Does lifting slow or fast make your muscles bigger?
Equalization of Training Protocols by Time Under Tension Determines the Magnitude of Changes in Strength and Muscular Hypertrophy
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Two groups lifted weights with the same total time under tension but different speeds — one slow, one fast. Both got equally strong and their muscles grew the same overall size.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 538 / 90
Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Two groups lifted weights with the same total time under tension but different speeds — one slow, one fast. Both got equally strong and their muscles grew the same overall size.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 538 / 90
Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Publication
Authors
Martins-Costa HC, Lacerda LT, Diniz RCR, Lima FV, Andrade AGP, Peixoto GH, Gomes MC, Lanza MB, Bemben MG, Chagas MH
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Claims (4)
Your muscles grow bigger mainly because of how much total force they feel over time—not whether you do your workouts all at once or spread out over the week.
When two different ways of lifting weights are adjusted so that the total time your muscles are under strain is the same, both ways lead to about the same strength gains and muscle growth in people who haven’t trained before.
When people who’ve never lifted weights before train their chest and arms with the same total muscle tension time, the back part of their triceps (near the elbow) grows more than the middle or shoulder-end parts.
You can’t just count how many reps you do to know if your workout is good enough — how long your muscles are under strain matters just as much, maybe more.