Best Musclegrowth Podcasts (2026)

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2025 in Review 1:00:29

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2d ago1:00:29

1:00:29

We're in the final days of 2025, and it's time to wrap up this podcast year on a more personal note. What have been our wins and losses, what do we want to change in 2026, what scientific findings about strength training and health have surprised us the most, and which episodes of this podcast were our own favorites? Happy New Year, dear listener! …

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Our Cardio Experience, One Year In 56:08

3d ago56:08

56:08

We all know that cardio is great for us. But as lifters, cardio is seldom a passion, and many of us skip it entirely. 2025 was the year this changed for your two podcast hosts. As heavy guys, we had a hard time fitting cardio into our lives, and all efforts to build a cardio habit in the past had failed. But not this time! Both of us managed to tur…

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Minimalist Strength Training While Cutting 29:08

10d ago29:08

29:08

When you're on a weight loss diet, strength training is the most effective tool for increasing your fat loss while minimizing your muscle loss. But how do you maximize your chances of an efficient weight cut when you're not able to spend a lot of time in the gym? That's the topic in today's episode, where we lay out our minimalist plan for short bu…

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Plateau Busting 44:04

17d ago44:04

44:04

For anyone who's been training consistently for a couple of years, the plateau is an ever-present companion. But why do we plateau in the gym, and what can we do about it? As far as we know, there's basically no research on plateaus, mainly because that would require really long training studies. However, that won't stop us from discussing this iss…

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What Deep Squats Do for Your Knee Health 46:20

1M ago46:20

46:20

By now, it's pretty clear that deep squats are superior to half or quarter squats in basically every way: better strength gains, more hypertrophy, improved athletic performance. But what about your knee health? Squatting deep definitely puts more stress on your knee joints, so will you regret having done ass to grass squats when you're older? In ot…

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Groundhog Gains, a New Premium Training Program 49:28

1M ago49:28

49:28

What happens if you squat, deadlift, and bench press daily for more than one hundred days? That's what Daniel's done, and in this episode, we discuss his experience with high-frequency training—and our new premium training program Groundhog Gains, which is available now for anyone who wants to try training like this. We also address the most common…

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Anabolic Steroids Weaken Your Tendons 39:55

1M ago39:55

39:55

Bit of a mixed bag for you today, with three unrelated topics. First, we look into why athletes on anabolic–androgenic steroids so often experience tendon injuries. As far as we can remember, a possible explanation has been that the tendons can't keep up with the fast gains of muscle mass and strength from AAS use, but new evidence indicates that t…

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Rest Time Might Be Overrated if Volume Is Matched 35:46

2M ago35:46

35:46

How long you rest between sets is an important factor to consider, as longer rest times often lead to better training results since you can perform more reps in each set at any given weight compared to shorter rests. But what if you compensate for shorter rest times by doing more sets, until you've reached the same number of reps you would have bee…

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To Keep Getting Stronger You Probably Need to Train More 31:43

2M ago31:43

31:43

To maximize strength and muscle growth, how many sets should you perform per week for each muscle and exercise? A year ago, we reported on a meta-study that found surprisingly low levels of training volume were sufficient to maximize strength gains. To say that had us confused is to put it mildly. It's finally time to revisit the topic of training …

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How to Train the Bench Press for Big, Explosive Pecs 41:07

2M ago41:07

41:07

If you want to get a stronger bench press, bigger pecs, and become more explosive when pushing or punching, should you train for max strength, muscle growth, or explosiveness? And what is the overlap between those three training philosophies? Today, we break down a new study that compares exactly this, and give you our recommendations on how to pla…

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Ultra-Processed vs Unprocessed Foods – Looking past the Macros 34:56

2M ago34:56

34:56

We've all heard that we should eat healthy, specifically to avoid ultra-processed food. But why? Yes, it's easy to overeat ultra-processed food because it's tasty. But if you count your calories and don't overeat, are ultra-processed foods still bad for you? In today's episode, we explore a new study that put people on either a diet consisting of u…

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How Do You Reduce Muscle Soreness? New Q&A! 53:00

2M ago53:00

53:00

Are there any scientifically proven methods to reduce muscle soreness after hard workouts? And if so, should you? We're back with another episode based on listener questions, and this is a good one. Besides muscle soreness, we discuss paused deadlifts and paused squats, as well as the optimal time of day for working out. See the timestamps below fo…

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This Is Why You Don't Need to Stress about Protein Timing 42:20

3M ago42:20

42:20

We have two topics for you today. First out is a new meta-analysis examining the impact of timing your protein intake immediately before or after workouts. Does it matter? And if so, how big are the differences? Then we tackle a topic a lot of you have been curious about: "Daniel is training weird." Let's explain. Daniel has been performing the big…

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Will Fat Loss or TRT Boost Your Testosterone More? 37:06

3M ago37:06

37:06

Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is becoming more common as more and more men suffer from low testosterone. But for many men, it might just treat the symptoms instead of the root cause: unhealthy body fat levels. In today's episode, we discuss a new study that compared one of the new weight loss drugs (tirzepatide) to TRT, to examine which is…

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8 vs 16 Sets per Week for Muscle and Strength 26:36

3M ago26:36

26:36

How many sets should you do weekly for your muscle groups to maximize strength and muscle gains? That is the eternal question for gymgoers, and even though this is a relatively well-researched subject, we still can't say for sure. Let's look into a new study that had participants perform eight sets of leg presses per week with one leg and 16 sets w…

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How Much Do Your Biceps Grow from Rows? 25:22

3M ago25:22

25:22

Rows are great for developing your upper back, but do they also work your biceps sufficiently? That certainly would be a good incentive to do more boring rows and less direct biceps work, to kill two swole birds with one stone. So, what does the science have to say about this? In today's episode, we break down a new study in which participants trai…

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Try Alternating Sets for Faster Gains and Shorter Workouts 25:38

4M ago25:38

25:38

Longer rest times between sets typically mean larger strength and muscle gains. But what if you're short on time? Enter: alternating sets! Don't know what alternating sets are? No worries, we explain them in the episode, while looking into a new study that compares alternating sets with traditional sets, to see if they are the fastest route to big …

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Will Pre-Exhausting Your Muscles Increase Growth? 25:26

4M ago25:26

25:26

Pre-exhaust training is a strength training philosophy popularized in the 1970s. Many bodybuilders still swear by it, but what does the scientific evidence say? In today's episode, we examine a new study comparing pre-exhaust training with traditional training, and give you our thoughts on when and how to implement it in your own training. Also, he…

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How to Improve Your Sleep for Better Performance 31:38

4M ago31:38

31:38

Getting good sleep is one of the best things you can do to increase muscle growth, strength gains, fat loss, and general performance. In today's episode, we examine a study in which soccer players implemented different sleep hygiene tactics to improve their sleep. The tactics they had to choose from were: Avoid all electronic stimulants (TV, mobile…

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Best Ways to Form Healthy Habits 27:15

4M ago27:15

27:15

One of the best methods for being healthier and more productive is to use the power of habits. In this episode, we discuss a new review study on how long it takes to form new habits and what factors increase your likelihood of success. *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow …

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Will Collagen Keep Your Joints Healthy and Your Skin Young? 25:50

5M ago25:50

25:50

After working out, can you improve the strength and health of your tendons and joints by drinking a collagen shake or bone broth? And will that also help your skin look more youthful and beautiful? That's right, we have a new study to discuss, looking into the hype and claims of collagen supplements! *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please lea…

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Is Muscle Soreness an Indicator of a Good Workout? Q&A Part 2 30:10

5M ago30:10

30:10

What is the correlation between grip strength and health? How do you keep yourself motivated when injured? And is muscle soreness really a good sign that your training is working? In this episode, we finish the Q&A we started last week, with five more listener questions on strength training! Timestamps: 01:30 - Question 1: Is muscle soreness a good…

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How Little Can You Train and Maintain Your Mass? Q&A Part 1 30:15

5M ago30:15

30:15

Can you maintain your muscle mass with just one full-body workout per week? Are planned deload weeks necessary or overrated? How do you balance squats and deadlifts in the same training program? We're in the midst of summer and it's time to answer your best questions! We have five questions this week, and we'll finish this Q&A round next week with …

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The Big 6 – Pull-Up: From First Rep to Upper Body Mastery 57:42

5M ago57:42

57:42

The pull-up is one of the most classic strength training exercises you can do, and also one of the best! But how do you manage your first rep if you can't do pull-ups today, and how should you train to progress to 10+ reps? Or should you stick to lat pulldowns instead? In this episode, we also discuss the biomechanics and muscles used in the pull-u…

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The Big 6 – Row to Grow: Build an Unbreakable Back 50:29

6M ago50:29

50:29

You don't see it, but everyone else does. Your upper back holds some of the biggest muscles in your upper body, and the way to train them is with rowing exercises. In this episode, we talk about the barbell row and other common rowing variations, which muscles they work, best technique practices, biomechanics, and more. This is the fifth episode in…

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The Big 6 – Overhead Press: Build True Upper Body Power 59:34

6M ago59:34

59:34

The standing barbell overhead press (also known as a military or shoulder press) is a classic strength training exercise. Before the ascent of the bench press in the 1950s, it was the most important lift for upper body pressing strength. It mainly targets your shoulders and triceps, but it's also great for the core muscles and athleticism in genera…

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The Big 6 – Deadlift: Raw Strength, Real Results 50:05

6M ago50:05

50:05

The deadlift is one of the most primal exercises in the gym and a true test of strength from head to toe. In this episode, we look into the muscles worked when deadlifting and how to perform the lift safely and effectively. We also break down the biomechanics of deadlifting, best practices for your technique, common mistakes, a bit about how danger…

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The Big 6 – Squat: King of All Exercises? 56:42

6M ago56:42

56:42

The squat is known among gym-goers as the king of all exercises. In this episode, we talk about whether it lives up to the hype and how to perform the squat if your goal is to maximize muscle and strength gain. We also discuss the biomechanics of squatting, best practices for achieving a technique that will help you become bigger and stronger, the …

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The Big 6 – Bench Press: Master the Most Popular Lift 1:03:19

7M ago1:03:19

1:03:19

How should you perform the bench press if your goal is to lift a ton of weight and build big and powerful pecs, shoulders, and triceps? In this episode, we discuss the biomechanics of bench pressing, the best practices for achieving a technique that will help you become bigger and stronger, the muscles worked, some common mistakes, and how to train…

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The 7 Principles of Highly Effective Strength Training 54:55

7M ago54:55

54:55

What determines if you get great results from your strength training, or just spin your wheels without getting anywhere? In this episode, we present our seven principles of highly effective strength training. These principles are not written in stone, and they have considerations and exceptions. But if you listen to the whole show, you'll be better…

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Will Training Fasted Hurt Your Gains? 31:31

7M ago31:31

31:31

Will training fasted hurt your muscle and strength gains? A new study had participants do full-body morning workouts for 12 weeks, with half having breakfast beforehand and half skipping breakfast to see how it affected their strength levels, muscle mass, and body fat. In this episode, you'll learn how important it is to eat before you go to the gy…

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Why Long-Distance Runners Should Strength Train 28:00

7M ago28:00

28:00

Long-distance runners often hesitate to add strength training, for fear it will make them muscle-bound and heavy. But is that really what happens? In this episode, we discuss a new study on well-trained long-distance runners, that looked into how adding strength training affected their running economy and performance. The results? They're really go…

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This Is Your Brain on Strength Training 28:01

7M ago28:01

28:01

Research is mounting that strength training is not only good for our biceps, but also for our brains, improving our learning, memory, and focus. That goes for other forms of exercise, too, like cardio. But which type is best, and how much of it should you do for brain gains? In today's episode, we discuss a new meta-analysis that tries to answer th…

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The Impact of Cardio Fitness on Strength Gains 30:07

8M ago30:07

30:07

If you improve your cardio fitness, will you also perform better in the gym and recover faster between sets? That's a common hypothesis in the gym world. If proven true, it would be another good reason for adding more cardio training into your routine, since better recovery should mean bigger strength gains in the long run (pun intended). That's th…

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Building Muscle After 40 54:21

8M ago54:21

54:21

Forty might be the new twenty, and for many, life feels better than ever. But physical signs of aging are starting to creep up on us at that age. Our backs ache a bit more than ten years ago; we feel tired more often; and let's not talk about our knees and shoulders. So, how do you go about strength training in your forties? Do you build less muscl…

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How Many Sets per Muscle Group and Workout? 29:00

8M ago29:00

29:00

Is there too much of a good thing, or should you just keep adding sets to your workouts to grow bigger and stronger? In episode 32, we discussed a meta-regression analysis on weekly set volume for hypertrophy and strength gains. Now, the same researchers are back with an analysis on per-session volume. How many sets should you do per workout for a …

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Results from Maxing out in the Bench Press Every Day 36:30

8M ago36:30

36:30

Ten years ago we got an awesome study on powerlifters and weightlifters maxing out in the squat daily. Now, a group of physical therapy students have replicated that study, but in the bench press instead. You read that right. Bench press. Maxing out. Every day for more than a month. Plus back-off sets. That's a lot of bench pressing. But did they d…

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Signs You Might Be Ego Lifting – New Mailbag! 48:53

9M ago48:53

48:53

Which type of bicep curl is best if you want to grow your biceps? How do you know if you are applying progressive overload and pushing yourself, or just ego lifting? And what's the point of accessory exercises? We collected ten questions from our Instagram account and the StrengthLog Subreddit, to create a really interesting and fun episode for you…

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You Should Do More Than One Type of Bicep Curl 25:50

9M ago25:50

25:50

Which type of bicep curl is best if you want to grow your biceps? A new, impressive bicep study adds to the evidence that just doing regular curls might not be optimal, comparing bicep growth between two exercises where one was performed with a shortened bicep position and one with a lengthened bicep position. After discussing optimizing your bicep…

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Why Cycle between Bulking and Cutting? 35:49

9M ago35:49

35:49

If you want to build more muscle mass, is it a good strategy to bulk up first before cutting down to the same weight again, hopefully with more quality mass on your body than you started out with? Bodybuilders do this all the time, but do you really need to if you don't plan to compete? Another strategy is to stay at the same weight, slowly losing …

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Does Slow Lifting Boost Muscle Growth? 33:02

9M ago33:02

33:02

If you lower the weights slowly when training, will that boost your muscle growth and strength gains? In today's episode, we're discussing a new meta-analysis (still in preprint) that pooled the results from eight studies on this topic, to see if an intentionally slow eccentric tempo when strength training produces better results. The results gave …

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Will Late-Night Carbs Make You Fat? 36:25

10M ago36:25

36:25

If you eat carbs before bedtime, you'll become fat. At least, that's what people have been claiming for decades—but is it true or just another fitness myth? Today, we have a new study looking into whether carbohydrates eaten in the evening are more prone to becoming body fat, and whether it matters if the carbs are of the fast (tasty) or slow (bori…

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Cardio or Strength Training for Fat Loss and Health? 28:14

10M ago28:14

28:14

Which type of training is better for fat loss and reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease: cardio or strength training? Today's topic is a new, impressive study looking into this question, and we break it down for you! If you exercise at least partly for your health, this is the episode for you! *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please lea…

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How to Deal with Plateaus in Your Training – New Mailbag 56:09

10M ago56:09

56:09

How can you measure progress without testing your 1RMs? How do you best deal with plateaus in your training? And what do we think about low-volume, high-intensity training for muscle hypertrophy? The first mailbag of the year is here, and it's a good one! Read the timestamps below for every listener question we answered. Timestamps: 01:45 - What's …

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Do You Benefit from Carbs during Workouts? 31:14

10M ago31:14

31:14

How important are carbohydrates for your strength training results? And if you're planning for a long, grueling workout—should you even bring carbs with you to the gym, to eat or drink during the workout? That's the main subject for today, aided by a new, randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial on intra-training carbohydrate in…

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Best Ways to Save Time in the Gym 43:07

10M ago43:07

43:07

How can you save time in the gym while still building muscle and getting stronger? Today, we're discussing time-saving training techniques like drop-sets, rest-pause training, myo-reps, and supersets. A follow-up question for people short on time in the gym is: If you only have time to focus on one muscle group or lift, how little can you train the…

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Your Training Journey from Beginner to Advanced 52:04

11M ago52:04

52:04

What does a training journey look like, going from being a beginner to intermediate to advanced? And how should your training change so that you keep making gains? That's the topic for today, and we talk about how your body responds to training differently depending on how much and for how long you've trained, how your approach to your workouts wil…

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Weight Loss from Exercise: A Myth? 36:52

11M ago36:52

36:52

Is it a myth that you lose weight from exercise? A huge new study looked into how much weight you lose for every 30 minutes of aerobic exercise (cardio) you do per week—and the results are disappointing, to say the least. This fits the evidence we already have, so why do people continue recommending exercise for weight loss? Well, exercise is kind …

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How Many Calories Do You Burn Lifting Weights? 38:39

11M ago38:39

38:39

How many calories do you burn lifting weights, and do you burn more calories if you use light or heavy weights? Also, should you even care about that when the main reasons for strength training are to build muscle and become stronger and healthier (plus look better naked)? Knowledge is power—and in today's episode, you'll learn what researchers hav…

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Are Unilateral Exercises Superior to Bilateral? 30:42

11M ago30:42

30:42

Which is better for muscle growth and strength gains: unilateral exercises, where you work one side at a time, allowing for more focus on that particular muscle, or bilateral exercises, which lets you use heavier weights? Today, we're breaking down a new meta-analysis looking into this, and give you our practical takeaways. We also answer a few lis…