The Claim

Resistance training alone increases leg press strength but does not significantly improve bench press strength in resistance-trained males over an 8-week period.

Source: Eight weeks of resistance training in conjunction with glutathione and L-Citrulline supplementation increases lean mass and has no adverse effects on blood clinical safety markers in resistance-trained males

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
63score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

Cause and effect
1 study reviewed
In plain English

In men who already train with weights, doing only resistance training for 8 weeks increases how much weight they can lift on the leg press but does not change how much weight they can lift on the bench press.

See the scientific wording

Resistance training alone increases leg press strength in resistance-trained males, but does not significantly improve bench press strength over 8 weeks.

Why this might work

When resistance-trained men perform leg press exercises, their large leg muscles are loaded heavily and stretched under tension, which triggers stronger nerve signals to the brain and more muscle fibers turning on. This repeated, intense activation causes the muscles to grow stronger over time. Bench press exercises, however, involve smaller muscles that are already highly trained and do not experience the same level of mechanical stress or neural drive, so they do not get stronger even with the same training volume.

Supported mechanismbased on 1 study

What the research says

1 study

  1. Study: Eight weeks of resistance training in conjunction with glutathione and L-Citrulline supplementation increases lean mass and has no adverse effects on blood clinical safety markers in resistance-trained males

    In this study, men who only did weight training (no special pills) got stronger on the leg press but not on the bench press after 8 weeks — just like the claim says.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

Fit Body Science verdict — we translate health claims into clear verdicts backed by peer-reviewed research.

Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.