The Strength Log

One of the biggest hurdles to strength training is a lack of time. Luckily, there are several advanced techniques to cram a lot of training into a short amount of time, one of the more popular ones being drop sets . In today's episode, we're discussing a new study comparing traditional strength training to drop-set training, to determine if you can achieve the same muscle growth in a fraction of t...

One of the most popular goals this time of year is to lose some (or a lot) of fat. But how do you go about that, and is it a good idea (like so many people do) to put off the strength training until after you've lost your fat? If you're looking to make healthy changes to your lifestyle this year, this is the episode for you. We cover the basics of losing fat and building muscle mass, and explain w...

We're in the final days of 2025, and it's time to wrap up this podcast year on a more personal note. What have been our wins and losses, what do we want to change in 2026, what scientific findings about strength training and health have surprised us the most, and which episodes of this podcast were our own favorites? Happy New Year, dear listener! Let's talk again in January. *** Do you like what...

We all know that cardio is great for us . But as lifters , cardio is seldom a passion, and many of us skip it entirely. 2025 was the year this changed for your two podcast hosts. As heavy guys, we had a hard time fitting cardio into our lives, and all efforts to build a cardio habit in the past had failed. But not this time! Both of us managed to turn things around, and although 'love' might be to...

When you're on a weight loss diet , strength training is the most effective tool for increasing your fat loss while minimizing your muscle loss. But how do you maximize your chances of an efficient weight cut when you're not able to spend a lot of time in the gym? That's the topic in today's episode, where we lay out our minimalist plan for short but effective strength training workouts while cutt...

For anyone who's been training consistently for a couple of years, the plateau is an ever-present companion. But why do we plateau in the gym, and what can we do about it? As far as we know, there's basically no research on plateaus, mainly because that would require really long training studies. However, that won't stop us from discussing this issue! In today's episode, we draw on our own knowled...

By now, it's pretty clear that deep squats are superior to half or quarter squats in basically every way: better strength gains, more hypertrophy, improved athletic performance. But what about your knee health? Squatting deep definitely puts more stress on your knee joints, so will you regret having done ass to grass squats when you're older? In other words, are deep squats the cause of knee pain...

What happens if you squat, deadlift, and bench press daily for more than one hundred days? That's what Daniel's done, and in this episode, we discuss his experience with high-frequency training—and our new premium training program Groundhog Gains , which is available now for anyone who wants to try training like this. We also address the most common questions about daily training, such as recovery...

Bit of a mixed bag for you today, with three unrelated topics. First, we look into why athletes on anabolic–androgenic steroids so often experience tendon injuries. As far as we can remember, a possible explanation has been that the tendons can't keep up with the fast gains of muscle mass and strength from AAS use, but new evidence indicates that there's more going on here! Second, there's growing...

How long you rest between sets is an important factor to consider, as longer rest times often lead to better training results since you can perform more reps in each set at any given weight compared to shorter rests. But what if you compensate for shorter rest times by doing more sets, until you've reached the same number of reps you would have been able to hit with longer rest between your sets?...

To maximize strength and muscle growth, how many sets should you perform per week for each muscle and exercise? A year ago , we reported on a meta-study that found surprisingly low levels of training volume were sufficient to maximize strength gains. To say that had us confused is to put it mildly.  It's finally time to revisit the topic of training volume for strength. Today, we have a new analys...

If you want to get a stronger bench press, bigger pecs, and become more explosive when pushing or punching, should you train for max strength, muscle growth, or explosiveness? And what is the overlap between those three training philosophies? Today, we break down a new study that compares exactly this, and give you our recommendations on how to plan your own strength training for these different g...

We've all heard that we should eat healthy, specifically to avoid ultra-processed food. But why? Yes, it's easy to overeat ultra-processed food because it's tasty. But if you count your calories and don't overeat, are ultra-processed foods still bad for you? In today's episode, we explore a new study that put people on either a diet consisting of ultra-processed foods or unprocessed foods. The res...

Are there any scientifically proven methods to reduce muscle soreness after hard workouts? And if so, should you? We're back with another episode based on listener questions, and this is a good one. Besides muscle soreness, we discuss paused deadlifts and paused squats, as well as the optimal time of day for working out. See the timestamps below for all questions! All questions for this episode ca...

We have two topics for you today. First out is a new meta-analysis examining the impact of timing your protein intake immediately before or after workouts. Does it matter? And if so, how big are the differences? Then we tackle a topic a lot of you have been curious about: "Daniel is training weird." Let's explain. Daniel has been performing the big barbell lifts almost daily for over fifty days, a...

Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is becoming more common as more and more men suffer from low testosterone. But for many men, it might just treat the symptoms instead of the root cause: unhealthy body fat levels. In today's episode, we discuss a new study that compared one of the new weight loss drugs (tirzepatide) to TRT, to examine which is more effective for treating low testosterone. The...

How many sets should you do weekly for your muscle groups to maximize strength and muscle gains? That is the eternal question for gymgoers, and even though this is a relatively well-researched subject, we still can't say for sure. Let's look into a new study that had participants perform eight sets of leg presses per week with one leg and 16 sets with the other, to see which leg got the biggest ga...

Rows are great for developing your upper back, but do they also work your biceps sufficiently? That certainly would be a good incentive to do more boring rows and less direct biceps work, to kill two swole birds with one stone. So, what does the science have to say about this? In today's episode, we break down a new study in which participants trained dumbbell rows with one arm and bicep curls wit...

Longer rest times between sets typically mean larger strength and muscle gains. But what if you're short on time? Enter: alternating sets !  Don't know what alternating sets are? No worries, we explain them in the episode, while looking into a new study that compares alternating sets with traditional sets, to see if they are the fastest route to big gains. *** Do you like what you hear so far? Ple...

Pre-exhaust training is a strength training philosophy popularized in the 1970s. Many bodybuilders still swear by it, but what does the scientific evidence say? In today's episode, we examine a new study comparing pre-exhaust training with traditional training, and give you our thoughts on when and how to implement it in your own training. Also, here's the bulletin on "the pre-exhaustion principle...

Getting good sleep is one of the best things you can do to increase muscle growth, strength gains, fat loss , and general performance.  In today's episode, we examine a study in which soccer players implemented different sleep hygiene tactics to improve their sleep. The tactics they had to choose from were: Avoid all electronic stimulants (TV, mobile phones, and computers) from 8 PM. If not doing...

One of the best methods for being healthier and more productive is to use the power of habits. In this episode, we discuss a new review study on how long it takes to form new habits and what factors increase your likelihood of success.  *** 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'...

After working out, can you improve the strength and health of your tendons and joints by drinking a collagen shake or bone broth? And will that also help your skin look more youthful and beautiful? That's right, we have a new study to discuss, looking into the hype and claims of collagen supplements! *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And...

What is the correlation between grip strength and health? How do you keep yourself motivated when injured? And is muscle soreness really a good sign that your training is working? In this episode, we finish the Q&A we started last week, with five more listener questions on strength training! Timestamps: 01:30 - Question 1: Is muscle soreness a good sign that you've trained hard or just have unaccu...

Can you maintain your muscle mass with just one full-body workout per week? Are planned deload weeks necessary or overrated? How do you balance squats and deadlifts in the same training program? We're in the midst of summer and it's time to answer your best questions! We have five questions this week, and we'll finish this Q&A round next week with five more. Timestamps: 01:50 - Question 1: How lon...