Blog · 12
Recovery
Sleep, rest days, soreness and training around aches, so you can keep showing up.
Getting back into the gym after a break: a 4-week plan
Getting back into the gym after a break: how much muscle and strength you lose, how muscle memory helps, and a 4-week plan that avoids crippling soreness.
Elbow pain from lifting: tennis and golfer's elbow fixes
Elbow pain from lifting, usually tennis or golfer's elbow: what causes it, how to change grips and loads, which exercises to swap, and when to get help.
Knee pain when squatting: causes, fixes and smart swaps
Knee pain when squatting: the usual causes, how to adjust load, depth and technique, which exercises to swap in, and when to get your knee checked.
Lower back pain after deadlifts: causes and what to do
Lower back pain after deadlifts or squats: common causes, when to see a professional, and how to keep training around it while it settles. Red flags included.
A 10-minute mobility routine for lifters (hips to shoulders)
A 10-minute mobility routine for lifters: hips, ankles, upper back and shoulders, with sets and timings, plus when to do it and how it differs from stretching.
Muscle soreness after a workout: causes, growth and relief
Muscle soreness after a workout explained: what causes DOMS, whether soreness means growth, if you should train sore, and what actually helps it fade.
Overtraining symptoms: real signs and what to do about them
Overtraining symptoms explained: the difference between overreaching, under-recovery and true overtraining syndrome, the real warning signs, and how to recover.
How many rest days do I need? A practical guide for lifters
How many rest days you need: usually 1–3 a week, depending on your split. When to take them, active vs passive rest, and training a muscle two days in a row.
Shoulder pain bench press: fixes, swaps and when to stop
Shoulder pain when you bench press: setup changes that often help, exercise swaps to keep training your chest, how to rebuild, and when to see a professional.
Sleep and muscle growth: how much you need to build muscle
Sleep and muscle growth: what research shows about sleep loss, protein synthesis, strength and hormones, how many hours lifters need, and habits that help.
Should you stretch before or after a workout? The evidence
Should you stretch before or after a workout? What research says about stretching, strength, muscle growth, soreness and injuries, plus a plan for lifters.
Working out when sick: the neck rule and when to rest
Working out when sick: the neck rule for colds, when training is fine and when to rest (fever, chest symptoms, stomach bugs), and how to restart safely.