Does squeezing your leg while lifting make it grow more?
Individual muscle hypertrophy in high-load resistance training with and without blood flow restriction: A near-infrared spectroscopy approach
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Higher metabolic stress from BFR did not lead to greater muscle growth.
Most theories assume that metabolic stress (burn, pump) drives hypertrophy—but here, even 7x more HHb and 10x more tHb didn't boost muscle size.
Practical Takeaways
If you're new to lifting, try both regular heavy lifting and BFR for 4–6 weeks to see which one works better for your body.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Higher metabolic stress from BFR did not lead to greater muscle growth.
Most theories assume that metabolic stress (burn, pump) drives hypertrophy—but here, even 7x more HHb and 10x more tHb didn't boost muscle size.
Practical Takeaways
If you're new to lifting, try both regular heavy lifting and BFR for 4–6 weeks to see which one works better for your body.
Publication
Journal
Journal of Sports Sciences
Year
2024
Authors
J. Bergamasco, Diego Bittencourt, Deivid G. Silva, T. M. P. C. Biazon, S. D. Soligon, Ramon Martins de Oliveira, C. Libardi
Related Content
Claims (7)
While the majority of individuals exhibit similar hypertrophic responsiveness across high- and low-load resistance training, a subset may demonstrate load-specific responsiveness, though such responses are inconsistent and not reliably predictable.
Your muscles grow bigger mainly because of how much total force they feel over time—not whether you do your workouts all at once or spread out over the week.
Some people grow more muscle with regular heavy lifting, others grow just as much or more when they add blood flow restriction — there’s no one-size-fits-all answer.
When you do heavy lifting while restricting blood flow to your muscles, your muscles feel more burned and stressed during the workout than when you lift heavy without restricting blood flow.
Some people grow more muscle with regular heavy lifting, others grow just as much or more with heavy lifting plus blood flow restriction — there’s no one-size-fits-all answer.