Gainsville Knowledgebase
Straight-talk guides on eating, lifting, cutting, bulking and recovery. Free, no sign-in needed.
30 articles · Updated
Getting started
- New to lifting? Start hereThe whole game in five minutes: lift a few times a week, eat enough protein, sleep, and log it so you can see it working.
- Set goals you'll actually hitBig goals are great, but small weekly wins keep you going. Here's how to break a goal down so it survives a bad week.
- Consistency beats motivationMotivation comes and goes. Routines, easy defaults and a plan for bad days are what keep you training for years.
- Tracking progress: scale, mirror and logbookThe scale lies day to day. Use a weekly average, your lifts and a few photos to see what's really going on.
Nutrition
- What's TDEE? How many calories you really needTDEE is the calories that keep your weight steady. Here's how it's worked out, how to use it for a cut or a bulk, and its limits.
- How much protein do you really need?About 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight a day covers almost every lifter. Here's how to hit it without living on shakes.
- Carbs aren't the enemy: fuel for trainingCarbs power hard training. Learn which ones to lean on, when to eat them, and why cutting them to zero backfires for lifters.
- Dietary fat: what it does and how muchFat keeps your hormones and joints happy. Here's how much to eat, the kinds to favor, and why going too low is a mistake.
- How to read a nutrition labelServing size first, then calories, protein, fiber, sugar and salt. A 30-second label check that makes logging way more accurate.
- Meal prep 101: a week of food in two hoursCook a few proteins, a couple of carbs and a pile of veggies once, then mix and match all week. Here's the simple system.
- Water: how much to drink when you trainMost people do fine drinking to thirst and checking their pee color. Here's how to top up around workouts and in the heat.
- What to eat before and after a workoutCarbs and protein a couple of hours before, protein and carbs after. Simple meals that fuel the session and kick off recovery.
- Intermittent fasting: what it is and who it suitsEating in a window (like 16:8) is one way to manage calories, not magic. Here's how it works, who likes it, and who should skip it.
- Supplements: what's worth it and what's notFood first. After that, creatine, protein powder and vitamin D (if you're low) have real evidence. Most of the rest is marketing.
- Fiber, fruit and veggies: the unglamorous gainsFiber keeps you full, your gut happy and your heart healthy. Most people need more. Here are easy ways to get to 25 to 38 grams.
Cutting and bulking
- Cutting basics: lose fat, keep the muscleA moderate deficit, high protein and heavy lifting. Aim to lose about 0.5 to 1% of body weight a week, and never crash diet.
- Lean bulking: add muscle without the extra fluffEat about 10% over maintenance, train hard and gain slowly. Here's how to grow without putting on a lot of fat.
- Body recomposition: lose fat and build muscle at onceNew lifters and people coming back can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. Here's who it works for and how to set it up.
- Stuck on the scale? How to break a plateauMost plateaus are water, tracking drift or less daily movement. Check these before you cut calories any further.
Lifting
- Progressive overload: the rule behind every gainMuscles grow when you ask a little more of them over time. Here are simple ways to add reps, weight or sets week by week.
- Sets, reps and rest: how to pick themHeavier weights and fewer reps build strength; moderate weights and more reps build size. Most people do best mixing both.
- Picking your first lifting programThe best beginner program is simple, full body, 2 to 4 days a week, and one you'll actually follow. Here's how to choose.
- Form basics: lift well, lift for yearsBrace your core, control the weight, use a full range and stop a set when form breaks. The habits that keep you lifting.
- Warm-ups and stretching that actually helpFive minutes of easy cardio and a few lighter sets beat long static stretching before lifting. Save the long stretches for after.
- Full body, upper/lower or push-pull-legs?How you split your week matters less than total work and consistency. Here's when each split makes sense.
- Cardio and lifting: how to mix themCardio is good for your heart and helps on a cut, and it won't kill your gains if you place it well. Here's a simple way to fit it in.
- Tempo and time under tensionSlowing the lowering part of each rep makes lighter weights work harder and cleans up your form. Here's how to read a tempo.
Recovery
- Sleep: the free performance boosterSeven to nine hours of sleep helps you build muscle, lose fat, control hunger and lift more. Here's how to get more of it.
- Rest days and recoveryRest days are when training pays off. How many you need, what to do on them, and signs you need more.
- Sore or hurt? Knowing the differenceMuscle soreness is normal a day or two after training; sharp or lasting pain isn't. How to tell them apart and what to do.