Importance of volume in training

One thing that I think gets overlooked in training quite often, is volume.  It seems like people are either purely doing bodybuilding and only do pump training and don't touch heavy weights, or are dogmatically following the ideology of some olympic lifting programs and think that anything more than 3 reps is "conditioning".  While both sides have some valid points, I think that both sides are silly.  In my experience, I've had a lot better results when I have trained with much higher volume and sub-maximal weights.  I think that this happens for two main reasons.

The first, and most important reason, is that strength is a skill.  How do you get better at a skill?  Practice.  Practicing with lighter weights allows one to have better technique, while using a lighter workload.  Sometimes swallowing the humble pill and trying to get more work out of less weight is a good thing.  Why use more weight than is needed?

Secondly, volume allows you to build muscle, which is what allows you to lift weights.  I have noticed something very disturbing, at least to me, recently.  When did the philosophy change occur that made it seem uncool to use actual MUSCLE to lift weights?  I get that people who may compete in a strength sport need an optimal ratio of weight to strength, but some people need to realize that it will take some actual hypertophy work to get more than a shitty 315 "ATG" squat.  I don't care how light you are, or your asshole literally touches the ground, or your technique is perfect, it's still just 315 lbs.  That's probably not going to get you to your goals.

"Hypertrophy is gay bro.  Bodybuilding4fagz"