The Strength Log

Can you get the same results from your strength training while making each set feel easier? In today's episode, we discuss a new study comparing traditional sets taken to failure with cluster sets, where the same number of reps is divided into smaller sets with shorter rest periods. The researchers followed competitive handball players for seven weeks, measuring muscle growth, strength, lifting velocity, and athletic performance. We review the results, the potential advantages of cluster sets, and what the findings mean for how you might organize your own training. We also answer two listener questions about using cluster sets to improve your pull-ups and choosing which advanced training methods to incorporate into your routine, like myo-reps, rest-pause sets, and drop sets. Timestamps: 00:00 - Opening banter 03:00 - Study review: Cluster sets vs. traditional sets 22:00 - Listener question 1: Can cluster sets help me reach 15 pull-ups? 30:30 - Listener question 2: How do I choose between different kinds of advanced techniques, like myo-reps, rest-pause sets, and drop sets? *** 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 you actually getting stronger and building muscle, or are you just going through the motions? In today's episode, we discuss how to tell whether your training is producing results, and what to do when progress stalls. We look at why your strength can fluctuate from workout to workout, how to track muscle growth using more than just the weights you're lifting, and why you shouldn't draw conclusions from a few disappointing training sessions. Plus, how to troubleshoot a plateau, when to change your training approach, and why progress isn't always as straightforward as you'd like. We also answer listener questions about when to switch programs, how to deal with life's interruptions, and if smaller weight increments could keep beginner gains going indefinitely. Timestamps: 00:00 - How to tell if your training is working
 32:15 - Program of the week: Deadlift Builder
 37:30 - Listener question 1: How long should you follow a program before switching?
 41:00 - Listener question 2: Life keeps interrupting my training. Is it OK not to make progress all the time? 45:30 - Listener question 3: Could smaller than normal weight increments keep beginner progression going indefinitely? *** 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.

Which is better for your health: lifting weights or doing cardio? In today's episode, we discuss a new meta-analysis comparing the effects of strength training and aerobic exercise on a range of health markers, including blood sugar, blood pressure, body composition, and cardiovascular fitness. We dig into the results, discuss what other research tells us about exercise and longevity, and explore how to balance strength training and cardio for better health, both now and as you get older. Lastly, we answer a handful of listener questions about lifting vs. cardio. Timestamps: 00:00 - Opening banter 04:30 - New features in the StrengthLog app: Social, AI assistants, and a Strava connection 12:00 - Study review: Lifting vs. cardio for better health 23:15 - Program of the week: Beginner Hybrid Athlete Program 26:30 - Listener question 1: Lifting or cardio to live past 100? 29:00 - Listener question 2: How much muscle is enough for health? Is too much muscle bad for your health? 35:00 - Listener question 3: Should you lean into your strengths or weaknesses when it comes to choosing between lifting and cardio? 39:30 - Listener question 4: What's the optimal daily cardio routine alongside strength training? 43:30 - Listener question 5: Does having an active job change your cardio needs? 48:00 - Listener question 6: How do you maintain your leg and ass muscles when running more? *** 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.

Does it matter how you spread your training across the week? Two episodes ago, we looked at a study comparing the same training volume spread over one or three weekly workouts. Now we're back with another study on training frequency, this time comparing five sets of leg presses once a week with one set five times a week. Same exercise, same total training volume, but very different schedules. The researchers measured muscle growth, strength, explosive power, and muscle soreness over six weeks. We discuss the results, how they compare with other research on training frequency, and what they might mean for how you organize your own workouts. We finish by discussing Groundhog Gains, a five-day training program inspired by Daniel's experiment with training the big five lifts every day for 130 days. Timestamps: 00:00 - Opening banter 02:45 - Study review: Five sets once a week vs. one set five times a week 28:45 - Program of the week: Groundhog Gains *** 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 much muscle growth are you missing out on by not getting enough sleep? In today's episode, we discuss a new scientific review exploring how sleep affects your hormones, muscle protein synthesis, recovery, and ability to train hard. The evidence suggests that poor sleep makes it harder to build muscle. But despite everything we know about the importance of sleep, there's surprisingly little direct research showing how much muscle growth you actually lose by not getting enough of it. We dig into what the science tells us, what remains uncertain, and how much you should worry about the occasional bad night's sleep. We also answer a listener question about barbell rows versus Pendlay rows, and take a closer look at Madcow 5x5, a classic strength program for lifters who've moved beyond the beginner stage. Timestamps: 00:00 - Opening banter 02:45 - Study review: Are you sleeping on muscle growth? 27:15 - Listener question: Barbell rows or Pendlay rows for Madcow 5x5? 34:45 - Program of the week: Madcow 5x5 *** 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.