Guides
Lifting guides
Straight answers to the questions every lifter googles at 2 a.m. Backed by research, built around our calculators, and written by people who also skipped leg day once and regretted it.
Equipment
How Much Does a Barbell Weigh?
Olympic bar, women's bar, EZ bar, Smith machine, trap bar and more: how much each barbell weighs in lb and kg, and how to count it in your lifts.
How Many Plates Is 135, 225, 315 and 405?
Gym plate math made easy: what '1 plate', '2 plates' and '3 plates' mean, how much each one weighs, and loading charts in pounds and kilograms.
Strength
Average Bench Press by Body Weight, Age and Sex
How much should you be able to bench? See typical bench press numbers by body weight for men and women, from beginner to elite, plus how age changes the picture.
Average Squat by Body Weight, Age and Sex
How much should you squat? Typical squat numbers by body weight for men and women, from beginner to elite, and how to squat more.
Average Deadlift by Body Weight, Age and Sex
How much should you deadlift? Typical deadlift numbers by body weight for men and women, from beginner to elite, plus tips to pull more safely.
Nutrition
How Much Protein Do You Need to Build Muscle?
How many grams of protein per day you need to build muscle, how to split it across meals, and the best food sources, based on current research.
How to Cut Without Losing Muscle
How to lose fat while keeping your hard-earned muscle: the right calorie deficit, protein intake, training and recovery, plus the most common cutting mistakes.
Creatine: How Much to Take and When
How much creatine to take per day, whether you need a loading phase, the best time to take it, side effects and who should avoid it, based on the research.
Body Recomposition: Lose Fat and Build Muscle at the Same Time
Who can lose fat and build muscle at the same time, how to set calories and protein for a recomp, how to train, and how to track progress.
Body
Training
Progressive Overload: How to Keep Getting Stronger
What progressive overload is, the six ways to apply it, a sample 8-week progression and how to break through a plateau.
RPE and RIR Chart Explained
What RPE and RIR mean in lifting, the full RPE percentage chart, how to rate your sets accurately and how to use RPE to program your training.
How Many Sets Per Week to Build Muscle?
How many sets per muscle group per week you need to build muscle, how to split them across the week, and how to tell if you're doing too much or too little.
3-Day Full-Body Workout Plan for Beginners
A simple 3-day full-body gym routine for beginners: exact exercises, sets and reps, how to progress each week, and how to warm up.
How Long Does It Take to Build Muscle?
Realistic muscle-building timelines for beginners, intermediates and advanced lifters, what affects your rate of gain, and what to expect in your first year.