Effects of Different Weekly Set Volumes on Strength and Perceptual Responses in Athletes

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of different resistance training (RT) volumes quantified by weekly sets at high intensity (load and effort) on dynamic strength adaptations and psychophysiological responses in trained individuals. Twenty-four athletes were randomly allocated to three groups that performed three (3 S, n=8), six (6 S, n=8), and nine (9 S, n=8) weekly sets, respectively, three times a week on the barbell back squat and bench press during an 8-week period. While all groups showcased strength gains (p<0.05), post hoc comparisons revealed that 6 S and 9 S elicited greater strength adaptations than 3 S in barbell back squat (p=0.027 and p=0.004, respectively) and bench press (p=0.001 and p=0.044, respectively). There were no differences between 6 S and 9 S conditions for back squat (p=0.999) and bench press (p=0.378). Although a time effect was observed for Session-RPE (p=0.014) and Total Quality Recovery scale (p=0.020), psychophysiological responses were similar among groups. Our findings suggest that performing six and nine weekly sets at high intensities led to greater strength gains compared to three weekly sets in strength-trained individuals, despite similar psychophysiological responses.

Keywords

muscle strength - squat - bench press - rating of perceived exertion - total training volume

Publication History

Received: 29 November 2023

Accepted: 10 April 2024

Article published online:
10 May 2024

• References

• 1 Suchomel TJ, Nimphius S, Stone MH. The importance of muscular strength in athletic performance. Sport Med 2016; 46: 1419-1449
• 2 Schoenfeld B, Fisher J, Grgic J. et al. Resistance Training Recommendations to Maximize Muscle Hypertrophy in an Athletic Population: Position Stand of the IUSCA. Int J Strength Cond 2021; 1
• 3 Brigatto FA, Lima LE, de M. et al. High resistance-training volume enhances muscle thickness in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res 2022; 36: 22-30
• 4 Enes A, De Souza EO, Souza-Junior TP. Effects of Different Weekly Set Progressions on Muscular Adaptations in Trained Males: Is There a Dose-Response Effect?. Med Sci Sport Exerc 2024; 56: 553-563
• 5 Ralston GW, Kilgore L, Wyatt FB. et al. The Effect of Weekly Set Volume on Strength Gain: A Meta-Analysis. Sport Med 2017; 47: 2585-601
• 6 Aube D, Wadhi T, Rauch J. et al. Progressive resistance training volume: Effects on muscle thickness, mass, and strength adaptations in resistance-trained individuals. J Strength Cond Res 2022; 36: 600-607
• 7 Marshall PWM, McEwen M, Robbins DW. Strength and neuromuscular adaptation following one, four, and eight sets of high intensity resistance exercise in trained males. Eur J Appl Physiol 2011; 111: 3007-3016
• 8 Ostrowski KJ, Wilson GJ, Weatherby R. et al. The effect of weight training volume on hormonal output and muscular size and function. J Strength Cond Res 1997; 11: 148-154
• 9 Schoenfeld BJ, Contreras B, Krieger J. et al. Resistance training volume enhances muscle hypertrophy but not strength in trained men. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2019; 51: 94
• 10 Currier BS, Mcleod JC, Banfield L. et al. Resistance training prescription for muscle strength and hypertrophy in healthy adults: A systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med 2023; 57: 1211-1220
• 11 González-Badillo JJ, Gorostiaga EM, Arellano R. et al. Moderate resistance training volume produces more favorable strength gains than high or low volumes during a short-term training cycle. J Strength Cond Res 2005; 19: 689-697
• 12 Sweet TW, Foster C, McGuigan MR. et al. Quantitation of resistance training using the session rating of perceived exertion method. J Strength Cond Res 2004; 18: 796-802
• 13 Scott BR, Duthie GM, Thornton HR. et al. Training monitoring for resistance exercise: Theory and applications. Sport Med 2016; 46: 687-698
• 14 Bartholomew JB, Stults-Kolehmainen MA, Elrod CC. et al. Strength gains after resistance training: The effect of stressful, negative life events. J Strength Cond Res 2008; 22: 1215-1221
• 15 Haddad M, Stylianides G, Djaoui L. et al. Session-RPE method for training load monitoring: Validity, ecological usefulness, and influencing factors. Front Neurosci 2017; 11: 612
• 16 Foster C. Monitoring training in athletes with reference to overtraining syndrome. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1998; 30: 1164-1168
• 17 Conlon JA, Gregory Haff G, Tufano JJ. et al. Training load indices, perceived tolerance, and enjoyment among different models of resistance training in older adults. J Strength Cond Res 2018; 32: 867-875
• 18 Andersen V, Fimland MS, Iversen VM. et al. A comparison of affective responses between time efficient and traditional resistance training. Front Psychol 2022; 13: 912368
• 19 Ekkekakis P, Brand R. Affective responses to and automatic affective valuations of physical activity: Fifty years of progress on the seminal question in exercise psychology. Psychol Sport Exerc 2019; 42: 130-137
• 20 Genner KM, Weston M. A comparison of workload quantification methods in relation to physiological responses to resistance exercise. J Strength Cond Res 2014; 28: 2621-2627
• 21 Martorelli AS, De Lima FD, Vieira A. et al. The interplay between internal and external load parameters during different strength training sessions in resistance-trained men. Eur J Sport Sci 2021; 21: 16-25
• 22 Beck TW. The importance of a priori sample size estimation in strength and conditioning research. J Strength Cond Res 2013; 27: 2323-2337
• 23 Harriss DJ, Macsween A, Atkinson G. Standards for Ethics in Sport and Exercise Science Research: 2018 Update. Int J Sports Med 2017; 38: 1126-1131
• 24 Brown LE, Weir JP. ASEP procedures recommendation I: Accurate assessment of muscular strength and power. J Exerc Physiol Online 2001; 4: 1-21
• 25 Kenttä G, Hassmén P. Overtraining and Recovery A Conceptual Model 1998; 26: 1-16
• 26 McGuigan MR, Foster C. A new approach to monitoring resistance training. Strength Cond J 2004; 26: 42-47
• 27 Hardy CJ, Rejeski WJ. Not what, but how one feels: The measurement of affect during exercise. J Sport Exerc Psychol 1989; 11: 304-317
• 28 Christen J, Foster C, Porcari JP. et al. Temporal robustness of the session rating of perceived exertion. Int J Sports Physiol Perform 2016; 11: 1088-1093
• 29 Enes A, Oneda G, Leonel DF. et al. Drop-Set Resistance Training versus Pyramidal and Traditional Sets Elicits Greater Psychophysiological Responses in Men. Percept Mot Skills 2023; 130: 1624-1643
• 30 Ekkekakis P, Parfitt G, Petruzzello SJ. The pleasure and displeasure people feel when they exercise at different intensities. Sport Med 2011; 41: 641-671
• 31 Zourdos MC, Klemp A, Dolan C. et al. Novel resistance training-specific rating of perceived exertion scale measuring repetitions in reserve. J Strength Cond Res 2016; 30: 267-275
• 32 Robertson RJ, Goss FL, Rutkowski J. et al. Concurrent validation of the OMNI perceived exertion scale for resistance exercise. Med Sci Sport Exerc 2003; 35: 333-341
• 33 Reid CM, Yeater RA, Ullrich IH. Weight training and strength, cardiorespiratory functioning and body composition of men. Br J Sports Med 1987; 21: 40-44
• 34 Baker JS, Davies B, Cooper SM. et al. Strength and body composition changes in recreationally strength-trained individuals: Comparison of one versus three sets resistance-training programmes. Biomed Res Int 2013;
• 35 Rhea MR, Alvar BA, Ball SD. et al. Three sets of weight training superior to 1 set with equal intensity for eliciting strength. J Strength Cond Res 2002; 16: 525-529
• 36 Refalo MC, Hamilton DL, Paval DR. et al. Influence of resistance training load on measures of skeletal muscle hypertrophy and improvements in maximal strength and neuromuscular task performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sports Sci 2021; 39: 1723-1745
• 37 Hiscock DJ, Dawson B, Peeling P. Perceived exertion responses to changing resistance training programming variables. J Strength Cond Res 2015; 29: 1564-1569
• 38 Morishita S, Tsubaki A, Takabayashi T. et al. Relationship between the rating of perceived exertion scale and the load intensity of resistance training. Strength Cond J 2018; 40: 1
• 39 Lins-Filho O, de L, Robertson RJ. et al. Effects of exercise intensity on rating of perceived exertion during a multiple-set resistance exercise session. J Strength Cond Res 2012; 26: 466-472
• 40 Day ML, McGuigan MR, Brice G. et al. Monitoring exercise intensity during resistance training using the session RPE scale. J Strength Cond Res 2004; 18: 353-358
• 41 Enes A, Leonel DF, Oneda G. et al. Muscular Adaptations and Psychophysiological Responses in Resistance Training Systems. Res Q Exerc Sport 2023; 94: 982-989