muscle

We all want bigger muscles, and to build bigger muscles we need to get stronger – much stronger. Gaining strength through progressive overload ensures that we continue to place more tension on the muscles over time, forcing them to adapt by growing larger. Heavier weights equals greater tension...

You are probably not learning or progressing if you’re not making mistakes. When you make mistakes, then you know better and then do better. If you make the same mistake twice, you will learn better the third time. In the weight room, when striving for progress, mistakes are going to be made...

When the presently reviewed study (1) was published, my inbox was inundated with people telling me I needed to review it for MASS, since I’m on the record arguing that muscle growth does, in fact, contribute to strength gains (2). I always aim to please, so here we are. I’m pretty sure this was...

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...

Purpose and Hypotheses Purpose The purpose of this narrative review was “to discuss the impact of stretch-induced mechanical tension as an underlying mechanism on muscle hypertrophy and strength enhancements.” Hypothesis The authors did not explicitly state any hypotheses, which is common for...

The most important decision you can make to have a successful physique transformation, and not spin your wheels for years, is to work out whether you should be gaining muscle, losing fat or utilising a body recomposition. Certainly, on the surface, it seems like a fairly obvious, if not...

By Aadam | In 2010, James Krieger conducted a Meta-analysis to find an answer to this question 1 James’ analysis found multiple sets were associated with a 40% greater hypertrophy response compared to single-set training. However. As Brad Schoenfeld pointed out 2: So, James and Brad...

By Aadam | In 2015, Brad Schoenfeld (and colleagues) investigated the effects of training muscle groups once per week and training muscle groups multiple times per week on muscle and strength gains in well-trained men 1 This is what they did. 19 men were split into two groups: Volume was...

Many moons ago when I first decided I wanted to transform my body, I stumbled upon the idea of fasted training in a book. Yes, a book, because back then the internet was still new and awesome fitness sites like this weren’t around to disseminate good fitness info to the masses saving them from...

By Aadam | January 19, 2023 This post is taken from the Vitamin. Every Thursday, I drop some knowledge bombs on your face to help you reach your goals faster while avoiding all the bullshit. I’m biased, but I think everyone should be resistance training. Obviously exercise in all forms is...

By Aadam | Last Updated: April 14th, 2023 This post is taken from the Vitamin. Every Thursday, I drop some knowledge bombs on your face to help you reach your goals faster while avoiding all the bullshit. When it comes to building muscle, there are a number of factors and variables you need to...

Despite what you see in your social media feeds of dramatic fat loss results, training and eating for fat loss is hard. Like really hard. Ronnie Coleman said that everyone wants to get big, but no one wants to lift heavy weights. Something similar could be said for fat loss. Everybody wants to...

Dedicated weightlifters are serious about their supplements. And while most supplement stashes contain protein powder, branch chain amino acids, creatine, and select vitamins, there seems to be one much-needed supplement (or mineral) missing from many gym bags: Magnesium. The often-missed...

From rigorous training regimens to precise nutrition plans, athletes and fitness enthusiasts are always seeking ways to push their boundaries and achieve new levels of success. Amidst the intense workouts and competitions, recovery is a crucial yet often underestimated aspect that can make all...

What Is Creatine Monohydrate? Creatine is a natural compound made up of the amino acids L-arginine, glycine, and methionine. Creatine monohydrate is creatine with one molecule of water attached to it (“mono” meaning one and “hydrate” meaning a molecule with water attached to it). Our bodies...

A couple recent studies have shown that HMB – a legal supplement – works better than moderate-dose steroids. Is it the next wonder-supplement or just hype? I’ve been debating for a few days about whether I should write about this HMB controversy or not. I’m quick to call out ideas that are...

What is Citrulline Malate? Citrulline malate is made up of two compounds – citrulline and malate. L-citrulline is an amino acid that takes its name from the latin word for watermelon. The malate part comes from malic acid, which comes from the latin word for apple – malic acid contributes to...

What Is a Superset? To understand what a superset is, it’s helpful to first understand how to perform a traditional strength training workout. In most strength training programs like Bigger Leaner Stronger or Thinner Leaner Stronger, you perform straight sets. This means you perform a set of an...

Bodybuilding vs. Powerlifting: Overview Powerlifting is a sport that involves competing to lift as much weight as possible on the squat, bench press, and deadlift for a single rep (a one-rep max). As such, powerlifters generally spend the bulk of their training time practicing these...

So, you’re benching big weight and deadlifting big numbers; your squat is higher than it’s ever been and you have 18-inch arms. Each piece of the puzzle is in place but you’re missing that one part—the core. Books say crunches, the computer says leg raises and Russian twists, infomercials sell...