The number of sets performed for leg training relates directly to training volume, which is the primary driver of muscle growth. A “set” is a specific group of repetitions performed consecutively, separated by a period of rest. Training volume is often simplified to the total number of challenging sets per muscle group per week. This guidance helps determine the optimal amount of work to stimulate growth in your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes without compromising recovery.
Establishing the Minimum Effective Volume
Stimulating leg muscle growth (hypertrophy) requires accumulating a sufficient number of weekly sets taken close to muscular failure. Research shows a positive relationship between total weekly set volume and muscle growth, but returns diminish at higher levels. The goal is to establish your Minimum Effective Volume (MEV), the lowest amount of work needed to elicit noticeable results.
For the major leg muscle groups—quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes—the recommended starting point is approximately 10 to 12 weekly sets per muscle group. This moderate, effective volume provides enough stimulus for adaptation without excessive fatigue. Since the legs comprise multiple large, distinct muscle groups, you must consider the volume for each area separately. A comprehensive leg program may involve 10-12 sets for the quads and another 10-12 for the hamstrings, spread across the week.
Evidence suggests that as few as four sets per muscle group per week can produce detectable muscle growth in untrained individuals. However, to maximize the rate of growth, most lifters find the optimal range is 10 to 20 weekly sets per muscle group. This moderate volume range is where the majority of muscle-building progress occurs before gains begin to taper off, making it the most efficient use of time and recovery capacity.
Factors That Individualize Leg Volume
While the 10 to 20 set weekly range provides a solid foundation, the exact number of sets needed is highly individual and depends on several modifying factors. Training experience, or “training age,” significantly dictates volume tolerance. Advanced lifters are more resistant to muscle damage and require a greater stimulus for growth than beginners. A beginner may see excellent results with 10 to 15 weekly sets, while an advanced person may need 20 or more to continue progressing.
The frequency of training sessions also impacts how much total volume you can handle and recover from effectively. Spreading 15 weekly sets for the quads across three sessions of five sets each is more productive than attempting all 15 sets in a single, exhaustive workout. This approach allows for a greater quality of effort per set by managing localized muscle fatigue.
The intensity of your sets is another major variable. Sets taken closer to muscular failure produce a greater growth stimulus and thus require less overall volume. If you consistently train your sets to within one or two repetitions of failure, you will need fewer sets than someone stopping far short of their limit. Compound exercises like squats and deadlifts recruit a large amount of muscle mass and are highly fatiguing, meaning they contribute more volume than isolation movements like leg extensions or hamstring curls.
Monitoring Recovery and Progression
To determine if your current set count is appropriate, monitor your body’s response and performance in the gym. A primary indicator that volume is too high is a persistent feeling of “heavy” or unusually sore leg muscles lasting longer than three days between sessions, suggesting inadequate recovery. Other signs of excessive volume include a decline or plateau in strength, prolonged general fatigue, or a loss of motivation.
Conversely, if volume is too low, strength gains will plateau, and you may notice a lack of muscle soreness or challenge during workouts. The workouts may feel easy, and you will not see desired changes in muscle size, indicating the training stimulus is insufficient to force adaptation. This signals that a slight increase in volume is warranted.
The long-term goal of resistance training is Progressive Overload, which means gradually increasing the stress placed on the muscles over time to continue stimulating growth. Once you establish your MEV, only increase your set count incrementally, such as adding one set per muscle group per week, and only when strength or size gains stop. This careful, measured increase prevents burnout and ensures you are only doing the work necessary to maintain progress.