What’s in store for you
Hey there
Welcome to this weeks edition of this TheFitnessHacker. We’re diving into tools and tips that can make a big impact on your progress. Here’s what’s on the agenda:
Are you overtraining with regards to recovery and making gains
Creatine’s role in sleep on training days
A simple, delicious smoothie recipe to boost your morning protein intake
Lets take a trip around the internet with the roundup
Let’s get started!
More is better for hypertrophy but up to a point
The literature is clear on training for hypertrophy, as frequency increases (up to a point), with +48hrs recovery and adequate nutrition you see an increase in muscle size, so what could go wrong?
Dorian Yates and Tom Platz speak about training too much
I came across a clip from Dorian Yates and Tom Platz, two very well known old school bodybuilders that got me thinking… (oh lets get the disclaimer that they did this for a living and probably did steroids out the way first), lol now lets get to the topic. They mentioned that they saw a pattern emerge, if they trained beyond a certain point (6 x per week) they saw either a decrease in size and or a stalling of progress, Tom Platz references trying to train with Arnold as his reference point. As they scaled the training frequency back they saw better results (while keeping intensity up). Now what does this mean given what the research says…. lets not complicate matters and get to the “moral” of the story before we share some more practical tips - “find what works for you”. Lets break this down in terms of factors to assess:
How intense do you train: Tough to gauge but if you are honestly training to absolute failure than more volume is probably not going to work for you, you can’t do both even if you are enhanced. If you prefer to shy away from failure by 2-4 reps then more volume can work
How sore are you after a workout: If you’re muscles are sore to the touch you are not ready to hit that body part again, if you take more than 48 hours thats okay, just adjust your schedule
How do you look and feel in the mirror: Feeling flat and deflated all the time despite putting in a shift in the gym (with good nutrition and sleep) maybe you don’t respond well to the amount of volume you are doing
What are your nervous system demands: Stressed at work, work long shifts, need to dedicate time to family chores, take that all into account when it comes to adequate recovery
Can you scale back and build back up: Try to scale back, take a break and build a program that starts with less volume and slowly scales up till you find a sweet spot. Do you even have 7 available days to train practically, does your schedule allow for it?
Stop copying programs from influencers: That guy that runs and lifts 7 times a week might not be your ideal program, simple
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being an athlete (yes your’e an athlete 😉) that thrives off a more optimal mix of recovery and intense training versus an intense 7 days a week split, why would you not opt for a program that offers less training but better results? Please I cannot stress this enough (listen to Dorian and Tom) find what works for you, the answer might just be that you are running yourself into the ground because everyone tells you to hustle and train all the time - apply some critical thinking and tracking, find what works for you.
Creatine’s impact on sleep on training days specifically
A recent study looked at the impact of creatine on sleep on training days, showing an early positive link
What did the study set out to achieve?
The study aimed to explore the effects of creatine supplementation on sleep, body composition, and strength in naturally menstruating females. Specifically, it sought to determine whether creatine could enhance sleep quality and duration, improve lean body mass (LST), and increase strength when combined with resistance training. The research also examined the potential connection between creatine, brain energy, and recovery from training-induced stress.
What Were the Critical Outcomes of the Study?
Sleep Duration: Creatine significantly increased total sleep duration on workout days compared to the placebo group. However, no differences were observed on non-workout days or in overall sleep quality.
Strength: Both groups improved strength, but creatine did not provide additional gains over placebo during the 6-week period.
Body Composition: There were no significant differences between the creatine and placebo groups in terms of changes to lean body mass or fat mass.
Did the Study Show More Gains? What is Creatine’s Role as a Sleep Supplement in Training?
The study did not demonstrate additional strength or muscle gains from creatine supplementation during the short intervention. However, creatine played a notable role in improving sleep recovery on training days, likely by:
Enhancing brain energy through improved bioenergetics.
Reducing oxidative stress and inflammation caused by resistance training.
This suggests that creatine can act as a recovery aid, particularly for those who struggle with sleep disturbances after intense exercise.
In Conclusion
The study highlights a promising link between creatine and brain function as it relates to sleep recovery. Creatine may help mitigate the effects of training-induced stress by supporting brain energy and reducing oxidative stress, which can enhance recovery and improve sleep quality on workout days. These findings underscore creatine's potential as a recovery-focused supplement, especially for individuals with low dietary creatine intake. Personally I found the lack of strength and muscle gain compared to placebo to be a bit counterintuitive given what we know about creatine but I might be missing something there and it wasn’t part of the study primary outcomes so it can be overlooked to an extent.
Further research is needed to explore its broader impact on chronic sleep patterns and cognitive health. Link to study here
The Power of Protein Smoothies
Smoothies are the MVP of breakfast for busy mornings. They’re quick, versatile, and an excellent way to pack in protein. Here’s one of my go-to recipes:
Ingredients:
1 cup (170g) Greek yogurt (non-fat or low-fat)
1 scoop whey protein powder (vanilla or your favorite flavor)
1 medium banana
1/2 cup frozen mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or your preferred milk)
1 tbsp peanut butter (optional for added flavor and healthy fats)
How to Make It:
Add all ingredients to a blender.
Blend until smooth, adjusting the milk for your preferred consistency.
Pour into a glass, sip, and enjoy!
Macros (Approx.):
Calories: ~350-400 kcal (with peanut butter)
Protein: ~40g
Carbs: ~35g
Fats: ~8g
The roundup:
A good sample grocery list: I did a thread on what you should be looking at if your’e confused about what to get at the grocery store : here it is
A bit of bodybuilding nostalgia: Who knows about Ronnie Coleman, I think everyone does, the 8 time Mr Olympia, have you ever watched one of his iconic documentaries, YouTube has the full version for free. Take a trip down memory lane if you wondered what it took to be so successful (despite the gear and genetics) there’s something so simple and consistent about this mans routine - take a look
We need to learn balance between constant action and switching off : From time to time I like to shout out fellow creators one of them has to be Ben Smith on Twitter / X, one of this posts spoke directly to me and I wanted to share. We tend to work so hard that we don’t learn to relax and unplug, it affects how much we can work and perform and it becomes a poor cycle… this thread really spoke to me
Let me end this edition there, it’s been another long one with tons of value, hope your’e enjoying this….. stay tuned for next weeks edition.
Wishing you all the best in your fitness journey
The FitnessHacker
