The Strength Log

Daniel Richter & Philip Wildenstam

Learn about strength training, fitness, weightlifting 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!

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    Let's Party Like It's Episode 100

    Dear listener, we made it! Episode 100 is here! To celebrate the occasion, we're doing a Q&A where we answer as many of your questions as we can in under two hours. And today, in contrast to our usual episodes, we deviate a bit more than usual from the training-related questions and include a few more personal ones (see the timestamps below). Cheers! Timestamps: 06:45 - Favorite premium features in the app; our thought process when planning workouts; what measurements to track; and is belly circumference a more useful measurement than body weight? 18:45 - How do we handle setbacks in life, and how do they affect our training? 24:00 - Why does Philip, the hedonist, not drink coffee? 27:30 - Biggest differences in gym culture across the world? Do you speak any other languages besides Swedish and English? 34:00 - Philip's desert island wines? Daniel's desert island books? 39:30 - Who is more likely to a) start a fight with a bear? b) win a fight against a bear? 43:45 - If you could go back in time (with all your knowledge about training and about yourselves) and train in a particular way from an early age, how would you train? 51:30 - What's the biggest mistake modern fitness culture makes that the Golden Era of bodybuilding got right?  Do you think modern lifters over-optimize details like tempo, rest times, RIR, science-based stuff, etc., at the expense of just keeping it simple, lifting heavy and intense, and simply being a monster in the gym? 57:00 - What results from a scientific study were you most surprised by? 1:03:00 - What does the science (and your experience) say about the diminishing returns of rest time between sessions? 1:08:45 - Are you considering Norwegian intervals sometime in the future? 1:15:00 - Any pet peeves when it comes to other people's behaviour in the gym? Any tips to get past the fear of a new injury or at least live with the fear and still train? Who was the coolest 80s-90s action movie star? Arnold? Stallone? Van Damme? Kurt Russel? Chuck Norris? Dolph Lundgren? Which is your favourite "bad" eating habit? 1:22:45 - How do I dial in the volume and intensity when trying to do daily lifting? 1:27:30 - Other than strength training, are there any particular hobbies that you are passionate about? 1:40:30 - What's your push-up PR (reps)? And the current approximate level? *** 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.

    1h 48m
  2. 2 MAR

    The Minimum Effective Dose for Strength Training

    When you have limited time for training, how little can you train and still make gains? Or, if you're a beginner and don't want to invest a lot of time getting started in the gym, will your efforts be worthwhile if you strength train only once weekly? In today's episode, we're talking about the minimum effective dose for strength training. To kick things off, we have an overview study covering different strategies for minimalist strength training. After that, we discuss practical takeaways and our recommendations for when you're short on time but still want to make gains or maintain the muscle mass and strength you already have! We finish the episode by answering a handful of your questions on this topic. Timestamps: 02:30 - Study breakdown: "Resistance Exercise Minimal Dose Strategies for Increasing Muscle Strength in the General Population: an Overview." 35:45 - Listener question 1: Give me the sweet spot for time, sets & intensity for muscle growth. Where more only adds a few gains. 39:30 - Listener question 2: For experienced lifters who've been on a bro-split for a long time, can gains still be made on a minimalistic routine? 45:45 - Listener question 3: If strength is my goal, why shouldn't I do as much as my body can handle? 50:30 - Listener question 4: When you're weak like me, every workout is minimalistic. 53:30 - Listener question 5: What do you think about same-muscle supersets, for instance squats followed by sissy squats, for time efficiency? If you want to ask a question for episode 100, here's our thread on Reddit for that! *** 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.

    1 hr
  3. 23 FEB

    Warming Up for Better Performance

    How much of a difference does warming up make, and how should you warm up to maximize your performance in the gym? In today's episode, we talk about two new studies: a review of different warm-up strategies and a study on how psyching up affects your deadlift one-rep max. And we end the episode by answering common questions about warm-ups, including one about stretching. But before that, we gotta tell you about a new, completely free, and totally awesome feature in our workout tracker app StrengthLog.  Timestamps: 00:00 - Strength Levels are live in the StrengthLog app! 16:00 - Why warming up is important for performance 22:00 - The study on warming up 31:00 - The study on psyching up before heavy lifts 45:00 - Common questions on warm-ups Most of these questions came in through our Subreddit. You should join the conversation over there, if you haven't already! *** 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.

    1h 6m
  4. 16 FEB

    Combining Cardio and Strength Training

    For decades, there's been debate about and research into the so-called interference effect between cardio and strength training. In other words, are you setting yourself up to fail in the gym if you do too much cardio? In today's episode, we take a look at the current scientific picture on combining cardio and strength training. How much of an issue is it really, and how can you work around it when you want to do both? After the main discussion, we answer questions on this topic from our listeners. See the timestamps below. Timestamps: 00:00 - How to combine cardio and strength training 18:30 - Do we really need more than walking as cardio if getting stronger is the main goal? 22:30 - If running and strength training on the same day, which workout should you do first? 26:00 - Which type of cardio is the least stressful and easiest to recover from? 30:00 - Is it possible to progress in both if you're already at a high level? And is a sub 3:30 marathon and a 180 kg squat a reasonable goal? 34:30 - How much do walks do for your cardio? 38:30 - I have a hard time recovering from cycling and strength training. Am I eating too little? I also want to lose weight. Most of these questions came in through our Subreddit. You should join the conversation over there, if you haven't already! *** 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.

    44 min
  5. 9 FEB

    Building Muscle after 60 – the Elixir of Youth

    Strength training is more and more looking like the closest thing we have to an elixir of youth. But how do you get started building muscle when you're over 60? And if you're already bitten by the iron bug, are there any changes you should make or be aware of past that age? In this episode, we try to answer all of your questions on the topic (see the timestamps below) to leave no stone unturned. Timestamps: 05:00 - The benefits of strength training for people over 60. 09:15 - Intro to building muscle after 60: sarcopenia, lower hormone levels, and blunted signals for muscle growth. 15:00 - Common questions and objections: it's too late to start, it's dangerous, and joints hurt. 22:30 - The effects of menopause: is it game over? 28:40 - What actually changes in your body after 60? 30:20 - How do you keep your connective tissue strong and healthy so it doesn't become a bottleneck? 31:30 - Do you need longer recovery time after heavy workouts when you're over 60? Would it be better to split your training into shorter, more frequent workouts? 33:40 - How to strength train when over 60. 38:30 - Are higher rep-ranges safer? 41:00 - Should we reduce or increase training volume and/or frequency as we age? 42:00 - Choosing the right training program. 44:20 - Eating for muscle, strength, and health: metabolism, macronutrients, and supplements. 52:00 - Will nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) impair muscle growth? 55:45 - Managing joint pain. 01:00:00 - Specific advice for women getting back into lifting after 60. 01:00:45 - For how long can people with impressive physiques maintain their muscle and strength as they age? 01:05:00 - What are the most impactful recovery methods? Most of these questions came in through our Subreddit. You should join the conversation over there, if you haven't already! *** 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.

    1h 10m

About

Learn about strength training, fitness, weightlifting 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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