Getting and staying lean is often viewed as a holy grail, but few can actually maintain a shredded physique year round. Why is this? Are there inevitable physiological consequences that make it very difficult to stay really lean, or are people just doing it wrong?
In this article, we’ll examine three commonly neglected movements that train muscles that may otherwise not be effectively targeted in many programs. Then, we’ll show you the exact exercises you can add to your routine to address weak links, improve muscle mass, and enhance resiliency.
An oft-cited 2014 study found that females account for approximately 40% of the total subject pool in exercise science research. However, female lifters seem considerably more under-represented in many of the areas of research that lifters care the most about. So, we decided to investigate the matter for ourselves.
A recent study examined the effects of oral contraceptives on strength gains, hypertrophy, and anabolic signaling. Do female lifters need to worry about hormonal contraceptives affecting their gains? Read on to find out.
A common concern is that quantitatively tracking dietary intake may give rise to disordered eating. A new randomized controlled trial casts doubt on this idea, fueling optimism for people who want to more actively manage their diet without unintended consequences.
Learn how to build a well-structured diet that supports your performance and body composition goals. This article will equip you with the basic knowledge required to set up a diet that is compatible with your goals and implement ongoing adjustments to keep you on the right track.
Higher volumes tend to lead to more muscle growth and larger strength gains, but not everyone responds to higher volumes in the same way. A recent study found that people who respond better to higher volumes may do so due to an increase in ribosomal content of their muscle fibers.
Some fitness professionals have questioned the importance of dietary carbohydrate, given that resistance training only depletes 24-40% of muscle glycogen. New data suggest that small reductions in muscle glycogen might have bigger performance impacts than once thought. Read on to learn about some very important carbohydrate research.
We published articles that questioned the popular belief that high body-fat levels impair p-ratios. Menno Henselmans published a rebuttal on his site shortly thereafter. We responded to his rebuttal, and shortly after our rebuttal was posted, Menno added to his article to respond to it. Unfortunately we feel the need to respond yet again, as his response lacked substance and was pretty misleading.
We recently published an article on how body-fat levels affect your p-ratio. After a rebuttal to that article was published, we want to respond to some of the claims and counter-evidence presented and to reiterate the general lack of evidence to substantiate the popular p-ratio hypothesis.
Many people believe that if you get lean before you start a bulk, you’ll gain muscle more efficiently. Their reasoning often relates to concerns about insulin sensitivity: if you have more body fat, your insulin sensitivity will be lower, so you’ll gain more fat and less muscle in a calorie surplus. However, the evidence for this concept is surprisingly thin and shaky. In this article, we delve into what the science really says on the topic.
Betaine is a lesser-known ingredient that warrants further exploration. This article will review what betaine does in the body and discuss studies evaluating the effects of betaine supplementation on body composition and performance.
