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Founder of VERTEX
Max Van Strydonck
Max Van Strydonck builds VERTEX, the free workout tracker with a social feed, and writes the articles and tools on this site.
Why VERTEX exists
Most workout trackers are logbooks. VERTEX is built around one question instead: is the work adding up? It turns every set into an estimated one-rep max, draws the trend, and adds a feed so friends can train together.
The rule behind it is that every number shows its working. The coach cites a study for each of its tips. The strength standards print their source on screen. The estimate stops at 12 reps rather than invent kilos. The free tools on this site run the same maths.
How the articles are written
- From the research, not from gym folklore. Every claim names the study it comes from, so you can check it.
- No borrowed titles. The byline claims no clinical title, and the articles are not medical advice. They explain what the evidence says.
- Corrections are welcome. Spot a mistake or a better study? Write to support@vertexstrengthlab.com.
Free tools
Articles by Max Van Strydonck
- The weighted vest is not a bone drug
- The seed oil swap
- What your estimated 1RM is actually telling you
- Eat protein the smart way
- How many sets do you actually need?
- Sleep is a training variable
- Rest longer. Grow more.
- The best lift for every muscle
- Four supplements actually work
- How strong can you actually get?
- The biggest risk factor nobody tracks
- You lose it slower than you think
- Six gym habits that deserve a red card
- How close to failure should you train?
- Do rep ranges actually matter?
- How fast can you actually add weight?
- The warm-up that actually works
- Soreness is not a scorecard
- Does cardio kill your gains?
- Train the stretch
- Do you actually need a deload?
- How fast should you lose fat?
- How to bulk without getting fat
- Can you build muscle and lose fat at once?
- The anabolic window is wider than you think
- What a night out costs you
- The ice bath trade-off
- Machines versus free weights
- Does lifting tempo matter?
- Your back is more robust than you think
- Lifting after forty
- Caffeine: the dose and the bill
- Consistency beats optimisation