For most people trying to build muscle, a good target is 2–3 workouts per muscle group per week, adding up to about 10–20 hard sets per muscle group per week.

Quick Scoop: How many workouts per muscle group?

Think of it less as “how many workouts?” and more as “how many hard sets per week?”

  • Weekly sets sweet spot (hypertrophy):
    • 10–20 total hard sets per muscle group per week.
* “Hard” = last 3–4 reps feel challenging but still with good form.
  • Frequency:
    • Hit each muscle group 2 times per week (3 if you’re more advanced and recover well).
* Example: Upper/Lower split done 4 days per week = each muscle 2× weekly.
  • Per workout:
    • Usually 2–4 exercises per muscle group per week , which often looks like 1–2 exercises for that muscle in a given session.
* Example: Chest
  * Day 1: Bench press (3–4 sets), incline DB press (3–4 sets)
  * Day 2: Machine press (3–4 sets), cable fly (3–4 sets)
  * Total: 12–16 sets for chest that week.

Suggested weekly structure by level

These are general starting points; adjust based on recovery, joints, and progress.

Beginners (0–6 months lifting)

  • Goal: Learn technique, avoid crippling soreness.
  • Frequency: 2× per week per muscle group with full-body or upper/lower.
  • Weekly sets:
    • 8–12 sets per muscle group.
  • Example full-body schedule:
    • 3 days/week (e.g., Mon/Wed/Fri)
    • Each day: 1 exercise per major muscle, 2–3 sets.

Intermediates (6–24 months)

  • Goal: Muscle gain (hypertrophy).
  • Frequency: 2× per week per muscle group (some muscles 3× if you recover well).
  • Weekly sets:
    • 10–16 sets per muscle group.
  • Example Upper/Lower 4-day split:
    • Mon: Upper (chest, back, shoulders, arms)
    • Tue: Lower (quads, hams, glutes, calves)
    • Thu: Upper
    • Fri: Lower

Advanced lifters

  • Goal: Specialization, advanced hypertrophy or strength.
  • Frequency: 2–3× per week per muscle group depending on focus muscle.
  • Weekly sets:
    • 12–20+ sets, but only if recovery, sleep, and nutrition are on point.

How many workouts per muscle group: simple examples

Here’s how many actual workouts per muscle group per week this usually becomes:

  • Full-body 3×/week:
    • Each muscle = trained 3×/week , but with low sets each time (e.g., 3–4 sets per muscle per workout).
  • Upper/Lower 4×/week:
    • Each muscle = 2×/week , moderate sets per session.
  • Push/Pull/Legs 6×/week:
    • Each muscle = 2×/week (each PPL cycle hits everything once, repeated twice weekly).

In practice, most lifters progress well with each muscle group being trained somewhere between 2 and 3 times per week , as long as the total weekly sets land around that 10–20 number.

Mini FAQ

What if I only train each muscle once per week (classic bro split)?
You can still grow if you cram your 10–20 weekly sets into one big session, but many people find better growth and less soreness by splitting that volume across 2 sessions.

How do I know if it’s too much?
If strength drops, joints ache constantly, and you’re always exhausted, you may need fewer weekly sets or fewer total workouts per muscle group (and more sleep/food).

Is more always better?
Not really. Past a point, extra sets just add fatigue without extra growth. For most non-elite lifters, 10–20 high-quality sets per muscle is the practical sweet spot.

Bottom line: Aim to train each muscle group 2 times per week , with 10–20 hard sets total per week , spread over your workouts, and adjust up or down based on your recovery and progress.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.