Do Muscles Compete for Growth?
The Strength Log
If you train your legs hard, could they steal gains from your upper body? In today’s episode, that put the idea of muscles competing for growth to the test by having one group train only their biceps and another train both their biceps and quads. Did adding all that leg training leave fewer resources for the biceps to grow? We dig into the results, what they tell us about local versus whole-body factors in muscle growth, and revisit the old claim that training your legs first and then your arms will actually make your arms grow more. Finally, we answer a question about how to approach leg...
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How Many Calories Does It Take to Build a Kilogram of Muscle?
The Strength Log
How many calories does your body actually need to build muscle? In today’s episode, we discuss that attempts to calculate the energy cost of building a kilogram of muscle, from the energy stored in the new tissue to the surprisingly high cost of actually constructing it. We also talk about the ramifications this has for your . How big should your calorie surplus be? How quickly should you gain weight? And do you even need to bulk to build muscle in the first place? To end the episode, we answer listener questions about whether you can outtrain a bad diet and whether you should switch to...
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Should You Ditch Squats and Deadlifts after 50?
The Strength Log
Are and bad exercise choices once you’ve turned 50, and would it be better to replace them with similar but easier lifts? In today’s mailbag episode, we discuss whether your exercise selection really needs to change as you get older, and what actually matters when choosing exercises for long-term strength and muscle growth. We also talk about why some muscles seem almost impossible to grow, whether powerbuilding is a waste of time if you only care about muscle growth, how to deal with crippling hamstring DOMS, training around shoulder pain, and how much extra volume can compensate for...
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The Muscle Growth Paradox
The Strength Log
Let’s dive into a fascinating on one of strength training’s biggest questions: how much of your early come from , and how much comes from your nervous system (muscular adaptations)? The results are surprising and have important implications, whether your goal is strength, muscle growth, or both. We also answer listener questions about 1RM calculators, low-rep strength training, and whether you should save training to failure for your last set. Timestamps: 03:00 - Program of the week: 07:30 - Why bigger muscles didn't make them stronger: a new study on strength vs. muscle growth 27:00 -...
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10 Gym Debates We Can't Settle
The Strength Log
In today’s episode, we debate ten strength and fitness-related topics that science can’t settle for us! How important are deloads really? Does exercise order matter a lot or a little? And will compound lifts really give you the best bang for your buck? See the timestamps below for all topics. And please tell us what you thought about this episode format, since it’s a bit looser and less formal than usual! Timestamps: 07:00 - Gym Debate no. 1: 10:45 - Gym Debate no. 2: High vs low 16:45 - Gym Debate no. 3: Does perfect technique matter for hypertrophy and/or strength? 22:00 - Gym...
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The Science of Injury Prevention
The Strength Log
No matter if you're an active athlete or you just enjoy living an active life, are something you want to stay clear of. But are injuries a given part of both training and life, or can you train in a way that greatly reduces your ? In today's episode, we discuss a looking into how different types of training affect your injury risk. *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow button! You can also follow us on Instagram. You’ll find Daniel at , and Philip at . Become a part of . *** This podcast is brought to you by...
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How Much Weaker Are You When Fasting?
The Strength Log
How does affect your workouts? Do you still have the same strength, power, and endurance as when you are well-fed and hydrated? That's what sought to investigate, which we’re discussing today! *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow button! You can also follow us on Instagram. You’ll find Daniel at , and Philip at . Become a part of . *** This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden. To support us, download . It's completely ad-free and the most generous fitness app on the market, giving you access to...
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Strength Training for Running
The Strength Log
become muscle-bound and slow. Or, at least that is what many still seem to believe. But research into strength training for long-distance runners actually paints a very different picture. In today’s episode, we talk about why basically every runner with even an iota of ambition should add strength training to their training regimen – along with how to do it, and what you, as a runner, should prioritize in the gym. *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow button! You can also follow us on Instagram. You’ll find...
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Why Do People Hate Deadlifting?
The Strength Log
Another week, another summer mailbag! And we have six great questions for you today, including ones about deadlifts, injury rehab, and sleep quality. See the timestamps below. Timestamps: 03:30 - Question 1: Why does everyone (meaning Philip) hate the ? 12:15 - Question 2: Benefits and drawbacks of slower rep-tempos (e.g., 3-0-3). 20:45 - Question 3: I just completed a , and I am very happy with the results. Now, I’m going to do a month of either your Mad Cow or 4-day push-pull program. When could I start following an arm program like yours again? 26:00 - Question 4: ? I know you talked...
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If Building Muscle Is Easy, Why Is Everyone Stuck?
The Strength Log
Summer mailbag time, and you guys and gals sent us a bunch of great questions once again! The first one deals with the hidden gap between fitness science and real life: If research shows that building muscle is easy, why isn’t every person you see at the gym jacked? We spent a good deal of time on that one before moving on to four more questions; see the timestamps below. We’ll be back next week with the second part of this mailbag, answering another handful of questions. Timestamps: 04:00 - Question 1: It seems to me that many of the studies you discuss show that it's easier to gain...
info_outlineDear listener, we made it! Episode 100 is here!
To celebrate the occasion, we’re doing a Q&A where we answer as many of your questions as we can in under two hours.
And today, in contrast to our usual episodes, we deviate a bit more than usual from the training-related questions and include a few more personal ones (see the timestamps below).
Cheers!
Timestamps:
- 06:45 - Favorite premium features in the app; our thought process when planning workouts; what measurements to track; and is belly circumference a more useful measurement than body weight?
- 18:45 - How do we handle setbacks in life, and how do they affect our training?
- 24:00 - Why does Philip, the hedonist, not drink coffee?
- 27:30 - Biggest differences in gym culture across the world? Do you speak any other languages besides Swedish and English?
- 34:00 - Philip’s desert island wines? Daniel’s desert island books?
- 39:30 - Who is more likely to a) start a fight with a bear? b) win a fight against a bear?
- 43:45 - If you could go back in time (with all your knowledge about training and about yourselves) and train in a particular way from an early age, how would you train?
- 51:30 - What’s the biggest mistake modern fitness culture makes that the Golden Era of bodybuilding got right? Do you think modern lifters over-optimize details like tempo, rest times, RIR, science-based stuff, etc., at the expense of just keeping it simple, lifting heavy and intense, and simply being a monster in the gym?
- 57:00 - What results from a scientific study were you most surprised by?
- 1:03:00 - What does the science (and your experience) say about the diminishing returns of rest time between sessions?
- 1:08:45 - Are you considering Norwegian intervals sometime in the future?
- 1:15:00 - Any pet peeves when it comes to other people’s behaviour in the gym? Any tips to get past the fear of a new injury or at least live with the fear and still train? Who was the coolest 80s-90s action movie star? Arnold? Stallone? Van Damme? Kurt Russel? Chuck Norris? Dolph Lundgren? Which is your favourite "bad" eating habit?
- 1:22:45 - How do I dial in the volume and intensity when trying to do daily lifting?
- 1:27:30 - Other than strength training, are there any particular hobbies that you are passionate about?
- 1:40:30 - What’s your push-up PR (reps)? And the current approximate level?
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Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow button!
You can also follow us on Instagram. You’ll find Daniel at @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam.
Become a part of our Reddit community here.
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This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden.
To support us, download the world's best gym workout tracker app StrengthLog here. It's completely ad-free and the most generous fitness app on the market, giving you access to unlimited workout logging, lots of workouts and training programs, and much, much more even if you stay a free user for life.
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