The same 12-week programme produces very different results — genetics explains 27.7%
187 adults ran an identical programme and the spread in lean mass gained was almost as large as the average gain itself. A genetic score accounted for about a quarter of it.
Strength, impact and high-intensity training raise bone density after menopause
A meta-analysis of eight randomised trials found significant gains at the femoral neck and lumbar spine. The same effect did not appear in premenopausal women.
Squats transfer to leg extensions at 16% — the reverse is 9%
Ten weeks of volume-matched training split the results between a multi-joint and a single-joint exercise. Thickness, strength and transfer to the untrained movement all favoured the squat.
How much protein you eat in a day beats when you eat it
The 30-minute anabolic window has largely been debunked. Total daily intake is a better predictor of muscle strength and size than timing is.
Every exercise modality lowers blood pressure — circuit training led at 13.5 mmHg
A network meta-analysis of 159 randomised trials in adults over 45. The authors are emphatic that the rankings should not be read as definitive.
One set works, three sets works better — 19.8% on bench in eight weeks
Thirty-four untrained men were split into one-set, three-set and control groups for eight weeks. One set produced significant gains on most measures; three sets produced larger ones.
Adding BFR to normal training buys a little size and strength — not jumps or sprints
A meta-analysis of 12 studies in 859 team-sport athletes. The effects were real but small, and none of it transferred to explosive performance.
Moderate-intensity resistance training improves grip strength in sarcopenia
A network meta-analysis of 19 randomised trials in 1,267 participants. Grip strength gave a clear answer; gait speed gave none at all.
Nutrition alone will not reverse frailty — exercise first, food on top
A systematic review of randomised trials found exercise consistently improved strength, gait speed and frailty status. Supplementation on its own was modest and inconsistent.
GLP-1 drugs raised resting heart rate 3.2 bpm and cut HRV by 6.2 ms
Weight comes off while performance markers go down with it. A 12-week study of 66 active adults documented the effect, and much of the cause is not the drug but the eating it prevents.
Resistance training lowers blood pressure after menopause — 60 studies, no adverse cardiac remodelling
Aerobic exercise has long held the cardioprotective reputation. A meta-analysis of 60 studies found resistance training significantly reduced resting heart rate and blood pressure, with no harmful structural changes to the heart.
Moderate intensity three times a week for bone — except total body, where high intensity twice won
A network meta-analysis of 34 randomised trials in 1,746 participants, split by intensity and frequency. The best combination differed by skeletal site.
Lifting supports cognition in older adults — 60–79% of 1RM was the most consistent
A narrative review of 28 publications across 24 independent samples from 2014 to 2024. Improvements were reported in executive function, memory, processing speed and spatial ability.
One rest day a week is the floor — walk on it, but do not mow the lawn
A rest day does not mean lying on the sofa. What actually ruins it is the stuff that does not look like exercise but still loads the body all day.
Blood flow restriction training builds muscle at loads far below what usually works
Restrict arterial inflow, lift light, and the hypertrophy response looks broadly comparable to heavy resistance training. The catch: the effect comes from the contraction, not from the cuff.
Alcohol costs you strength for 24–60 hours — from about 1g per kg of bodyweight
The idea that moderate drinking protects the heart disappears once lifestyle factors are controlled for. For lifting, dose is the dividing line: no clear effect at 0.5g/kg, a consistent strength drop at 1g/kg.
Lifting during pregnancy cut gestational hypertension risk by about half
That comes from a meta-analysis of 50 studies and over 47,000 participants. The outcomes people worry about — preterm birth, Caesarean delivery, perineal injury — did not increase.
Your total is set by your weakest lift — why a two-time champion trained his
He won a 20-event, four-day competition by 27 points. Most of his training went into the area he was worst at.
Calorie density dieting is half-right for lifters — the trap is 1,400 calories
Fill up on food that is mostly water and fibre and you eat less without trying. The principle is sound; the calorie target and the sheer bulk are what break down once you train hard.
Protein powder is an ultra-processed food — what the UPF panic misses
Ultra-processed does not mean snack food. The category also covers tofu, high-fibre cereal, and the protein powder most lifters use every day.
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