Sooner or later, everyone hits a plateau where gains come slower or grind to a halt altogether. That can be very frustrating and lead to a vicious circle where you get less motivated to put in the effort needed to progress. Let’s take a look at our top five reasons why you’re not gaining muscle … Read more
Should you use light or heavy weights if you want to build muscle and strength? Perhaps moderate weights trump them both? For years or even decades, the question of strength training load has been contested. Many studies and scientific articles examine the subject, not to mention the heated discussions in gyms between proponents of one … Read more
As most protein supplement connoisseurs know, whey protein and soy protein are two of the most popular choices on the market. Of course, they share similarities and differences. Athletes and fitness enthusiasts who want a convenient source of protein to aid in their training efforts use them both. We know that getting enough protein is … Read more
Do you need dietary supplements to build muscle and strength and to stay healthy? No, you don’t. As long as you eat a reasonably balanced diet, you’ll get results from your efforts in the gym. With a bit of planning, you can also get the nutrients you need to keep your body healthy through regular … Read more
Key Points: The bench press works the lateral head of your triceps well – even better than tricep extensions. The bench press does not work the long and medial head of your triceps well – but tricep extensions do. Combine bench pressing with tricep extensions to work all heads of your triceps. Does bench pressing … Read more
Key Points: Lat pulldowns have been shown to work (and grow) the biceps muscle just as good as barbell curls. At least in untrained subjects. Adding barbell curls to a program of lat pulldowns doesn’t lead to further muscle growth in the biceps. Once again, in untrained subjects. Rows only work your biceps half (50%) … Read more
Soy, soybeans, and soy protein: muscle-building alternatives to meat, healthy legumes, or hormone-altering cancer beans? Few foods are as controversial as soyfoods. As always is the case when it comes to controversial stuff, the truth is entirely black or white. Soy means different things to different people. For the weight-lifting fitness aficionado, soy protein for … Read more
Key Points: *** As soon as you put down the barbell after your last set, you should jump to your protein shake and chug it. Right? Not so fast, my muscled friend. The advice to consume protein after lifting weights is definitely a sound one. But how important is it to do it fast? Does … Read more
The stronger the better, right? But does that hold even if your main, or even only, training goal is gaining muscle mass? That question is also the topic of the day for this article. To help us answer that question, we have a brand new study to dissect. An interesting one, to boot, with trained … Read more
Can you build muscle in a caloric balance, and how does it compare to bulking? That’s what today’s question from Eskil is about: Can you talk about the difference between building muscle while in a caloric balance vs. bulking? That is, being in a caloric surplus. I answer this question in the video below, but … Read more