Applying cold to your muscles after a workout, like using an ice bath or cold water therapy, might improve recovery and restore performance faster. At the same time, soaking in icy water after lifting weights seems to put a stop to your gains, at least if you do it all the time. Several recent studies … Read more
Eccentric strength training is when you apply a greater load, sometimes more than your 1RM, during the negative part of a lift. You then remove the extra load before the concentric part. You can also use a spotter or an assisted machine to lighten the load during the concentric phase. Many strength training programs designed … Read more
Systemic concentrations of anabolic hormones like testosterone do not predict the muscle growth strength training produces. However, local factors inside your muscles, like androgen receptor content, do. The results from a recent study show that overtraining leads to lower muscle androgen receptor content. This suggests that you don’t want to cross the fine line between … Read more
Recently, collagen protein has garnered quite a bit of attention. Where whey, casein, soy, and maybe a few other proteins were the ones available, you now usually find collagen protein as well. In addition, several studies over the last few years have demonstrated actual increases in fat free mass following collagen protein supplementation, comparable to … Read more
Want to perform at peak performance? Take a nap! A recent study had twenty young, physically active men take a nap at four different opportunities. During each nap time session, they performed jump- and attention tests. They also subjectively rated their feelings, muscle soreness, fatigue, and sleep. The first nap condition wasn’t actually a nap … Read more