More reps or heavier weights? Same results!
Volume-equated high- and low-repetition daily undulating programming strategies produce similar hypertrophy and strength adaptations.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Mid-lateral quadriceps thickness showed no increase despite significant growth in other thigh regions and chest.
Most assume compound lifts like squats stimulate the entire quadriceps uniformly. The fact that one specific region didn’t grow—even with volume equated—is unexplained and unusual.
Practical Takeaways
If you're already trained, focus on total weekly volume (sets × reps × weight) rather than obsessing over rep ranges—mix heavy and light days for variety and sustainability.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Mid-lateral quadriceps thickness showed no increase despite significant growth in other thigh regions and chest.
Most assume compound lifts like squats stimulate the entire quadriceps uniformly. The fact that one specific region didn’t grow—even with volume equated—is unexplained and unusual.
Practical Takeaways
If you're already trained, focus on total weekly volume (sets × reps × weight) rather than obsessing over rep ranges—mix heavy and light days for variety and sustainability.
Publication
Journal
Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme
Year
2016
Authors
Alex O Klemp, C. Dolan, Justin M. Quiles, Rocky Blanco, R. Zoeller, B. Sue Graves, Michael C. Zourdos
Related Content
Claims (6)
Compound exercises involving greater total muscle mass do not produce superior hypertrophy in target muscles compared to isolation exercises when training volume and effort are equated.
When people who already lift weights do either mostly heavy lifts or mostly lighter lifts—but keep the total amount of work the same—both ways make them just as strong after 8 weeks.
Whether people lift heavy weights with few reps or lighter weights with more reps—while doing the same total amount of work—both ways make their muscles grow about the same size in the chest and thighs after 8 weeks.
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.
Neither heavy nor light lifting made people better at doing more reps in a row—except maybe a small, not certain improvement with lighter lifts in squats.