The Strength Log
Learn about training, fitness, and health from the Strength Log podcast. Your hosts, Daniel Richter and Philip Wildenstam, are two Swedes with decades of experience in the gym, as well as reading and translating science into understandable insights for anyone looking to gain a better understanding of how to reach their fitness goals. To support the show, download the StrengthLog workout tracker app for free from Apple's App Store or Google Play today!
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The Quick Guide to Training for Muscle Growth
04/30/2024
The Quick Guide to Training for Muscle Growth
If your goal in the gym is to , you just need to know the basics and a few core principles. In this episode of The Strength Log, we'll break it down for you: How fast can you gain muscle mass? What causes your muscles to grow? How often should you train a muscle group? How many weekly sets should you hit your muscle groups with? How many reps should you do in each set? How long should you rest between sets? What are the best exercises when training for muscle growth? That’s about it. It’s not very complicated—in theory—but the more time we spend in the gym, the more we tend to forget about what actually matters. So, here you go: our quick guide to ! *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that subscribe button! You can also follow us on Instagram. You’ll find Daniel at , and Philip at . Become a part of our . *** 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 unlimited workout logging, lots of workouts and training programs, and much, much more even if you stay a free user for life. If you are a strength and conditioning coach or a personal trainer, , our online software for online coaching.
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Make Compound Exercises Your Bread and Butter
04/25/2024
Make Compound Exercises Your Bread and Butter
are the closest thing you’ll ever come to a shortcut in your strength training. These lifts will not only work a single muscle group; instead hitting several at once, saving you time. Compound lifts will enable you to train all major muscle groups quickly and with fewer exercises, compared to working each muscle separately with isolation exercises. This episode discusses the benefits of focusing on compound exercises—and a few cons—and gives for all muscle groups. *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that subscribe 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 our . 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. If you are a strength and conditioning coach or a personal trainer, too, our online software for online coaching.
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Become Great at Squats by Fixing These Mistakes
04/17/2024
Become Great at Squats by Fixing These Mistakes
Which mistakes are actually holding you back from becoming a world-class ? Or even a decent one? They might not be the ones you think (clickbait!), and in this episode of The Strength Log podcast, our mission is to make you less afraid of the stuff random squat gurus on the World Wide Web tell you that you must fix before you’re allowed to put some real weights on the barbell. So, how much should you care about your buttwink? Your knees collapsing? Not breaking parallel? We have around fifteen squat mistakes to discuss, so let’s get started! *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that subscribe 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 our . 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. If you are a strength and conditioning coach or a personal trainer, also , our online software for online coaching.
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Answering Your Best Questions on Strength Training
04/09/2024
Answering Your Best Questions on Strength Training
We made it to ten episodes! That’s worth a small celebration, don’t you think? That’s why this episode is fully dedicated to answering questions from our listeners. From the ones you sent in, we picked eighth. See the timestamps below! Timestamps: 02:50 – Question 1: What rep ranges do you prefer when strength and muscle mass are the priorities? 06:40 – Question 2: How do I build bigger glutes without hip thrusts? I'm doing at-home workouts with only a barbell and dumbbells. 09:00 – Question 3: It’s summer soon. How much do I need to train to avoid losing my gains? 13:20 – Question 4: Do cold showers (not baths) harm muscle growth if taken 12–24 hours after training? 16:30 – Question 5: What is the #1 lesson you’ve learned in the gym, that helped you the most regarding progression and/or motivation for your training? 20:00 – Question 6: Say that you want to test your general strength and fitness in the gym quarterly, using the same tests every time. The test can only take one hour, not including warm-up. Which exercises should the test contain, and for how many reps? 27:25 – Question 7: Does creatine lose its effect if you put it in coffee or tea? 29:50 – Question 8: Bench press, squat, or deadlift: You can only do two for the rest of your life. Which one will you never train again, and why? *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that subscribe 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 our . 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. If you are a strength and conditioning coach or a personal trainer, , our online software for online coaching.
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Machines or Free Weights, When Does Your Choice Matter?
04/04/2024
Machines or Free Weights, When Does Your Choice Matter?
Free weights are the superior choice at the gym, says many people. Barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, and such are much ! Don’t waste your time sucking up to the machines! But wait! Don’t use free weights, you’ll hurt yourself! Use machines instead, they are much safer and more efficient for building your muscles and strength! Says others*. : the eternal debate amongst gym bros and sisters. Today, we’re here to settle this debate. What does the science say? Can we clearly say one option is better than the other, no matter if you’re training for strength, bodybuilding, sports, or just the health benefits of lifting heavy stuff? We finish the episode with a handful of questions from our listeners. If you want to be able to ask us questions in the future, . After a four-week hiatus (i.e., sick leave), The Strength Log podcast is finally back! *Skynet *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that subscribe 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 our . 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. If you are a strength and conditioning coach or a personal trainer, , our online software for online coaching.
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Are These Deadlift Mistakes Holding You Back?
03/11/2024
Are These Deadlift Mistakes Holding You Back?
What are the most common mistakes? In today’s episode, we’ve compiled the we believe are holding people back, but are also easily correctable. If you want to improve your deadlift instantly, correcting these mistakes will be the closest you’ll come to a quick fix. We also discuss injury prevention and equipment like shoes, lifting straps, and chalk, and recommend proven . For a video demonstration of the five-step deadlift set-up mentioned in the episode, . Daniel also recommends Adam Meakins’ Instagram account, which . Alrighty then, let’s lift until we’re dead! *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that subscribe button! You can also follow us on Instagram. You’ll find Daniel at , and Philip at . Become a part of our community . *** This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden. To support us, download our . 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. If you are a strength and conditioning coach or a personal trainer, also check out , our online software for online coaching.
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How Often Should You Take Your Sets to Fail?
03/05/2024
How Often Should You Take Your Sets to Fail?
Do you build more muscle mass when you , versus stopping a few reps short? In today's episode, we discuss that examined this. Then we’ll zoom out and debate a lot of different scenarios, to give you a better understanding of when it might matter more if you train to fail, and when it might matter less. Two common definitions of training to fail are muscular failure (when you can’t lift the weight anymore, no matter what), and technical failure (when you can’t lift the weight anymore with the technique you want to use). Both definitions are legitimate, and regardless of which one you use for your training, we believe you will learn useful information from this episode! We finish by answering a handful of questions from our listeners on this topic, including: How hard is knowing when you’re 1–2 reps from failure? How does training to fail affect recovery? Let’s go balls to the wall! *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that subscribe 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 our . It's completely ad-free and the most generous workout tracker 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. If you are a strength and conditioning coach or a personal trainer, , our online software for online coaching.
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For a Bigger Bench Press, Don’t Make These 10 Mistakes
02/26/2024
For a Bigger Bench Press, Don’t Make These 10 Mistakes
The is not only the world’s most popular barbell lift, it’s also a technical lift that many people will struggle with for years before figuring it out. So, what are the most common bench press mistakes you should avoid to improve faster? If you google ”common bench press mistakes”, you’ll find many articles trying to serve up one-size-fits-all solutions. Don’t flare your elbows! There’s one grip-width everyone should stick to! Leg drive is king! Don’t bend your wrists! Et cetera. Don’t be discouraged. Yes, the bench press might not be the most intuitive exercise. But your body will figure it out if you just learn the basics and then make sure to train it . In this episode of The Strength Log, we’ll focus less on offering you the perfect technique cues – our experience tells us that they will differ on the individual level. Instead, we’ll look at the do's and don'ts that anyone can implement immediately, which will make a big difference for your bench press results in the long run. *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that subscribe button! You can also follow us on Instagram. You’ll find Daniel at , and Philip at . *** This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden. To support us, download our . It's completely ad-free and the most generous workout tracker app on the market, giving you access to unlimited workout logging, lots of workouts and , and much, much more even if you stay a free user for life. If you are a strength and conditioning coach or a personal trainer, also check out , our online software for online coaching.
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Reps vs Weight – Which Is Key to Becoming Stronger?
02/20/2024
Reps vs Weight – Which Is Key to Becoming Stronger?
The most important principle in strength training is , i.e. to continuously lift more than you have before. In one way or the other. But does it matter if you progress by increasing the weight you lift or the number or reps you do? In episode 5 of The Strength Log, we're discussing that examined this, and give our opinions on how you should progress your training to become bigger and stronger. *** Want to learn more about the study we discuss in this episode? Daniel wrote an article about it, that . *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five star review in your podcast player. And hit that subscribe button! You can also follow us on Instagram. You’ll find Daniel at , and Philip at . *** This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden. To support us, download our . It's completely ad-free and the most generous workout tracker 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. If you are a strength and conditioning coach or a personal trainer, also check out , our online software for online coaching.
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Shut Up and Squat! But Should You Front or Back Squat?
02/15/2024
Shut Up and Squat! But Should You Front or Back Squat?
The squat is the most important lift in the toolbox for anyone looking to build stronger and bigger legs. If you squat with a barbell, you basically have two options: putting the barbell on your upper back, or putting it on your front deltoids, i.e. in front of your throat. So how does the front squat and back squat differ in terms of muscle growth and strength gain? In episode 4 of The Strength Log, we break down a brand comparing these two versions of the squat, to give you our recommendations on which you should choose. *** Want to learn more about the study? *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five star review in your podcast player. You can also follow us on Instagram. You’ll find Daniel at , and Philip at . *** This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden. To support us, download . It's completely ad-free and the most generous workout tracker 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. If you are a strength and conditioning coach or a personal trainer, also check out .
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Do You Even Lift?
02/12/2024
Do You Even Lift?
This is episode 3 of The Strength Log, and it’s time for a proper introduction. Who are we – your hosts – and how did we end up in your ears? And … Do we even lift? Since the answer obviously is yes, we’ll expand the question into ”Why?”. Your strength training journey will hopefully continue through the rest of your life. But for it to do so, you’ll also have to find new motivation and new goals along the way, as you go through the ebbs and flows of both everyday life and aging. Both of us have certainly had to. So yeah. A bit more of a personal episode for you today, but we’ll also talk about what you can expect from The Strength Log podcast going forward! *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five star review in your podcast player. You can also follow us on Instagram. You’ll find Daniel at , and Philip at . *** This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden. If you want to support us, download and use our . It's completely ad-free and the most generous workout tracker 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. If you are a strength and conditioning coach or a personal trainer, also check out .
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Will Creatine Also Make You Smarter, Not Only Stronger?
02/07/2024
Will Creatine Also Make You Smarter, Not Only Stronger?
Creatine is the one legal supplement to rule them all. At least if you’re looking to become stronger and build more muscle mass. The supplement has been studied for decades by now, in thousands of trials. And the positive effects are very well documented, along with its safety for human consumption. Creatine improves strength, strength endurance, muscle growth and aids in recovery. It’s also dirt cheap, compared to most other supplements. But will it also make you smarter? That’s the subject for today’s episode of the Strength Log, where we’ll look at a on creatine’s effect on intelligence and working memory. Listen to the episode to hear us break down this study and to get our practical takeaways. *** Want to learn more? We have a great write up on this study: And a big guide on everything creatine here: *** This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden. If you want to support us, download and use our . It's completely ad-free and the most generous workout tracker 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. If you are a strength and conditioning coach or a personal trainer, also check out .
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Great News! Everyone Was Wrong about Protein Timing
02/01/2024
Great News! Everyone Was Wrong about Protein Timing
Welcome to The Strength Log, a podcast about strength training, nutrition, health and fitness. Your hosts, and , are two Swedish gym rats and science nerds, with decades of experience of helping people reach their fitness goals. In this premiere episode, we’ll jump straight into a new study that finally shows us that protein timing is of much less importance than your total daily protein intake. For decades, the evidence has pointed to a rather low upper limit when it comes to how much protein from a single meal your body can use to build muscle. That gave everyone the conclusion that if you want to maximize your gains, you should space out your protein intake with many meals each day – each one containing around 20 to 30 grams (or around 1 oz) of protein – to not waste those precious amino acids on silly stuff like energy. That never made much sense, and we finally have to prove it didn’t. In it, the researchers compared meals of 25 grams (0.9 oz) of protein with meals of a whopping 100 grams (3.5 oz), ingested after a full-body workout. And wouldn’t you know it, the participants who ate the larger portions also built a lot more muscle mass! Listen to the episode and we’ll break down the study for you, as well as give you our practical take-aways. Let’s go! *** Want to learn more about this subject? Read . Want to calculate how much protein you should eat daily? Check out . *** This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden. If you want to support us, download and use our . 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. If you are a strength and conditioning coach or a personal trainer, also check out , our online software for online coaching.
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