The Study
Muscle hypertrophy and strength gains after resistance training with different volume matched loads: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
This study looked at lots of different experiments where people lifted weights with different amounts of weight but did the same total work. It found that lifting heavier weights makes you stronger, but doesn't make your muscles bigger than lifting lighter weights — as long as you do the same total amount of lifting. So it's like comparing how fast you get better at pushing a heavy cart vs. a light one — heavy cart wins for strength, but both give you the same muscle growth.
Analysis score
Maximum 85 for a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Where the score came from
This study looked at whether lifting light weights or heavy weights makes your muscles bigger or stronger — as long as you do the same total amount of work.
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 575 / 100
Quality score
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of cohort studies. They sit above a single cohort study but below a single randomized trial, because the underlying evidence is still observational.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — if you want to get stronger, lift heavier.
- 2If you just want bigger muscles, you can use light or heavy weights — it doesn’t matter much, as long as you work hard and do enough total reps.
- 3Heavy weights (≥80% max) made people significantly stronger (1RM up more), but light, medium, and heavy weights all made muscles grow about the same amount.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme
Year
2022
Authors
L. Carvalho, R. Junior, Júlia Barreira, B. Schoenfeld, J. Orazem, R. Barroso
Related Content
Claims (7)
When people lift weights until they can no longer complete another repetition, the amount of muscle growth is similar whether they use light, moderate, or heavy weights.
When resistance training is performed until muscle fatigue is reached, lifting light weights and lifting heavy weights result in the same amount of muscle growth.
In healthy adults, lifting heavier weights leads to greater increases in muscle strength than lifting lighter weights, and this holds true for both arms and legs.
In healthy adults, lifting light weights or heavy weights produces the same amount of muscle growth as long as the total amount of work done is the same.
When the total amount of work is the same, lifting heavy weights or light weights to failure produces the same amount of muscle growth, so how hard you push does not primarily determine how much muscle you gain.
In healthy adults, lifting heavy weights (80% or more of maximum strength) leads to greater increases in maximum strength than lifting lighter weights, when the total amount of work is the same. Muscle size increases similarly regardless of whether weights are light, moderate, or heavy.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.