The Forge Journal
Writing on training, protocols, and the things I built into SomaForge while researching this stuff.
Protocols10 minTRT + GLP-1 Stack: What Happens When You Run BothNo RCT has studied the combination. But the physiology of each compound tells a clear story: TRT says build, GLP-1 says don’t eat. Here’s how to manage the tension.Apr 22, 2026Recovery9 minHRV Demystified: What the Number Actually MeansYour watch shows a number every morning and calls it HRV. But what is it measuring, why does it change, and when should you actually listen to it? A no-nonsense guide to the metric everyone tracks and few understand.Apr 15, 2026Science9 minBody Composition on Protocols: Why the Scale Is Lying to YouTwo people lose 15 lbs. One lost fat. The other lost muscle. Same scale number, opposite outcomes. If you’re on TRT or a GLP-1, the scale is even less useful than usual.Apr 8, 2026Training10 minHow to Train on TRT Without Wasting the AdvantageTRT changes the recovery equation, not the training equation. The real advantage isn’t more volume per session — it’s faster recovery between them. Here’s how to program for that.Apr 1, 2026Recovery8 minWhy Your Fitness App Can’t Tell You When to RestYour watch says you’re recovered. Your legs disagree. The problem isn’t the device — it’s that recovery lives in the gap between what any single app can see.Mar 18, 2026Protocols9 minGLP-1 and Muscle: The 25% Problem Nobody Wants to Talk AboutYou lost 40 pounds. Congratulations. Now check how much of that was the muscle you actually wanted to keep. The clinical trials have an answer, and it’s not comfortable.Mar 10, 2026Science9 minForgeScore: How One Number Captures Five Domains of HealthHow fit are you? The question seems simple. The answer is not — because fitness is not one thing, and no single metric captures it. A look at the science behind composite health scoring.Mar 4, 2026Protocols7 minThe 7 Nutrients Your Protocol Is DepletingYour TRT is eating your zinc. Your semaglutide is starving your B12. That statin? It’s blocking the molecule your mitochondria need to make energy. Seven depletions most people discover too late.Feb 24, 2026Training10 minThe Best Workout App If You’re on a Protocol (2026)The average person on a health protocol uses three to five apps. One for workouts. One for food. One for medications. None of them talk to each other. Here’s what to look for instead.Feb 17, 2026Protocols9 minEstradiol on TRT: The Lab Value That Explains EverythingIt controls your joints, your libido, your mood, and your cardiovascular risk — and most men on TRT either ignore it or crush it with an AI. Estradiol is the hormone you cannot afford to get wrong.Mar 19, 2026Protocols8 minHematocrit on TRT: The Number Your App Should Be WatchingIt’s one line on your CBC. Most guys on TRT glance past it. But hematocrit is the lab value that determines whether your protocol stays safe or starts rolling the dice.Feb 10, 2026Recovery8 minWhat Your Sleep Data Is Actually Telling YouYou slept eight hours and woke up wrecked. Your watch says everything was fine. The disconnect isn’t broken hardware — it’s that you’re reading the wrong numbers.Feb 3, 2026Training9 min1RM Formulas: Why One Number Isn’t EnoughPlug 225×10 into seven different formulas and you’ll get seven different answers. The spread is real, the stakes are your programming, and the fix is simpler than you think.Jan 27, 2026Nutrition9 minCutting on a GLP-1: How to Lose Fat Without Losing Everything ElseGLP-1s suppress appetite so effectively that people under-eat catastrophically. 25% of weight loss is lean mass. Here’s how to set a caloric floor, prioritize protein, time meals around injections, and use resistance training to keep the tissue you actually want.Mar 19, 2026Nutrition8 minProtein on Ozempic: How to Hit 100g When You Can’t EatYou took your injection on Tuesday. By Thursday, the thought of eating makes you nauseous. Friday arrives and your protein tracker reads 43 grams. Here’s how to close the gap.Jan 20, 2026Science9 minUnderstanding Your Lab Results: What ‘Normal’ Doesn’t Mean ‘Optimal’A 32-year-old man walks out of his doctor’s office. His testosterone came back at 310 ng/dL. The lab report says “normal.” He feels terrible. Both of those things can be true at the same time.Jan 13, 2026