Lifting Heavy vs. Lots of Reps
The effect of training volume and intensity on improvements in muscular strength and size in resistance-trained men
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
High-volume training's hormone advantages (growth hormone and cortisol) diminished over time, while heavy training's benefits persisted.
Contradicts the belief that acute hormone responses from high-rep workouts translate to long-term muscle growth.
Practical Takeaways
For faster arm and chest gains, prioritize heavy weights (85-90% max) with 3-5 reps per set and 3-minute rest periods.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
High-volume training's hormone advantages (growth hormone and cortisol) diminished over time, while heavy training's benefits persisted.
Contradicts the belief that acute hormone responses from high-rep workouts translate to long-term muscle growth.
Practical Takeaways
For faster arm and chest gains, prioritize heavy weights (85-90% max) with 3-5 reps per set and 3-minute rest periods.
Publication
Journal
Physiological Reports
Year
2015
Authors
G. Mangine, J. Hoffman, Adam M. Gonzalez, Jeremy R. Townsend, Adam J. Wells, Adam R. Jajtner, Kyle S Beyer, Carleigh H. Boone, Amelia A. Miramonti, Ran Wang, Michael B Lamonica, D. Fukuda, N. Ratamess, Jeffrey R Stout
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Claims (7)
When men who lift weights start training, doing more reps with lighter weights causes a bigger short-term boost in certain hormones compared to lifting heavy weights for fewer reps. But this hormone boost gets smaller the longer they keep training.
Lifting heavy weights with fewer reps and longer breaks builds more muscle and strength than lifting lighter weights with more reps and shorter breaks in men who already work out.
Lifting very heavy weights a few times with long breaks builds more muscle and strength faster than lifting lighter weights many times with short breaks, when the total amount of lifting isn't the same.
Lifting heavy weights with fewer reps and longer breaks makes your arms stronger and bigger faster than doing more reps with lighter weights and shorter breaks, especially for guys who already work out.
For men who lift weights regularly, the body's testosterone reaction after workouts was about the same whether they did short, intense sessions or longer, higher-volume ones, and this didn't really change over 8 weeks of training.