Why it matters
Short sleep lowers strength, motivation and recovery, raises hunger, and makes it harder to keep muscle on a diet. You grow from the training you recover from.
Practical sleep habits
- Aim for 7–9 hours
- Same bedtime and wake time, even on weekends
- Cool, dark, quiet room
- Cut caffeine 8+ hours before bed
- Limit screens in the last 30–60 minutes
Soreness vs injury
Soreness is a dull, spread-out ache that fades in 1–3 days. Injury pain is sharp, local, gets worse with movement, or lasts more than a week — stop and get it checked.