Which squat mistakes are actually holding you back from becoming a world-class squatter ? 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 a...
Apr 17, 2024•50 min•Ep. 11
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: ...
Apr 09, 2024•35 min•Ep. 10
Free weights are the superior choice at the gym, says many people. Barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, and such are much more natural and functional ! 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*. Free weights vs machines : the eternal debate amongst gym bros and sisters. Today, we’re here to settle this debate. What does the...
Apr 04, 2024•43 min•Ep. 9
What are the most common deadlift mistakes? In today’s episode, we’ve compiled the deadlift mistakes 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 training programs for the deadlift . For a video demonstration of the five-step deadlift set-up ment...
Mar 11, 2024•38 min•Ep. 8
Do you build more muscle mass when you train to failure , versus stopping a few reps short? In today's episode, we discuss a new study 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 th...
Mar 05, 2024•46 min•Ep. 7
The bench press 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...
Feb 26, 2024•36 min•Ep. 6
The most important principle in strength training is progressive overload , 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 a new study 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? Dan...
Feb 20, 2024•34 min•Ep. 5
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 new study comparing these two versions of the squat, to give you our recom...
Feb 15, 2024•30 min•Ep. 4
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...
Feb 12, 2024•36 min•Ep. 3
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...
Feb 07, 2024•25 min•Ep. 2
Welcome to The Strength Log, a podcast about strength training, nutrition, health and fitness. Your hosts, Daniel Richter and Philip Wildenstam , 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 wh...
Feb 01, 2024•25 min•Ep. 1
