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UC Davis Sports Performance and Wellness, Sacramento, CA (2025)

07/25/2025

Hypertrophy vs Strength training

Two popular training styles that often get mixed up are hypertrophy training and strength training. Did you know they are inversely related? Sometimes bigger muscles doesn’t necessarily mean stronger muscles. That's why narrowing your fitness goals and targeting a specific form of training can help you get the results you want.

How are they different?

Hypertrophy: Focuses on building muscle mass over building strength. The goal with hypertrophy is to achieve a more muscular look. As you consistently work out a muscle, the muscle fibers increase in size, which leads to a larger/stronger looking muscle. You don’t necessarily need to lift heavy to achieve the look. In fact, if you lift more moderately hypertrophy will be greatly increased. For example, a typical repetition range for a hypertrophy oriented exercise would be 3-5 sets of 6-12 repetitions, lifting 65-85% of your one repetition maximum.

Strength Training: Focuses on overall strength vs the look. Strength training doesn’t sculpt the muscle the same way that hypertrophy training does, but it can make you a lot stronger. Muscle size still increases, but other benefits like higher muscle fiber recruitment and greater increases in bone density are also noticed. Strength training typically includes 2-6 sets of 1-6 repetitions, lifting around 70-100% of your one repetition maximum.

Whether you're prioritizing the size or pure strength, the key is consistency and progressive overload. Continuously challenging your muscles to higher levels of stress over time. Do that, and you’ll see growth in both areas.

07/23/2025

Today we are covering different types of cardio, specifically HIIT and LISS. We break down the differences and showcase the benefits of each.

Everyone always asks; Which should I do? Which one is better? Neither! They both benefit you, they both are good for you and you will feel better with both. The best one to do is what works best with your schedule and what you can be consistent with!

Pick what's best for your time and health goals!

07/23/2025

Repetitions in Reserve (RIR)

Reps in Reserve (RIR) typically supplement with Rate of Perceived in Exertion (RPE). Even though RPE applies in both cardiovascular and resistance training, RIR mainly occurs in resistance training. RIR is how many reps you can do until technical failure after a set. In other words, “How much gas in the tank?” For example, you do a set of 10 reps on the back squat. After the 10 reps, you think you can perform 2 more reps until failure. Your RIR score is 2. At RIR 2, your RPE should be around 8. If you cannot do anymore reps after 10, your RIR score is 0, RPE is 10, and you are at failure. With RPE, we utilize RIR to measure intensity. If your RIR score is above 3, you need to go heavier and/or increase reps with progressive overload. Your RIR score for each exercise should be 2 or lower indicating near failure. RPE of 7-10 and RIR below 3 is the sweet spot. In addition to RPE, consider RIR during strength training. Lift at or near failure to obtain the benefits of resistance training.

https://blog.nasm.org/reps-in-reserve

07/18/2025

Could high intensity intervals improve endurance performance?

High intensity exercises offer various benefits to overall health, athletic performance, and muscular strength. Training typically includes 2-3, 30–40-minute sessions of 85% or higher intensity. When comparing high intensity training to endurance training, they are complete opposites. For endurance athletes, including 1-2 higher intensity sessions could improve endurance performance if done correctly. Putting the body under higher levels of stress raises the ceiling for physiological adaptations.

On the muscular level, higher levels of muscle fiber activation are required to perform higher intensity exercises. Establishing those neurological pathways can improve the endurance of muscles when going back to lower intensity efforts.

Cardiovascular strength improves along with higher intensity. When exercising, more stress is placed on the heart, making it work harder. Over time, constant exercise stress to the heart leads to strengthening of the heart's walls. The heart becomes more efficient at circulating blood, which explains why well-trained athletes have lower heart rates. Because high-intensity training delivers this stress in a shorter time frame, it effectively builds the capacity to sustain higher intensities for longer periods.

Incorporating High-Intensity exercise can be a valuable addition to an endurance program. Improvements in muscular endurance, cardiovascular efficiency, and energy production are just a few of the benefits that can translate into better overall endurance performance.

06/26/2025

Altitude Training is the practice of exercising at intermediate to high altitudes to activate specific physiological effects that improve oxygen delivery throughout the body. At higher altitudes, the oxygen concentration within the air remains relatively the same, but the partial pressure decreases. This means that with every breath you take, there is less oxygen, which causes a lower oxygen saturation.

The body has a way of adapting to higher altitudes, the main one being an increase in the production of red blood cells. Within our red blood cells is a protein called hemoglobin, which is responsible for carrying oxygen from our lungs and releasing it to the tissues. This means if you exercise in an environment with a lower partial pressure, your body will respond by increasing red blood cell production, so more hemoglobin can bind to oxygen.

How does this help?

When you increase the amount of red blood cells you have that can bind to oxygen, you have more available oxygen that can be delivered to the tissues. Developing these adaptations and returning to lower altitudes is greatly beneficial. Since the partial pressure of oxygen returns to normal, you will have more oxygen readily available in the air and more oxygen carriers available for delivery to the tissues.

Aerobic metabolism and endurance performance are improved following altitude training. The effects of fatigue will be minimized, along with a potential increase in VO2MAX performance. Altitude training takes around 4 weeks of consistent endurance training to begin to see improvements. The effects typically last close to 3 weeks after returning to lower altitudes.

Altitude training can be complicated, but it is shown to improve aerobic performance. It may be something to consider when training for the next big event.

06/15/2025

Preventing Injuries

Injury prevention should always be a priority before engaging in any form of exercise. Taking the necessary steps before and after exercise can keep you strong and ready for any workout you have planned.

Stretching:

Stretching plays a vital role in preparing the body for exercise. It promotes blood flow to muscles, improves flexibility, and reduces muscle tension. Allowing the joints and muscles to move through the full range of motion makes it less susceptible to injury during strenuous or sudden movements.

There are two main forms of stretching.

Dynamic stretching: Typically performed before exercise because it aids in increasing blood flow and range of motion.

Static Stretching: Most beneficial post-exercise to reduce muscle soreness and promote relaxation.

Strength Training:

Strength training is important for overall stability and muscle readiness. It enables greater recruitment of muscle fibers, which results in greater levels of strength and higher power output. Strength training also improves muscle endurance, which reduces the effects of fatigue and allows you to continue at a higher intensity for a longer period.
Over time, joint stability improves, which helps to prevent ligament/tendon tears. Strength training twice a week can improve muscle imbalances and keep your body ready for any sport or workout you plan on doing.

Hydration:

Hydration supports overall body function. Drinking adequate amounts of water 2-3 hours before exercise can aid in maintaining muscle elasticity and lubricates the joints. Staying hydrated

06/13/2025

Rate of Perceived Exertion

Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) indicates intensity with exercise in either cardiovascular or resistance training.There are 2 main scales to reference RPE: the Borg and modified Borg scale.
The standard Borg measures at a scale from 6 to 20. 6 indicates no physical exertion and 20 represents maximal effort. The modified Borg scale measures at a scale of 0-10. Similar to the regular Borg, 0 indicates no physical exertion while 10 means maximal effort. Both scales accurately depict RPE during physical activity.

When you exercise, you should consider your RPE, especially lifting weights. For simplicity, I will be using the modified Borg scale. As a beginner, you should be around an RPE of 5-6 with around 2-4 sets of 8-15 repetitions for general resistance training. Not too easy nor hard, just your muscles getting situated with resistance training. Around a month, then, you can increase your RPE to around 6-9, and sometimes even 10. Once the weight becomes easy, practice progressive overload until you reach near failure again. For cardiovascular training, Zone 1 is RPE 1-2 with little effort, regular breathing, and can have a conversation. You can continue on forever at Zone 1. Zone 2 training is around RPE 3-4 with some effort, heightened breathing, but still can conversate. Zone 2 training, on average, should take around 30-60 minutes. Zone 3 reaches around RPE 5-6 putting good effort, focused on breathing, and speaking a sentence. Zone 3 should be around 15-30 minutes with bouts of effort. Zone 4 is RPE 7-8 and Zone 5 is RPE 9-10. In Zone 4 and 5, you are putting almost max and max effort, you are breathing heavily, and you can’t speak. Here at Zone 4, you can reach up to 15 minutes. At Zone 5, you are reaching HIIT style workouts or short-distance racing. With resistance training, train to near failure or at failure. For cardiovascular training, train for endurance. Training in general, should be uncomfortable. However, there is a difference between discomfort and pain. When you feel pain, then stop. When you feel discomfort, then keep going.
https://www.empower.physio/blog-all/rpe-vs-rir-1

06/06/2025

Today, we're touching on a polarizing topic: SPORT SPECIFICITY.
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Often, strength and conditioning coaches and athletes try to mimic sports in the weight room. From barbell hockey sticks to medicine ball pitches, there seems to be a redundant emphasis on trying to mirror the field, but with weights.
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While it makes sense on paper, hyper fixating on specific movement patterns can lead to a de-emphasis on what really matters for sport: agility, speed, strength, and power.
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If you're training for performance in a specific sport, you can maximize your time in the weight room by emphasizing the QUALITIES of your sport-- in most cases, it comes back to the aforementioned: general strength, power, agility, and speed. Your goal is to have the physical capacity to handle the demands of skills training and games.
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Don't overcomplicate your training! Athletes run, jump, lift, throw, and rotate!

06/05/2025

Time Under Tension

What is time under tension?
Time under tension is slowly working through repetition when weightlifting. For someone looking to build muscle (hypertrophy), the longer you work through a repetition, the longer the muscle is activated.

How does it work?
Instead of doing less volume and heavier weight, the alternative would be to increase the total repetition with a slower, more controlled movement. This can be applied to concentric (shortening), eccentric (lengthening), and isometric (no length change) contractions.

Progress and Results:
The initial results are greater muscle fiber recruitment and muscle stimulus. As you progress, protein synthesis may increase, resulting in larger muscle tissue. As a result of greater volume, muscle endurance will continue to improve as repetition and weight increase.

Cons:
Time under tension has little correlation to power. In fact, for individuals looking to increase power output, higher weight and lower repetition would have the greatest increase in overall strength.

How to get started.
Find a weight where you are comfortable doing 8-12 repetitions. As you begin the movement, slowly lower the weight on the eccentric contraction (Lengthening). During the concentric contraction (shortening), move the weight in a controlled manner, focusing on appropriate form.

06/02/2025

First off, what is RED-S?

In 2014, the International Olympic committee (IOC) defined relative energy deficiency in sports (RED-S) as a “syndrome of impaired physiological and/or psychological functioning experienced by female and male athletes that is caused by exposure to problematic (prolonged and/or severe) low energy availability. The detrimental outcomes include but are not limited to decreases in metabolic function, reproductive function, musculoskeletal health, immunity, glycogen synthesis, cardiovascular and hematological health, which can all individually and synergistically lead to impaired well-being, increased injury risk, and decreased sports performance.” It results from an athlete’s lack of calories, purposefully or unintentionally, that creates an energy deficit, due to more calories being expended than taken in. This can lead to severe health consequences later in life, which is why being familiar with the causes, and effects of RED-S is important to the athletic community.

Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) can significantly impair bone health, especially during adolescence when bone mass is rapidly accumulating. During this critical period, the body needs sufficient energy and hormones—like estrogen, testosterone, and growth hormone—to support bone growth and mineralization. In a state of energy deficiency, the production of these hormones is suppressed, leading to decreased calcium absorption and reduced bone formation. Additionally, low estrogen levels, particularly in females, accelerate bone resorption, meaning that more bone is broken down than rebuilt. Over time, this imbalance can result in low bone mineral density, increasing the risk of stress fractures, osteoporosis, and long-term skeletal weakness. For adolescents with RED-S, this can mean failing to reach peak bone mass, which has lasting consequences for bone health well into adulthood.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9724109/

05/30/2025

One of the most common injuries sustained in during sprinting is the notorious hamstring strain.
However, the mechanics might not be what you think:

Most people assume that hamstring strains occur when your foot hits the ground, because the hamstring pulls the leg back. Not only is this improper sprinting technique, it's often not the root cause.

Hamstring strains typically occur during the LATE SWING PHASE, or the end of your leg swinging forward (lengthening phase in above photo). In this phase, the hamstring generates high forces responsible for decelerating your leg so that it doesn't fly too far out in front of you! The result is high-speed, high-force eccentric contractions that often lead to that feeling of "something pulled."

In order to prevent this, it becomes necessary to simply TRAIN YOUR ECCENTRIC STRENGTH:
- Romanian deadlifts with a staggered stance are a popular choice; make sure you control the weight on the way down.
- In general, just make sure your hamstring work includes both hip hinging (like RDLs) and knee flexion (like hamstring curls)

Stay safe, train hard, and stay injury-free!

Chumanov ES, Schache AG, Heiderscheit BC, et al. Hamstrings are most susceptible to injury during the late swing phase of sprinting. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2012; 46:90.

05/29/2025

Walking After Eating

Regulating blood sugar, improving digestion, and burning calories are some of the benefits that come from walking after a meal. Studies have shown that all it takes is two to five minutes of walking after eating to assist your body in its digestive process. The key is to walk within thirty to sixty minutes after consuming a meal, before sugar levels peak.

Blood Sugar Regulation: Sugar digestion occurs in the mouth, almost immediately as we chew our food. Blood sugar levels can peak between one to two hours after consumption. Walking helps by activating muscles and using glucose from our previous meal as energy. Regulating our blood sugar levels and preventing spikes in sugar can decrease the chances of developing type 2 diabetes or the excess buildup of fat.

Improving Digestion: Walking after a meal can improve the flow of digestion. Studies have shown that walking can increase the rate at which food is moved through the body and reduce symptoms like bloating and constipation. It’s important to note that the intensity of walking at which these symptoms were improved was relatively low.

Burning calories: Walking stimulates our muscles, circulatory system, and digestive system. By increasing our heart rate and stimulating our muscles, we can utilize more energy. By using more energy, we burn more sugars and fats, which can aid in weight loss. Walking can stimulate the burning of fat and improve the body's ability to use fat as a primary fuel source during low intensities.

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