fairlift Blog

Evidence-led strength training, explained

NutritionAugust 21, 2026

B12 absorption drops after 50 — deficiency runs 20–40% in older adults

The daily requirement is 2.4 micrograms, the smallest of any vitamin. The problem is not how much you eat; it is that ageing stomachs stop prising B12 off the protein it arrives attached to.

NutritionAugust 21, 2026

Creatine comes down to 5g of monohydrate — and skipping the loading phase

The labels carry a lot of adjectives, but only three things are worth comparing: the form, the serving size, and third-party testing. The rest just moves the price.

NutritionAugust 21, 2026

Salmonella in greens powder again — dried does not mean sterile

The assumption that drying kills bacteria is wrong. Without a validated kill step, dehydration does not eliminate salmonella, and it persists in dry powder for long stretches.

TrainingAugust 21, 2026

Start with the barbell once dumbbells feel easy for 5–10 reps

What keeps people in the machine section is usually not strength — it is not knowing what to do over there. Climb a dumbbell ladder first and the day you pick up the bar becomes a formality.

TrainingAugust 21, 2026

You do not have to enjoy exercise — treat it like brushing your teeth

What someone who hates exercise needs is not a better programme but a different category. Move it out of hobbies and into hygiene.

TrainingAugust 21, 2026

If you already know what to do and still are not doing it, information is not the problem

Some problems do not dissolve when you watch another video or buy another programme. Not because the material is missing, but because direction and support are.

TrainingAugust 21, 2026

What the Big 3 miss: power, rotation, and awkward objects — and where they go

Squat, bench and deadlift build maximal strength. Moving fast, rotating under load, and handling something that is not balanced have to come from somewhere else.

ResearchAugust 21, 2026

Resistance training after oral cancer treatment increased lean mass and strength

That comes from a systematic review of 24 studies across nine databases. Supervised, individualised programmes produced higher adherence and better functional outcomes.

ResearchAugust 21, 2026

Keeping mTORC1 switched on does not grow muscle evenly — fibre types diverged

In a mouse model with the growth signal permanently on, type I and IIa fibres were largely untouched while type IIx fibres either swelled abnormally or went somewhere else entirely. The pathway is not a volume knob.

TrainingAugust 21, 2026

Volume beats intensity for hypertrophy — up to about 30–40 sets a week

Meta-analyses consistently find more weekly sets per muscle means more growth, but returns diminish past roughly 30–40. Low-volume training taken to failure still works when time is short.

RecoveryAugust 21, 2026

Four hours of sleep costs you about 2–3% of your strength

A meta-analysis of 69 studies found performance drops roughly 0.4% for every hour awake before training. Strength suffers less than skill, but enough to ruin a one-rep max attempt.

ResearchAugust 21, 2026

Muscle growth correlated with strength at r=0.92 — the number is inflated

A 15-week study of 39 untrained men reported a 0.92 correlation between hypertrophy and strength gains. It came from a statistical method that returns 0.83 on data with no relationship at all.

NutritionAugust 21, 2026

Digestive enzyme supplements do not help you absorb more protein

Bloating after a high-protein meal is usually about portion size, eating speed or lactose — not an enzyme shortage. Gastroenterologists put those first, and the supplement nowhere.

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