These Researchers Reveal the Right Way to Train for More Muscle Mass

Here are mass-building recommendations published in the International Journal of Strength and Conditioning.

When it comes to gaining muscle, everything your local gym bro told you is right. Ok, that’s not entirely true, but a position paper from the International Universities Strength and Conditioning Association (IUSCA), published in the International Journal of Strength and Conditioning, states that a handful of tried-and-and true practices may be the right way to approach hypertrophy training. 

The main takeaways? Each week, you need to hit each muscle with at least 10 intense sets, taken to near-failure. You should work in the six to 12 rep range most often. It’s important to work the muscle from various angles and rest between one to two minutes per set. Oh, and frequency — meaning how often you train — is less important than the total volume. (1)

The position paper was authored by a team of eight “leading experts in the field,” including Associate Professor of Exercise at Lehman College Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D. The paper contains the IUSCA’s evidence-based recommendations on how best to induce hypertrophy in an athletic population. The paper is 30-pages long and includes 248 citations.