The most critical part of your strength training program is rest and recovery—that’s when real growth happens. When you strength train, you’re breaking down muscle fibers. If you hit the weights again the next day, you’re not giving your body the time it needs to rebuild and strengthen those fibers. For optimal results, train twice a week with 48-72 hours of rest in between sessions. Unlike strength training, cardio can be done daily since your cardiovascular system recovers much faster. You don’t need to wait 48 hours after a strength session to go for a run—just steer clear of any additional resistance exercises.

Contrary to popular belief, muscle soreness has nothing to do with how “good” your workout was. Typically, when you start a new training program, you will be sore because of the novelty of the exercise. Whenever you perform exercises that you have not done before, you will most likely experience muscle soreness in the following days (delayed onset muscle soreness – DOMS). As your body gets used to that new stimulus, the soreness will subside. When the soreness does subside, that doesn’t mean the exercise you are performing is not working or producing a meaningful stimulus; your body has simply adapted to recover from that stimulus.

There’s nothing wrong with doing multiple sets, but research shows that the benefits are the same whether you do one set or several. The key difference? One set saves you a ton of time. For one set to be just as effective, you must push yourself to momentary muscle failure—the point where you physically can’t complete another rep. At that point, all your muscle fibers are fully exhausted and need to recover. The research is clear: for great results, train harder, not longer.

Train your abs just like any other muscle group—one set to failure. Your abs, like every other muscle, need rest and recovery. Instead of calling it the “core,” we refer to your abs and back as your midsection. You only need two exercises—one for your abs and one for your lower back. Perform each exercise to the point of momentary muscle failure. To reveal your abs, you need to reduce the fat covering them by lowering your caloric intake.

Exercise alone has a limited impact on weight loss. The most significant factor in weight loss is reducing your caloric intake. Instead of focusing solely on “losing weight,” at Buffalo Training House, we prioritize improving body composition—balancing lean muscle and fat tissue. While we’re not registered dietitians, our InBody can accurately measure your lean muscle, fat tissue, and resting metabolic rate. With these insights, we can help you set a caloric deficit to effectively achieve your goals.

Recent research flips conventional wisdom on its head: lifting heavy weights isn’t the only way to build bigger muscles. The key finding: it’s not the weight that matters—it’s reaching muscle failure that drives growth. Forget the idea that heavier weights are the only path to progress. The real stimulus for muscle growth is pushing to the point of failure, regardless of the weight you’re lifting.

One of the most crucial factors for improving your body composition, aside from workout intensity, is your protein intake. Here are three key points to focus on: Optimal Protein Intake: Aim for 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Total Protein Matters Most: The total amount of protein you consume daily is more important than the timing for building muscle strength and size. Leucine is Key: The leucine content in your protein source significantly impacts muscle growth. Look for a whey protein supplement with at least 3 grams of leucine per serving after your workout.