nutrition
Carbs Are Not Your Enemy. Here's the Proof.
The war on carbohydrates has been one of the most damaging myths in fitness. Here's what the research actually says — and why cutting carbs may be costing you gains.
Nazareno Alvarez
Engineer, gym rat, and the person building Kongo.
Nazareno is a software engineer who spends a lot of his free time in the gym. He builds Kongo, the gym tracker this blog belongs to, and writes the posts here.
He isn't a coach, a doctor or a dietitian, and the posts don't pretend otherwise. They're written from the lifter's side of the bar, and where a post makes a claim about health, recovery, nutrition or how the body adapts, it links the research the claim rests on and lists the sources at the end.
Spotted a mistake, or a study that says otherwise? Write to hello@kongofit.com. Corrections get made, and the post's "Updated" date says when.
Articles by Nazareno Alvarez
efficiency
Two Leg Days a Week Won't Kill You
Most gym-goers dread a second leg day. The research says they've got it backwards — here's what the science actually shows about training legs twice a week.
recovery
You're Probably Sleeping Less Than Your Body Needs
One in three adults falls short of the CDC's minimum. Here's what that's actually doing to your hormones, your strength, and your recovery.
habits
Missing a Day Doesn't Break Your Streak. Giving Up Does.
Streaks fail because people treat fitness like a test you can pass or fail. Here's how to build a workout habit that actually survives real life.
progressive overload
The Only Training Rule That Actually Matters
Consistency matters. Form matters. Sleep matters. But if you're not progressively overloading, none of that other stuff compounds into results.
social
Your Friends Are Your Best Supplement
Accountability isn't a soft thing. There's real data behind why people train harder, more consistently, and longer when someone else is watching. Here's how to use it.
workout routine
Three Days a Week Is All You Need
Most beginners train too many days and wonder why they're not recovering. Here's the full 3-day routine, how to progress it, and why simpler always wins when you're starting out.
efficiency
You Have 30 Minutes. That's Enough.
The idea that you need an hour or more to have a real workout is keeping a lot of people out of the gym. Here's why short sessions work — and what to do with them.