Lifting heavy weights with longer breaks between sets helps build muscle strength better than lifting lighter weights with shorter breaks, especially for guys who already work out.

0

Pro

46

Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (0)

0

Community contributions welcome

No supporting evidence found

Contradicting (1)

46

Community contributions welcome

46

The impact of repetition mechanics on the adaptations resulting from strength-, hypertrophy- and cluster-type resistance training

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2016 Oct

The study tested exactly the same workouts as described in the claim: strength training with 4 sets of 6 reps at 85% max lift and long rest, cluster training with 4 sets of 6/1 reps at 90% max lift and very long rest, and hypertrophy training with 5 sets of 10 reps at 70% max lift and short rest. All were done by trained men for 6 weeks. The results showed that strength and cluster training led to bigger strength gains than hypertrophy training, which matches the claim.

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

The impact of repetition mechanics on the adaptations resulting from strength-, hypertrophy- and cluster-type resistance training

Score: 46

DOI: 10.1007/s00421-016-3439-2

Similar Assertions

When trained men lift heavy weights using certain training styles, they spend more time under tension and generate more force per rep than with other styles, which might help them get stronger.

46

0

89%

Lifting heavy weights until you can't lift anymore makes young male athletes much stronger than lifting light weights over 8 weeks, even if both make muscles grow about the same size.

46

0

84%

If young men lift light weights with very short breaks between sets for 8 weeks, their upper arms grow more than if they lift heavy weights with long breaks—even if they do the same total amount of lifting—because the short breaks create more muscle-burning stress that helps muscles grow bigger.

54

0

83%

Lifting heavy weights three times a week for six weeks makes untrained young men much stronger than lifting light weights, even though both groups gain about the same amount of muscle size.

47

0

83%

Lifting heavy weights to the point of exhaustion three times a week for six weeks makes untrained young men much stronger than lifting lighter weights, even though both types of training build similar amounts of muscle size.

47

0

82%