Takeaways
- Strength is more load specific than hypertrophy.
- Muscle growth can happen with lower or higher loads if effort stays high.
- Choose rep ranges that match the exercise, goal, and joint tolerance.
Why this matters
The right load is the one that lets you get enough high quality work while still supporting the adaptation you actually want.
Sources
- Schoenfeld et al. 2017. Low-load vs high-load resistance training meta-analysis. PMID: 28834797
- Grgic et al. 2022. Failure vs non-failure training meta-analysis. PMID: 33497853