When you lift weights, how much total work you do matters more for getting stronger and bigger than whether you use heavy weights with few reps or light weights with many reps.
Scientific Claim
In resistance-trained young men, total training volume appears to be a significant contributor to strength and hypertrophy adaptations, independent of whether the training uses high or low repetition ranges.
Original Statement
“Our findings suggest that in previously trained males, training volume is a significant contributor to strength and hypertrophy adaptations, which occur independently of specific repetition ranges.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
overstated
Study Design Support
Design cannot support claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The abstract does not confirm randomization or control for confounders, so 'significant contributor' implies causation. The claim generalizes beyond the study’s specific conditions and population.
More Accurate Statement
“In resistance-trained young men, total training volume is associated with strength and hypertrophy adaptations, and these adaptations occur without clear differences between high- and low-repetition ranges under matched volume conditions.”
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Volume-equated high- and low-repetition daily undulating programming strategies produce similar hypertrophy and strength adaptations.
Both groups lifted the same total amount of weight but used different numbers of reps—some did more reps with lighter weights, others did fewer reps with heavier weights. Both groups got just as strong and built just as much muscle, proving that how much total weight you lift matters more than how many reps you do.