The Biggest & Most Important Study of All Time On Growing Muscle

Big Paul here with some insights on muscle growth!

In the world of evidence-based muscle gurus, everyone seems to miss the biggest study on muscle growth ever done. They analyze forty-year-old studies on cancer patients, sick children, and rats yet completely miss out on the most important data collection of all time. They get drilled in on a cohort that has nothing to do with bodybuilding and try to make these far-flung assumptions that it has anything to do with what we are doing.

Back in the early 2000s, we had the era of Bro scientists. Some great ideas came from message boards, but there was also a lot of bad information. At least they were looking in the right areas. Now, we live in the age of evidence-based pseudo-scientists who cherry-pick studies to confirm their biases. Just reading an abstract and conclusion doesn't make you an expert. And most of these studies have absolutely nothing to do with bodybuilding.

Don't get me wrong, I love science and studies, but I'm also realistic about their limitations. I've been a science major, love reading studies, and often consult experts. But here's the thing – understanding studies isn't easy. You need a good grasp of statistics and mathematics and strong reading comprehension skills to truly get what's going on. And then they use these studies they don't fully understand to confirm their biases.

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Here's The Real Study We Should be Analyzing:

The biggest and most comprehensive study on muscle growth is the real-world experience of thousands of top-level bodybuilding competitors. Look at what they've done to win their Pro cards and succeed. Why in the fuck are dudes analyzing studies done on sick children, rats, and old women and not looking at the thousands who have achieved success in bodybuilding. Wouldn't that make more sense?

It's simple when you step back and look at what these pros have done. They share some basic similarities.

1. Diet: Eat meat and rice five to six times a day. Avoid getting fat.

2. Performance-Enhancing Drugs (PEDs): Use basic PEDs, increasing doses as you grow. Test, GH, your favorite anabolic, and maybe some insulin.

3. Training: Lift progressively and with the intent of hypertrophy. Most successful bodybuilders use similar training styles, whether PPL (push-pull-legs) or bro splits, with moderate to high volume.

Avoid Overcomplicating Shit:

Don't get caught up in the minutiae. The basics work, and the formula isn't rocket science. Sure, there's nuance, and refinements can help, especially at higher levels. But for most people, focusing on the fundamentals is key. Lift like a bodybuilder, eat like a bodybuilder, take PEDs like a bodybuilder, and do it consistently for seven to ten years. Don't worry about the osmolarity of your intra-workout shake or your injection timing, and blah, blah, until you have that 95% buttoned up.

Your Thoughts: What do you think? Are the basics more important, or do the details matter more? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Stay strong and keep learning!

BIG PAUL