The DOI matches its Crossref record; 67 of the 67 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Effects of Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training on Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy in Well-Trained Men
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of low- versus high-load resistance training (RT) on muscular adaptations in well-trained subjects. Eighteen young men experienced in RT were matched according to baseline strength and then randomly assigned to 1 of 2 experimental groups: a low-load RT routine (LL) where 25-35 repetitions were performed per set per exercise (n = 9) or a high-load RT routine (HL) where 8-12 repetitions were performed per set per exercise (n = 9). During each session, subjects in both groups performed 3 sets of 7 different exercises representing all major muscles. Training was performed 3 times per week on nonconsecutive days, for a total of 8 weeks. Both HL and LL conditions produced significant increases in thickness of the elbow flexors (5.3 vs. 8.6%, respectively), elbow extensors (6.0 vs. 5.2%, respectively), and quadriceps femoris (9.3 vs. 9.5%, respectively), with no significant differences noted between groups. Improvements in back squat strength were significantly greater for HL compared with LL (19.6 vs. 8.8%, respectively), and there was a trend for greater increases in 1 repetition maximum (1RM) bench press (6.5 vs. 2.0%, respectively). Upper body muscle endurance (assessed by the bench press at 50% 1RM to failure) improved to a greater extent in LL compared with HL (16.6 vs. -1.2%, respectively). These findings indicate that both HL and LL training to failure can elicit significant increases in muscle hypertrophy among well-trained young men; however, HL training is superior for maximizing strength adaptations.
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In the citing paper
“Research into resistance training variables shows that load, volume, frequency, and rest intervals, influence the amount of skeletal muscle hypertrophy induced [33–35].”
From Effects of Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy on Fat Mass and Glucose Homeostasis in Humans and Animals: A Narrative Review with Systematic Literature Search (2025) · cites this paper as [33]
In the citing paper
“Both high-load (> 60% of one-repetition maximum, 1RM) and low-load (< 60% 1RM) protocols can induce hypertrophy of a similar magnitude [33].”
From Effects of Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy on Fat Mass and Glucose Homeostasis in Humans and Animals: A Narrative Review with Systematic Literature Search (2025) · cites this paper as [33]
In the citing paper
“Even resistance-trained individuals show increases in strength when training with very light loads, albeit to a lesser extent than with the use of heavy loads [16,17].”
From Loading recommendations for muscle strength, hypertrophy, and local endurance: a re-examination of the repetition continuum. (2021) · cites this paper as [17]
In the citing paper
“For example, our group [17] reported similar increases in muscle thickness of the biceps, triceps and quadriceps between moderate- (~10RM) and light- (~30RM) loads in a cohort of resistance-trained men performing a total body RT program over 8 weeks.”
From Loading recommendations for muscle strength, hypertrophy, and local endurance: a re-examination of the repetition continuum. (2021) · cites this paper as [17]
Citations
Cites
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“These results run contrary to generally accepted hypertrophy training guidelines, which profess that loads of at least 65% are necessary to stimulate muscle growth in welltrained individuals (25,26,31).”
ResultProgression Models in Resistance Training for Healthy Adults
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“required to fully recruit higher threshold motor units (26).”
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“Early-phase RT strength adaptations are predominantly related to improvements in the ability of the nervous system to efficiently activate and coordinate muscles, whereas the role of hypertrophy for strength becomes increasingly more relevant as one gains experience (51,54).”
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Cited by
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Items 401–416 of 416
Wu, G., & Li, N. (2026) · Frontiers in Physiology · doi:10.3389/fphys.2026.1832044
“Subsequent evidence further re fi ned this mechanism: Schoenfeld et al. (2015) reported that both high-load and low-load resistance training can drive hypertrophy, but high-load training is more positive for enhancing strength (Schoenfeld et al., 2015); Haun et al. (2019) and Andersen and Aagaard…”
Ghorbani, A., Saidie, P., Hasandokht, T., Tousi, S. M. T. R., Salari, A., & Marzolini, S. (2026) · Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention · doi:10.1097/hcr.0000000000001034
Xia, S., Wang, Y., Zhang, X., Ji, Y., & Wen, X. (2026) · European Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1007/s00421-026-06289-4
“Thus, it has a distinct mathematical relationship with repetition tempo (the duration of the con - centric and eccentric phases) and VL, as reported in a sys - tematic review and meta-analysis (Schoenfeld et al. 2015a, b ).”
Olmos, A. A., Lawson, D. J., Sontag, S. A., Richardson, L. D., Roth, B. L., Jeon, S., Redinger, A. L., Gamache, S., & Trevino, M. A. (2026) · Experimental Brain Research · doi:10.1007/s00221-026-07334-6
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Machado, F. A., Almeida, G. J., Santos, F. R. A., Cipriano, G. F. B., Cipriano, G., Cardoso, J. R., & Martins, W. R. (2026) · Clinical Medicine Insights Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Disorders · doi:10.1177/11795441261446451
Ramsey, J. L., Walsh, J., Asare, A., Guluzade, N. A., Faricier, R., Thiessen, J. S., Boldt, K., & Belfry, G. R. (2026) · The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research · doi:10.1519/jsc.0000000000005596
Albajalan, D. M. A., Sheikholeslami‐Vatani, D., Rostamzadeh, N., Saifalddin, D. L., & Rahim, H. A. (2026) · Sport Sciences for Health · doi:10.1007/s11332-026-01901-8
“To further elucidate the relationship between external load progression and physiological adaptations, we incorporated periodic assessments of maximal dynamic strength, specifically the one-repetition maximum (1RM) [10].”
InfluentialLee, C. X. Y., Crossman, A. J., & Kedgley, A. E. (2026) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0354893
“Heavy weight squats were defined as 80% of a participant’s 1RM [10] and had a low number of repetitions, which was chosen as three, in line with previous studies [10,11].”
Vasconcelos, T., Ruivo, A., Refalo, M. C., Lucas, G. C., Vasconcelos, P. R., Brito, J. P., Vilaça‐Alves, J., & Oliveira, R. F. S. (2026) · The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research · doi:10.1519/jsc.0000000000005494
Vasconcelos, T., Alves, A. R., Refalo, M. C., Lucas, G. C., Vasconcelos, P. R., Brito, J. P., Casanova, F., Vilaça‐Alves, J., & Oliveira, R. F. S. (2026) · Muscles · doi:10.3390/muscles5030061
“…program designs require the appropriate manipulation of numerous training variables, including the total volume completed [5], the load lifted [4,6,7], the selection of specific exercises, the duration of recovery between sets [8], and the frequency of training stimuli [9], all of which may be…”
Jarosz, J., Helbin, J., & Koźlenia, D. (2026) · Journal of Human Kinetics · doi:10.5114/jhk/225036
“The CMJ and DJ performance was evaluated using a valid and reliable force plate (ForceDecks, Vald Performance, Australia) sampled at 1000 Hz (Collings et al., 2024; Schoenfeld et al., 2015).”
Bagheri, R., Ghobadi, H., Mansordehghan, M., CAMERA, D. M., & Kargarfard, M. (2026) · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · doi:10.1080/15502783.2026.2720742
“Muscular endurance was defined as the total number of technically valid repetitions completed to technical failure [26].”
Dickerson, B. L., Gonzalez, D. E., Comfort, P., Hardy, J. G., Hines, K., Anderson, D. N., Macaulay, T. R., Stankovic, A. S., & Twine, C. (2026) · Frontiers in Physiology · doi:10.3389/fphys.2026.1950155
“These training principles affect changes in hypertrophy and strength differentially, with resistance load primarily determining changes in strength (Schoenfeld et al., 2015; Refalo et al., 2021; McLeod et al., 2024) and volume determining hypertrophy outcomes (Schoenfeld et al., 2017; McLeod et…”
Gutiérrez‐Espinoza, H., Cuyúl-Vásquez, I., Valenzuela‐Fuenzalida, J. J., Ponce‐Fuentes, F., Veas, J. R., & Araya‐Quintanilla, F. (2026) · Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation · doi:10.1177/10538127261489858
SantaBarbara, N. J., Kurdziel, L., Cellucci, J., Conz, K., Finlayson, H. A., McKinney, R., & Bharath, L. P. (2026) · Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care · doi:10.1097/jnc.0000000000000703
Metadata
- Authors
- Schoenfeld, B. J., Peterson, M. D., Ogborn, D., Contreras, B., & Sonmez, G. T.
- Affiliations
- Lehman College (US)
- Corresponding author
- Schoenfeld, Brad J.
- Venue
- Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
- Published
- 2015-10
- Volume
- 29
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 2954-2963
- ISSN
- 1064-8011 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1995833662
- Cited by
- 418
- References
- 67
- Citations by year
- 2026: 24 · 2025: 40 · 2024: 40 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 43 · 2021: 40 · 2020: 45 · 2019: 40 · 2018: 35 · 2017: 38 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 8
- FWCI
- 35.93
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology (medical) › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Keywords
- resistance training, training load, muscle hypertrophy, muscle strength, trained men, training to failure, muscular endurance, back squat, bench press, elbow flexors, elbow extensors, quadriceps
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Physiological, Adult, Humans, Hypertrophy, Male, Physical Fitness, Random Allocation, Muscle, Skeletal, Upper Extremity, Lower Extremity, Muscle Strength, Resistance Training, Young Adult
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