Fitness & Nutrition
50 free articles on Fitness & Nutrition from The Cito Thriven Journal — practical, sourced, and written to be used. No paywall, no signup.
Hypertrophy Training: How Muscle Growth Actually Works
The technical word for muscle growth, and the small set of variables that produce it. What to set, what to ignore, and...
A Beginner Mobility Routine to Move and Lift Better
You don't need to become a contortionist. A few focused minutes on the joints that actually limit you does more than an...
What Is a Deload Week and When Do You Need One?
Sometimes the fastest way forward is a step back. What a deload is, the signals that you're due one, and exactly how...
How to Warm Up Before Lifting (In 8 Minutes)
You don't need 40 minutes of stretching. A focused 5–10 minute warm-up makes your first heavy set feel good and lowers injury...
How Much Sleep You Need for Muscle Recovery
Training breaks you down; sleep is where you build back up. The number to aim for, why short sleep sabotages results, and...
The Best Rep Range for Muscle Growth (Hypertrophy)
The old '8–12 for size' rule isn't wrong, just narrow. Growth happens across a much wider rep range — here's what actually...
How to Build a Balanced Plate for Your Goal
You don't need to weigh every gram to eat well. A simple plate method covers protein, carbs, fats, and veg — and...
How Much Cardio for Fat Loss? Steady-State vs HIIT
Cardio supports fat loss; it doesn't have to run it. How to dose steady-state and intervals so they help your deficit without...
Does Creatine Work? A Beginner's Evidence-Based Guide
Cut through the supplement noise. What creatine actually does, the dose that matters, and why it's the rare product that earns the...
Calisthenics Progressions: Build Strength With No Gear
No barbell? No problem. The trick to bodyweight strength is making the movement harder, not doing endless easy reps. Here's how each...
How Hard Should You Train? RIR and RPE, Explained
Train too easy and you spin your wheels; train to failure every set and you fry your recovery. Two simple scales put...
How to Lose Fat Without Losing Muscle
Fat loss and muscle loss aren't the same thing. Three levers keep the scale moving down while your hard-earned muscle stays put.