Stronger By Science publishes articles on topics like lifting technique (squat, bench, and deadlift), body composition and hypertrophy, programming, nutrition, prehab and rehab, and cardio.
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It’s commonly believed that myonuclei – the “control centers” of muscle fibers – are added to muscle fibers when fibers grow, but aren’t lost by fibers when they shrink, facilitating muscle re-growth. This is a proposed mechanism for the phenomenon of “muscle memory.” However, a recent review suggests that the data is less conclusive than people may realize.
A recent study told people they had either a good or bad genetic draw for aerobic exercise or hunger and satiety. Manipulating the subjects’ beliefs about their genetics changed both their objective and subjective responses to subsequent testing. This study builds upon prior literature showing that expectancy can influence outcomes to a surprising degree.
How do factors like age, strength, or sex impact strength gains in competitive powerlifters (not just untrained subjects in a lab setting)? I analyzed the data of almost 20,000 competitors, and these are the results.
Non-responders are people who don’t add muscle when they start training. What do we know about them, and what may be the key to helping them grow?
How much progress can a new trainee expect by July? Here are the realistic training goals, backed by science, that all new lifters can aim for.
This article models the relative strength advantage you’d expect from steroid usage. Does theory match experimental and observational evidence?
We all know at least one scrawny guy with more strength than people who are way bigger and more muscular. How can that happen? We have your answer here.
How much control do we have over strength and hypertrophy outcomes? Here’s what we know about the relationship between genetics and strength training.
Most strength standards tables are flawed. We created calculators that show you your potential and how you stack up. What you do with the data is up to you.
The best weight class will generally be the biggest weight class you can fill out while still being fairly lean. Here’s what that looks like in practice.
If you haven’t read the first part of this series, go ahead and check it out before diving into this article. Just a quick recap of the background information from Part 1: Of the available models for predicting your drug-free muscular potential, muscle:bone ratio is probably the best option, but Dr. Casey Butt’s calculations are based on similar principles, and are much more user-friendly, so that’s what we’re going with for predicting muscular potential. Strength is
What you’re getting yourself into: 3,300 words, 11-22 minute read time Key Points: 1) Drug-free muscular potential is influenced by the size of your frame. 2) Strength is a function of neural factors and muscular factors. Once you’ve hit a point of diminishing returns for the neural factors, your strength potential will be determined by how much muscle you can build. 3) Based on a few simple calculations, you can get a pretty good idea of your muscular
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