Podium Talk

Oh, how we all love to push ourselves to the very limit. When the last rep is moving slower than a snail. Yet we ask our spotters not to touch the bar, because ‘we got it’. We push on until the muscles burn and our heart rate is skyrocketing. It’s an exhilarating feeling. It gives us a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction to know we did our best. In addition to the feeling, many trainers also advise training to failure. The claim is that this results in a higher degree of muscle damage and thus greater muscle hypertrophy. It has been advocated by many lifters and bodybuilders as well. I hate to break it to you, but we might be wrong about this belief. Researchers have found that if the volume is equated, hypertrophy is greater for the people who do not train to failure. Volume is the total number of repetitions in a given time for a particular muscle group. This means if the same amount of work is being done, maybe with an additional set to make the number of repetitions in the wor...

Workout accessories have evolved to include very niche products, the likes of which are probably never purchased or used by the majority. However, the weightlifting belt is one of the oldest and most popularly recommended and used worldwide. It’s not just the elites, but many recreational lifters swear by its efficiency. Some of the more common claims are its stability benefits, back injury prevention uses, and many claim that it helps them lift heavier. Today we will put these claims to the test by reviewing some research on this very subject. Firstly we need to understand the possible reasoning for the above claims. The stability aspect could be explained by the abdominal compression that the belt provides. It is often applied in a way that would squeeze the torso and this is thought to add to the natural intra-abdominal pressure that is generated by the core muscles. Next, the claim of reducing the risk of back pain comes from the physical support that it may provide to the lower ba...

We don’t usually see bodybuilders compete in the strongman or powerlifting competitions, but we immediately assume that a jacked-up guy on Instagram must be incredibly strong. Looking at lifting videos of the 8 times Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman makes me think: Does size and strength really go hand in hand? For you to be strong, must you also have to look that way? What about the other way around — Does a muscular, lean body translate to tremendous strength? This has been a topic of discussion going back a few decades. Today we’re a lot closer to answering the above questions. Let us quickly get through the basics. Hypertrophy is an increase in size of, in this case muscle tissue. This can be of various types, since muscle is made up of protein and fluid. There can be an increase in protein mass, or volume (which includes fluid). Technically speaking, myofibrillar hypertrophy, or connective tissue and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. Strength on the other hand is the functional nature, which de...

Soreness, micro-tears, and the burn! We hear these terms a lot in the weight room, though a lot of people aren’t sure exactly what these things indicate. Yet the same individuals advise about the desired intensity of exercise and casually throw the words around. We must have all felt sore at least once in our lives and are probably not excited about the sensation. How many times have you been told to aim for soreness while you’re at the gym? Have you felt proud to experience soreness, like it is proof of your efforts in the weight room? Is soreness the target if you want to achieve muscle growth? These questions are not thought about enough and seem almost obvious to many people. Speaking of soreness, it is the sensation of muscle discomfort felt as a result of muscle damage and can be induced by exercise. It is more prevalent after performing eccentric (negative) focused exercises, or when one is unaccustomed to that particular exercise form. It is an indicator of incomplete recovery ...