Research
Study summaries and evidence-based findings.
What Does This Week's Strength Training Research Show?
Two new studies in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research show that how you prescribe load and which exercise you choose both shape your results. Here's what lifters can take from them.
Training Frequency for Strength vs Hypertrophy: Does It Differ?
Does how often you train each muscle group change whether you build strength or size? Research suggests the answer is more nuanced — and more freeing — than mos
Does Glute Hypertrophy Depend on Which Exercise You Pick?
A 10-week MRI study found that hip extension and hip abduction grow different regions of the gluteus maximus. Here's what that means for how you program glute work.
Is RPE-Based Deadlift Training as Effective as Percentages?
A 2026 randomized trial compared RPE-based and percentage-based deadlift programs. Strength gains were similar, but the RPE group reported less fatigue going into each session.
What Does This Week's Strength Research Tell Lifters?
This week's research looks at resistance training for cyclists and split-set training in handball players — and together they make a clear case for programming intensity with precision, not just effort.
Split Sets vs. Failure Training: Which Builds More Power?
A 2026 study on youth handball players found split-set training outperformed failure training on one power metric — but not on strength, muscle size, or athletic performance. Here's what that means for how you program your sets.
The Anabolic Window: What 20 Years of Research Shows
The 30-minute post-workout protein window has been a fixture of lifting culture for decades. The research tells a more nuanced story — and the practical implica
Does Strength Training Improve Cognitive Function in Athletes?
A 2026 study found that two weekly strength training sessions improved cognitive function alongside physical performance in highly-trained young female soccer players — without replacing sport-specific work.
Can Young Lifters Build Muscle? What the Research Says
A 2026 meta-analysis confirms that young lifters can build muscle at every maturational stage, but the size of the adaptation depends heavily on age, puberty status, and what you're comparing it against.
Tempo Training and Time Under Tension: What Does the Evidence Actually Say?
Tempo training is one of the most debated topics in resistance training — but the evidence may surprise you. Here's what the research actually shows about time
Do Pre-Workout Carbs Actually Improve Lifting Performance?
The case for pre-workout carbs is more nuanced than supplement marketing suggests. Here's what current research says about carbohydrates, glycogen, and strength
Do Muscles Compete for Growth When You Train Both?
A 2026 study found that adding leg training to an arm-focused session didn't reduce upper arm muscle growth — challenging the idea that muscles compete for hypertrophy resources.
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