​The Myth of Muscle Building: Three Misconceptions That Are Holding You Back in Your Training

Micro-workouts: Do 40 push-ups here and there actually do any good?

Prof. Dr Ingo Froböse: Yes. If you do push-ups, squats or pull-ups repeatedly throughout the day, stopping just before you get tired, you’ll certainly be providing a training stimulus. So it is possible to build muscle.

However, micro-training lacks one crucial factor: significant local muscle fatigue. Between the short bursts of exertion, the muscle has sufficient time to recover. The stimulus therefore does not accumulate to the same extent as it does with several consecutive sets.

When it comes to maximising muscle growth, traditional strength training remains the best option. However, even those with little time can still make visible progress with regular short sessions. It’s better to do short, intense sessions than no training at all.

How many sets does a muscle really need?

Prof. Dr Ingo Froböse: There is a remarkable consensus amongst scientists: it is the weekly volume that matters.

• Beginners: 6 to 10 sets per muscle group per week
• Advanced learners: 10 to 12 sets per muscle group per week

If you train three times a week, you’ll end up doing around three to four sets per muscle group per session – a good balance between training stimulus and recovery.

Circuit training or traditional sets?

Prof. Dr Ingo Froböse: Circuit training is excellent for strength endurance and general fitness. For maximum muscle growth, however, traditional set training has its advantages.

In circuit training, the exercises change constantly. As a result, the whole body tires more quickly, concentration wanes and the quality of movement suffers. At the same time, localised fatigue in a single muscle remains lower than when performing several sets of the same exercise in quick succession.

Anyone who wants to build as much muscle mass as possible is therefore usually better off doing three to five standard sets per exercise.

Muscle failure or mechanical tension – who is right?

Prof. Dr Ingo Froböse: These seemingly contradictory recommendations are based on two different scientific approaches.

The first one relies on energy utilisation. This involves working the muscle through several repetitions until a strong burning sensation is felt or the muscle is almost at the point of failure. This exhaustion is regarded as a key stimulus for muscle growth.

The second approach emphasises the mechanical stress. Here, controlled, high-load movements – particularly during the eccentric phase – cause minute micro-tears in the muscle. These trigger repair processes and stimulate the development of new muscle structures.

Both methods work. They simply have different focuses.

In practice, the traditional hypertrophy method is usually recommended for recreational and fitness enthusiasts: three to five sets of ten to twelve repetitions, with the weight chosen so that the final repetitions can be performed correctly, but only with great effort. Elite athletes, on the other hand, often work with deliberately high mechanical tension in order to activate even the last motor units.

The bottom line:

It is not the perfect training programme that determines muscle growth – but consistent training with sufficient intensity and regular progression. It doesn’t matter whether the muscle is burning or under tension at the end.

Who is Ingo Froböse?

​Prof. Dr Ingo Froböse is one of Germany’s best-known health experts. He teaches prevention and rehabilitation at the German Sport University Cologne, where he headed the Institute for Exercise Therapy until 2023. Since 2023, he has been contributing his expertise as a partner at fish in water, the Cologne-based think tank for health promotion. With bestsellers, appearances in leading media outlets and his successful YouTube channel “Formula Froböse” He inspires a wide audience to lead healthy, active lives. His core philosophy is based on the pillars of exercise, nutrition and recovery. In addition to his media appearances, Froböse advises the German Bundestag and health insurance funds on prevention issues and has founded renowned practical training institutes such as the IQPR, FiBS and FIT Prevention . A passion for sport is in his very DNA: in his youth, he was a multiple German runner-up in the sprint and finished fourth in the 200 metres at the European Championships.