How much muscle growth are you missing out on by not getting enough sleep? In today's episode, we discuss a new scientific review exploring how sleep affects your hormones, muscle protein synthesis, recovery, and ability to train hard.

The evidence suggests that poor sleep makes it harder to build muscle. But despite everything we know about the importance of sleep, there's surprisingly little direct research showing how much muscle growth you actually lose by not getting enough of it. We dig into what the science tells us, what remains uncertain, and how much you should worry about the occasional bad night's sleep.

We also answer a listener question about barbell rows versus Pendlay rows, and take a closer look at Madcow 5x5, a classic strength program for lifters who've moved beyond the beginner stage.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Opening banter
• 02:45 - Study review: Are you sleeping on muscle growth?
• 27:15 - Listener question: Barbell rows or Pendlay rows for Madcow 5x5?
• 34:45 - Program of the week: Madcow 5x5

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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.

***

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 doing nine sets for a muscle every week, does it matter whether you cram them into one workout or spread them across three? In today's episode, we discuss a new study that tested exactly that in experienced lifters.

Both groups performed the same exercises and the same number of weekly sets, but spreading them over three workouts allowed the lifters to perform considerably more reps and total training volume. Did that translate into more strength and muscle growth?

We dig into the results, why the strength gains appeared to favor higher frequency while muscle growth was remarkably similar, and what this means for how you should distribute your own training.

Finally, we answer listener questions about whether your grip affects muscle growth and whether there will be another fitness Advent calendar in our app this year.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Opening banter
03:00 - Program of the week: High Frequency Full Body Program
07:00 - Same sets, more workouts: Does training frequency matter?
24:30 - Listener question 1: How does your choice of grip affect muscle growth?
28:15 - Listener question 2: Will there be a fitness Advent calendar in the StrengthLog app this year?

***

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 intermittent fasting help you build muscle without gaining too much fat? In today's episode, we review a new 12-week study comparing lifters who bulked with an eight-hour eating window to lifters who could eat whenever they wanted.

But the most interesting result might have very little to do with time-restricted eating. One group ended up eating considerably more calories and gained more than twice as much fat, yet both groups gained the same amount of muscle and strength.

We discuss what this tells us about intermittent fasting, calorie control, and just how small a surplus you might actually need to maximize muscle growth when bulking.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Opening banter
• 04:30 - StrengthLog v9 – what's new in this huge app release?
• 11:30 - Program of the week: StrengthLog's Full Body Workout Routine
• 14:45 - Study review: Bulking and intermittent fasting

***

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.