Putting It To Work

A few well-supported habits stack the odds in your favor:

• Train each muscle 2-3 times a week — more frequent stimulus keeps protein synthesis topped up better than hitting it once.
• Use a range of 6 to 20 reps — both heavy sets and moderate sets grow muscle when pushed hard.
• Stop 1-3 reps short of failure — being close to your limit matters more than the exact weight.
• Sleep well — deep sleep is when much of the repair and hormone release happens.
• Eat enough protein — roughly 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight, spread across the day.