The recommendation of getting 8-hours of sleep every night is well-known. However, athletes and bodybuilders may need more sleep. This is due to the fact that athletes and bodybuilders are always recovering from one intense training session and preparing for another. The good news is that naps can add to total sleep time – just shoot for 80-90% of your total sleep over night. If your goals are to maximize muscle gain, you’re going to have to dedicate some time to sleep!

From being a mediocre athlete, to professional powerlifter and strength coach, and now to researcher and writer, Charlie combines education and experience in the effort to help Bridge the Gap Between Science and Application. Charlie performs double duty by being the Content Manager for The Muscle PhD as well as the Director of Human Performance at the Applied Science and Performance Institute in Tampa, FL. To appease the nerds, Charlie is a PhD candidate in Human Performance with a master’s degree in Kinesiology and a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science. For more alphabet soup, Charlie is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), an ACSM-certified Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-EP), and a USA Weightlifting-certified performance coach (USAW).