15d • General discussion
The Strength Training Rulebook Just Got Rewritten
For the first time in 17 years, the science of strength training just got an official rewrite — and most blokes are still training off the old playbook.
The American College of Sports Medicine released its 2026 resistance training guidelines, pulling together 137 systematic reviews and over 30,000 people. It's the closest thing we have to a definitive answer on what actually builds muscle and strength. A few things stood out.
First: volume beats intensity for size. For muscle growth you want roughly 10 hard sets per muscle group per week. Not 30. Not "one and done." Around 10 quality sets, taken close to failure. That's it. Most men either wildly undershoot or bury themselves in junk volume.
Second: you don't need a fancy gym. The review found bands, bodyweight and home routines produce real, measurable gains in strength, size and function. The barrier was never the equipment. It's consistency and effort.
Third — and this matters most for the 40+ crowd — resistance training delivers across the entire adult lifespan. It's not a young man's game. The muscle you build now is the independence you keep at 70.
Takeaway: Pick the 4-5 movements that cover your whole body. Hit each muscle group around 10 hard sets a week. Train close to failure. Show up 3x a week. That's 90% of the result, backed by 30,000 people.
How many hard sets per muscle are you actually hitting each week — and be honest, how many of those are "junk" sets?
— Danny | DPC Coaching
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The Strength Training Rulebook Just Got Rewritten
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Ex-chef. PT. Sober. I help men in their 30s-50s build real strength and sort out their nutrition. No gimmicks, no Ozempic. Free Blueprint inside. ⬇️
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