The Claim
In young women aged 21.8 ± 3.4 years, performing resistance training three times per week for 10 weeks with either constant or varied exercises results in similar increases in muscle thickness (7.5–19.3% vs. 7.8–17.7%) and one-repetition maximum strength (24.4–32.1% vs. 29.0–30.1%) for the leg press and leg extension, indicating that exercise variation does not confer a superior adaptive advantage for muscle growth or strength gains in this population.
What the research says
Supports is higher
Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.
These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.
In young women, doing resistance training three times a week for 10 weeks with either the same exercises or varied exercises leads to similar improvements in leg muscle thickness and strength, meaning changing exercises does not produce better results.
See the scientific wording
In young women aged 21.8 ± 3.4 years, performing resistance training three times per week for 10 weeks with either constant or varied exercises results in similar increases in muscle thickness (7.5–19.3% vs. 7.8–17.7%) and one-repetition maximum strength (24.4–32.1% vs. 29.0–30.1%) for the leg press and leg extension, indicating that exercise variation does not confer a superior adaptive advantage for muscle growth or strength gains in this population.
When you lift weights, your muscle fibers get stretched and squeezed, which tells them to grow stronger. Whether you do the same exercise every time or switch it up, as long as you're lifting with enough effort and pushing your muscles hard, they respond the same way — so changing exercises doesn't make them grow more or get stronger faster.
What the research says
1 studyStudy: Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Adaptations to Systematically Varying Resistance Exercises
For young women, doing the same leg exercises every workout is just as good for building muscle and strength as switching up the exercises each session — changing things up doesn’t give you any extra benefit.
Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.