The Study
Regional morphological adaptations of vastus lateralis muscle in response to different progressive resistance training programs: A randomised controlled trial
This study showed that two different ways of lifting weights both made muscles bigger in a small group of young men. But it doesn't prove one way is better than the other — just that both worked similarly in this group.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Two groups lifted weights: one used heavy weights, the other mixed heavy and light weights with tight bands around their thighs. Both ended up with similar muscle growth.
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 572 / 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 can build muscle just as well with heavy lifting alone or by mixing heavy and light lifting with bands, as long as you push to failure the same number of times.
- 2Muscle grew 9–14% in area, 12–19% in thickness, and fascia thickened 27–54%.
- 3Distal thigh muscle grew more (13–14%) than proximal (9–12%).
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
South African Journal of Sports Medicine
Year
2024
Authors
R. Longrak, MA W Sonchan, PhD W Jaidee
Related Content
Claims (10)
For people who train casually, lifting lighter weights more times and lifting heavier weights fewer times produce similar muscle growth if the total work done is the same, but the heavier-weight approach might lead to slightly stronger performance.
For young men who regularly lift weights, the number of sets taken to muscular failure may better predict muscle growth than the total weight lifted or the number of repetitions performed, as long as the total number of sets is the same.
After resistance training, the thickening of the vastus lateralis muscle in young men is not the same along its length: the part closer to the knee grows more than the part closer to the hip.
When healthy young men perform knee extension exercises as part of resistance training, the thickening of the vastus lateralis muscle is greater in the lower part of the muscle than in the upper part.
Using elastic wraps to partially restrict blood flow during high-intensity weight training can lead to similar muscle growth as high-intensity weight training without wraps in healthy young men.
In healthy young men, two different types of weight training programs—high-intensity lifting and high-intensity lifting with blood flow restriction—produce similar increases in thigh muscle size after six weeks, suggesting that pushing muscles to fatigue with the same number of sets each week matters more for growth than how heavy the weights are.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.