Sets: the volume dial
Settled
Each line's sets add up to your weekly volume, and more weekly sets bring more growth and strength, with returns that fade sooner for strength.1
The Method N° 07 · How a block works
Read a program
Hard sets and weekly volume do the work. Rest, tempo, order and the split fine-tune it.
Every study checked against the paper, . Each section carries its grade. Run the numbers in the app.
Reps: the load you choose
Settled
A rep range picks the weight. Light and heavy build muscle alike when sets are hard; heavier builds more strength.2
Reps in reserve: how hard
Strong
Close, not all the way
Strong
Rest: long enough for the next set
Still open
Tempo: control it, do not crawl
Settled
Reps of half a second to eight seconds grew muscle alike; only reps over ten seconds looked worse.10
Order: first gets the strength
Strong
You gain the most strength on whatever comes first; muscle growth ignores the order.11
The split: how many days
Settled
With weekly sets matched, spreading a muscle over more days does not build more of it.12
How the Vanguard app runs this
Every line in the app reads the same way: the movement, its sets, a rep range, reps in reserve and the rest, with the weight already filled in from your own sets, and the slot's cue where it has one.
The research
The research
The 12 sources this chapter stands on, with what each one actually found.
Pelland, Remmert, Robinson et al., 2026 · Sports Med
Meta-regressions · 67 studies · 2,058 people
Four weekly sets was the smallest dose with detectable growth; each further step took more sets (about 6 between 5 and 10 sets, about 10.75 between 19 and 29). Indirect sets counted as half fitted best. 78% of the growth data came from sets to failure.
Read the paper by Pelland, Remmert, Robinson et al., 2026 (opens in a new tab)Lopez, Radaelli, Taaffe et al., 2021 · Med Sci Sports Exerc
Network meta-analysis · 28 studies · 747 people
Muscle growth did not differ between low, moderate and high loads with every set to failure; strength favoured high loads over low.
Read the paper by Lopez, Radaelli, Taaffe et al., 2021 (opens in a new tab)Zourdos, Klemp, Dolan et al., 2016 · J Strength Cond Res
Validation study · n = 29 squatters
Effort rated by reps in reserve tracked bar speed: r = −0.88 in experienced lifters and −0.77 in novices. A 10 is no reps left, a 9 is one.
Read the paper by Zourdos, Klemp, Dolan et al., 2016 (opens in a new tab)Halperin, Malleron, Har-Nir et al., 2022 · Sports Med
Scoping review and meta-analysis · 12 studies · 414 people
People underpredicted their reps to failure by 0.95 on average; more accurate closer to failure, with heavier loads and in later sets.
Read the paper by Halperin, Malleron, Har-Nir et al., 2022 (opens in a new tab)Refalo, Helms, Trexler et al., 2023 · Sports Med
Meta-analysis · 15 studies
Training to failure gave a trivial edge in growth (effect size 0.19); momentary failure against stopping short, 0.12, not significant.
Read the paper by Refalo, Helms, Trexler et al., 2023 (opens in a new tab)Refalo, Helms, Robinson et al., 2024 · J Sports Sci
One leg each · n = 18 trained · 8 weeks
Quadriceps thickness rose 0.181 cm with sets to failure and 0.182 cm stopping one to two reps short.
Read the paper by Refalo, Helms, Robinson et al., 2024 (opens in a new tab)Singer, Wolf, Generoso et al., 2024 · Front Sports Act Living
Bayesian meta-analysis · 9 studies
A small benefit to growth from rests over 60 seconds; no appreciable difference beyond 90.
Read the paper by Singer, Wolf, Generoso et al., 2024 (opens in a new tab)Schoenfeld, Pope, Benik et al., 2016 · J Strength Cond Res
Randomised trial · n = 21 trained men · 8 weeks
Three-minute rests beat one-minute rests for squat and bench max and for thigh thickness.
Read the paper by Schoenfeld, Pope, Benik et al., 2016 (opens in a new tab)Currier, D'Souza, Singh et al., 2026 · Med Sci Sports Exerc
Position stand · 137 systematic reviews · over 30,000 people
Strength was not affected by rests of under against over one minute; tempo and time under tension had no effect.
Read the paper by Currier, D'Souza, Singh et al., 2026 (opens in a new tab)Schoenfeld, Ogborn, Krieger, 2015 · Sports Med
Meta-analysis · 8 studies
Reps of 0.5 to 8 seconds grew muscle alike; over 10 seconds was likely worse, on few studies.
Read the paper by Schoenfeld, Ogborn, Krieger, 2015 (opens in a new tab)Nunes, Grgic, Cunha et al., 2021 · Eur J Sport Sci
Meta-analysis · 11 studies
Order made no difference to growth (effect 0.03); multi-joint strength favoured multi-joint lifts first (0.32), single-joint strength single-joint first.
Read the paper by Nunes, Grgic, Cunha et al., 2021 (opens in a new tab)Schoenfeld, Grgic, Krieger, 2019 · J Sports Sci
Meta-analysis · 25 studies
With weekly volume matched, training a muscle more or less often made no significant difference to growth.
Read the paper by Schoenfeld, Grgic, Krieger, 2019 (opens in a new tab)
Research describes groups of people. Your coach will tell you how it applies to you.