The Strength Log

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.

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.

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.