The Claim
In trained individuals, 10 weeks of resistance training with high loads (75% 1RM) results in significant increases in leg press and leg extension 1-repetition maximum strength (mean 24.5% and 33.5%, respectively), regardless of whether training is performed to muscle failure or stopped 1–2 repetitions short.
What the research says
Supports is higher
Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.
These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.
In people already trained in weightlifting, 10 weeks of heavy resistance training increases leg strength by 24.5% on the leg press and 33.5% on the leg extension, whether or not they train to muscle failure.
See the scientific wording
In trained individuals, resistance training performed with high loads (75% 1RM) for 10 weeks results in significant increases in leg press and leg extension 1-repetition maximum strength (mean 24.5% and 33.5%, respectively), regardless of whether training is performed to muscle failure or stopped 1–2 repetitions short, indicating that maximal strength gains are not contingent on reaching muscular failure.
Lifting heavy weights activates all available muscle fibers before reaching total failure, and this sustained force production causes muscle fibers to grow thicker and reorganize their structure to produce more force, leading to greater strength.
What the research says
1 studyIn trained people, lifting heavy weights to exhaustion or stopping just before exhaustion leads to almost the same strength gains — so you don’t need to push to total failure to get strong.
Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.