When you lift weights and push yourself almost to the point of not being able to do another rep, you’re more likely to build bigger muscles than if you stop earlier — even if you’re lifting the same weight or doing the same number of sets.

39

Pro

0

Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

39

Community contributions welcome

39

Exploring the Dose–Response Relationship Between Estimated Resistance Training Proximity to Failure, Strength Gain, and Muscle Hypertrophy: A Series of Meta-Regressions

Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis

Human

2024 Sep

This study found that when people lift weights until they’re almost out of energy (with fewer reps left in the tank), their muscles grow bigger — and the closer they get to failure, the more they grow. This matches exactly what the claim says.

Contradicting (0)

0

Community contributions welcome

No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Exploring the Dose–Response Relationship Between Estimated Resistance Training Proximity to Failure, Strength Gain, and Muscle Hypertrophy: A Series of Meta-Regressions

Score: 39

DOI: 10.1007/s40279-024-02069-2

Similar Assertions

Getting stronger from lifting weights doesn’t always mean your muscles are getting bigger—and vice versa. Strength and size don’t go hand in hand.

46

0

85%

If you want to get stronger, doing your workouts more often helps—more than if you just want to get bigger muscles.

48

0

85%

Getting stronger from lifting weights doesn’t always mean your muscles are getting bigger—and vice versa. Strength and size don’t go hand in hand.

46

0

85%

If you lift weights until you're almost too tired to do another rep, you'll likely build bigger muscles—but your strength gains won't be any better than if you stopped earlier, as long as you're doing the same total amount of work and lifting the same weight.

64

0

84%

Doing your workouts more often per week doesn’t seem to help you build more muscle, as long as the total amount of lifting stays the same.

48

0

84%