Guides
Use the library to find the durable version of a training question: the quick answer first, then the evidence and coaching nuance when you need more depth.
What No Lies Lifting Is For
- Fight the worst bullshit in fitness with plain, evidence-aware explanations
- Help different kinds of trainees and coaches move forward without panic or hype
- Turn noisy claims into practical choices you can actually use in training
Three Layers Of Depth
- Fast verdict for readers who just need the answer
- Durable guide for people who want the coaching context
- Full trail for anyone who wants to inspect the evidence and limitations
Find the guide that matches your question.
Filter by broad training area, narrow tag, or a phrase from the guide title and summary.
Creatine guide
A practical guide to creatine monohydrate: who it helps, who can skip it, how to dose it, and how to handle safety myths.
Open guideRest intervals guide
How long to rest between sets for strength, hypertrophy, accessories, and busy workouts without worshipping the stopwatch.
Open guide5/3/1 guide
A practical guide to using 5/3/1 as a conservative strength framework built around a training max, submaximal work, and patient progression.
Open guideTexas Method guide
How to understand the Texas Method as a weekly volume, recovery, and intensity framework without turning it into blind max testing.
Open guideConjugate and Westside-style training guide
How to understand conjugate-style strength training as planned variation, effort methods, and weak-point work without treating it as a magic powerlifting template.
Open guidePlateau troubleshooting guide
How to diagnose a stalled lift, muscle-gain phase, or fat-loss phase without jumping straight to a harder program.
Open guide1RM calculator guide
How to use an estimated one-rep max for planning, training maxes, and percentage work without turning calculator output into a max-out command.
Open guideRPE and RIR guide
A practical guide to using RPE and reps in reserve to choose loads, stop sets, and adjust training without pretending effort ratings are perfectly precise.
Open guideTraining max guide
How to use a conservative training max for percentage work, 5/3/1-style cycles, and autoregulated strength training.
Open guideTop set plus backoff guide
How to use one hard top set and lighter backoff work with practical load drops, stop rules, and recovery checks.
Open guideCluster sets guide
How to use short rests inside a set for heavy or power-focused reps, with simple templates that keep cluster sets from becoming random mini-sets.
Open guideAutoregulated strength training guide
How to adjust strength training from RPE, reps in reserve, warm-ups, and performance trends without turning every day into a max test or a skipped workout.
Open guidePercentage-based programming guide
How to use percentages of 1RM or a training max without pretending the spreadsheet knows how you recovered.
Open guideBeginner training plan chooser
A practical guide to choosing a beginner training plan by goal, schedule, recovery, equipment, and progression style.
Open guidePeaking block guide
How to peak strength for a test day or meet with specific heavy practice, lower fatigue, and conservative attempt logic.
Open guideLinear progression guide
A beginner-friendly guide to adding weight or reps while technique, recovery, and performance still support fast progress.
Open guideDeloading and recovery week guide
How to use a deload or recovery week with clear fatigue signals, stress-reduction levers, and return rules instead of guessing from soreness alone.
Open guideRep ranges guide
How to choose rep ranges for strength, muscle growth, endurance, technique practice, and joint-friendly training without pretending one range is magic.
Open guideWomen at the gym guide
A practical, evidence-first guide for women lifting at the gym, covering strength, muscle gain, fat loss myths, periods, safety, and common nonsense.
Open guidePerimenopause and menopause strength training guide
How to keep lifting useful through perimenopause and menopause without falling for hormone-blame shortcuts or a totally different training system.
Open guidePostpartum return-to-lifting guide
How to rebuild strength training after birth with symptom-led progression, pelvic-floor boundaries, and no one-size-fits-all comeback timeline.
Open guideSquat guide
How to build a useful squat around stance, depth, bar position, bracing, weekly slots, progression, fatigue, and joint tolerance.
Open guideFront squat vs back squat guide
How to choose between front squats and back squats by goal, setup, loading, quad bias, trunk demand, progression, and joint tolerance.
Open guideBench press guide
How to build a stronger, more repeatable bench press around setup, grip, range of motion, shoulder comfort, progression, and fatigue.
Open guideDeadlift guide
How to build a useful deadlift around setup, hinge mechanics, bracing, variant choice, progression, and fatigue.
Open guideTrap bar deadlift guide
How to use trap-bar deadlifts for general strength, power, and lower-body training without pretending they replace every barbell deadlift.
Open guideDips guide
How to use dips for chest, triceps, and bodyweight pressing without forcing painful shoulder range or pretending they are mandatory.
Open guideRomanian deadlift vs conventional deadlift guide
Choose Romanian deadlifts or conventional deadlifts with concrete hinge-depth, set, rep, progression, specificity, and fatigue rules.
Open guideOverhead press guide
How to build a useful overhead press around repeatable setup, range of motion, shoulder comfort, progression, and weekly pressing volume.
Open guidePull-ups and rows guide
How to build useful upper-body pulling around pull-ups, chin-ups, pulldowns, rows, progression, grip, elbow comfort, and weekly balance.
Open guidePull-ups vs chin-ups guide
How to choose pull-ups, chin-ups, and neutral-grip pulls by grip, elbow comfort, progression, strength specificity, and back or arm training goals.
Open guideOlympic lifts for strength and power guide
How to decide whether cleans, snatches, jerks, pulls, and simpler power options belong in your strength or sport training.
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