The Revive Stronger Podcast

479: Everything You Need To Know About Training Volume & Hypertrophy - Greg Nuckols

12 snips
Aug 2, 2025
Greg Nuckols, a writer and researcher at Stronger By Science, shares his insights into training volume and its impact on hypertrophy and strength. He clarifies common misconceptions about muscle growth, emphasizing that increased volume doesn't always equate to greater strength gains. The discussion dives into the complexity of biological systems, the role of training to failure, and the importance of context in interpreting exercise research. Nuckols also debates rationalism vs. empiricism in fitness science, shedding light on how to better understand training metrics and outcomes.
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INSIGHT

Defining Training Volume

  • Training volume is best measured as hard sets per muscle group, typically per week.
  • More hard sets usually yield more hypertrophic stimulus but all sets aren't equal in effectiveness.
INSIGHT

Sets as a Volume Heuristic

  • Counting sets is a useful heuristic for comparing volume across studies.
  • It doesn't imply all sets or exercises are equally effective for muscle growth.
INSIGHT

Complexity of Causation in Hypertrophy

  • Strict causation in training variables is often unattainable due to biological complexity.
  • Volume correlates with hypertrophy but no single factor fully causes it due to multi-faceted physiology.
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