The Study
The Influence of Frequency, Intensity, Volume and Mode of Strength Training on Whole Muscle Cross-Sectional Area in Humans
This study is like someone collecting stories from different books and saying what they noticed. It doesn’t run experiments or prove anything for sure — it just shares ideas about what might help muscles grow based on past research.
Analysis score
Maximum 5 for a narrative review.
Where the score came from
This study looked at different ways people lift weights to see what makes muscles grow the most. It checked how often, how hard, and how much you should train, and whether lifting, lowering, or holding weights matters.
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 51 / 100
Quality score
Based on clinical experience or non-systematic literature reviews. The lowest level of evidence as they are most susceptible to bias and personal perspective.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This means you don’t need a special machine or method—just consistent training with enough effort and volume to see muscle growth.
- 2All types of muscle movements (lifting, lowering, holding) can make muscles grow if you train enough.
- 3No one type of training is proven better than the others for building muscle.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Sports Medicine
Year
2007
Authors
M. Wernbom, Jesper Augustsson, R. Thomeé
Related Content
Claims (4)
Most of the reason why people gain muscle at different rates isn't because of their genes—it's because of things they can change, like how hard they train, how much they eat, and how focused they are in the gym.
Doing more strength training might help your muscles grow bigger, especially in your thighs and arms, but we're not exactly sure how much is best because there hasn't been enough research comparing different workout levels.
All three types of muscle movements—squeezing, lengthening, and holding—can help build muscle in your thighs and arms just as well, as long as you train hard and often enough.
Lifting weights, using machines, or doing static holds all seem to build leg and arm muscles just as well — there's no proof that one way is better than the others for getting bigger muscles.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.