Drop sets are enjoyable, time efficient, and according to a new meta-analysis, lead to similar hypertrophy and strength gains as traditional sets. So, are drop sets all you need? This article tackles that question from every angle.
The idea that regional hypertrophy is normal and can be manipulated with exercise selection is now well established. However, the question remains, can we predict longitudinal regional hypertrophy outcomes with acute measures like EMG and muscle swelling?
Learn how you can gain more strength and build more muscle by minding your range of motion, and the muscle lengths you train through. This article also explores the potential mechanisms that might explain why training at longer muscle lengths can help you build more muscle.
If you wish to increase neck strength for a particular sport or neck muscle size for an aesthetic goal, there’s no substitute for direct neck training.
If you want to take time off of training (or you’re forced to take time off of training) what should you expect? How long does it take to lose muscle and strength? How long will it take to regain muscle and strength once you return to training? What can you do to mitigate your losses? This article will tackle all of these questions and more.
Weight loss is a common goal for people who wish to improve their health, compete in a physique sport, or make weight for a strength sport with weight classes. However, weight gain is an equally valid and important diet goal, and should be approached just as strategically. This article discusses how to construct an optimized bulking diet.
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.
Short answer: I think so. Longer answer: probably, but there’s less direct evidence supporting this idea than you’d likely expect.
The reverse Nordic curl is a great bodyweight exercise for building both strength and hypertrophy in the quads. Read the article to learn the benefits of this exercise, as well as how to progress to more difficult variations.
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.
