The Strength Log

If you focus on feeling your muscles work while lifting, can you increase their activity and grow them faster?
In bodybuilding, this concept is known as the mind-muscle connection. But is it real, and – even if it is – should you care?
The mind-muscle connection is the topic of today's episode, and we have a new study on it to kick us off!
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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.
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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.

Starting Strength is probably the most famous strength training program in the world, and a huge reason that barbell lifting took off 15-20 years ago.
But is it really a good program for beginners in the gym? And which claims by Mark Rippetoe in the Starting Strength book have aged badly? How would we improve Starting Strength?
A listener on Spotify requested an episode about the pros and cons of Starting Strength, and today we deliver just that!
Pour yourself a gallon of milk; this is going to be fun.
***
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.

Most of us already know that alcohol can have bad consequences for our health, but how much will a couple of drinks after a workout affect our bodies' ability to recover and build new muscle mass? And what about binge drinking?
That's what we're here to find out, and in this episode, we dive headfirst into umbrella cocktails in search of answers to what alcohol does to our muscle growth, hormones, and fat storage. We discuss the studies that have looked at alcohol consumption and strength training, and offer our recommendations on this hotly debated and sensitive topic.
Cheers!
***
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.

Can you slow your aging by eating a low-protein diet? Is protein really more satiating than fat and carbs? And does an upper level of safe protein intake exist?
In this episode, we discuss the evidence behind eight common protein claims, aided by a new article published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, in order to find out what we can be basically sure about – and which claims lack science to support them.
Timestamps:
03:00 - Presentation of today's topic: Protein myths and truths
04:30 - Protein proposition 1: Optimal protein intake per meal is crucial for muscle growth, with upper and lower limits that affect muscle mass.
08:45 - Protein proposition 2: Higher protein intake preserves lean mass and muscle strength during weight loss.
12:00 - Protein proposition 3: Protein is the most satiating of the macronutrients and helps to reduce energy intake.
16:00 - Protein proposition 4: An appropriate protein intake can slow aging and promote longevity.
21:45 - Protein proposition 5: The theory of protein leverage, meaning that we eat until we've covered our protein needs, and that a higher-protein diet will make you consume less total energy.
24:15 - Protein proposition 6: Dietary protein benefits can be optimized equally and effectively with plant and animal proteins.
28:45 - Protein proposition 7: There is a threshold above which too much protein can be detrimental to health.
33:15 - Protein proposition 8: Protein and chrononutrition: timing of protein intake can affect health
***
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're training with weights close to your max versus weights that you can lift 30, 40, 50, or even 60 times, what difference does it make?
In today's episode, we're looking at a study that examined exactly this. And even though we were a bit underwhelmed by the study design, it led to a great discussion!
To bring you even greater value, we answer your best questions on the topic. See the timestamps below.
Timestamps:
04:30 - Today's topic: How good are 30-rep sets for muscle and strength?
24:00 - Question 1: Is the total volume lifted king? If I lift 10,000 kg, does it matter how many sets or reps I spread the volume over?
26:45 - Question 2: No question, but I truly hate high reps, so I hope you say good things about low reps.
28:30 - Question 3: When doing low reps and low sets (2-3), should you always go to failure in every set?
34:15 - Question 4: Is it good to periodize low and high reps when your goal is strength? Or should you just do low reps for life?
38:45 - Question 5: Is low or high reps more suitable if you're over age 40 or 50?
***
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.