When you lift more, you get stronger faster than you get bigger — volume seems to have a bigger impact on strength than on muscle size.
Scientific Claim
The association between resistance training volume and strength gains is stronger than the association between volume and hypertrophy when using the fractional quantification method, suggesting volume may be a more potent driver of strength than muscle size in trained young males.
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 claim implies a stronger association for strength, but the study does not directly compare effect sizes between hypertrophy and strength slopes. This inference is speculative and not statistically tested.
More Accurate Statement
“Higher weekly resistance training volume is associated with both muscle hypertrophy and strength gains in young, mostly male adults, with diminishing returns observed for both, though the rate of decline may differ.”
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 bigger muscles and stronger muscles, but strength gets bigger faster at first and then stops growing as quickly — so volume matters more for getting strong than for getting bigger muscles.