Lifting more weights each week makes you stronger, but the gains slow down faster than muscle growth — after a certain point, adding more sets gives you very little extra strength.
Scientific Claim
Higher weekly resistance training volume is associated with greater strength gains in young, mostly male adults, but with more pronounced diminishing returns compared to hypertrophy, indicating strength adaptations plateau earlier with increasing volume.
Original Statement
“The posterior probability of the marginal slope exceeding zero for the effect of volume on both hypertrophy and strength was 100%, indicating that gains in muscle size and strength increase as volume increases. However, both best-fit models suggest diminishing returns, with the diminishing returns for strength being considerably more pronounced.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
overstated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The study cannot establish causation due to unknown randomization status; therefore, verbs implying causation ('increases') are inappropriate. The evidence supports only an association.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
The Resistance Training Dose Response: Meta-Regressions Exploring the Effects of Weekly Volume and Frequency on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gains
More lifting leads to more strength, but after a certain point, adding more sets gives you much less extra strength than it does extra muscle — so strength peaks sooner.