Many new gym users are told that they need to constantly change exercises or increase the number of sets to see better results.
Researchers wanted to find out if these methods actually lead to greater muscle growth, writes Men'sHealth.
According to a study published in Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, scientists examined how different training strategies affected muscle development in people with no previous strength training experience.
Following the participants
The study involved 32 young adults who completed a 14 week upper body training program.
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For the first six weeks, everyone followed the same routine.
During the final eight weeks, one group continued with the original plan.
Other groups either performed more sets, changed arm exercises regularly, or combined both methods.
Researchers used DEXA scans to measure changes in muscle mass throughout the study.
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A simple conclusion
All participants gained muscle during the training period. After the first six weeks, upper body muscle mass had increased by an average of 4 percent.
Participants who performed extra sets or regularly changed exercises did not build significantly more muscle than those who stayed with the original program.
The results suggest that beginners do not necessarily need complicated training plans.
Consistently following a basic routine and training with effort may be enough to increase arm muscle size.