“How many different exercises is optimal for each muscle group per workout for beginners vs. veterans?” - Edvinas Milašius. Great question. First, let’s change our mindset a little bit. Beginners should shift their approach away from “training muscles” and more towards developing better movement.
http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-tips/lift-doctor-best-amount-exercises-muscle-group
Obviously 1,000 sets would be overkill and counterproductive. I would guess that for most people, the ideal number of sets per week would be somewhere between 15 and 30 depending on the muscle group in question, the exercises chosen, and the inherent recovery ability of the individual. For purposes of simplicity, let’s just set optimal volume at 24 sets per week.
https://bretcontreras.com/allocating-volume-maximize-muscle-growth/
There is simply no way that you could pull this off. You’d need to perform 24 x 11 = 264 sets of exercise per week, which is overkill. This is why it’s important to specialize with your programming, rather than just give each muscle group equal attention.
https://bretcontreras.com/allocating-volume-maximize-muscle-growth/
In a dose-response model, there was a trend for 2-3 sets per exercise to be associated with a greater ES than 1 set (difference = 0.09 +/- 0.05; CI: -0.02, 0.20; p = 0.09), and a trend for 4-6 sets per exercise to be associated with a greater ES than 1 set (difference = 0.20 +/- 0.11; CI: -0.04, 0.43; p = 0.096).
https://www.painscience.com/biblio/single-vs-multiple-set-training-for-muscle-growth-review.html
There was no significant difference between 2-3 sets per exercise and 4-6 sets per exercise (difference = 0.10 +/- 0.10; CI: -0.09, 0.30; p = 0.29). There was a tendency for increasing ESs for an increasing number of sets (0.24 for 1 set, 0.34 for 2-3 sets, and 0.44 for 4-6 sets).
https://www.painscience.com/biblio/single-vs-multiple-set-training-for-muscle-growth-review.html
A beginner full body workout should include 2-3 upper body exercises and 2-3 lower body exercises. They should start the workout with a good warm-up and finish with a core exercise and a metabolic finisher.
http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-tips/lift-doctor-best-amount-exercises-muscle-group
Most Popular Workouts. 1  Beginner/Muscle Endurance, Strength Training The Complete 4-Week Beginner's Workout 4 weeks duration. 2  Advanced Gain 10 Pounds of Muscle in 4 Weeks 4 weeks duration. 3  Beginner/Muscle Endurance The 6-Week Fat Blast 6 Weeks duration.
http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-tips/lift-doctor-best-amount-exercises-muscle-group
Four total sets should be performed on average at a frequency of three times per week. Because of the generally lower number of total sets, only one exercise per muscle group/movement pattern needs to be performed each workout. Intensity: 60%. Total sets: ~4/muscle group. Frequency: 3 times per week.
http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/how-many-sets-should-i-do-for-strength
The purpose of this study was to use multilevel meta-regression to compare the effects of single and multiple sets per exercise on muscle hypertrophy. The analysis comprised 55 effect sizes (ESs), nested within 19 treatment groups and 8 studies.
https://www.painscience.com/biblio/single-vs-multiple-set-training-for-muscle-growth-review.html
So, if you followed a movements (not muscles) approach to your upper-body strength training and only did 4 sets of each (vertical & horizontal) pushing movement once per week, you’d only have done 4 sets per muscle group (4 sets shoulders and 4 set for chest).
http://www.schwarzenegger.com/fitness/post/train-muscles-not-movements
optimal number of sets per workout
The optimal number of sets per workout is 24 per week.