S1E22 Pt1: Greg Nuckols on the Science of Strength

"Dude, if you're like a hardcore Ketofile, you're probably not going to be aware of the vast majority of research that says otherwise. If you're not spending time on Pub-med, and you're mostly spending time reading blogs and perusing social media, you find yourself in an echo chamber. Then if you get in a discussion and toss those studies out at people, it's not cherry picking, that's just being unaware of what else is out there."How Greg felt about presenting at a fitness conference. - Greg described presenting with Eric Helms and Mike Tuchscherer as a surreal and great experience. 

[2:00]How Greg started. - The story of how Greg got started in the industry until now, where he is invited to speak internationally. Greg didn’t feel like his formal education is really meaningful. Greg learned out of genuine curiosity as to why things are true. Greg started writing on GregNuckols.com because of the encouragement of his wife. Next, Greg started to offer online training because he was moving cities. Greg decided not to go back to school, and instead worked with his wife, Lindsay, to focus on their online business. 

[3:00]Greg as a speaker. - Greg doesn’t take himself too seriously, even through his material is very data driven. Greg also doesn’t feel like he is on the same level as others with a more formal education. 

[7:30]Contradicting studies. - Greg explains why this myth exists and how he recommends you critique research findings. Greg mentions different populations, different methods of data collection, different methods of study design, or statistical change. Greg admits that single studies can be wrong, but that’s where a larger body of research is valuable. 

[9:30]People caught in an “echo chamber.” - Greg thinks that people are generally not cherry picking, but instead are caught in an echo chamber. If you are not spending time on PubMed, you are simply unaware of the information that is out there. 

[17:15]Hanlon’s Razor. - "Do not ascribe to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity." 

[19:00]The Dunning-Kruger effect. - What you think you know versus what you actually know. People who didn’t know much on a topic tend to overestimate how much they know. Greg thinks that more people should use the statement, “I think.” 

[20:30]Keeping up with research. - How crucial is keeping up with research yourself versus relying on a research review? What Greg recommends you do. Most of the time, Greg recommends to let other people model how to interpret research. If you struggle to read a paper, it is likely not relevant to you. Research reviews, such as MASS, are also available. Sometimes, Greg feels that other people’s interpretations of papers are incorrect. 

[27:15] Thanks for listening - Andy and Greg

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