Updated March 20 with new US cases by time and predictions based on 5 countries. It’s here. COVID-19 hit China, Europe, and is grinding America to a halt. On March 13, President Trump declared a national emergency. Still, as a PhD in Public Health who specialised in epidemiology, I’m worried. Here’s why: The virus is…
Should you lift with a belt? A client wants to know: I think that I am getting to a point where I will need a brace/belt because I am needing to be more careful to keep strain off of my knee joints (squat) and back (deadlift). What do you think? I have my own opinion…
Our letter to the editor is out! In August, Morton et al. (2019) published a review titled Training for strength and hypertrophy: an evidence-based approach. In that paper, they argue that “load does not mediate resistance-training-induced muscular hypertrophy.” Instead, they suggest that “the most potent regulator of resistance-training-induced muscular hypertrophy is intensity of effort.” I…
I co-authored a review titled Mesocycle Progression in Hypertrophy: Volume Versus Intensity with Mike Israetel (Israetel et al. 2019). It was published on Dec 11. How should you progress in a mesocycle? From the abstract: “Should the trainee add more add more weight to the bar each week, add repetitions to the sets, or add…
If you’re into life extension, I’m sure you’ve heard of metformin. It’s a drug that inhibits hepatic glucose output and reduces inflammation in muscle. It’s among the top 10 most widely prescribed drugs in the US, and many people think it can increase healthspan and lifespan. But if you’re into lifting and exercise, recent results…
Is exercise really medicine? Yes, according to reviews by Pedersen and Saltin (2015) and Luan et al. (2019). There’s now evidence for prescribing exercise as therapy in 26 different chronic diseases. In case you’re short on time, here’s the full list: Musculoskeletal diseases (low back pain, tendon injury, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and hip fracture) Metabolic diseases…
The International Society of Sports Nutrition has the following diet advice for you: “A wide range of dietary approaches (low-fat to low-carbohydrate/ketogenic, and all points between) can be similarly effective for improving body composition.” In other words, you don’t need to follow a specific diet to be healthy and get lean—many are just as effective….