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Daniel Richter & Philip Wildenstam

Learn about strength training, fitness, weightlifting and health from the Strength Log podcast. Your hosts, Daniel Richter and Philip Wildenstam, are two Swedes with decades of experience in the gym, as well as reading and translating science into understandable insights for anyone looking to gain a better understanding of how to reach their fitness goals. To support the show, download the StrengthLog workout tracker app for free from Apple's App Store or Google Play today!

The Strength Log

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in your training is not following a training program. Today, we’re discussing why this is the case and how to find the right workout routine for you!
 
There are many factors you might consider when picking a training program. We run through the following and give you our opinion on how much they actually matter:
 
 • Your age.
 • Your sex.
 • How strong you are.
 • Your training goals.
 • Your experience level.
 • How you train today.
 • Will you enjoy the new program?
 • How many days can you train weekly, and for how long each time?
 
We finish the episode by answering two listener questions:
 
 1. Is "greasing the groove" productive, or does it count as junk volume?
 2. As an experienced novice, how should I periodize for strength?
 
Also, check out the free fitness advent calendar in our workout tracker app StrengthLog! It’s live now and gives you a new workout every day up until Christmas Day. 
 
***
 
Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow button!
 
You can also follow us on Instagram. You’ll find Daniel at @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam.
 
Become a part of our community on Facebook here.
 
***
 
This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden.
 
To support us, download the world's best gym workout tracker app StrengthLog here. It's completely ad-free and the most generous fitness app on the market, giving you access to unlimited workout logging, lots of workouts and training programs, and much, much more even if you stay a free user for life.
 
If you want a t-shirt with ”Train hard, eat well, die anyway”, check out our shop here.

How to Choose the Right Training Program

The standing overhead press (also known as a shoulder press or a military press) is one of the most popular barbell lifts in gyms all over the world. But it’s also a lift many people struggle with, ultimately abandoning it in favor of the bench press.
 
So, how do you become a strong, successful overhead presser?
 
In this episode, we’ll break down the best practice technique, look into some small details that might make a big difference, and talk about the most common questions people have about this beautiful lift!
 
***
 
Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow button!
 
You can also follow us on Instagram. You’ll find Daniel at @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam.
 
Become a part of our community on Facebook here.
 
***
 
This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden.
 
To support us, download the world's best gym workout tracker app StrengthLog here. It's completely ad-free and the most generous fitness app on the market, giving you access to unlimited workout logging, lots of workouts and training programs, and much, much more even if you stay a free user for life.
 
If you want a t-shirt with ”Train hard, eat well, die anyway”, check out our shop here.

The Overhead Press – Best Practices for Success

We have a great episode for you today, powered by awesome listener questions! How about planning the road from a 100 kg bench press to a 200 kg bench press?
 
Or what about active recovery, is it really a thing to sweat about?
 
Ten questions, all in all. See the timestamps below.
 
Timestamps:
 
 • 05:10 – Question 1: How would you plan the road from a 100 kg to a 200 kg PR in the bench press? Roughly!
 • 15:50 – Question 2: What is active recovery, and does it work?
 • 20:10 – Question 3: My feed is overflowing with videos about how important it is for us stiff-necked office gnomes to train the hip flexors, but I can't remember even hearing the word hip flexors from you guys … Is this something you need to worry about, and if so how?
 • 24:10 – Question 4: Alternating dumbbell curls or both arms simultaneously? Which is more disco, and how much sweating the details is it to care about the difference?
 • 29:00 – Question 5: If you can't or don't want to strength train more than 90 minutes a week spread over 2-3 sessions, and don't have higher ambitions than to bench your body weight, deadlift twice that, and squat somewhere in between, is there any reason to go beyond a beginner's program?
 • 35:00 – Question 6: Do you have a training program that you return to again and again?
 • 37:50 – Question 7: I have a question about the set point theory, meaning if you lose weight, the body wants to try to restore it, restoring what you once weighed. But if you lose weight and then put on muscle mass until you reach the original weight, is the body "satisfied" then? Or is it more connected with the amount of body fat, so if the body finds its way back to the "status quo" + the new muscle mass, it results in a higher new total weight?
 • 43:00 – Question 8: I want to get brutally strong in dips. I currently train 1-2 times a week, practicing handstands and freestanding handstand push-ups. I see some OK results, but I feel that I could improve more if I were properly structured. I’ve been using the app since 2019, and before I started training calisthenics, I pushed my bench press PR around +20kg with Benchpress Boogie, and similar in squats and deadlifts. I know that your programs work well for me, and I miss the structure they gave me. Do you have any tips?
 • 47:00 – Question 9: What sets do you count as warm-up? I use your app, and, for instance, if my program says 5x5 for the first exercise I usually do like 5-6 sets with 6-12 reps building up to that weight, but the two final sets are fairly tough. Should I log those sets as warm-up or working sets? Ps. The total weight for the workout is not unimportant for my satisfaction
 • 51:00 – Question 10: What is the biceps circumference at which you don't have to quote studies anymore, and can just drop truth bombs instead?
 
***
 
Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow button!
 
You can also follow us on Instagram. You’ll find Daniel at @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam.
 
Become a part of our community on Facebook here.
 
***
 
This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden.
 
To support us, download the world's best gym workout tracker app StrengthLog here. It's completely ad-free and the most generous fitness app on the market, giving you access to unlimited workout logging, lots of workouts and training programs, and much, much more even if you stay a free user for life.
 
If you want a t-shirt with ”Train hard, eat well, die anyway”, check out our shop here.

How Do You Bench Press 200 kg? New Mailbag!

Do you have a New Year’s resolution prepared? Setting and chasing goals can be fun and inspire you to become better, but it’s way too easy to set the wrong kind of goal—and then fail after just days or weeks.
 
Whether you want to lose weight, hit a new PR in the gym, or create the habit of working out a few times per week, this is the episode for you.
 
We discuss evidence-based methods for goal setting, that will increase your chances of success, boost your motivation, and make you feel better about yourself while pursuing them.
 
Happy New Year, everybody!
 
***
 
Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow button!
 
You can also follow us on Instagram. You’ll find Daniel at @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam.
 
Become a part of our community on Facebook here.
 
***
 
This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden.
 
To support us, download the world's best gym workout tracker app StrengthLog here. It's completely ad-free and the most generous fitness app on the market, giving you access to unlimited workout logging, lots of workouts and training programs, and much, much more even if you stay a free user for life.
 
If you want a t-shirt with ”Train hard, eat well, die anyway”, check out our shop here.

How to Set Goals (and Reach Them)

If you are a beginner in the gym, wanting to learn how to lift weights, get stronger, and become more muscular, this is the episode for you.
 
How should you plan your training? What exercises should you do? And which equipment is worth your money?
 
In short, we discuss the ten things you should know for a successful strength training journey—tips that can save you from years of mistakes.
 
If you already are a loyal listener, we believe this one has good stuff to teach you, too—it’s quite easy to forget the basics, so view this as a refresher course. And once again, happy new year!
 
***
 
Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow button!
 
You can also follow us on Instagram. You’ll find Daniel at @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam.
 
Become a part of our community on Facebook here.
 
***
 
This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden.
 
To support us, download the world's best gym workout tracker app StrengthLog here. It's completely ad-free and the most generous fitness app on the market, giving you access to unlimited workout logging, lots of workouts and training programs, and much, much more even if you stay a free user for life.
 
If you want a t-shirt with ”Train hard, eat well, die anyway”, check out our shop here.

Ten Things Every Beginner Should Know

Last week, we gave beginners to the world of strength training our ten best insights and tips, to make the journey to success in the gym easier. Today, we answer some of the most common questions beginners have about starting to lift weights!
 
Timestamps:
 
 • 03:40 - Question 1: Protein is important. But how important are carbohydrates and carbs?
 • 07:30 - Question 2: Do I really need to follow a program from day 1 as a beginner?
 • 11:20 - Question 3: When can I count myself as strong?
 • 15:00 - Question 4: Should I stretch before/after I lift?
 • 19:10 - Question 5: Beginner programs often only have like three sets of five for a few exercises. Is that really enough?
 • 22:30 - Question 6: I can’t progress. Week after week I can only manage to lift the same weights for the same reps. Why?
 • 27:00 - Question 7: How do I warm-up before lifting weights?
 • 32:20 - Question 8: Machines or free weights?
 • 36:50 - Question 9: My 13-year-old nephew started strength training recently. What advice would you give him for long-term success?
 
***
 
Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow button!
 
You can also follow us on Instagram. You’ll find Daniel at @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam.
 
Become a part of our community on Facebook here.
 
***
 
This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden.
 
To support us, download the world's best gym workout tracker app StrengthLog here. It's completely ad-free and the most generous fitness app on the market, giving you access to unlimited workout logging, lots of workouts and training programs, and much, much more even if you stay a free user for life.
 
If you want a t-shirt with ”Train hard, eat well, die anyway”, check out our shop here.

Common Beginner Questions About Strength Training

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 listener questions, see the timestamps below.
 
One final thing: We have a Reddit community now! Join us at r/strengthlog/.
 
Timestamps:
 
 • 03:45 - Unilateral vs bilateral exercises for strength and hypertrophy
 • 20:40 - Listener question 1: Which unilateral exercises would you have as the foundation in a program during a period when bilateral exercises don’t work for me because of a cranky back?
 • 22:30 - Listener question 2: I mostly do kettlebell training at home. Do you think it’s better to do the exercises with one or two kettlebells simultaneously?
 • 27:00 - Listener question 3: Do you notice a big difference in making the podcast in English vs in Swedish? Is there a difference in the questions you get?
 
***
 
Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow button!
 
You can also follow us on Instagram. You’ll find Daniel at @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam.
 
Become a part of our Reddit community here.
 
***
 
This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden.
 
To support us, download the world's best gym workout tracker app StrengthLog here. It's completely ad-free and the most generous fitness app on the market, giving you access to unlimited workout logging, lots of workouts and training programs, and much, much more even if you stay a free user for life.
 
If you want a t-shirt with ”Train hard, eat well, die anyway”, check out our shop here.

Are Unilateral Exercises Superior to Bilateral?

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 have discovered when measuring calories burned during weightlifting!
 
We end the show by talking about Daniel’s upcoming bench press meet.
 
Timestamps:
 
 • 02:30 - How many calories do you burn lifting weights?
 • 26:00 - 
Daniel • will compete in bench pressing in a few weeks! How will he train, and how does it feel to make a competition comeback?
 
***
 
Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow button!
 
You can also follow us on Instagram. You’ll find Daniel at @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam.
 
Become a part of our Reddit community here.
 
***
 
This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden.
 
To support us, download the world's best gym workout tracker app StrengthLog here. It's completely ad-free and the most generous fitness app on the market, giving you access to unlimited workout logging, lots of workouts and training programs, and much, much more even if you stay a free user for life.
 
If you want a t-shirt with ”Train hard, eat well, die anyway”, check out our shop here.

How Many Calories Do You Burn Lifting Weights?

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 of great for everything else—and an obvious part of a healthy lifestyle.
 
Today, we’ll break down how much fat you can expect to lose if you start exercising more, and explain why our bodies quickly tend to adapt to our new routines, making dietary changes absolutely necessary for weight loss.
 
***
 
Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow button!
 
You can also follow us on Instagram. You’ll find Daniel at @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam.
 
Become a part of our Reddit community here.
 
***
 
This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden.
 
To support us, download the world's best gym workout tracker app StrengthLog here. It's completely ad-free and the most generous fitness app on the market, giving you access to unlimited workout logging, lots of workouts and training programs, and much, much more even if you stay a free user for life.
 
If you want a t-shirt with ”Train hard, eat well, die anyway”, check out our shop here.

Weight Loss from Exercise: A Myth?

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 will have to change during the journey, and why sleep, diet, and other recovery tools become increasingly important the more advanced you become.
 
Fun topic! Let’s dive in.
 
***
 
Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow button!
 
You can also follow us on Instagram. You’ll find Daniel at @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam.
 
Become a part of our Reddit community here.
 
***
 
This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden.
 
To support us, download the world's best gym workout tracker app StrengthLog here. It's completely ad-free and the most generous fitness app on the market, giving you access to unlimited workout logging, lots of workouts and training programs, and much, much more even if you stay a free user for life.
 
If you want a t-shirt with ”Train hard, eat well, die anyway”, check out our shop here.

Your Training Journey from Beginner to Advanced

Training volume is a never-ending topic of debate. How many reps should you do when you want to become bigger and stronger? How many working sets? 
 
We focused on reps in episode 5, so today it’s time to focus on our favorite way to measure training volume: the number of working sets you train at or close to failure for any given lift or muscle group.
 
We kick things off with a new study from Brazil on football players with plenty of gym experience, that measured the effects of different weekly set volumes.
 
Then we broaden our discussion, by answering a handful of questions on this topic from our listeners.
 
***
 
Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that subscribe button!
 
You can also follow us on Instagram. You’ll find Daniel at @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam.
 
Become a part of our community on Facebook here.
 
***
 
This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden.
 
To support us, download the world's best gym workout tracker app StrengthLog here. It's completely ad-free and the most generous fitness app on the market, giving you access to unlimited workout logging, lots of workouts and training programs, and much, much more even if you stay a free user for life.

How Many Weekly Sets for Strength and Muscle Mass?

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