Episode
You Don't Get Stronger When You Work Out (RAK On with Coach Smoot)
- Podcast
- The Health Feast
- Published
- Apr 24, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2006
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Summary
Hey there- Dr. Rak (“rock”) here. When it comes to training and working out, I used to think more was always better. More workouts. More intensity. Less rest. Several years ago, I became addicted to Spartan obstacle course races, and it has really fueled my training. Early on, I was aiming to train six days a week, often pushing through pain, and I kept getting hurt. Pulled muscles. Knee pain. Cramping in my calves one week before a race I had trained six months for. I thought the answer was to do more. It turns out I had it completely backwards. Coach Nick Smoot is back on The Health Feast, and this time we are talking about the half of training almost nobody pays attention to: recovery. Because you don’t get stronger when you train. You get stronger when you’re not training. And if you’re not recovering, you are leaving every single gain on the table. We get into: Why your body can’t tell the difference between a hard workout and a hard day at work Why walking might be the most underrated tool you have Why the couch is not the same as recovery And Nick tells a jiu-jitsu story that will change how you think about working hard. Whether you are grinding and going nowhere, or you love someone who is, this one is for you. Timestamps 0:00 Intro 1:54 What recovery actually is 4:11 Two types of athletes: under-recovery vs. over-resting 5:30 Sleep: the greatest recovery tool you have 10:24 Your body can’t tell the difference between training stress and life stress 12:34 Why walking is the most underrated recovery tool 18:04 Why sitting on the couch is not recovery 26:39 How to fuel for training -- and when protein timing actually matters 37:13 Training when sick: the above-the-neck rule 41:12 Rest is not weakness -- it is part of the work 45:10 The jiu-jitsu story: 75% consis…