If you’ve never lifted weights before, you can get stronger by doing either light or heavy weights — as long as you push each set until you can’t do another rep.

Scientific Claim

Untrained women can increase one-repetition maximum strength through resistance training performed to muscular failure, regardless of whether the load is low (30% 1RM) or high (80% 1RM), over a 12-week period.

Original Statement

“Untrained women can increase 1RM strength during RT at low and high loads, if repetitions are taken to failure.”

From study:Low-Load vs. High-Load Resistance Training to Failure on One Repetition Maximum Strength and Body Composition in Untrained Women.

Evidence Quality Assessment

Claim Status

overstated

Study Design Support

Design cannot support claim

Appropriate Language Strength

association

Can only show association/correlation

Assessment Explanation

The claim implies a general rule ('can increase') as if universally applicable, but the study only observed this in a small group of young women without confirmed randomization. The verb 'can' implies capability beyond the observed association.

More Accurate Statement

“In untrained women, resistance training to failure at low or high loads over 12 weeks is associated with increases in 1RM strength, suggesting that training to failure may support strength gains in this population, though causation and generalizability are unconfirmed.”

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Low-Load vs. High-Load Resistance Training to Failure on One Repetition Maximum Strength and Body Composition in Untrained Women.

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2019 Jul

The study found that women who were new to lifting got stronger after 12 weeks, no matter if they used light or heavy weights—as long as they pushed each set until they couldn’t do another rep.

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Low-Load vs. High-Load Resistance Training to Failure on One Repetition Maximum Strength and Body Composition in Untrained Women.

Score: 38

DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003194

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