Strength: supplements and training volume

Strength grows from intensity and specificity, not from maximal volume. Volume is maintenance-level; the main work is in heavy sets.

Calculate for yourself Set up training

Weekly volume by muscle group

The weekly set range is a working orientation from research, not a norm: inside it volume is matched to recovery.

Muscle group	Sets per week
Chest	8–14
Back	10–16
Shoulders	6–12
Biceps	4–8
Triceps	6–10
Quadriceps	8–16
Hamstrings	6–12
Glutes	6–12
Calves	4–10
Abs and core	4–10

Frequency per muscle group

2–4 times per week per muscle group for compound movements

Load

80–95 % of 1RM

Repetitions

1–6

Reserve to failure

1–3 repetitions in reserve (not to failure)

Rest between sets

3–5 minutes between heavy sets

Progression

Linear or undulating periodization: an increase in weight while repetitions are maintained, then an increase in repetitions at the same weight.

Cardio

2 sessions per week, 3 minutes per week. low intensity; high-intensity intervals sit outside a strength specialisation block

Concurrent strength and endurance work reduces strength gains if the cardio is high-volume and high-intensity.

Deloads

Every 4–6 weeks, especially before an attempt at a new maximum.

Block: 8 weeks, progression step 5 %. Deload on week 4, 8 with volume 35 % lower.

Limitations

Training to failure with heavy weights increases the risk of injury and provides no advantage in strength.
High-intensity intervals in large volumes suppress strength gains — separate them across phases.

Supplements for this goal · 53

The level shows the strength of evidence, not importance: A means confirmed by reviews and meta-analyses, B means individual good randomised trials, C means data are scarce.

Supplement	Level	Dose by goal
Beta-alanine Helps during exercise lasting 0.5–10 minutes; does not affect sprints shorter than 30 seconds	A	There are no studies for this goal — no dose is invented.
Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) Works for exercise lasting 1–10 minutes; the price is gastrointestinal upset	A	0.2–0.3 g/kg 60–180 minutes before exercise, in divided doses
Caffeine A working supplement: endurance +2–4%, strength moderately	A	3–6 mg/kg 45–60 minutes before exercise
Caffeine in chewing gum Fast and reliable action: the effect begins already on chewing	A	200–300 mg 5–15 minutes before a set or before the start of resistance training
Creatine monohydrate The most studied supplement: a consistent moderate improvement in strength and muscle gain	A	3–5 g per day daily, including rest days; a loading phase of 20 g/day for 5–7 days accelerates saturation, but is not mandatory
Whey protein Tops up daily protein; the source of protein matters less than its total amount	A	20–40 g per serving within 1.6–2.2 g/kg/day
'Testosterone boosters' (ZMA, tribulus and others) They do not increase testosterone in healthy men	B	There are no studies for this goal — no dose is invented.
Ashwagandha A modest effect on strength; the studies are small and heterogeneous	B	300–600 mg of standardized root extract per day, course of 8–12 weeks
Betaine A small and unstable effect on strength; it changes body composition little	B	2.5 g per day in a course of 2 weeks to 6 months
Valerian One quality RCT showed improvement in sleep; there are no direct data on muscle and strength	B	There are no studies for this goal — no dose is invented.
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) Critical in a vegan diet; in athletes with adequate intake there is no effect	B	There are no studies for this goal — no dose is invented.
Vitamin D Useful only in deficiency: it does not increase strength in those with adequate intake	B	1000–2000 IU per day; strength increases only with initially low 25(OH)D
Glucosamine and chondroitin In knee pain the effect is small and borderline significant; it does not restore cartilage	B	1500 mg of glucosamine sulfate and 800–1200 mg of chondroitin per day
Beef protein In a meta-analysis of seven RCTs it was not inferior to whey in lean mass and leg strength	B	20–40 g per serving; in the meta-analysis a gain in lower-limb muscle strength was noted versus the absence of the supplement
Pea protein Was not inferior to whey in a 12-week RCT; less leucine per gram than in milk proteins	B	20–40 g per serving at a total protein intake of 1.6–2.2 g/kg/day
Calcium Needed for bones, but supplements above the diet do not strengthen bones	B	500–1000 mg per day as a supplement
Collagen peptides A small effect on tendon pain; it does not change the structure	B	15 g of hydrolyzed collagen or gelatin with 50–500 mg of vitamin C 30–60 minutes before loading of the tendons, course of 8–12 weeks
Maltodextrin A cheap source of carbohydrate for prolonged work; produced no effect in resistance training	B	2 g/kg 30–60 minutes before resistance training is the studied dose, without a gain in performance
Plant protein blends Blends of pea and rice are close to whey; single-component ones are weaker	B	25–40 g per serving at a total protein intake of 1.6–2.2 g/kg/day
Rhodiola rosea The most consistently studied adaptogen, but the study results diverge	B	1500–2400 mg/day for 4–30 days are the doses at which an effect was noted in strength tests
Soy protein A complete protein: in a meta-analysis of nine studies it was not inferior to animal proteins	B	20–40 g per serving
Taurine The data are weak and heterogeneous; benefit is possible at high training volumes	B	1–2 g 60–90 minutes before exercise
Tyrosine Works under stress and sleep deprivation; in a calm state there is no effect	B	There are no studies for this goal — no dose is invented.
Zinc Deficiency reduces strength and testosterone; with adequate status there is no effect	B	There are no studies for this goal — no dose is invented.
Sodium citrate Alkalinizing supplement: a moderate effect on endurance, studied less thoroughly than bicarbonate	B	There are no studies for this goal — no dose is invented.
Citrulline malate A modest effect: an increase in the number of repetitions is possible, the data are heterogeneous	B	6–8 g 40–60 minutes before exercise; 8 g is more common in studies
L-theanine Not ergogenic by itself; with caffeine it improves attention and reduces nervousness	B	There are no studies for this goal — no dose is invented.
Alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine One small study; the effect is not confirmed, data are scarce	C	300–600 mg 30–60 minutes before training
Arginine Works poorly orally; the effect is weaker than that of citrulline	C	There are no studies for this goal — no dose is invented.
Boron The data on testosterone and strength are weak and contradictory; the effect is not proven	C	There are no studies for this goal — no dose is invented.
Vitamin K2 (menaquinones) Potentially beneficial for bones and blood vessels, but sports outcomes have not been studied	C	45–180 µg of MK-7 per day
Ginseng (Panax ginseng) Systematic review: did not reduce markers of muscle damage after resistance exercise	C	200–400 mg/day of standardized extract, 4–8 weeks (a dose without confirmed effect)
Cluster dextrin The same as HBCD: leaves the stomach faster, but no gain in performance has been shown	C	There are no studies for this goal — no dose is invented.
Cordyceps Contradictory data: one study showed benefit, another showed absence of effect	C	There are no studies for this goal — no dose is invented.
Creatine nitrate There are very few data; no advantages over monohydrate have been shown	C	3–5 g per day as a source of creatine
Creatine HCl No proven advantages over monohydrate; overpayment	C	3–5 g per day — for creatine as a whole
Laxogenin A steroidal saponin from Smilax: there are no controlled data in humans	C	There are no studies for this goal — no dose is invented.
Magnesium Needed in deficiency; it does not improve performance in those with adequate intake	C	200–400 mg of elemental magnesium per day
Colostrum There are data on recovery and immunity, but the doses and effects are inconsistent	C	10–20 g/day; the data on gains in strength are insufficient
Ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate Insufficient data: there are no studies of this particular form	C	There are no studies for this goal — no dose is invented.
Fenugreek Four RCTs out of six showed an effect, but the samples are small and the quality is low	C	about 500 mg/day of standardized extract, 8 weeks
Deer antler velvet The only RCT did not confirm a gain in strength or aerobic capacity	C	There are no studies for this goal — no dose is invented.
Oral ATP A meta-analysis of small studies; the quality of the data is low, the effect is unclear	C	350–500 mg 30 minutes before training; the meta-analysis assessed predominantly anaerobic measures
Rice protein A hypoallergenic plant protein, but there are few direct comparative studies	C	25–40 g per serving at a total protein intake of 1.6–2.2 g/kg/day
Theacrine The effect is NOT confirmed: a 2025 study revealed no improvement	C	There are no studies for this goal — no dose is invented.
Turkesterone There are no controlled studies in humans; the popularity is not supported by data	C	There are no studies for this goal — no dose is invented.
Sodium phosphate Results are contradictory: one study showed an effect, the second did not	C	There are no studies for this goal — no dose is invented.
Phosphatidylserine A single study of cortisol reduction; the effect is not proven	C	There are no studies for this goal — no dose is invented.
Shilajit (mumijo) The only study is open-label, without a comparison group: the effect is not proven	C	500 mg/day for 28 days is the dose of an open-label study without a comparison group
Ecdysterone One small RCT showed muscle gain, but the effect is weak and has not been reproduced	C	there is no single dose; in an RCT a gain in the bench press was noted against a background of 10 weeks of resistance training
Egg protein The amino acid profile is reference-grade, but there are almost no supporting studies of the supplement	C	20–40 g per serving; in the RCT 20 g/day improved grip strength and the number of lifts within the group
D-ribose The study showed no effect; the benefit for athletes is not confirmed	C	There are no studies for this goal — no dose is invented.
HBCD (highly branched cyclic dextrin) Studied only for the rate of gastric emptying; no gain in performance has been shown	C	There are no studies for this goal — no dose is invented.

Doses are given for adults. For profiles under 18 the app does not show doses, and during pregnancy and lactation the personal calculation is replaced by advice to consult a doctor.

Sources by goal

Other goals

Fat burning Muscle mass gain Recomposition Endurance