Key Points: Hamstring muscle activity in the squat is low compared to exercises like good mornings, stiff-legged deadlifts, and leg curls. Squat training twice a week for 10 weeks yielded no muscle growth in the hamstrings (~0.6%), while the muscle volume of the quads, glutes, and adductors all increased by 5–7%. From a biomechanical standpoint, … Read more
Key Points: In a wide-grip bench press, your chest and shoulders contribute 78% of the force necessary to lift the bar, while your triceps contribute 22%. In the medium grip bench press, the same numbers are 74% vs. 26%. In the close-grip bench press, the same numbers are 63% vs. 37%. How much can you … Read more
Deadlifting challenges your strength from head to toe. In order to pull heavy weights, you must have a strong chain of muscles, and your grip is definitely an important link in this chain. In this article, I outline four common ways to grip the bar during deadlifts: Double overhand grip Hook grip Mixed grip Lifting … Read more
This training program is available for free in our app StrengthLog! Download is for free with the buttons below: My friend Emelie wanted to get bigger and stronger, but wasn’t sure of how she should go about it. Since I can’t keep my opinion to myself, I went ahead and suggested a training program which will … Read more
StrengthLog’s Strength & Size – and all our other programs – are available in our app StrengthLog! Download StrengthLog for free with the buttons below: Do you want to train each muscle group more often than with Bodybuilding Ballet? Does the rolling schedule of Bodybuilding 313 not fit your personal schedule? Do you want to get … Read more
Say hello to our newest training program: Powerlifting ABC! Powerlifting ABC is an 11 week long powerlifting program, divided into four weeks of preparatory training, four weeks of specialization, and three weeks of peaking – which culminates in a competition (or max attempts). The program is available in 3- and 4-day versions, where the volume increases … Read more
We reached out to Alexander Eriksson (@ae.power) – the reigning European champion, and general powerlifting mastermind – to pick his brain on powerlifting training in the long-term perspective. Class in session! Q: How should a powerlifters’ training change over the years, as they move from being a beginner to advanced? Alex: – Powerlifting stands out as … Read more
A few weeks back we received a question from a reader: Are assistance exercises necessary to get stronger in the squat and deadlift, or is it enough to train just those two exercises? I recorded an answer to that question which you can watch in the video below, but if you prefer reading, then just … Read more