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YOUR Drug-Free Muscle and Strength Potential: Part 2

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

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YOUR Drug-Free Muscle and Strength Potential: Part 1

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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Grow Like a New Lifter Again?

Author’s note: This article is due for a major overhaul (partially for the reasons discussed here). There are a couple things in here I don’t entirely agree with anymore. Based on some more recent research, I’m less confident about time off resulting in enhanced hypertrophy once you resume training (though I think the mechanism is still plausible, and I’d still like to see it tested on well-trained lifters). What you’re getting yourself into ~8600 words,

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Marine Corps lightweight powerlifter completes a squat.

Hamstrings: The Most Overrated Muscle for the Squat 2.0

What you’re getting yourself into 2,100 words 7-14 minute read time. If you’d rather watch than read, there are both a video and a graphic covering the same information at the end of the article. Key Points 1. In general, the body utilizes single-joint muscles before two-joint muscles really kick in.  This makes movement more efficient. 2. At the bottom of the squat, overactive hamstrings make the movement unnecessarily difficult, so squatting in a manner

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Powerlifters Should Train More Like Bodybuilders

For a MUCH more in-depth overview of training, check out this article instead.  It includes all the essential information contained in this article, while going more in-depth and placing that information it its proper context. What You’re Getting Yourself Into: ~4200 words, 10-15 minute read time. Key Points 1. There are six key factors that largely determine how much you can lift. 2. Of these, muscle size is the only one that’s impacted strongly by

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Sex Differences in Training and Metabolism

What you’re getting yourself into: 2700 words, 8-12 minute read time Key Points Most of the major differences in performance and metabolism between sexes can be explained by size and body composition, not biological sex itself. Of the true sex differences, the most important ones have to do with differences in sex hormones and fiber types. Additionally, females’ fat and muscle tissue is better equipped than males’ for handling both carbs and fat. All of

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