Can One Set Build Muscle? The Science of Low-Set Training for Hypertrophy

Learn the best evidence-based methods for building muscle with minimal sets and maximum efficiency.

Mike Mentzer's HIT training and Dorian Yates' Blood and Guts have been rapidly growing in popularity over the past years. Their versions of low-volume training are in stark contrast to today's modern advice of increasing training volume. Specifically, people are interested in their 1-set training style, which is said to be as efficient, if not more so, than higher volume training. But is 1-set training really enough to drive muscle growth for most lifters? And did they always use one set? This article will break it down.

The Origins of the "One-Set" Approach

The idea of single-set training isn't new. In the 1970s, Arthur Jones (founder of Nautilus) and bodybuilders like Mike Mentzer popularized High-Intensity Training (HIT), which consisted of one all-out set taken past failure.

Dorian Yates emerged in the early to mid-90s, utilizing a similar training style. After winning six consecutive Mr. Olympia titles, that was proof for many people.

They argued that if effort was maximized, additional volume was unnecessary and even counterproductive.

What's interesting is that some studies show that using one set can be just as effective as using three, at least in the upper body of untrained subjects (Rønnestad et al., 2007). However, when you're new, almost anything works.

Issues With The Training Philosophy Of One-Set Training

One of the primary concerns with this theory is that it often equates muscle damage with muscle growth. That's why they believed that once they "destroyed" their muscle, they couldn't "destroy" it anymore.

This was the common understanding for quite some time, which basically stated that muscle damage was the primary driver of growth. The rationale looked like this;

• Train and break down a muscle 
• Go home, eat, and recover
• The tears in the muscle will repair themselves, resulting in a larger muscle

However, newer research has shown this is not the case. While muscle damage can play a supporting role, the primary theory today is that muscle growth comes from increasing mechanical tension and metabolic damage (Schoenfeld, 2010).

In fact, some studies have shown that muscle damage is not even necessary for muscle growth to occur (Schoenfeld, 2012).

What the Research Says Today About Single Set Training

With the rise of exercise science, researchers have become able to examine this issue from a scientific perspective. Collectively, modern research gives a clearer picture with two key takeaways; 

• One set works, but multiple sets work better.
• A dose-response relationship exists between volume and muscle growth.

Some Studies On Working Sets And Muscle Growth

A 2017 meta-analysis by Brad Schoenfeld and colleagues (Sports Medicine, 2017) pooled 15 studies comparing different set volumes and muscle growth. They found a significant positive relationship between volume and gains in muscle size. Key findings include;

1. Each additional working set per week resulted in an approximate 0.37% increase in muscle growth. 

2. When comparing higher vs lower weekly set volumes, the mean difference was roughly 3.9% greater hypertrophy in the higher-volume conditions.

3. After organizing weekly working sets into three categories (<5, 5–9, ≥10 sets per muscle per week), I observed a trend (though not statistically strong) for greater gains in the higher-volume categories.

In 2010, Krieger published a meta-analysis examining the difference in muscle hypertrophy between performing one set and multiple sets. He found a significant increase in growth with more sets.

"In conclusion, multiple sets are associated with 40% greater hypertrophy than 1 set, in both trained and untrained subjects."

Why More Volume (Usually) Works Better For Muscle Hypertrophy

Muscle growth depends on progressive overload and training volume — the total mechanical tension your muscles experience over time. One set simply doesn't provide much opportunity for high-quality tension, especially once you're past the beginner phase.

Here's why multiple sets outperform single-set training:

1. More muscle fiber recruitment: The first hard set recruits high-threshold motor units, but repeated sets keep those fibers under tension longer (Schoenfeld, 2010).

2. Higher total mechanical tension: Each additional set adds to the total workload,  a key driver of hypertrophy (Schoenfeld, 2010).

3. More practice for skill and mind-muscle connection: Extra sets improve technique and muscle activation patterns.

4. Signal amplification: Repeated tension amplifies anabolic signaling (like mTOR), which enhances protein synthesis.

How To Best Use Lower Sets

Instead of using only a single set, if you want to use a lower number of working sets, we recommend using two. This is actually the style of training that Dorian Yates used for a large part of his career and was described in his book Blood and Guts (1992)

After using warm-up sets, he would perform two all-out working sets with the following pattern.

• Set 1: Train to failure, usually around 6-10 reps.
• Perform forced reps and rest-pause to train past failure.
• Rest
• Set 2: Drop the load by 10% and repeat.

Using this method allows you to achieve a more intense volume while maintaining your working sets at a low level. So, whether you're inspired by Mike Mentzer or Dorian Yates, low-volume training could be right for you, but probably not single sets.

References

1. Krieger, J. W. (2010). Single vs. multiple sets of resistance exercise for muscle hypertrophy: A meta-analysis. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research/National Strength & Conditioning Association, 24 (4), 1150–1159. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181d4d436 
2. Rønnestad, B. R., Egeland, W., Kvamme, N. H., Refsnes, P. E., Kadi, F., & Raastad, T. (2007). Dissimilar effects of one- and three-set strength training on strength and muscle mass gains in upper and lower body in untrained subjects. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 21(1), 157–163. https://doi.org/10.1519/00124278-200702000-00028 
3. Schoenfeld, B. J. (2010). The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(10), 2857–2872. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e840f3
4. Schoenfeld, B. J. (2012). Does exercise-induced muscle damage play a role in skeletal muscle hypertrophy? Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 26(5), 1441–1453. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e31824f207e
5. Schoenfeld, B. J., Ogborn, D., & Krieger, J. W. (2017). Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of sports sciences, 35(11), 1073–1082. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2016.1210197 
6. Yates, D., & Wolff, B. (1993). Blood and guts: The ultimate approach to building maximum muscle mass. Weider Publishing Ltd.