“If You Don’t Get Sore… You Don’t Grow Muscles”: Bodybuilders at Odds Over Biggest Debate Around Muscle Hypertrophy

What happens when you put science-based bodybuilders in a room, one who is a YouTuber and the other an exercise scientist? Jeff Nippard and Dr. Mike Israetel voicing their opinions on prevalent beliefs around bodybuilding, is the outcome. In his most recent video, natural bodybuilder Jeff Nippard sat with Mike Israetel to discuss popular advice around exercise.

For decades, even before dedicated exercise research started, people gauged the effectiveness of an exercise session according to their soreness level. While scientific studies have shown that there is more to exercise effectiveness than soreness, for the casual gym goer, soreness remains a common gauge. However, both Nippard and Israetel had slightly differing opinions on it.

The bodybuilding experts didn’t agree on all counts

Jeff Nippard and Mike Israetel discussed advice on muscle growth in the YouTube video titled OVERRATED: The Worst Fitness Advice Ever. However, the natural bodybuilder and powerlifter uploaded a behind-the-scenes clip of their conversation that didn’t make the final cut. In the clip, Nippard said that soreness was overrated, while Israetel said the phenomenon was underrated.

Nippard said a lot of people think that “if you didn’t get sore… you didn’t build muscle,” in the gym. The Youtuber said such a conclusion is “definitely not true,” Hence giving such advice isn’t for the best. However, Dr. Mike Israetel had a different opinion. “I think it’s become fashionable lately, in the evidence-based (bodybuilding) community, to say that soreness is overrated,” said the bodybuilder.

The exercise scientist said that soreness “doesn’t mean anything… fails on at least seven or eight logical grounds.” Israetel revealed how training either high intensity or high volume, focusing on the eccentric and generating more metabolites during a workout session would result in increased soreness. Israetel argued that, besides soreness, these principals also have a close “link” with muscular hypertrophy.

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However, Jeff Nippard disagreed an maintained that there were training methods where one might feel sore but not build any muscle. The natural bodybuilder explained that if he switched up his bodybuilding routine and ran a marathon, he would feel sore despite not building muscle. Yet again, Israetel responded that at least in the initial stages of the training, even marathon runners put on muscle.

Despite somewhat disagreeing with one another’s points, the bodybuilding enthusiasts didn’t argue. They respected their viewpoints. Meanwhile, bodybuilding and fitness fans have definitely learned a lot about soreness.

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