

The Strength Log
Daniel Richter & Philip Wildenstam
Learn about strength training, fitness, weightlifting and health from the Strength Log podcast. Your hosts, Daniel Richter and Philip Wildenstam, are two Swedes with decades of experience in the gym, as well as reading and translating science into understandable insights for anyone looking to gain a better understanding of how to reach their fitness goals. To support the show, download the StrengthLog workout tracker app for free from Apple's App Store or Google Play today!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 2, 2026 • 39min
The Key to Losing as Much Fat as Possible
Preserving your muscle mass during a weight loss diet is critical for preventing sarcopenia and maintaining metabolic health. It also means you're going to look better both clothed and naked, which is kind of sweet. So, what's the best strategy to lose mainly fat? In today's episode, we're diving headfirst into a brand-new study showing what you can do to massively increase the amount of fat you lose when dieting, while minimizing muscle loss. The study had participants do either strength training, cardio, or nothing at all – and the differences were remarkable! *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow button! You can also follow us on Instagram. You'll find Daniel at @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam. Become a part of our Reddit community here. *** This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden. To support us, download the world's best gym workout tracker app StrengthLog here. It's completely ad-free and the most generous fitness app on the market, giving you access to unlimited workout logging, lots of workouts and training programs, and much, much more even if you stay a free user for life. If you want a t-shirt with "Train hard, eat well, die anyway", check out our shop here.

Jan 26, 2026 • 28min
Should You Load up on Carbs before the Gym?
They break down a large meta-analysis on taking carbs shortly before or during resistance training. You hear how researchers measured session volume and typical carbohydrate doses used. The conversation highlights when carbs appear most helpful, like longer or fasted workouts. Practical guidance covers who is likely to benefit and how this fits into everyday nutrition.

Jan 19, 2026 • 31min
Is a Full Range of Motion Always Best?
The range of motion you use when lifting can have a profound effect on your strength and muscle-building results. In today's episode, we break down a brand-new meta-analysis that compares the effects of strength training at short versus long muscle lengths. By now, we're really starting to get a clearer picture of what range of motion you should aim for most of the time – and with the help of this study, we give you our recommendations regarding full range of motion, when you might benefit from doing partial repetitions, and at what muscle length those partials should be performed. Nerdy but important stuff. *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow button! You can also follow us on Instagram. You'll find Daniel at @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam. Become a part of our Reddit community here. *** This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden. To support us, download the world's best gym workout tracker app StrengthLog here. It's completely ad-free and the most generous fitness app on the market, giving you access to unlimited workout logging, lots of workouts and training programs, and much, much more even if you stay a free user for life. If you want a t-shirt with "Train hard, eat well, die anyway", check out our shop here.

Jan 12, 2026 • 39min
Maximal Muscle Mass in Minimum Minutes
They explore time-saving strength methods, especially drop sets versus traditional sets. They discuss study design comparing growth and session duration, plus anatomy of elbow flexors. Practical tips cover gym setup, recovery costs, when to use drop sets as finishers, and how to balance compounds with high-density techniques for busy trainees.

Jan 5, 2026 • 27min
Fat Loss or Muscle Gain – Which Should You Focus on First?
One of the most popular goals this time of year is to lose some (or a lot) of fat. But how do you go about that, and is it a good idea (like so many people do) to put off the strength training until after you've lost your fat? If you're looking to make healthy changes to your lifestyle this year, this is the episode for you. We cover the basics of losing fat and building muscle mass, and explain why it's better to focus on both goals simultaneously. Here are three helpful guides from our website: Strength Training for Beginners: The Ultimate Guide How to Cut: Lose Fat and Keep Your Muscle Mass How to Build Muscle: Sets, Reps & Exercises *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow button! You can also follow us on Instagram. You'll find Daniel at @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam. Become a part of our Reddit community here. *** This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden. To support us, download the world's best gym workout tracker app StrengthLog here. It's completely ad-free and the most generous fitness app on the market, giving you access to unlimited workout logging, lots of workouts and training programs, and much, much more even if you stay a free user for life. If you want a t-shirt with "Train hard, eat well, die anyway", check out our shop here.

Dec 29, 2025 • 1h
2025 in Review
A personal year-in-review covering wins, losses, and goals for 2026. They celebrate new cardio habits, a big deadlift PR, and a binge of great books. Misses include near-miss lifts and rising annoyances. They discuss changing views on cardio, ultra-processed foods, steroids, isometrics, and the balance between general training and specialization. App updates and listener highlights make the wrap-up feel practical and friendly.

Dec 22, 2025 • 56min
Our Cardio Experience, One Year In
We all know that cardio is great for us. But as lifters, cardio is seldom a passion, and many of us skip it entirely. 2025 was the year this changed for your two podcast hosts. As heavy guys, we had a hard time fitting cardio into our lives, and all efforts to build a cardio habit in the past had failed. But not this time! Both of us managed to turn things around, and although 'love' might be too strong a word, we can proudly say that cardio is something we no longer struggle with. In today's episode, we discuss what changed for us, how we successfully built our cardio habits, and what results we've seen from this after almost a full year as cardio bunnies! *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow button! You can also follow us on Instagram. You'll find Daniel at @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam. Become a part of our Reddit community here. *** This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden. To support us, download the world's best gym workout tracker app StrengthLog here. It's completely ad-free and the most generous fitness app on the market, giving you access to unlimited workout logging, lots of workouts and training programs, and much, much more even if you stay a free user for life. If you want a t-shirt with "Train hard, eat well, die anyway", check out our shop here.

Dec 15, 2025 • 29min
Minimalist Strength Training While Cutting
When you're on a weight loss diet, strength training is the most effective tool for increasing your fat loss while minimizing your muscle loss. But how do you maximize your chances of an efficient weight cut when you're not able to spend a lot of time in the gym? That's the topic in today's episode, where we lay out our minimalist plan for short but effective strength training workouts while cutting! *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow button! You can also follow us on Instagram. You'll find Daniel at @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam. Become a part of our Reddit community here. *** This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden. To support us, download the world's best gym workout tracker app StrengthLog here. It's completely ad-free and the most generous fitness app on the market, giving you access to unlimited workout logging, lots of workouts and training programs, and much, much more even if you stay a free user for life. If you want a t-shirt with "Train hard, eat well, die anyway", check out our shop here.

Dec 8, 2025 • 44min
Plateau Busting
For anyone who's been training consistently for a couple of years, the plateau is an ever-present companion. But why do we plateau in the gym, and what can we do about it? As far as we know, there's basically no research on plateaus, mainly because that would require really long training studies. However, that won't stop us from discussing this issue! In today's episode, we draw on our own knowledge and experiences, and break down our best tips to break through to the next level of strength and muscle gains when everything seems to have stopped working. *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow button! You can also follow us on Instagram. You'll find Daniel at @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam. Become a part of our Reddit community here. *** This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden. To support us, download the world's best gym workout tracker app StrengthLog here. It's completely ad-free and the most generous fitness app on the market, giving you access to unlimited workout logging, lots of workouts and training programs, and much, much more even if you stay a free user for life. If you want a t-shirt with "Train hard, eat well, die anyway", check out our shop here.

Dec 1, 2025 • 46min
What Deep Squats Do for Your Knee Health
By now, it's pretty clear that deep squats are superior to half or quarter squats in basically every way: better strength gains, more hypertrophy, improved athletic performance. But what about your knee health? Squatting deep definitely puts more stress on your knee joints, so will you regret having done ass to grass squats when you're older? In other words, are deep squats the cause of knee pain and knee injuries, or are they the solution to long-term knee health? Let's look at the science! In today's episode, we delve into a review article titled "Impact of the Deep Squat on Articular Knee Joint Structures, Friend or Enemy? A Scoping Review". And since it's December 1st when this episode airs, we talk a bit about our free fitness Christmas advent calendar in the StrengthLog Workout Tracker app. You can open the first calendar door today, with a new one becoming available every day until December 25th. It's a lot of fun, you should tag along! *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow button! You can also follow us on Instagram. You'll find Daniel at @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam. Become a part of our Reddit community here. *** This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden. To support us, download the world's best gym workout tracker app StrengthLog here. It's completely ad-free and the most generous fitness app on the market, giving you access to unlimited workout logging, lots of workouts and training programs, and much, much more even if you stay a free user for life. If you want a t-shirt with "Train hard, eat well, die anyway", check out our shop here.


