Hi all I hope everyone is doing well. Today’s topic is understanding progressive overload a term you all might hear often. Me and ash were on a call discussing this topic and it came to my attention that many may not know this term or understand it fully so today I’ll be going over the break through and this is all a combination of my team and wellness pro Tina and of course the owner of Iron Vanguard Ash. So let’s get started. Understanding progressive overload is important for best muscle gainz which for the sake of me tying it all out you’ll hear me saying P.O. However, progressive overload doesn’t directly cause muscle growth a common misconception is that it does cause muscle growth but it’s actually the effect of muscle growth in other words you getting stronger or rather P.overloading on an exercise is because you built muscle mind you that there are other adaptations that can increase strength those adaptations are the result of strength gains such as neutral or coordination adaptation tendon stiffness adaptation or Even an increase in lateral force transmission but after the first weeks of doing a certain exercise these strength gainz are being made primarily due to muscle hypertrophy which in other words is a big yes because that’s what you want another thing that I would like to mention is that strength is not an adaptation but instead it’s an outcome of an adaptation happening so for example when you build new muscle and outcome of that is adaptation and that is an increase of strength Because of new addition of con contractile proteins and that will directly result in increasing force production, which then increases strength, pretty cool, right and while you could make the argument that the act of progressing in an exercise is leading to muscle growth because it involves muscle fibers of high threshold motor units to experience high magnitudes of mechanical tension you did not previously make an adaptation so you may not have grown enough muscle or muscle at all for the strength gain to manifest in the workout given all this, the actual magnitude of progressive overload is direct feedback as to how we are all recovering and creating adaptations which couple posts back I talked about adaptations which the meaning is in its word you’re adapting to something. Going back to what I was talking about this is why besides the mirror and scale of progressive overload is the best indicator to whether you put on size and is possibly the best primary feedback we can get for our body and muscle gainz. I know this was a long read for everyone, but once I dive into these topics, I could talk all day long. I hope all of you enjoyed it and thank you again to my team and Wellness pro Tina and Ash for having a long convo over the phone :)

A common misconception is that cardio kills gains but is that really true. Hi all today I’ll cover the topic of if cardio kills gains or actually helps with it. Firstly it’s important to understand that cardio will not kill your gains if programmed correctly. Although cardio does active AMPK through something that’s called Molecular signaling to promote something called endurance adaptions now what is adaptions it’s kinda already mentioned in the word adapt meaning getting used to something or better at it. Now back to what I was this saying this signaling does NOT Override the MTOR pathway from resistance training therefore muscle growth is fortunately unaffected but it may actually help with muscle gains as cardio as the ability to improve your cardio respiratory fitness and interesting enough making you more fit can actually reduce perception of effort when hypertrophy training thus increasing the level of motor unit recruitment (MUR) vs being more unfit which in simple words is helps with gainz. So you should do your cardio if you want to be optimal. Now something id like to add is doing cardio session immediately before any sort of resistance training can create a level of fatigue that will actually impair motor unit recruitment (MUR) in the training consequently reducing the GROWTH STIMULI so my recommendation is to do it either well before training or immediately after your workout or on rest days. Though me personally I do thinking doing your cardio right after your workout is great since this won’t affect your workout the day. On the next post I will be talking about the different types of cardio and which ones are most damaging due to the impact phases they have. Hope to hear your thoughts Ash! Thank you reading this 🫶

Hi all! Today’s discussion that I find pretty commonly talked about with my athletes is Weight spike after increasing calories. Many of my athletes (lifestyle athletes who don’t go on preps) are on a weight loss phase or body recomp for long periods of time are used to seeing the weight go down and as we know the scale is just a tool and we can’t solely base measurements off that since something the scale doesn’t say what the mirror does. Once the goal has been achieved or when we have reached the goal weight I slowly make them increase there calories as there maintenance has also adopted and changed and what they’re maintenance might have been at 160 pounds and 15% Bf won’t be the same as when they drop 140 and 10-12% bf. What happens if after that increase the scale tends to go up and we can’t forget that one gram of glycogen binds with approximately 3–4 grams of water. We also increase the calories from higher carbs which then leads to increase in weight not body fat and that’s what my athletes mistaken thinking they have gained fat which isn’t true. Introducing higher carbs will lead to slight water gain as from from the data I talked about above. Hope this helps ash would love to hear your thoughts :)

Most people don’t realize it inflammation is like a slow poison. It quietly builds inside the body until it starts showing up as fatigue, pain, poor digestion, low energy, or even disease. Inflammation is your body’s defense mechanism helpful short-term, but destructive when chronic. When it never turns off, it becomes the hidden reason behind hormonal imbalance, poor recovery, low sleep quality, brain fog, and stubborn fat gain. Signs of Chronic Inflammation - Constant bloating or indigestion - Fatigue, mood swings, or irritability - Joint pain or muscle stiffness - Poor recovery after training - Restless or broken sleep - Water retention and slower metabolism Its Effect on Sleep, Training & Digestion - Sleep: Inflammation elevates cortisol, making it harder to fall into deep rest. You wake up tired even after 8 hours. - Training: Inflamed muscles recover slower, joints ache, and performance drops no matter how perfect your program is. - Digestion: Inflammation weakens gut lining, leading to bloating, poor absorption, and food sensitivities. How to Reduce Inflammation Naturally 1️⃣ Exercise - Movement is medicine. Walking, lifting, mobility, and stretching improve circulation and help the lymph system clear inflammation. 2️⃣ Fasting – Fasting gives your digestive system rest and activates autophagy, your body’s internal cleanup — removing damaged cells and toxins. 3️⃣ Turmeric Shot (Ginger + Black Pepper) – A natural anti-inflammatory powerhouse. Black pepper boosts curcumin absorption by 2000%. If you can’t make the shot, use curcumin with black pepper tablets. 4️⃣ Infrared Sauna & Red Light Therapy – Increase blood flow, support detoxification, and rejuvenate mitochondria, which reduces oxidative stress. 5️⃣ Magnesium Baths – Calm the nervous system, lower cortisol, relax muscles, and speed up recovery. 6️⃣ Hydration with Clean Water – The cheapest, most powerful detox. Avoid tap water; use mineral or filtered water to flush toxins and reduce internal stress.

Fasting isn’t starvation it’s strategy. It’s one of the oldest, most powerful ways to reset your body and mind used for centuries in every major culture and religion. Muslims fast during Ramadan, Christians observe Lent, Hindus fast during Navratri all following the same ancient wisdom: Before healing the world, you must cleanse yourself. What Is Fasting Really Doing? When you fast, your body shifts from storing to repairing. After about 18 hours, your body enters autophagy a deep cellular cleanup process where it starts eating dead or damaged cells, removing toxins, and rebuilding stronger ones. The longer and more consistently you practice, the more efficient your metabolism becomes at using nutrients, burning fat, and fighting disease. Fasting: - Improves digestion and gut efficiency 🧠 - Reduces inflammation 🔥 - Enhances focus and mental clarity ⚡️ - Strengthens immune defense 🛡️ - Resets hormones and insulin control 💪 It teaches your mind discipline there is no grey area. When you fast, you fast. When you eat, you eat. No snacking. No confusion. Just alignment. ⏳ Types of Fasting 12/12 Fast: 12 hours fasted, 12 eating perfect for beginners and hormonal balance. 16/8 Fast: 16 hours fasted, 8 eating the most common method to build metabolic discipline. 24-Hour Fast: Once or twice a week, complete reset of insulin and digestion. 48-Hour Fast: Deep autophagy, fat utilization, and spiritual clarity. Water Fast: Only water deep detox and cellular repair. Fat Fast: Coffee or tea with healthy fats like ghee or MCT for sustained energy. Dry Fast: No food, no water extremely potent but advanced (requires supervision). Soup Fast: Gentle reset using nourishing broths, minerals, and electrolytes. Intermittent fasting (12–16 hours) is generally safe for most people. But if you plan to do longer fasts water, fat, or dry it’s best to have someone experienced to guide you. If you have any medical conditions, consult a professional first. 💬 If you’re curious to start fasting or want guidance on how to do it properly drop your questions below.