Recommended Set Volume in the App
In the MFC app, you can currently perform 2–6 working sets per exercise.
The recommended number of sets is determined individually based on your training goal, available training time, training frequency, and planned weekly volume.
Why is a minimum of 2 sets possible?
The minimum of two sets is primarily designed around MFC’s automatic training and progression system. Multiple working sets provide the algorithm with additional information about your actual performance and allow for a more reliable calculation of your e1RM, as well as your subsequent training progression.
This does not mean that a single set cannot provide an effective training stimulus. A single, sufficiently intense set can also be meaningful from a training science perspective.
Note: You do not have to complete every set. You can leave sets blank and still complete the workout. This does not change your training plan. However, fewer completed sets provide the app with less data for automatic performance and progression tracking. In particular, a reliable e1RM may not be calculated for an exercise.
How to Adjust Sets in the App
You can flexibly adjust your training volume directly in the exercise view:
“+” plus symbol on the right → tap to add additional sets.
“–” minus symbol on the left → tap to remove sets.
The adjustment immediately affects your training plan and training volume.
1. How Does MFC Determine the Number of Sets?
The recommended number of sets is based on your individual target volume: enough high-quality working sets to support optimal progress in strength and/or hypertrophy, taking your training goal, available time, and training frequency into account.
2. Why Is Set Volume Important?
Stimulus vs. recovery: Too few sets → insufficient stimulus; too many → disproportionately high fatigue and poorer recovery.
Fatigue management: Each exercise challenges not only the primary muscle, but also assisting muscles and your central nervous system (CNS). The appropriate set volume provides a strong training stimulus without unnecessarily exhausting you.
Systematic progression: MFC progresses through weight, repetitions, or intensity. You still have some flexibility: if you feel particularly good or fatigued on a given day, or have less time available, you can reasonably add or remove sets. Recommendation: Whenever possible, follow the prescribed number of sets and consistently hit the target RIR. This allows the algorithm to calibrate as quickly as possible.
Fatigue & Diminishing Returns
The first productive sets generally provide the greatest benefit. With each additional set, the marginal benefit decreases while fatigue increases. That is why it is usually better to distribute your weekly volume rather than concentrating many sets in a single workout. MFC organizes your volume across the week to help maintain a high level of training quality. For more information, see our article on training frequency.
As a general guideline, 10–20 working sets per muscle group per week have proven useful, depending on your goal, individual tolerance, and daily life.
This is not a strict rule: Over 6–8-week mesocycles, you can deliberately test lower vs. higher training volumes and monitor performance, recovery, and progress. In MFC, this can be adjusted pragmatically through training time and training frequency.
3. When Does It Make Sense to Remove or Add Sets?
➖ Remove sets when ...
you are short on time,
the muscle group is already sufficiently fatigued (e.g. after compound exercises),
your daily condition is poor (poor sleep, stress, etc.).
➕ Add sets when ...
you specifically need more volume for strength/hypertrophy,
the target muscle did not feel sufficiently stimulated,
you want to practice technique in addition to your main work (at lower intensity).
Practical tip: If you occasionally need to do less, leave the sets blank and complete the workout. This keeps the plan stable. It is generally better to make moderate adjustments over the course of the week than to overdo individual workouts.
4. Sets and Training Progression
MFC does not control your progression exclusively through additional sets. Depending on the exercise and your performance development, progression may occur through:
more repetitions,
a higher training weight, or
higher training intensity.
Your target RIR plays an important role here. The more consistently you track the prescribed repetitions, weight, and RIR, the better the algorithm can adjust your future training load.
5. Fatigue and Training Volume
Each additional working set generally increases both the training stimulus and fatigue. It therefore makes sense not to unnecessarily concentrate your training volume into a single workout, but to distribute it appropriately across the week.
More volume can be beneficial for strength and muscle growth, but the additional benefit of further sets does not increase indefinitely. At the same time, overall training demands and recovery requirements increase.
The goal is therefore not to complete as many sets as possible, but to find a training dose that allows you to remain productive and consistent over the long term.
5. Summary
MFC currently allows 2–6 sets per exercise.
Two sets are the technical minimum for automatic training and progression tracking.
A single set can still provide an effective training stimulus.
You can leave individual sets blank if you are unable or do not wish to complete them.
However, fewer data points may limit automatic e1RM calculation and progression tracking.
For the most precise training control, try to follow the prescribed sets, repetitions, and target RIR as consistently as possible.
More sets do not automatically mean better results. What matters is an appropriate training dose across the entire week.
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Sources
Sources
Ralston et al. (2017): The effect of weekly set volume on strength gain: a meta-analysis. Sports Med, 47(12): 2585–2601.
Schoenfeld, Ogborn & Krieger (2017): Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sports Sci, 35(11): 1073–1082.
Grgic, J., Schoenfeld, B. J., Orazem, J., & Sabol, F. (2022). Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 11(2), 202–211.