Mixed
High-volume resistance training (lighter loads, higher reps) produces greater skeletal muscle hypertrophy than high-load resistance training (heavier loads, fewer reps) when volume is equated or higher in the high-volume condition.
To maximize muscle growth, prioritize higher volume with lighter loads (around 60% of your one-rep max) performed for more repetitions (e.g., 10 reps per set) rather than just heavy loads. This approach was shown to significantly increase muscle size in trained individuals over 6 weeks, whereas heavy loads alone did not produce significant growth in this specific protocol.
A significant interaction existed for VL muscle cross-sectional area (assessed via magnetic resonance imaging; interaction p = 0.046), where HV increased this metric from PRE to POST (+3.2%, p = 0.018) whereas HL training did not (−0.1%, p = 0.475).
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial with trained subjects, objective MRI measures, and molecular analysis, though small sample size (n=15).
Source
Effects of High-Volume Versus High-Load Resistance Training on Skeletal Muscle Growth and Molecular Adaptations
Christopher G. Vann et al. · Frontiers in Physiology · 2022
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