Whether you lift heavy without pausing or lift lighter with pauses, your chest muscles swell the same amount right after the workout.

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Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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Acute Effect of the “Zero Point” Method on Muscle Thickness and Muscle Damage in Trained Men

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2023 Dec 22

Even though one method used lighter weights and more reps, both methods made the chest muscles swell about the same amount after exercise — so the 'zero point' method works just as well for this effect.

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No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Acute Effect of the “Zero Point” Method on Muscle Thickness and Muscle Damage in Trained Men

Score: 46

DOI: 10.3390/sports12010006

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Even though the pause method makes you do more reps and keeps your muscles under tension longer, it doesn’t make your chest or arm muscles puff up more than the normal heavy-lift method.

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Adding a one-second pause at the bottom of each bench press doesn’t make your muscles more damaged or sore the next day than lifting heavy without pausing.

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When trained guys use the 'zero point' bench press technique, their shoulder muscles swell more right after the workout than when they use the normal method — but their chest and arm muscles swell the same either way.

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The pause method doesn’t make your muscles more sore the next day or two after your workout than the normal heavy-lift method.

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When you pause at the bottom of the bench press, your shoulder muscles work harder and swell more than your chest or arms — meaning your body shifts the work to your shoulders.

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