Most people can build muscle with proper training and diet, not genetics
Original: 7 Dazzling New Studies For Serious Lifters [2025]
TL;DR
Scientific evidence supports that muscle growth is achievable for nearly everyone through modifiable lifestyle factors, while common practices like post-workout stretching and calorie-tracking apps show limited effectiveness.
Quick Answer
The video reveals seven key findings from recent studies: 1) 'Hardgainer' status is not genetic but due to suboptimal training, diet, or lifestyle; 2) Lengthened bias training shows no significant advantage over shortened bias training for muscle growth; 3) Eccentric exercise is not inherently more damaging than concentric exercise when familiarity is controlled; 4) My Fitness Pal is unreliable for calorie tracking due to database inconsistencies; 5) AI tools like ChatGPT are highly inaccurate at estimating calories from food photos; 6) Heavy workouts can prime athletic performance hours later due to neuromuscular potentiation; and 7) Post-workout stretching has no meaningful impact on soreness, strength, or injury prevention. A bonus study supports using combo sets to save time and increase training volume.
Claims (6)
1. Everyone can lose fat, get stronger, and build muscle with the right diet and exercise — how much they gain might differ, but the ability is there for all of us.
2. If you're lifting weights on machines and going through the full motion, it doesn't really matter whether you focus more on the stretch or squeeze part — you'll gain about the same muscle and strength.
3. Most of the reason why people gain muscle at different rates isn't because of their genes—it's because of things they can change, like how hard they train, how much they eat, and how focused they are in the gym.
4. Some people don't gain muscle with certain workout volumes, but they might grow a lot when switching to a different amount—meaning everyone might respond best to their own 'sweet spot' for lifting volume.
5. Everyone can build muscle with consistent strength training over time — if you didn’t gain muscle once, it’s probably not your genes, just that specific training phase didn’t work for you.
6. Just because someone doesn't gain muscle in one workout phase doesn't mean they never will—everyone eventually gains muscle with enough training over time.
Key Takeaways
- •Problem: Many lifters think they can't gain muscle because they're 'hardgainers,' use inaccurate calorie tracking apps or AI, do ineffective post-workout stretching, and miss out on time-saving training methods.
- •Core methods: 1) Treat 'hardgainer' status as a fixable issue, not genetics; 2) Use full range of motion instead of lengthened bias training; 3) Recognize eccentric training isn't more damaging; 4) Avoid My Fitness Pal and AI calorie estimation; 5) Use Cronometer or food labels; 6) Leverage neuromuscular priming after heavy workouts; 7) Skip post-workout stretching; 8) Use combo sets like bench + rows or squats + chin-ups.
- •How methods work: 1) Everyone can gain muscle with proper training, diet, and lifestyle; 2) Full range of motion builds more muscle than focusing on stretched positions; 3) Eccentric damage is overestimated when people aren't used to it; 4) My Fitness Pal has inconsistent food entries; 5) AI can't see hidden fats in restaurant food; 6) Heavy lifting can make you stronger and faster hours later; 7) Stretching only makes you better at stretching, not less sore or injured; 8) Combo sets save time and let you do more work.
- •Expected outcomes: Better muscle growth, more accurate nutrition tracking, improved performance without extra training, reduced workout time, and no wasted effort on ineffective routines.
- •Implementation timeframe: Results from improved training and tracking can be seen within weeks; neuromuscular priming effects occur within hours of heavy lifting; combo sets can be implemented immediately.
Overview
Many lifters believe they are genetically limited 'hardgainers' or rely on popular but unproven methods like lengthened bias training, post-workout stretching, or AI-based calorie tracking. These beliefs are challenged by new evidence. This summary presents findings from seven 2025 studies that address muscle growth non-response, training modalities (lengthened bias, eccentric, combo sets), neuromuscular priming, and nutrition tracking accuracy. The solutions include optimizing training variables, using reliable tracking tools like Cronometer or food labels, leveraging potentiation effects, and eliminating ineffective practices like routine post-workout stretching.
Key Terms
How to Apply
- 1.Step 1: If you're not gaining muscle, reassess your training volume, intensity, recovery, protein intake, and consistency—do not assume you're a genetic 'hardgainer'; implement structured progressive overload and track workouts.
- 2.Step 2: Replace lengthened bias training with full range of motion exercises; avoid overemphasizing stretched positions unless supported by specific muscle biomechanics (e.g., quads, calves).
- 3.Step 3: Perform eccentric and concentric training normally—do not avoid eccentrics due to fear of damage; ensure balanced familiarity with both contraction types.
- 4.Step 4: Stop using My Fitness Pal for accurate tracking; instead, use Cronometer, MyNetDiary, or manually input food using actual nutrition labels and weighed portions.
- 5.Step 5: Do not rely on AI to estimate calories from food photos; always weigh and measure meals, especially when eating out, to avoid hidden calorie errors.
- 6.Step 6: Schedule explosive or skill-based activities (e.g., sprints, jumps) 3–6 hours after heavy resistance training to leverage neuromuscular priming effects.
- 7.Step 7: Eliminate routine post-workout stretching unless training for specific flexibility goals (e.g., splits); stretching does not reduce soreness or injury risk.
- 8.Step 8: Implement combo sets (e.g., bench press + seated row, squat + chin-up) with 60–90 seconds rest between supersets to reduce total workout time and increase weekly training volume safely.
By following these steps, lifters will experience improved muscle growth, more accurate nutrition tracking, enhanced athletic performance through neuromuscular priming, reduced workout duration, and elimination of ineffective practices, leading to sustainable long-term physique transformation.
Studies from Description (9)
Additional Links (3)
Claims (6)
1. Everyone can lose fat, get stronger, and build muscle with the right diet and exercise — how much they gain might differ, but the ability is there for all of us.
2. If you're lifting weights on machines and going through the full motion, it doesn't really matter whether you focus more on the stretch or squeeze part — you'll gain about the same muscle and strength.
3. Most of the reason why people gain muscle at different rates isn't because of their genes—it's because of things they can change, like how hard they train, how much they eat, and how focused they are in the gym.
4. Some people don't gain muscle with certain workout volumes, but they might grow a lot when switching to a different amount—meaning everyone might respond best to their own 'sweet spot' for lifting volume.
5. Everyone can build muscle with consistent strength training over time — if you didn’t gain muscle once, it’s probably not your genes, just that specific training phase didn’t work for you.
6. Just because someone doesn't gain muscle in one workout phase doesn't mean they never will—everyone eventually gains muscle with enough training over time.
Related Content
Claims (6)
Everyone can build muscle with consistent strength training over time — if you didn’t gain muscle once, it’s probably not your genes, just that specific training phase didn’t work for you.
Everyone can lose fat, get stronger, and build muscle with the right diet and exercise — how much they gain might differ, but the ability is there for all of us.
Just because someone doesn't gain muscle in one workout phase doesn't mean they never will—everyone eventually gains muscle with enough training over time.
Most of the reason why people gain muscle at different rates isn't because of their genes—it's because of things they can change, like how hard they train, how much they eat, and how focused they are in the gym.
Some people don't gain muscle with certain workout volumes, but they might grow a lot when switching to a different amount—meaning everyone might respond best to their own 'sweet spot' for lifting volume.
Studies (9)
Repeated Resistance Training Reveals the Reproducibility of Muscle Strength and Size Responses Within Individuals
DOI: 10.1002/ejsc.70095
Stretch vs Squeeze: The Impact of Varying Resistance Challenge at Long vs Short Muscle Lengths. A Randomized Controlled Trial
DOI: 10.51224/SRXIV.660
The effects of concentric and eccentric exercise performed at long muscle length on muscle damage
DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2025.2577034
Reliability and Validity of Nutrient Assessment Applications for Canadian Endurance Athletes: MyFitnessPal and Cronometer
DOI: 10.1111/jhn.70148
Performance Evaluation of 3 Large Language Models for Nutritional Content Estimation from Food Images
DOI: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2025.107556