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v1
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assertion
Analysis v1
Strong Support

Muscle swelling from a workout can still be seen 3 days later, so measuring size then might not show real growth.

46
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Evidence from Studies

Supporting (2)

46

Community contributions welcome

46

Comparison of the recovery response from high-intensity and high-volume resistance exercise in trained men

Randomized Controlled Trial
Human
2017 Jul

After intense weight training, muscles can stay swollen and sore for up to three days, which might make it look like they’re growing when they’re just puffed up — this study shows those effects last that long.

30

Recovery after Heavy Resistance Exercise and Skeletal Muscle Androgen Receptor and Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Isoform Expression in Strength Trained Men

Cohort Study
Human
2011 Mar

After a tough leg workout, the study found that muscles stayed swollen for at least 3 days, which could make it look like muscles are growing bigger when they’re just puffed up with fluid.

Contradicting (0)

0

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No contradicting evidence found

Similar Assertions

Muscle swelling following resistance training returns to baseline within 24 hours, regardless of training volume (7–21 sets per session).

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Acute muscle swelling responses following a single resistance training session are not representative of swelling responses observed after prolonged, repeated training programs.

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Checking your muscle size right after a workout won’t tell you how good your workout was — it’ll look normal by the next day no matter how hard you went.

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After about 10 weight workouts, your muscles don’t just look puffy from water anymore—they actually start getting bigger because the muscle fibers themselves are growing.

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You can't really grow bigger muscles until you've done about 18 weightlifting sessions—your body needs time to adapt before it starts building real muscle.

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