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?
With the player above, you can listen to the episode directly here in your browser.
You can download the episode here or use one of the links below:
Wherever you find The Strength Log podcast, don’t forget to hit the follow button. A new episode is released every Monday (or Sunday, depending on your time zone).
You can also search for The Strength Log, if you use another podcast player.
This is episode 134 of the podcast. Check out the five previous episodes below:
- Episode 133: Lifting vs. Cardio: Which Is Better for Your Health?
- Episode 132: Five Sets Once a Week vs. One Set Five Times a Week
- Episode 131: Are You Sleeping on Muscle Growth?
- Episode 130: Same Sets, More Workouts, Better Gains?
- Episode 129: How Much Should You Eat on a Bulk?
Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player.
You can also follow us on Instagram. You’ll find Daniel at @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam.
To discuss the podcast with us, or to leave a question, join our Reddit community at r/strengthlog.
Further Reading
To support the pod, download our free strength training app StrengthLog. It’s completely ad-free and the most generous workout tracker 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.
