strength adaptations.
Noteworthy, both groups produced great results. This might be the key finding in the study. “Advanced” trainees who previously performed multiple sets of each exercise who switched to a single set of each exercise (either to failure or close to failure) produced better results.
Take home message:
Single set training is highly efficacious even for advanced trainees. Training to failure elicits slightly greater benefit than training close to failure. Failure and very close to failure both produced great results.
