May 30, 2026, 3:35 pm | Read time: 2 minutes
If you want to build muscle, you don’t need to train excessively. Just two strength sessions per week can lead to noticeable progress—especially for those with no prior training experience. This is the conclusion of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the world’s largest professional organization for sports medicine and exercise science, in its new guidelines for muscle training.
Few Sessions per Week Are Sufficient
The ACSM recommendations have been fundamentally revised for the first time in 17 years. They are based on 137 scientific reviews with data from more than 30,000 participants.
One of the main authors of the study is Stuart Phillips from McMaster University in Canada. He told BILD (part of Axel Springer, like FITBOOK): “People don’t need an extreme amount of strength training to achieve noticeable benefits.” The effects were particularly pronounced in people who had previously done little or no training. According to Phillips, just two sessions per week could improve strength, muscle function, and health-related values.
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A New Perspective on Strength Training
With the new guidelines, the ACSM is also moving away from a long-held fitness principle that muscle building requires training to complete muscle failure. The key now is to approach the limit of exertion—without compromising technique.
Phillips emphasizes: “I believe most people underestimate consistency, effort, and progress.” These three points are crucial to whether a training program works.
He was particularly surprised by how clear the scientific evidence is now regarding training methods. According to the ACSM, very different methods can be effective: gym machines, free weights, resistance bands, or bodyweight exercises. None of these systems has proven to be fundamentally superior.
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Progress Instead of Perfection
Sports scientist and fitness coach Markus Bremen also views the new recommendations positively, as he told BILD. The most important message is reassuring for many people: “There is no perfect program that you need to find before you start.”
According to Bremen, the key is to regularly train all major muscle groups and gradually increase the load. This can work with machines, as well as with dumbbells, kettlebells, or simple bodyweight exercises.