The Study
Effect of Set-Structure on Upper-Body Muscular Hypertrophy and Performance in Recreationally-Trained Male and Female
This study tried two different ways of doing bench presses and saw which one made a small part of the chest muscle grow a little more. It doesn't prove one way is definitely better overall — it just shows a tiny difference in one spot, and only in a few people.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Two groups lifted heavy weights with different rest patterns: one rested only between sets, the other took short breaks between each rep. Both did the same total work.
Where does this study sit?
Systematic Reviews & Meta-analyses
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control
Max 58Cross-Sectional
Max 44Case Reports & Series
Max 30Expert Opinion
Max 560 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1The upper chest got slightly bigger with traditional sets, but the difference is small and may not be noticeable in real life.
- 2Strength and overall body shape didn't change between groups.
- 3The group that rested only between sets got more tired during each set (1.5x more velocity loss) and had a slightly bigger upper chest (0.34 standard deviation increase).
- 4Both groups got equally strong.
- 5Neither group changed total body fat or muscle mass.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Year
2021
Authors
T. Davies, M. Halaki, R. Orr, Lachlan Mitchell, Eric R. Helms, Jillian L. Clarke, D. Hackett
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.