The Study
Effects of different intensities of resistance training with equated volume load on muscle strength and hypertrophy
This study is like comparing different ways of lifting weights in the same person to see what works better. It shows that lifting heavier weights might be linked to bigger muscles and more strength, but it can't prove it's the only reason because we don't know all the details about how the study was done.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
People lifted weights at different heaviness levels for 12 weeks. All got stronger and bigger muscles, but heaviest weights worked best.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 540 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes, these are meaningful muscle growth differences that would be visible and functional
- 280% heavy weights grew leg muscle 19.5% and arm muscle 25%, while 20% light weights grew leg muscle 8.9% and arm muscle 11.4%
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
European Journal of Sport Science
Year
2018
Authors
T. Lasevicius, C. Ugrinowitsch, B. Schoenfeld, H. Roschel, L. Tavares, E. O. de Souza, G. Laurentino, V. Tricoli
Related Content
Videos (2)
Claims (3)
Lifting heavy weights (80% of your max) makes your thigh and arm muscles grow much bigger than lifting light weights (20% of your max) when you do the same total workout over 12 weeks.
Lifting heavier weights with proper form was better than lifting lighter weights for building both muscle strength and size in men after 3 months of training.
Lifting weights at different effort levels (from light to heavy) all made muscles bigger and stronger in men over 12 weeks, but the lightest effort wasn't as good as heavier ones.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.