The great debate for those gymgoers who are looking to build muscle is whether to put the focus on building strength or muscle. While it seems like the two would go hand-in-hand, it largely depends on your approach to lifting weights. There are many strength-focused workouts and exercises that can help you build lean muscle while also improving strength dramatically.
On the opposite end of that is the aspect of building muscle size. Hypothetically, this could include trying to put on weight by increasing size through weight lifting. A common misconception about the two is how strength and size work, and how to compare them, which was recently detailed.
Expert Joins Andrew Huberman to Discuss Strength vs. Muscle Size Workouts
During a recent segment on Andrew Huberman’s podcast, Huberman Lab, Dr. Andy Galpin, the Director of the Human Performance Center at Parker University, broke down both types of workouts. Ultimately, he pinpointed the specifics between working out for strength and doing so for size (hypertrophy), as Huberman Lap Clips detailed.
“When we talk about strength, we’re talking about an actual function. So can you create more force across a muscle or muscle groups or total movement?” Galpin said. “When we talk about hypertrophy, now we’re specifically referring to just an increase in size. There’s no actual mention of function.”
Galpin explains that when first beginning lifting weights, or doing so at the intermediate level, there’s a huge crossover between the two (strength and size). He explains that you can add strength without adding muscle potentially, whether it’s personal preference, or in an effort to remain in a specific weight class for a sport hypothetically.
“Differentiating these two things: one of them is simply a measure of size and the other one is a measure of force.”
Executive Director of the Human Performance Center at @ParkerUniv, @DrAndyGalpin explains the difference between training for strength and muscle size (hypertrophy).
“When we talk about strength, we’re talking about an actual function. So can you create more force across a… pic.twitter.com/czRF9Tqj6g
— Huberman Lab Clips (@HLPClips) September 11, 2025
It’s an interesting breakdown from Galpin, who dives much deeper into the conversation and discusses the similarities and differences. However, one key takeaway is that if you’re looking to generate as much force or strength as possible, focusing on building for that over size will help you attain the goals you’re seeking.
Related: Andrew Huberman Explains Caffeine’s Surprising Impact on Focus and Performance
