The Key to Building Muscle

The mega meta-analysis I talked about on Tuesday found that every combination of resistance, sets, reps, and number of days per week resulted in increased strength and increased muscle size compared to people who did nothing, but there were some combinations that provided the best results.

Finding the Best Approach to Building Muscle

Without question, lifting multiple sets with heavy weights improved strength the most. Even just one day per week showed an improvement in strength, but the most consistent results were found with at least two weight training sessions per week. What was surprising was that two sessions per week of multiple sets with light weights also saw a significant improvement in strength.

When it came to muscle hypertrophy, or more simply put, muscle size, lifting light weights for multiple sets twice per week saw the same improvement as lifting heavy weights multiple sets twice per week. That seems a little odd but may be supported by another recently published study.

In a pilot study with 22 subjects, half the group was put on a low-resistance, high-repetition weight training program while the other half was put on a more traditional heavy weight training program with fewer repetitions. The low-weight, high-repetition group performed sets of 20 to 24 repetitions, while the heavy-resistance group did the more traditional eight to 12 repetitions per set. The results showed similar benefits. There was an increase in muscle strength and muscle size in both approaches. Also the mean age of the subjects was 59 years. That eliminates the “younger people are stronger to begin with” factor.

Volitional Exertion
The pilot study reveals the key: in both approaches, the subjects were trained to push themselves to voluntary or what’s termed in the business as “volitional exertion.” It doesn’t mean barely able to lift the weight without assistance—it means that it would be a challenge to do one more repetition. It wasn’t the weight; it was the effort.

The Bottom Line

Since I talked about the 3/7 weight training program in the last Super Bowl webinar, I’ve favored that approach the most in my recommendations. It would be the low-resistance, high-repetition, two days per week approach. It seems better for beginners because even a two-pound resistance will produce results as long as they go to volitional exertion.

The author of the Washington Post article got it wrong when she said it would be easy to add muscle; it still requires consistency and effort. But it’s easier because it can be done in the comfort of your own home. Now, if we can just get everyone to do that—but that’s a challenge for another day.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

References:
1. Br J Sports Med 2023;0:1–12. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2023-106807
2. Experimental Gerontology https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2023.112219