Lean Performance Lab

Profile

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 17:54:04 +0200

Strength

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 17:54:55 +0200

Endurance

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 17:54:55 +0200

Finish Time Calculator

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Even pace is the assumption

A finish time from a pace assumes you hold that pace the whole way. Most runners fade in the last quarter of a race, so a goal pace you can only just hold in training will not hold on the day. The Race Time Predictor works the other way round, from a race you have already run.

Race Time Predictor

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Why two methods

Riegel fits a single curve to world records; Daniels’ VDOT works through the oxygen cost of running. They agree closely up to the half marathon. Both assume you are trained for the distance you predict, so from a 5K time the marathon row is a ceiling rather than a plan.

Heart Rate Zone Calculator

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The zones are a convention

Five bands at 10% steps are the common way to split heart rate, not a physiological law, and lab-based thresholds sit in slightly different places for every person. An age-based max can be 10 beats or more off in either direction, so a measured max from a hard race or test makes every zone more accurate.

Treadmill Pace Converter

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Set it to 1%

With no wind to push against, running on a flat treadmill takes less effort than the same speed outside. A 1% incline makes up the difference at normal running speeds, so if you want treadmill pace to match road pace, that is the setting.

Running Pace Calculator

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

About the predictions

Riegel’s formula assumes you are equally trained for every distance. In practice, marathon predictions from a 5K time run optimistic unless you have actually done the long-run mileage, so treat the marathon row as a ceiling, not a plan.

VO₂max Calculator

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Which method to trust

A recent race gives the best estimate, the Cooper test is a good field substitute, and the resting heart rate method is only a rough screen. None of them replaces a lab test, so compare your own results over time with the same method.

TDEE Calculator

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Treat it as a starting point

Every equation carries roughly ±10% error, and activity multipliers are cruder still. Eat at the estimate for two weeks, weigh yourself daily, and adjust based on the trend rather than the prediction.

BMI Calculator

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What BMI cannot see

BMI only knows weight and height, so it cannot tell muscle from fat. A muscular lifter can read as overweight at low body fat, and someone with little muscle can read as healthy while carrying a lot of fat. It works as a population screen; for your own body composition, the body fat calculator says more.

Body Fat Calculator

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How to measure

Measure in the morning, relaxed, not sucking in. Neck: just below the larynx, tape sloping slightly down to the front. Waist: men at the navel, women at the narrowest point. Hips (women): at the widest point of the buttocks. Take each twice and use the average.

FFMI Calculator

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Read it with care

The ceiling of about 25 comes from one sample of 157 men, so it is a rough upper edge, not a rule, and the study included no women. FFMI also inherits every error in the body fat estimate you give it: a few points of body fat moves the result by a full point or more.

Protein Calculator

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Macro Calculator

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The order of operations

Protein first, because it is the one macro with a hard requirement. Fat second, because dropping below roughly 20% of calories starts to affect hormones and satiety. Carbs get whatever is left, and they are the training fuel, so the more you train, the more you should have.

Weight Loss Calculator

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Why it is slower than the simple rule

The usual rule counts 7,700 kcal per kilo and a fixed deficit. But a lighter body burns less, so the same intake gives a smaller deficit every week. This calculator redoes maintenance from your new weight every day. It still leaves out the extra drop in energy use that comes with dieting, so expect real progress to be a little slower again, and adjust from what the scale does over two or three weeks.

1RM Calculator

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How accurate is it

Within about 5% up to 5 reps. Past 10 reps every formula drifts, because rep endurance varies far more between people than maximal strength does. Test with a set of 3–5 if the number matters.

Strength Standards

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What the levels mean

Novice is a few months of consistent training. Intermediate is roughly one to three years. Advanced is what a dedicated lifter reaches after several years. Elite is competitive territory.

Plate Calculator

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Beef chilli with black beans

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Fry the chopped onion in the oil for 3 minutes, add the garlic and the spices, and stir for 30 seconds.
Add the mince and brown it, breaking it up as you go.
Add the tomatoes and the drained beans, and simmer for 15 minutes while the rice cooks.
Taste and salt properly. Chilli is bland until it is salted enough.

Beef kofta in pita

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Mix the mince with the crushed garlic, half the onion grated, the spices and plenty of salt.
Shape into eight fat fingers around nothing at all, or press them flat if that is easier.
Fry in the oil for 8 minutes, turning, until browned all over and cooked through.
Fill the pitas with the koftas, chopped tomato, the rest of the onion sliced thin, and the yogurt.

Beef meatballs in tomato sauce

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Mix the mince with salt, pepper and oregano, and roll into about 18 balls .
Brown them in the oil in a wide pan, 4 minutes, turning once. They finish in the sauce, so do not cook them through.
Add the chopped onion and garlic, fry for 2 minutes, then the tomatoes and a splash of water.
Simmer for 12 minutes while the pasta cooks, then tear the mozzarella over the top and put a lid on for 2 minutes.

Breakfast burrito

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Fry the diced pepper in the oil for 3 minutes, add the drained beans and warm them through.
Beat the eggs with salt and pepper, pour them in, and stir slowly until just set.
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cheese and the hot sauce.
Spoon onto the tortillas, fold the sides in, and roll. Crisp them in a dry pan for a minute a side if you like.

Chicken and black bean quesadilla

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Dice the chicken small, season with cumin, paprika and salt, and fry for 6 minutes until cooked through.
Mash half the beans roughly and stir them through the chicken with the diced pepper and the hot sauce.
Spread over two tortillas, scatter the cheese, and top with the other two.
Dry fry each quesadilla for 2 minutes a side, pressing down, until the cheese melts. Cut into quarters.

Chicken caesar wrap

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Season the chicken and fry it in the oil, 5 minutes a side, then slice it.
Stir the yogurt with the parmesan, mustard, lemon juice and plenty of pepper. Loosen with water until it pours.
Toss the shredded lettuce through the dressing.
Fill the wraps with lettuce and chicken, and roll them tightly.

Chicken couscous salad with feta

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Put the couscous in a bowl, pour the boiling water over it, cover and leave for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, season the chicken and fry it in half the oil, about 5 minutes a side, then slice it.
Fluff the couscous with a fork and stir through the chopped tomatoes, cucumber, lemon juice, the rest of the oil and the oregano.
Top with the chicken and the crumbled feta. It keeps two days in the fridge.

Chicken fajita tray bake

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Heat the oven to 220 °C. Slice the chicken, peppers and onion into strips.
Toss everything on a tray with the oil, a teaspoon of paprika, half a teaspoon of cumin, salt and pepper.
Roast for 18 minutes, stirring once halfway.
Squeeze the lemon over the tray and warm the tortillas in the oven for the last 2 minutes.

Chicken pita with yogurt sauce

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Cut the chicken into strips, toss with the spices, salt and half the oil.
Fry over high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, until the edges catch.
Grate the cucumber, squeeze the water out, and stir it into the yogurt with the crushed garlic, lemon juice and salt.
Warm the pitas, then fill with lettuce, chicken and the sauce.

Chicken salad with yogurt dressing

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Season the chicken, and fry it in half the oil for 5 minutes a side. Let it rest while you build the salad.
Stir the yogurt with the crushed garlic, lemon juice, the rest of the oil, salt, pepper and oregano. Loosen with water until it pours.
Chop the cucumber and tomatoes, and toss them with the lettuce and most of the dressing.
Slice the chicken over the top and spoon the rest of the dressing over it.

Chickpea and feta pita

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Drain the chickpeas and crush about half of them with a fork, so the filling holds together.
Chop the cucumber and tomatoes small, and stir everything with the oil, lemon, oregano, salt and pepper.
Crumble in the feta and spoon into the pitas.

Cottage cheese scramble on toast

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Beat the eggs with salt and pepper. Toast the bread.
Wilt the spinach in the oil over medium heat, about a minute.
Add the eggs, and stir slowly until they are two thirds set.
Take the pan off the heat and fold in the cottage cheese. The residual heat finishes the eggs without drying them.

Cottage cheese toast with tomato

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Toast the bread.
Spread the cottage cheese thickly over it.
Halve the tomatoes, pile them on, and finish with the oil, salt, pepper and chilli flakes.

Creamy chicken orzo with spinach

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Cut the chicken into strips, season, and brown in the oil over high heat for 5 minutes. Take it out.
Fry the garlic for 30 seconds, add the orzo and stir it through the oil.
Pour in the stock, bring to a simmer, and cook for 8 minutes, stirring now and then so it does not stick.
Return the chicken, stir in the cream cheese, the parmesan and the spinach, and let it wilt. Loosen with a splash of water if it tightens.

Garlic prawns with green beans

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Start the rice.
Boil or steam the green beans for 4 minutes, then drain.
Heat the oil with the sliced garlic and chilli over medium heat until the garlic smells sweet but is not brown.
Turn the heat up, add the prawns, and cook for 3 minutes until pink. Add the beans, the lemon juice and plenty of salt, and toss once.

Greek yogurt and oat bowl

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Stir the oats through the yogurt.
Top with the blueberries, the peanut butter and the honey.
Leave it for five minutes if you prefer the oats soft, or eat it straight away for the chew.

Hot chicken sandwich

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Butterfly the chicken breasts so they are an even thickness, and season with paprika, garlic powder and salt.
Fry in the oil over medium high heat, 4 to 5 minutes a side, until cooked through.
Brush the hot sauce over the chicken while it rests.
Mix the yogurt with a spoon of the hot sauce, and build the bun with lettuce, chicken, pickles and the sauce.

Lean smash burgers

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Roll the mince into four loose balls . Do not compact them.
Get a heavy pan very hot. Put two balls in, press them flat hard for ten seconds with a spatula, and salt them.
Cook 90 seconds, flip, add the cheese, and give them another 60 seconds. Repeat with the other two.
Toast the buns in the same pan and build with mustard, pickles, lettuce and thin raw onion.

Mushroom and spinach omelette with feta

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Fry the sliced mushrooms in the oil over high heat for 4 minutes, until they colour. Crowded mushrooms steam instead of browning, so give them room.
Add the spinach and let it wilt, then the halved tomatoes.
Beat the eggs with salt and pepper, pour them in and turn the heat down.
When the edges set, crumble the feta over, fold, and slide it out.

Prawn and avocado wrap

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Mix the yogurt with the hot sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Slice the avocado and shred the lettuce.
Spread the sauce over the wraps, add the lettuce, prawns and avocado, and roll tightly.

Prawn and egg fried rice

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Cook the rice ahead and let it cool, or use leftover rice straight from the fridge. Warm rice turns to porridge in the pan.
Beat the eggs. Heat half the oil in a wide pan on high, scramble the eggs in 30 seconds and tip them back onto the plate.
Add the rest of the oil, the garlic and the prawns, and fry for 2 minutes until the prawns turn pink.
Add the rice and the peas, and fry hard for 3 minutes without stirring too often, so some of it crisps.
Return the egg, add the soy sauce, and toss once.

Protein yogurt pot

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Spoon the yogurt into a bowl or a jar.
Slice the banana over it, add the peanut butter, the chopped almonds and the honey.
If you are taking it to work, build it in a jar the night before and keep the nuts separate so they stay crunchy.

Salmon tray with potatoes and green beans

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Heat the oven to 220 °C. Cut the potatoes into 2 cm cubes, toss with half the oil and salt, and roast for 20 minutes.
Push the potatoes to one side. Add the beans with the rest of the oil, and lay the salmon on top.
Roast for 12 more minutes, until the salmon flakes.
Squeeze the lemon over everything before serving.

Teriyaki beef and rice bowl

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Start the rice.
Brown the mince in a dry hot pan for 6 minutes, breaking it up. Lean mince needs a hot pan to colour.
Add the grated ginger and garlic, then the soy sauce and honey, and let it bubble for a minute until it coats the meat.
Steam or boil the broccoli and carrot for 4 minutes and serve on the rice, with the spring onion on top.

Tofu and chickpea curry

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Press the tofu dry with kitchen paper and cut it into cubes. Wet tofu will not brown.
Fry the tofu until golden on two sides, then set it aside.
Fry the onion, garlic, ginger and a tablespoon of curry powder for two minutes.
Add the tomatoes, the coconut milk and the drained chickpeas, and simmer for 10 minutes while the rice cooks.
Return the tofu, stir the spinach through and salt to taste.

Tuna and chickpea bowl

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Drain the tuna and the chickpeas.
Chop the cucumber and tomatoes, and mix everything with the yogurt, lemon juice, oil and seasoning.
Better after ten minutes in the fridge, and it keeps a day.

Tuna and sweetcorn jacket potato

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Prick the potato, microwave it for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until soft through.
Mix the drained tuna with the sweetcorn, yogurt, lemon juice, spring onion, salt and pepper.
Split the potato, fluff the inside with a fork, and pile the mix on top.

Tuna pasta with spinach

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Boil the pasta in well salted water.
Meanwhile, fry the garlic and chilli in the oil for 30 seconds, add the tomatoes and simmer while the pasta cooks.
Stir the tuna and the spinach through the sauce and let the spinach wilt.
Drain the pasta, keeping a cup of the water, and loosen the sauce with it until it coats the pasta.

Turkey and sweet potato bowl

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Heat the oven to 220 °C. Cut the sweet potato into 2 cm cubes, toss with half the oil and salt, and roast for 25 minutes.
Fry the onion in the rest of the oil for 3 minutes, add the garlic, cumin and paprika, then the turkey mince.
Brown the mince for 8 minutes, then stir the spinach through until it wilts.
Mix the yogurt with the lemon juice and a pinch of salt, and spoon it over the bowl.

Turkey lettuce cups

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Brown the mince in a dry hot pan for 6 minutes, breaking it up.
Add the grated ginger and garlic, cook for 30 seconds, then the soy sauce and hot sauce.
Stir in the grated carrot and most of the spring onion, and take the pan off the heat.
Spoon into the lettuce leaves and scatter the rest of the spring onion over.

Can you lose fat from one area?

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Fat is used as fuel from all over the body, not from the area you are working. In the cleanest tests, training one limb or the abdominals left the fat there unchanged, while fat came off elsewhere as well.

Chicken and rice bowl with broccoli

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Heat the oven to 220 °C. Cut the chicken into strips, toss with half the oil, the crushed garlic and pepper, and spread on a tray.
Roast for 18 minutes, turning once.
Meanwhile, cook the rice in salted water.
Put the broccoli in the last 8 minutes of the rice pan, or on the tray next to the chicken for a drier result.
Mix the soy sauce with the rest of the oil and the chilli, and stir it through the bowl at the table.

Why did I gain weight overnight?

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A day of more carbohydrates, more salt or more food in general adds water, glycogen and gut contents. Glycogen alone is stored with three to four times its own weight in water, which is why the scale often jumps after a weekend and settles again by Wednesday.

Why has my weight loss stopped?

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Three things happen at once. Portions grow back without you noticing, which is the most common cause by far. Your body burns less because there is less of it. And your deficit itself shrinks, because the calories you set weeks ago were for a heavier you.

Running plan

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 09:24:55 +0200

Body recomposition

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Can you build muscle in a calorie deficit?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Across controlled trials, lifting in a deficit still builds strength, but it adds less muscle than lifting at maintenance, and the larger the deficit the smaller the gain.

Compound exercise

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Creatine vs beta-alanine

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Taking both

They work through different mechanisms and there is no interaction to worry about, so stacking them is fine. The order still matters for your money: creatine first, and only add beta-alanine if your sport actually lives in its window.

Cutting vs body recomposition

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

They are not opposites

A recomp is a cut with a deficit so small that the scale barely moves. Training and protein stay the same. The bigger the deficit, the less muscle you add along the way, which is why a recomp suits people who can still gain muscle quickly.

Deload

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Do I need to load creatine?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Large single servings are more likely to upset your stomach, so if you do load, split the daily amount into four or five doses. Unless you need the full effect within a couple of weeks, skipping it is simpler.

Do ice baths help recovery?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Cold water after lifting dampens the signalling in muscle that drives growth. Pooled studies show smaller gains in muscle size and in strength, both small effects from a limited number of trials.

Does caffeine improve performance?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Caffeine has a half-life of around five hours, so a dose late in the day can cut into your sleep. If you train in the evening, a smaller dose or none at all may be the better trade.

Does cardio kill gains?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

An older meta-analysis found more interference with longer, more frequent cardio and with running rather than cycling. The larger update that followed found no effect of any of those on muscle size or maximal strength, though very high endurance volumes were rarely studied.

Does eating late make you fat?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Late eating is linked to weight gain in observational data, largely because people who eat late tend to eat more in total. In a tightly controlled trial, eating the same meals later in the day made people hungrier and slightly lowered the energy they burned while awake, which could make a deficit harder to hold.

Does stretching prevent injury?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Holds under 60 seconds per muscle barely affect performance, especially when followed by a dynamic warm-up, and there may be a small benefit against muscle strains in sprinting sports. Strength training is what reliably lowers injury rates.

Free weights vs machines

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The specificity rule

Almost every apparent winner in this comparison is a testing artefact: whoever trained on the equipment used for the test came out ahead. That matters if you compete in powerlifting, and much less if you train for muscle and general strength.

Full body vs split routine

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What actually decides it

Pick the routine you can keep doing week after week. Count your weekly sets per muscle, keep them between 10 and 20, and arrange them however fits your week.

How close to failure should I train?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Growth tends to increase a little the closer you get to failure, while strength gains look similar across a wide range, so the closer end suits muscle and the further end suits heavy strength work.

How fast can I lose fat?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The athlete study that compared rates found the slower group kept more muscle and strength. Leaner people have less fat to draw on, so they do better at the slow end of the range; people with more fat to lose can usually sit at the faster end.

How fast should my easy runs be?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Easy runs add aerobic volume without leaving you too tired for the hard sessions. Well-trained endurance athletes do roughly 80% of their sessions at this low intensity.

How long should I rest between sets?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Short rest was recommended for years on the theory that the extra metabolic stress drove growth. Trials point the other way: with less rest you manage fewer reps at the same weight, so total work drops, and gains in strength and size tend to be smaller.

How long until I see results?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Early strength gains come largely from your nervous system getting better at the movement. Muscle starts growing early too, but measurements in the first weeks are muddied by swelling from muscle damage.

How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Calculators estimate maintenance from averages, and for some people they are off by more than 10%. Set the number, hold it for two to three weeks, and adjust based on your actual weight trend rather than the calculator.

How many steps a day should I walk?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

These numbers come from large observational studies, which show a link with lower mortality but cannot fully prove cause and effect.

How much protein per meal?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The idea that anything over about 30 g is wasted is outdated: in one study, 100 g of protein after training produced a larger muscle-building response that lasted more than 12 hours, compared with 25 g. Spreading protein over several meals is a small optimisation on top of hitting your daily total.

How much protein should I eat?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In a calorie deficit or if you are very lean, aim at the top of the range, because protein helps protect muscle when energy is scarce. Above roughly 2.2 g/kg, studies show no further gain in muscle.

How much sleep do I need to recover?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

When basketball players in a small study stretched their time in bed to about ten hours a night, their sprint times and shooting improved, which suggests many athletes sleep less than they could use.

How often should I change my program?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

“Muscle confusion” is not a mechanism. Swapping exercises often makes progress harder to track and costs you the skill you built in the old ones.

Is soreness a sign of a good workout?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

You can get very sore from a new exercise or a lot of lowering work, and you can grow steadily for months with little soreness once your muscles are used to the training. Track load, reps and sets instead; those tell you whether you are progressing.

Isolation exercise

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Should I bulk or cut first?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The main reason to start lean is practical: a gaining phase always adds some fat, so starting at 20% body fat means a longer cut afterwards. A larger surplus mostly adds fat, not extra muscle, so a gaining phase should be modest whatever your starting point.

Strides

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Superset

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Taper

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Threshold pace

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What is a deload?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Experienced strength athletes typically deload for about a week every five to six weeks, but controlled evidence is thin. In the one trial that tested a week off in the middle of a nine-week program, muscle growth was unchanged and lower-body strength improved slightly less.

What is a good deadlift?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The deadlift is usually the heaviest of the big lifts, which is why its ratios run highest. They assume a conventional or sumo pull from the floor with no straps.

What is a good overhead press?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

These ratios assume a strict standing press with a barbell: no push from the legs and no lean back. A push press or a seated machine press will move more.

What is a good squat?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

These ratios assume a back squat to at least parallel, with the hip crease level with or below the top of the knee. A shallower squat moves more weight and says less.

What is a good VO₂max?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Median (50th) and 90th percentile VO₂max in ml/kg/min, measured on a treadmill:

What is progressive overload?

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

It does not have to be weight on the bar. Two more reps at the same load or one more set also count, and adding reps worked as well as adding load in a direct comparison. Weight is simply the easiest to track.

Whey vs plant protein

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What matters more

Hit your daily protein total first. The difference between two protein powders is much smaller than the difference between reaching that total and falling short of it.

Strength block

Sun, 13 Sep 2026 10:56:07 +0200

Evidence ratings

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 11:37:46 +0200

Every answer carries a rating so you know how much weight to put on it. The rating describes the evidence, not our confidence in the phrasing.

How we review

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 11:37:46 +0200

The one-sentence rule

If an answer needs a paragraph, it usually means the question was too broad. We split it instead. The sentence at the top is the answer; everything below it is optional context for people who want it.

You are offline

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 11:33:56 +0200

Changelog

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 20:21:50 +0200

Search

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 19:13:12 +0200

AMRAP

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

BMR

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Concentric

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Do I need to lift heavy to build muscle?

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Strength is the exception: getting stronger at a heavy single is a skill that requires practising heavy singles. If your goal is size, load is a variable you can pick for joint comfort and equipment availability.

Does creatine cause hair loss?

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

If you are genetically predisposed to male pattern baldness you will lose hair whether or not you take creatine. Nothing in the literature suggests creatine moves that timeline.

Does creatine work?

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Creatine works by refilling phosphocreatine between efforts. Buy monohydrate. The other forms (HCl, ethyl ester, buffered) cost more and have never outperformed it in a head-to-head trial.

DOMS

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Eccentric

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Energy deficit

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How do I calculate my 1RM?

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Estimates are most accurate on the bench press and least accurate on the deadlift, where rep endurance varies enormously between lifters.

How many sets per muscle per week?

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Below about 10 sets you are leaving growth on the table. Above about 20 the returns get small and recovery cost gets large, though well-recovered advanced lifters can use more for a lagging muscle.

How much creatine should I take?

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Timing does not matter. Consistency does, because the effect comes from saturated muscle stores, which take weeks to build and weeks to lose.

How much water should I drink?

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The eight-glasses rule has no basis in evidence. Losing more than about 2% of bodyweight in fluid does measurably reduce endurance performance, which is what the per-hour figure is there to prevent.

How often should I squat?

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Three times a week works if you vary the intensity: one heavy day, one moderate, one light or technical. Squatting more often than that mostly buys skill, not muscle, and it is where most people start accumulating knee and hip complaints.

Hypertrophy

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Is the anabolic window real?

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The window, such as it is, is measured in hours rather than minutes. If you trained fasted first thing in the morning, eat reasonably soon afterwards. Otherwise, hit your daily total and stop thinking about it.

Lean body mass

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Leucine

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MET

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One-rep max

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Phosphocreatine

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RIR

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RPE

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TDEE

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Training volume

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VDOT

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VO₂max

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What heart rate is Zone 2?

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Zone boundaries differ between models: five-zone, three-zone and lactate-based systems all draw the line in slightly different places. The talk test is more reliable than any percentage: if you cannot speak in full sentences, you are above Zone 2.

What is a good bench press?

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

These ratios are slightly generous to heavier lifters, because absolute strength does not scale linearly with bodyweight. Use them as a range, not a grade.