The Study
Practicing the Test Produces Strength Equivalent to Higher Volume Training
This study is like two kids learning to lift a heavy box: one practices lifting it once a day, the other lifts it many times every day. After a few weeks, both got equally strong at lifting it — even though only one got bigger muscles. So, practicing the lift itself might be what made them stronger, not just getting bigger muscles.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Two groups trained for 8 weeks: one did lots of reps, the other just tried to lift their max weight five times per session. Both got equally stronger, but only the high-rep group grew bigger muscles.
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 568 / 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 — you don’t need to do lots of reps or grow bigger muscles to get stronger; just practicing your max lift can be just as effective.
- 2Both groups improved 1RM strength by about the same amount (±2–5 kg).
- 3The high-volume group grew thicker muscles in arms and legs; the 1RM group did not.
- 4Endurance improved only in the dominant leg of the high-volume group.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
Year
2017
Authors
K. Mattocks, S. Buckner, M. Jessee, S. Dankel, J. Mouser, J. Loenneke
Related Content
Claims (5)
Untrained people who do high-volume resistance training gain more muscular endurance in their dominant leg than those who only practice the one-repetition maximum test.
After eight weeks of practicing lifting one heavy weight repeatedly, untrained people get just as strong as those doing many lighter lifts, even though their muscles do not grow larger.
In people who have not trained before, eight weeks of high-volume weight lifting increases muscle thickness in the arms, legs, and other body areas, but doing only a one-repetition maximum strength test does not change muscle size.
Practicing a one-rep max strength test does not improve muscle force in other types of contractions more than high-volume training does. Strength gains from practicing one movement do not transfer to different movement patterns.
In people new to strength training, changes in muscle electrical activity measured during lifting are the same whether they practice lifting their maximum weight or do many repetitions with lighter weights, and these changes in muscle activation do not fully explain why they get stronger.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.