Research
Mixed
Resistance training to momentary muscular failure using lighter loads (30% 1RM) maintains muscle hypertrophy and size comparably to heavy loads (80-90% 1RM) during periods of restricted training.
If you only have light weights, lift them until you physically cannot complete another repetition. This maintains muscle size as effectively as heavy weights, though maximum strength gains may be slightly lower.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
10 weeks of knee-extension training to failure at 30 % 1RM and 80 % 1RM in healthy young men resulted in a similar change in quadriceps volume (hypertrophy), although gains in strength as assessed by 1RM was significantly higher following training at 80 % 1RM [76].
Why this rating
Based on healthy young men studies, not elite collision sport athletes, but cited as key evidence.
Source
Returning to Play after Prolonged Training Restrictions in ProfessionalCollision Sports
Keith Stokes et al. · International Journal of Sports Medicine · 2020
DOI 10.1055/a-1180-3692
narrative_reviewCited 111×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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