The Study
MODERATE RESISTANCE TRAINING VOLUME PRODUCES MORE FAVORABLE STRENGTH GAINS THAN HIGH OR LOW VOLUMES DURING A SHORT‐TERM TRAINING CYCLE
This study found that when experienced young weightlifters trained with a medium number of reps, they got stronger in their lifts better than when they did too few or too many reps. But we can't be totally sure it's because of the volume — maybe they just felt more motivated or had better days.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Lifters who did a medium amount of practice got stronger in all lifts, but those who did too little or too much didn't get as strong — especially in the snatch.
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 555 / 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 — doing the right amount of training (not too little, not too much) made a big difference, especially for the snatch, which improved nearly twice as much as with low volume.
- 2Medium group: Snatch +6.1%, Clean & Jerk +3.7%, Squat +4.2%.
- 3Low group: Only Clean & Jerk +3.7%, Squat +4.6%.
- 4High group: Only Clean & Jerk +3%, Squat +4.8%.
- 5Medium was best for snatch.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Year
2005
Authors
J. González-Badillo, E. Gorostiaga, R. Arellano, M. Izquierdo
Related Content
Claims (6)
If you're already used to lifting weights, doing more sets and reps over time will help you build bigger muscles and get stronger — but only if you keep training consistently.
Lifters who did fewer reps only got stronger in two of the three lifts — not in the snatch — suggesting some exercises need more volume to improve.
Doing the most reps didn’t make lifters any stronger than doing fewer reps — more isn’t always better.
When lifters did a medium amount of training, their snatch got stronger the most — more than their clean & jerk or squat.
Lifters don’t need to train at their absolute max volume — doing about 85% of what they can handle gives them the best strength gains.
Lifters who did a medium amount of weightlifting exercises for 10 weeks got stronger in their main lifts than those who did either much less or much more — especially in the snatch, where the medium group improved the most.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.