On the internet you will find various muscle-building rules. “Eat protein immediately following your workout to take full advantage of anabolic window!”.

Lift the heaviest weight you can manage each set. Without doing this, there will be no true growth.”

“To become stronger, it is necessary to supplement with creatine, BCAAs, HMB, beta-alanine and whatever muscle-building supplement may currently be popular.”

While well-meaning, much of the advice above comes primarily from bodybuilding and powerlifting circles – and should certainly be taken into consideration if your work entails becoming muscular or strong enough for trophy awards.

But if your goals focus on improving health, feeling great in clothing, and staying strong enough to age well and take on life with gusto…

Do body-building and powerlifting rules still matter?

The short answer? Not really.

To truly comprehend why, however, requires more complex answers which this article offers.