Sleep
- Aim for at least 7 hours most nights. That's the adult guideline, and some lifters need more.
- Keep it regular. Steady bed and wake times matter, not just the total.
- After a bad night, train, but take the lighter end of your RPE targets. Short sleep hits big lifts like squats more than small single-joint ones.
- Train earlier in the day if you know a short night is coming.
- Poor sleep for weeks? Talk to a doctor.
Why: in studies, several nights of short sleep reduced strength on multi-joint lifts.
Protein
- Daily target: about 1.6 g per kg of body weight. Gains seem to level off around there, and about 2.2 g/kg is a sensible upper end.
- Example: an 80 kg lifter needs about 130 g a day.
- Spread it out: 3–5 meals with roughly 0.4 g/kg each, about 30–35 g for that lifter.
- Food first. Shakes are a convenience, not a requirement.
- Dieting down? Higher intakes may help you keep muscle.
Have a kidney condition or another medical issue? Check with your doctor or a dietitian first.
Deloads
A deload is a planned, easier stretch of training that lets fatigue drop so you can train hard again.
- How often: strength athletes commonly deload every 5–6 weeks, for about a week. Your program may set it for you.
- How: cut the volume (fewer sets and reps), keep some heavier work, and stop further from failure.
- Not a week off: in one trial, a full week off mid-program led to slightly smaller strength gains than training straight through.
- Take one early if you've been worn out for a while, your lifts are going backwards, or niggles are piling up.
In SpreadLift: the 12-Week Meet Peak lightens weeks 4 and 8. Hypertrophy Upper/Lower deloads in week 8: half the sets, 4 reps in reserve.
Stress counts too
Your body doesn't keep separate books for gym stress and life stress. In small studies, lifters under more life stress recovered their strength more slowly after hard sessions.
Big week at work, exams, a new baby, travel or fasting? Hold your weights steady, or cut a set or two, rather than chasing records.
Ill? Don't train hard until you're better.
Signs you're under-recovered
- Your lifts go backwards for a couple of weeks
- Normal weights feel heavier than they should
- You sleep poorly, feel low, or don't want to train
- Aches start piling up
One or two bad sessions are normal. A pattern is the signal. Try more sleep, a lighter week, or a deload.
If performance and mood stay down for weeks despite rest, see a doctor. Other causes need ruling out.
About these pages
This is general education, not medical, physiotherapy or personal coaching advice. We are not your doctor or physiotherapist, and we don't diagnose or treat injuries. Each page summarises published research and health guidance in our own words, with the sources linked. Everyone is different, so use what fits and leave what doesn't. If something hurts, an ache isn't improving, or you notice anything on our Red flags page, stop and see a qualified professional, such as a doctor or a registered physiotherapist. How you use this content is your choice and your responsibility. Terms
Credits. Warm-up routines and drills: VCS coaching (Visser Coaching Systems). Research summaries: the sources listed on each page.