The Smith machine - training wheels for beginners and a towel rack for serious lifters?
That's what some call it, but some are not entirely correct.
Fixed paths can lead to serious gains. In this article, I talk about 15 of the best exercises you can do on a Smith machine.
Plus a free full-body Smith workout!
The 15 Best Smith Machine Exercises for Muscle & Strength.
Thanks for reading!
If you want a stronger, wider, and more aesthetic-looking back, can you go wrong with either the lat pulldown or the pull-up?
The answer is no.
In this article, I talk about how to use each exercise, how they compare, and how to get the most out of both. With five free programs.
Lat Pulldown vs Pull-Up: Differences, Benefits, and When to Use Each.
Thanks for reading!
What’s up! Have you heard people, even “experts,” tell you that creatine’s going to wreck your kidneys?
A new 2026 narrative review breaks down why you don’t need to worry about your daily scoop. Let me, in turn, break down what it found in an easy-to-understand way.
Myth: A High Creatinine Blood Test Means Your Kidneys Are About to Fail
When you use creatine, your body converts some of it into creatinine. That means a spike in your serum creatinine is a normal response to the supplement, not a sign of organ damage. If you need an accurate picture of your kidney health while you’re taking creatine, check your cystatin C levels instead, because they don’t get skewed by creatine.
Myth: Creatine Directly Damages Your Kidneys
A myth without any substance at all. The current scientific evidence clearly shows that taking creatine monohydrate at recommended doses does not cause kidney damage if your kidneys are healthy.
The (admittedly few) studies that have been done in people prone to kidney issues, like those with type 2 diabetes, haven’t found any impaired kidney function either.
Caveat: There isn’t enough research to say whether creatine is safe if you’re undergoing dialysis.
Myth: You’ll Turn Into a Water Balloon
Yes, you will gain water weight on creatine, but that’s a good thing. It ends up in your muscles, not under your skin, and well-hydrated muscles are high-performing and better-looking muscles.
And long-term creatine use doesn’t change your total body water relative to your muscle mass.
Myth: Get Ready for Kidney Stones
There is no evidence at all that creatine increases your risk of kidney stones.
Research shows it doesn’t even alter your urinary creatinine levels.
Myth: You Have To Cycle Creatine
Plenty of research confirms that staying on creatine is safe in healthy people.
The longest-term studies show that taking doses as high as 30 grams daily for 5 years causes no harm whatsoever.
Takeaway
The standard 5 grams of creatine per day is the most effective supplement for building muscle, strength, and high-intensity performance.
And it’s safe.
For more about creatine, check out:
The posterior chain is the muscles on the back side of your body that extend your hips, stabilize your spine, generate power, and help you run, jump, hinge, and lift.
If your chest, arms, and delts are your show muscles, the posterior chain muscles are your go muscles. The ones you need for strength, posture, athletic performance, and injury prevention.
In today's article, I go through the 15 best posterior chain exercises in the StrengthLog app and why you should consider doing them.
And speaking of doing things, you'll also find two posterior chain workouts (also available in the app).
The 15 Best Posterior Chain Exercises for Muscle & Strength.
Thanks for reading!
This short and straight-to-the-point article gives you concrete numbers, as backed by research, for both bulking and cutting. 🍗
How Much Protein Do You Need for Bodybuilding?
Thanks for reading!
By popular demand, we have expanded our How to Build Muscle After guides with How to Build Muscle After 60.
Because just like it wasn't too late to start at 50, it's certainly not too late at 60.
If you're in your 60s, right now is the very best place to start.
And in this guide, I cover everything from exercise selection to recovery, from nutrition to motivation.
Building Muscle After 60: The Complete Beginner’s Guide.
Thanks for reading!
This Thursday, April 30, I’ll be hosting an AMA right here on r/strengthlog.
| Location | Time Zone | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| Stockholm | CET (UTC+1) | 17:00 |
| London | GMT (UTC+0) | 16:00 |
| New York | EST (UTC−5) | 11:00 |
| Los Angeles | PST (UTC−8) | 08:00 |
| Tokyo | JST (UTC+9) | 02:00 (+1 day) |
| Sydney | AEDT (UTC+11) | 04:00 (+1 day) |
Ask me anything, and I’ll do my best to answer.
I have 30+ years of elite-level coaching experience, have designed many of the workout routines in the StrengthLog app (including programs for a wide range of sports), and have written close to 1,000 articles on strength training and nutrition over the years, both for print magazines (back when those were a thing) and for the StrengthLog website and its Swedish predecessor.
If you want to pick my brain about strength training, nutrition, programming, supplements, anything related to StrengthLog, or why not the really important stuff like video games and science fiction, come prepared with some good questions and stop by on Thursday.
You can also post them here beforehand, if you can't make it as it happens.
This will be the third StrengthLog AMA, and the last one was a big success. Let’s make this one at least as good.
Looking forward to seeing you on Thursday.
/Andreas
Everyone has abs, but how long it takes to get them to show depends on several things, mostly how much body fat you carry.
In this little article, I present a realistic timeline, what it takes to get abs, and how long you can expect to get yours to pop.