Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 15, 2025
Non-invasive Assessments of Subjective and Objective Recovery Characteristics Following an Exhaustive Jump Protocol
Published on: June 8, 2017
Does Protocol Matter for Repetition Volume? A Meta-Analytic Investigation of Volitional Failure Versus the
Nicholas Rolnick1,2,3,4, Victor S de Queiros5, Ethan C Hill6
1Department of Exercise Science and Recreation, CUNY Lehman College, New York, NY, USA. nick@thebfrpros.com.
Background:
It is recommended to prescribe sets to volitional muscular failure (e.g., 4 sets) or a fixed repetition scheme of 75 repetitions (1 × 30, 3 × 15) in low-load resistance exercise with blood flow restriction (BFR-RE). While prior studies suggest both protocols may elicit similar muscular adaptations, the extent to which this is explained by matched exercise volume remains unclear.
Objectives:
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the number of repetitions performed during four sets of low-load BFR-RE to volitional muscular failure and compared these with the fixed 75-repetition scheme. The goal was to determine whether the two protocols yield similar total and per-set repetition volumes.
Methods:
On 10/31/2024, two databases (PubMed® and Scopus) were used to identify studies that applied a protocol of four sets to volitional muscular failure in BFR-RE with a load of ≤ 50% of one repetition maximum (1RM), regardless of the outcome investigated. Mean repetition data were pooled using a random-effects meta-analysis. One-sample t-tests compared per-set and total volumes to the reference scheme (1 × 30, 3 × 15).
Results:
Across 25 studies (47 means; n = 678), the estimated total repetitions performed to failure was 73.1 (95% CI: 61.1 to 85.2). Per-set means were 36.0 (95% CI: 30.5 to 41.4), 14.7 (95% CI: 12.2 to 17.1), 11.5 (95% CI: 9.2 to 13.8), and 10.4 repetitions (95% CI: 8.1 to 12.7) for sets 1 through 4, respectively.
Conclusion:
Four sets of BFR-RE to volitional muscular failure produce similar total repetition volume compared to the commonly implemented fixed 75-repetition scheme, though the distribution of repetitions per set differs. These findings provide insight into the mechanical equivalence of two widely used BFR-RE prescriptions.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Cardiac Output II: Effect of Stroke Volume on Cardiac Output
Preload
Preload refers to the initial elongation of the cardiac myocytes before contraction and is related to the volume of blood filling the heart at the end of diastole, or end-diastolic volume. The...
01:27Exercise and Muscle Performance
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...
01:27Regulation of Stroke Volume
Preload refers to the degree of stretch on the heart before it contracts. It's analogous to the stretching of a rubber band; the more it's stretched, the more forcefully it snaps back. This concept is encapsulated in the Frank-Starling law of the...