The recommendation that lifters should aim to consume “1.6-2.2g/kg” of protein is almost universally taken to be an unquestionable truth. You probably don’t need to exceed 1.6g/kg in the first place, and if you do exceed 2.2g/kg, you’ll definitely just waste the extra protein you consume – it certainly won’t contribute to further muscle growth. However, a closer look at the meta-analysis that generated this recommendation suggests that we probably shouldn’t have been quite so confident that protein intakes within this range will maximize muscle growth. When you dive deep into the protein resea ..read more

The idea that you can make reliable inferences about hypertrophy from strength data is becoming increasingly common. Even worse, the idea that strength data is even better than hypertrophy data for making inferences about hypertrophy is becoming increasingly common. In this article, I explain why strength data is less informative about hypertrophy than hypertrophy data is. The post Strength Data Don’t Tell You Much About Hypertrophy appeared first on Stronger by Science ..read more

Until only a couple of years ago, full range of motion (ROM) was widely accepted as the best approach for trainees seeking to gain muscle. It wasn’t uncommon for ROM to be treated as an open-and-shut case. The only plausible reason to use a partial ROM was to use more weight and stroke your ego. However, more recently, the concept of “long-length partials” or “lengthened partials” has been gaining steam. In case you haven’t been following the hype, lengthened partials are simply partial ROM repetitions performed in the lengthened or stretched part of the movement. While there are many studies ..read more

Note: This article was the MASS Research Review cover story for April 2024 and is a review of a recent study by Chaves et al. If you want more content like this, subscribe to MASS. Key Points Women and men did unilateral leg extensions 2-3 times per week for 10 weeks. The subjects increased the load lifted as needed on one leg and increased the number of reps per set on the other leg.  The researchers found that both methods of progressive overload led to significant increases in leg extension 1RM and vastus lateralis cross-sectional area. There were no significant differences in th ..read more

Note: This article was the MASS Research Review cover story for March 2024 and is part of their “From the Mailbag” series of articles. If you want more content like this, subscribe to MASS. Discussing “neutral to positive” scientific findings is a meme in evidence-based circles at this point. With the big rocks of progressive overload, an appropriate nutrition plan, and a lifestyle and environment conducive to recovery and adherence in place, any small rocks you add on top can only have so much of an impact. Therefore, you should consider the time, energy, and financial cost of inves ..read more

As the old adage goes, you are only as strong as your weakest link, and grip strength can be the limiting factor in performance for many different strength athletes. Whether you are a powerlifter, strongman, weightlifter, Crossfitter, or a recreational lifter who wishes to be all around strong, life is better with a strong grip. In this article we are going to explore the science and practice of grip strength training and forearm muscle development. While I will be referencing strength athletes throughout this article, the same information can be applied to enhancing grip strength for athletes ..read more

Note: This article was the MASS Research Review cover story for January 2024 and is part of their “From the Mailbag” series of articles. If you want more content like this, subscribe to MASS. This article isn’t about the exact question listed above. In reality, it’s about an entire genre of questions that involve trying to reach a specific body-fat percentage within a specific (and often very short) time frame. I’ve answered this question countless times throughout my fitness career, and the person who asks the question is virtually never satisfied by my response. The truth is, I am ..read more

Note: This article was the MASS Research Review cover story for December 2023 and is a review of a recent paper by Nuzzo et al. If you want more content like this, subscribe to MASS. Key Points Researchers conducted a meta-regression to quantify the number of reps that could be performed at specific percentages of 1RM. On average, more reps could be performed at moderate loads than previously thought. There is a large interindividual variation in rep performance, and that rep performance is exercise-specific.   This meta-regression provides an important update to the ..read more

Note: This piece was the MASS Research Review cover story for November 2023. If you want more content like this, subscribe to MASS. Dr. Eric Helms’ kicked off his fifth competitive season in September with three competitions over consecutive weekends. This plan put him in the unique position of planning three back-to-back peak weeks, a prospect that would terrify a lot of competitors. The purpose of a peak week is to optimize the competitor’s appearance on stage. Peaking regimens typically include making simultaneous adjustments to exercise programming, carbohydrate intake, electroly ..read more

Note: This article was the MASS Research Review cover story for October 2023 and is a review of a recent paper by Warneke et al. If you want more content like this, subscribe to MASS. Key Points  This review of human and animal data explored the impact of long-duration stretching on hypertrophy and strength. In animals, large and consistent increases in strength and hypertrophy occur across species with extreme (often continuous) stretching protocols. There are fewer human studies for ethical and logistical reasons, and they use less extreme protocols. While higher intensi ..read more