The Strength Log

If you add muscle mass to your pecs, will that mean you'll also be able to lift more weight in the bench press? In today's episode, we look at a new study of Paralympic bench pressers that measured their pecs, triceps, and arm length, and then compared these variables with their performance at the Brazilian national championship. The results? Bigger pecs and triceps were associated with stronger benches, while longer arms were associated with weaker ones. Together, those three variables explained a surprisingly large amount of the differences in bench press strength. But does that actually mean growing your pecs will automatically increase your bench? Let's discuss what the study can and can't tell us! Finally, we answer a listener question about body fat: at what body fat percentage does your strength start to decrease? Timestamps: 00:00 - Opening banter about bench pressing 10:00 - Program of the week: Bench Press Boogie 14:15 - Study review: Big pecs, big bench? 27:00 - Listener question: At what body fat percentage does your strength decrease? *** 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. *** 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. If you want a t-shirt with "Train hard, eat well, die anyway", check out our shop here.

If you train your legs hard, could they steal gains from your upper body? In today's episode, we discuss a new study 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 training at 60, including exercise selection and building up your range of motion and training volume. Timestamps: 00:00 - Opening banter 07:15 - Program of the week: Armageddon 12:00 - Main course: Do muscles compete for growth? 31:15 - Listener question: Any advice on leg training for a 60-year-old? I'm looking for both strength and muscle. *** 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. *** 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. If you want a t-shirt with "Train hard, eat well, die anyway", check out our shop here.

How many calories does your body actually need to build muscle? In today's episode, we discuss a new paper 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 bulk. 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 heavier, lower-rep training to preserve muscle during a cut. Timestamps: 00:00 - Opening banter: Presenting today's topic, and an informal discussion about the new weight-loss drugs 10:30 - Program of the week: Powerbuilding 18:00 - Main topic: How many calories does it take to build a kilogram of muscle? 36:30 - Listener question 1: Can you outtrain a bad diet? 41:00 - Listener question 2: Should you train for strength to preserve muscle during a cut? *** 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. *** 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. If you want a t-shirt with "Train hard, eat well, die anyway", check out our shop here.

Are squats and deadlifts 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 training too far from failure. Plus, Daniel reveals whether that elusive 300 kg deadlift is ever going to happen. Timestamps: 04:30 - Program of the week: StrengthLog's 3-Day Bodybuilding Split 09:00 - Listener question 1: Should you ditch squats and deadlifts after 50? 14:00 - Listener question 2: Which muscles are the hardest to grow? 20:15 - Listener question 3: Is powerbuilding a waste of time if you want big muscles? 23:30 - Listener question 4: How do you deal with insane hamstring DOMS? 28:00 - Listener question 5: Has Daniel changed how he trains since joining the army? 32:00 - Listener question 6: Should you lower your bench press weights if your shoulders hurt? 35:00 - Listener question 7: When is Daniel deadlifting 300 kg? 38:00 - Listener question 8: Can more volume make up for lower training intensity? 43:45 - Listener question 9: What are our favorite sports outside of strength training? *** 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. *** 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. If you want a t-shirt with "Train hard, eat well, die anyway", check out our shop here.

Let's dive into a fascinating new study on one of strength training's biggest questions: how much of your early strength gains come from bigger muscles, 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: Zero to Hero 07:30 - Why bigger muscles didn't make them stronger: a new study on strength vs. muscle growth 27:00 - Listener question 1: Is it true that 3-4 sets with only 2-3 reps can build strength? 29:45 - Listener question 2: How accurate are 1RM calculators like Epley's equation? 34:45 - Listener question 3: Should you only train to failure in your last set? *** 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. *** 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. If you want a t-shirt with "Train hard, eat well, die anyway", check out our shop here.

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: Machines vs free weights 10:45 - Gym Debate no. 2: High vs low frequency 16:45 - Gym Debate no. 3: Does perfect technique matter for hypertrophy and/or strength? 22:00 - Gym Debate no. 4: How close to failure should most people really train? 25:00 - Gym Debate no. 5: Are most people better off with fewer exercises? 29:45 - Gym Debate no. 6: Does exercise order matter more/less than we think? 33:45 - Gym Debate no. 7: Do compound lifts really give you 80% of the results? 38:45 - Gym Debate no. 8: Would most lifters grow more from adding volume or from trying harder? 42:00 - Gym Debate no. 9: Do deloads solve a problem that many lifters don't actually have? 46:15 - Gym Debate no. 10: Would most people get better results if they consumed less fitness content? And, has training research really been a net positive? *** 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. *** 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. If you want a t-shirt with "Train hard, eat well, die anyway", check out our shop here.

No matter if you're an active athlete or you just enjoy living an active life, injuries 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 injury risk? In today's episode, we discuss a new research review 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 @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam. Become a part of our Reddit community here. *** 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. If you want a t-shirt with "Train hard, eat well, die anyway", check out our shop here.

How does fasting affect your workouts? Do you still have the same strength, power, and endurance as when you are well-fed and hydrated? That's what a new study 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 @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam. Become a part of our Reddit community here. *** 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. If you want a t-shirt with "Train hard, eat well, die anyway", check out our shop here.

Runners who strength train 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 Daniel at @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam. Become a part of our Reddit community here. *** 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. If you want a t-shirt with "Train hard, eat well, die anyway", check out our shop here.

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 deadlift? 12:15 - Question 2: Benefits and drawbacks of slower rep-tempos (e.g., 3-0-3). 20:45 - Question 3: I just completed a 6-week program that focused on arms, 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: What about sleep? I know you talked about sleep in other episodes, but are there studies that help quantify its impact? Also, the number of hours of sleep is one thing, but what about sleep quality? 33:30 - Question 5: Injury rehab! I've just been told that resting my elbow tendinitis is the worst thing I can do. I'm healing my elbow with slow eccentric hammer curls. I was told about arthrogenic inhibition – my brachialis was "turned off," and the bicep was taking over. Any insight? The hammer curls seem to be working, but so did resting?! 40:30 - Question 6: Do you have an opinion or advice about workout/exercise snacks? Not the stuff you eat, but doing small workouts throughout the day instead of a single workout session. Also, what are your thoughts about the bro-split? Is there sufficient volume? Why does the volume have to be spread out throughout the week? Is it because of fatigue management? *** 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. *** 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. If you want a t-shirt with "Train hard, eat well, die anyway", check out our shop here.