Training research, explained.
Short answers to the lifting questions people actually ask, with the studies behind them.
- Does stretching before you lift make you weaker?Long static stretches right before lifting can cost a little strength. Short ones barely matter. Here is what the research says and how to warm up instead.
- Does your protein shake really have to be within 30 minutes?The "anabolic window" made people sprint to the locker room for a shake. A big review found timing barely mattered once total daily protein was accounted for.
- Do you have to train to failure to grow?Sets that end closer to failure tended to build more muscle, but for strength, stopping a few reps short worked about as well. What that means for your next session.