Testosterone and training: how many sets is best?

Testosterone is one of the most important hormones for building muscle — that much is known. But what training volume stimulates it the most? One set per exercise, or three? Gotshalk (1996) measured this directly, and the results are clear.

Why does testosterone rise during training in the first place?

Strength training triggers the release of anabolic hormones in the body. The most important are growth hormone and testosterone — both promote muscle growth and recovery from training. The question isn’t whether these hormones rise, but by how much and for how long.

Many people who train don’t realize that training volume — the number of sets — plays a decisive role here. That’s exactly what Gotshalk and colleagues investigated.

The study: testosterone after one vs. three sets

Eight trained men completed two separate workouts. In one, they did 1 set of 10 repetitions per exercise; in the other, 3 sets. The rest interval between sets was 1 minute in both cases.

The exercises: leg press, bench press, seated behind-the-neck pulldowns, seated barbell press, back extension, seated arm curl (lats), biceps curl, leg extension and sit-up.

Blood markers were measured before the workout, immediately afterward, and 5, 15, 30 and 60 minutes later.

Testosterone level

In both cases, testosterone was highest immediately after the workout. Result for the three-set workout: 29.60 mmol/L. Result for the one-set workout: 24.92 mmol/L. That is a significant difference.

Even 60 minutes later, testosterone was higher after the three-set workout: 24.84 mmol/L vs. 22.30 mmol/L after the one-set workout. The hormonal effect doesn’t end when you leave the shower.

Growth hormone level

Growth hormone peaked 15 minutes after the workout in both cases. Reading for the three-set workout: 16.16 g/L. Reading for the one-set workout: 7.47 g/L. A more than twofold difference.

Cortisol and lactate

Three sets mean more stress — and that shows up in cortisol, too. 15 minutes after the workout, cortisol was 485.25 nmol/L after the three-set session and 428.75 nmol/L after the one-set session.

Blood lactate concentration immediately after the workout: 9.42 mmol/L (3 sets) vs. 6.47 mmol/L (1 set). Higher lactate reflects a greater metabolic training load — and it is considered one of the triggers of anabolic hormone release.

Testosterone-to-cortisol ratio — why does it matter?

For muscle growth, it isn’t only the absolute testosterone figure that matters. The ratio of testosterone to cortisol matters too — it shows whether the body is leaning more toward protein synthesis or breakdown.

The higher the synthesis-to-degradation ratio, the better. In both workouts, the best ratio was reached 5 minutes after training. For the three-set workout: 0.0680. For the one-set workout: 0.0599.

In the three-set workout, the testosterone-to-cortisol ratio favored testosterone — meaning the anabolic environment was more conducive to building muscle.

Testosterone and training volume: what can we conclude?

The simple truth: a moderately higher training volume (3 sets vs. 1 set per exercise) produces a markedly greater anabolic hormonal response. This directly affects both recovery after training and long-term muscle growth.

In practice, this means: if your goal is hypertrophy, a single working set per exercise isn’t enough. Three sets create a far better hormonal environment — the numbers speak for themselves.

FAQ

How many sets should you do to raise testosterone?
Based on Gotshalk’s (1996) study, 3 sets per exercise are clearly more effective than 1 set — in terms of both testosterone and growth hormone release.

When is testosterone highest after a workout?
Immediately after the workout. Growth hormone peaks a little later — about 15 minutes after the end of the workout.

Is cortisol an antagonist of testosterone?
In part, yes. The testosterone-to-cortisol ratio shows the balance between an anabolic and a catabolic environment. In the three-set workout, this ratio favored testosterone, which points to a more favorable hormonal state for muscle growth.

Translated by Janar Rückenberg

Source: WHO – physical activity.

Come and train! ArtGym