What type of exercise is likely to cause the greatest increase in blood pressure?

Engagement in resistance training, particularly using heavy loads, tends to elevate blood pressure more significantly than other forms of exercise. When performing an exercise like the leg press at 85% of one-repetition maximum (1RM), the body requires substantial muscular exertion. This intensity leads to greater demands on the cardiovascular system, resulting in a marked increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure during the lift.

During high-load resistance exercises, the Valsalva maneuver is often employed, where individuals hold their breath while exerting effort, causing a temporary spike in blood pressure. This physiological response, combined with the overall strain of lifting heavy weights, results in higher peaks in blood pressure compared to other forms of exercise such as aerobic activities, which do not usually elicit the same degree of pressure response when performed at moderate intensities.

In contrast, while aerobic exercise and circuit training can elevate blood pressure, they do so to a lesser extent due to the nature of continuous movement and lower operational intensities. Interval sprints can also produce high cardiovascular responses, but the specific heavy resistance of exercises like the leg press remains the most influential in causing blood pressure spikes. Thus, the leg press at an intense percentage of 1RM generates the most significant