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.
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.
In this article, we’re going to discuss the variables that really affect back development from rows, and how to most effectively target the different muscles in your back.
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.
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.
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.
After a forced layoff, everyone is excited to get back in the gym and “make up for lost time.” But are we at a greater risk of injury when returning after a period of time off? Doctor of Physical Therapy Jason Eure lays out the risks associated with ramping your training back up after a layoff and gives you the steps to reduce risk.
Having to take time off from training is frustrating. What’s more frustrating is struggling to progress upon your return because you are trying to do too much too soon. This video provides a sample program for how to come back from time off the right way.
The idea of delayed hypertrophic supercompensation – the idea that your muscles can keep growing for several days after you complete a grueling block of training – is very contentious. A recent study provides us with the first evidence that it’s possible. However, there’s quite a bit more to the story.
