The mindbodygreen Podcast 627: How to build muscle in less time (without burning out) | Shannon Ritchey, P.T., DPT
Dec 7, 2025
Shannon Ritchey, a Doctor of Physical Therapy and founder of Evlo Fitness, discusses smarter training techniques for building muscle without burnout. She emphasizes that muscle is built during recovery, not just workouts. Shannon highlights the downsides of group fitness classes, the importance of training to failure, and the benefits of intentional strength sessions. She also offers insights on efficient weekly workout structures, nutrition tracking, and postpartum muscle rebuilding, all while advocating for a balanced approach to fitness that promotes long-term health.
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When To Increase Weight
- If you can do more than 30 reps without nearing failure, increase the weight.
- Shannon prefers 12–15 reps to reach failure efficiently and safely.
Prioritize Quality Over Reps
- Choose a challenging weight and perform as many quality reps as possible instead of chasing arbitrary counts.
- Avoid compensations; slow, controlled reps reveal true effort and build muscle better.
Don't Shun Machines
- Use machines freely; they help isolate muscles and can produce similar hypertrophy to free weights.
- Machines reduce limiting factors like grip or low-back fatigue so you can reach failure safely.