If you lift heavy weights with a special band that cuts off some blood flow, it doesn’t make your muscles stronger or bigger than just lifting heavy weights alone—even though your muscles feel more burned.

If young guys who’ve never lifted weights before do regular strength training twice a week for two months using moderate weights, their thigh muscles get bigger and stronger—whether or not they use special bands to restrict blood flow.

Doing heavy weightlifting with your legs squeezed to restrict blood flow doesn't make your muscles grow more than just doing heavy weightlifting normally — at least not for most people who haven't trained before.

If you're a young guy new to weightlifting and you use a blood pressure cuff to restrict blood flow while lifting, it doesn't matter whether you squeeze the cuff while you're pushing the weight up or while you're resting between sets—either way, you'll gain the same amount of strength and muscle.

If you can't lift heavy weights because of an injury or illness, doing light weight exercises while squeezing your limbs tight might still help you get stronger — and that could be a good option for people in rehab.

You can build muscle just as well by lifting light weights with your blood partially squeezed off, as you can by lifting heavy weights—so maybe it’s not the weight itself that matters most, but how much your muscles burn and swell up.