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
HL-BFR induced significantly higher metabolic stress (HHb and tHb) than HL-RT, yet did not produce greater muscle growth overall.
Common belief is that higher metabolic stress = more muscle growth. This study shows that even when the body is under more stress, it doesn’t always lead to bigger muscles.
Practical Takeaways
If you're lifting heavy and not seeing results, don't assume adding bands will help—try sticking with standard heavy lifting first.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
HL-BFR induced significantly higher metabolic stress (HHb and tHb) than HL-RT, yet did not produce greater muscle growth overall.
Common belief is that higher metabolic stress = more muscle growth. This study shows that even when the body is under more stress, it doesn’t always lead to bigger muscles.
Practical Takeaways
If you're lifting heavy and not seeing results, don't assume adding bands will help—try sticking with standard heavy lifting first.
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
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Claims (4)
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.
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 when they add blood flow restriction — there’s no one-size-fits-all answer.
Doing heavy weightlifting with your legs squeezed to restrict blood flow doesn't make your muscles grow more than just doing heavy weightlifting normally — at least not for most people who haven't trained before.