The Science of Muscle Building with James Krieger

In this episode, I’m joined by James Krieger, editor of REPS (Research Review for Exercise & Physique Science), to break down what the meta-analyses really say about building muscle.We cover:• The single most important driver of hypertrophy• The dose–response relationship between volume and muscle growth• Is there a cap to effective volume?• Training to failure: necessary or overrated?• Frequency: how often should you train a muscle?• Stretch-mediated hypertrophy and long-length partials• Why some volume studies appear to “disagree”If you’re tired of social media hot takes and want to understand what the totality of evidence actually shows, this episode is for you.James and I also discuss how we evaluate research quality and why context matters when interpreting studies, something we do every month inside the issues of REPS, where we break down the latest exercise and physique research so you don’t have to.If you want deeper dives into the actual studies discussed in this episode (and many more), check out REPS at https://biolayne.com/repsSPONSORS• REPS - Research Explained in Practical Summaries: https://biolayne.com/reps• Workout Builder – Customized training programs for all experience levels: https://biolayne.com/workout-builderLAYNE'S COMPANIESCarbon Diet Coach: https://joincarbon.com/podcastOutwork Nutrition: https://outworknutrition.comREPS Research Review: https://biolayne.com/repsWorkout Builder: https://biolayne.com/workout-builderTeam Biolayne: https://biolayne.com/online-coachingPhysique Coaching Academy: https://physiquecoachingacademy.comFOLLOW LAYNEhttp://www.facebook.com/laynenortonhttp://www.twitter.com/biolaynehttp://www.instagram.com/biolayneTIMESTAMPS0:00:00 - Intro0:02:39 - James Background0:04:01 - OG Message Boards0:06:24 - Who To Listen To0:15:01 - REPS0:15:53 - Hypertrophy0:26:02 - Compound vs Isolation Movements0:33:05 - Subjective Feelings on Training0:37:50 - Training Flexibility0:43:22 - Training Volume0:47:05 - Defining Sets0:51:59 - Volume Analysis1:02:27 - Research Challenges1:08:12 - Workout Builder1:09:08 - Study Discrepancies1:16:55 - High vs Low Volume1:22:40 - Time Constraints1:25:15 - Volume Cycling1:30:11 - Volume Adaptation1:34:37 - Range of Motion1:44:35 - What Have You Changed Your Mind On1:59:36 - OutroSHOW NOTEShttps://biolayne.com/podcasts/dr-layne-norton-podcast/the-science-of-muscle-building-with-james-krieger-episode-21