Dr. Bruno Rodriguez, DPT, CSCS: Strength, Recovery, and Physical Therapy Expert

Can you build muscle in a calorie deficit? The science of body recomposition

Dec 29, 2025 · 10 min read

Men can build muscle while in a calorie deficit when resistance training drives muscle protein synthesis and the body mobilizes stored fat to subsidize the energy cost of new tissue. The effect is most pronounced in beginners, men returning after a layoff, and those with higher body-fat, but the “margin for error” is small if ...

How the Terry Crews workout routine defies biological aging

Dr. Bruno Rodriguez, DPT, CSCS: Strength, Recovery, and Physical Therapy Expert

Dec 27, 2025 · 10 min read

By training with high-volume, high-intensity resistance work for 1–2 hours, five days per week (plus ~4 miles of daily running), Terry Crews creates a sustained anabolic and mitochondrial stimulus that can counter the typical male aging curve of ~3%–5% muscle loss per decade and ~1% yearly testosterone decline after 30. Here’s how his consistency, fasting ...

What causes newbie gains? The science behind rapid strength growth

Dr. Bruno Rodriguez, DPT, CSCS: Strength, Recovery, and Physical Therapy Expert

Dec 23, 2025 · 10 min read

Newbie gains are caused primarily by rapid nervous-system adaptation—especially improved motor learning and motor-unit recruitment—so most strength increases in the first 4–8 weeks occur before substantial new muscle is built, and untrained lifters can gain more than 5× as much strength over 21 weeks as trained lifters. Here’s how this short 6–12 month “hyper-responsive” window ...

Sauna before or after your workout? A science-based timing guide for men

Dr. Bruno Rodriguez, DPT, CSCS: Strength, Recovery, and Physical Therapy Expert

Dec 22, 2025 · 12 min read

For most men, the better default is sauna after training because pre-workout heat stress increases core temperature and heart rate (via vasodilation), which can sap energy and reduce peak performance. Here’s how to time sauna for recovery and cardiovascular benefits — including when a short pre-session makes sense and how long to stay without overdoing ...

How long does it take for creatine to work? A timeline men can actually use

Dr. Bruno Rodriguez, DPT, CSCS: Strength, Recovery, and Physical Therapy Expert

Dec 20, 2025 · 11 min read

Creatine typically starts improving high-intensity performance once muscle creatine stores reach “saturation,” which takes about 5–7 days with a 20 g/day loading phase (then maintenance) or about 3–4 weeks with 3–5 g/day without loading. Here’s what you should notice first, why the scale can change before your lifts do, and how to dose it like ...