Mixed
High-load resistance training (HL-RT) produces significantly greater muscle hypertrophy than low-load resistance training with blood flow restriction (LL-RT with BFR) in upper limb exercises.
When training upper body muscles (like biceps or shoulders) with blood flow restriction, you may not get as much muscle growth as you would with heavy weights. If your goal is maximum upper body size, high-load training might be more effective than BFR. However, BFR is still a viable option for rehabilitation or when heavy weights are not possible, just expect potentially smaller gains compared to heavy lifting.
analyses involving studies that evaluated upper limb muscles identified statistical differences favoring HL-RT (SMD = 0.231 (95% CI [0.138–0.324]); p = 0.005; I2 = 0%).
Why this rating
Based on a small number of studies (n=4, 10 comparisons) with limited statistical power and potential methodological issues (low loads used).
Source
Hypertrophic effects of low-load blood flow restriction training with different repetition schemes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Victor Sabino de Queirós et al. · PeerJ · 2024
DOI 10.7717/peerj.17195
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