When people who don’t usually lift weights do strength training with or without tight bands around their limbs after exercising, they do the same amount of work—but still end up growing muscles differently. This means the muscle growth difference isn’t because one group worked harder.

Some people grow more muscle with regular heavy lifting, others grow just as much or more when they add blood flow restriction — there’s no one-size-fits-all answer.

If you're new to lifting weights, adding blood flow restriction after your workout won't make your muscles grow any more than just lifting weights by itself—even if you do the same amount of work.

Some people grow more muscle with regular heavy lifting, others grow just as much or more with heavy lifting plus blood flow restriction — there’s no one-size-fits-all answer.

Doing light weight training with blood flow restriction doesn't change the space around muscle fibers any more than heavy weight training in regular active people — after six weeks, both seem to have the same effect.

After doing heavy weight training, if women who’ve never trained before use a tight band around their arm afterward, their arm muscles don’t get any thicker—but men’s muscles still grow normally.