If you’ve been lifting for a while, doing more workouts over time will help you build more muscle than just lifting heavier weights.

Scientific Claim

For individuals with prior resistance training experience, performing a higher number of training sessions leads to greater muscle hypertrophy, indicating that volume becomes a more critical factor than load once initial adaptations plateau.

Original Statement

“Participants with some training background who undertook more RT sessions provided superior gains in muscle hypertrophy (P = 0.031–0.045).”

From study:Resistance Training Load Effects on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gain: Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis

Evidence Quality Assessment

Claim Status

appropriately stated

Study Design Support

Design supports claim

Appropriate Language Strength

probability

Can suggest probability/likelihood

Assessment Explanation

The claim is based on statistically significant meta-regression results and is appropriately framed with probabilistic language consistent with the study’s overall risk-of-bias limitations.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Resistance Training Load Effects on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gain: Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis

Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis

Human

2021 Jun 1

For people who’ve already trained before, doing more workout sessions helps muscles grow bigger—even if they lift lighter weights—because after the first few gains, how often you train matters more than how heavy you lift.

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Resistance Training Load Effects on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gain: Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis

Score: 48

DOI: 10.1249/mss.0000000000002585

Similar Assertions

People who’ve never lifted weights before gain muscle much faster than those who’ve trained before—even if they do the same workout.

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People grow muscle at very different rates — but each person tends to grow their arms and legs similarly, no matter what weight they use. This means your genes and biology matter more than how heavy your weights are.

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In trained individuals, higher resistance training volumes lead to concomitant increases in both muscle hypertrophy and maximal strength.

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Higher weekly resistance training volume leads to greater muscle hypertrophy in trained individuals.

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Whether you lift light weights with lots of reps or heavy weights with few reps—so long as you push until you can’t do another rep—you’ll build muscle about the same amount.

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