Do You Need More Protein If You Lift Weights? Fitness Q&A

Jun 25

At Digital Barbell, we get a lot of smart questions from our clients and podcast listeners. And when someone asks a great question, you can bet they’re not the only one wondering the same thing.

In today’s blog, we’re tackling six of the most common (and most important) questions about strength training, recovery, protein intake, and mindset. Whether you’re a seasoned lifter or just getting back on track, these answers will help you train smarter, not just harder.

By the way… We’re Jonathan & Blakley, the owners of Digital Barbell. Our roots are in in-person training, but now we are helping people get in the best shape of their lives 100% online.

Since our business is online, we live, work, and travel in our Airstream with our two crazy dogs.

You can follow along on our YouTube channel, and be sure to subscribe to our podcast on Apple or Spotify for tons of free and valuable fitness content.

1. What’s Actually Happening in Your Muscles Between Sets?

Are you resting between sets during your strength training? You should be, and here’s why.

What’s happening inside your body when you rest between sets:

Your body is regenerating ATP (adenosine triphosphate)—the immediate energy source your muscles use during intense efforts like lifting. But ATP doesn’t last long. During rest, your muscles replenish ATP using stored creatine phosphate and other energy systems. This is one of the reasons why creatine supplementation is so effective—it helps speed up this recovery process.
Your muscles are clearing out metabolic byproducts like lactate and hydrogen ions that build up during hard sets. These byproducts contribute to the burning sensation you feel in your muscles. Adequate rest helps flush them out, improving performance for the next set.
Your central nervous system (CNS) is resetting. Lifting heavy doesn’t just tax your muscles. It demands coordination and recruitment of your motor units. If your CNS isn’t recovered, your ability to generate force will drop, even if your muscles feel ready.
Nutrients are shuttling into your muscles. Glucose and glycogen are being replenished, fueling you for the next bout of effort.

Depending on the type of workout, rest periods can vary:

For heavy lifting (squats, deadlifts, presses), 2–5 minutes of rest might be ideal.
For hypertrophy-focused, single-joint movements, 60–90 seconds is often enough.

Bottom line? Don’t rush your rest. Recovery between sets is part of the training, not a break from training.

2. Does Protein Intake Scale With How Much You Train?

You’ve probably heard the rule: “Eat 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.” But is that necessary if you’re only lifting once or twice a week?

Here’s the truth: protein needs do scale with both your training volume and your lean body mass (not just your total weight).

When you lift weights, you create small tears in your muscle fibers. That’s part of the process. Your body repairs and rebuilds those fibers using amino acids from the protein you eat. That’s how you get stronger and build more muscle.

But here’s the catch: if you’re not lifting consistently, your rate of muscle breakdown is relatively low, so your need for repair (and therefore protein) is also lower.

If you’re training 1–2 times per week, you probably don’t need 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Unless you're already carrying a lot of muscle and doing long, intense sessions, that amount might be overkill. For someone training less frequently, 0.7 grams per pound of body weight is likely sufficient to support health and recovery.

On the other hand, if you’re training 3–4+ days per week with progressive overload, aiming for the higher end of that range—or even up to 1g/lb—is a smart move. It helps you stay in a net positive protein balance, which is essential for growth.

So no, protein isn’t just a checkbox. It’s a recovery tool. And how much you need depends on what your body’s being asked to do.

3. What Do You Do When Motivation Isn’t There?

We get this question a lot, and it usually sounds like: “How do you stay so motivated all the time?”

The honest answer? We’re not. And that’s okay. Motivation comes and goes. What keeps us going is something more reliable: habits, values, and accountability.

If you rely on motivation alone, your workouts will only happen when you feel like it. And let’s be real… Life is busy, and “feeling like it” isn’t always on the calendar.

Instead, treat your workouts like an appointment you’d never cancel. Write them down. Show up even when it’s not convenient. Remind yourself why this matters to you. One helpful trick is to think about how you’ll feel after the workout vs. how you’ll feel if you skip.

And remember, missing one session won’t ruin your progress physically, but it can chip away at your identity and your consistency. It’s like hitting snooze on your alarm. One day turns into a pattern, and it gets harder to get back on track.

4. What Does It Mean to Live With Integrity?

This might seem like a philosophical detour, but it’s directly connected to your health and fitness journey.

Living with integrity means doing the right thing even when no one is watching. It’s returning the shopping cart. It’s telling the truth even when it’s uncomfortable. It’s following through on your commitments, especially the ones you make to yourself.

If you say that being healthy matters to you, your actions should reflect that. Not just when it’s easy. Not just when someone’s holding you accountable.

Embracing challenges, making hard decisions, and aligning your behaviors with your values. That’s what it looks like to live with integrity. And that mindset carries over into everything, from your workouts to your relationships.

5. Are Resistance Bands as Effective as Weights?

Short answer: Not really.

Longer answer: It depends on how you're using them, and how often you are using them instead of weights.

Resistance bands, dumbbells, barbells, cable machines, even your own body weight… they all create resistance. And your muscles don’t know or care what’s applying the force. All they care about is tension. If you challenge them with progressive resistance, they adapt and grow.

That said, resistance bands come with a few limitations:

The resistance curve is inconsistent. It's easy at the beginning of the movement and increasingly difficult at the end, which can make it hard to maintain full-range tension.
It’s difficult to quantify and track progress with bands. You can’t precisely measure how much resistance you’re using, and positioning isn’t always repeatable.
For many compound movements, it takes so many reps to get close to failure that you’re just building endurance rather than strength.

So are bands useless? Not at all.

They’re great for:

Smaller muscle groups like delts, triceps, and rear delts.
Accessory movements or burnout sets at the end of a session.
Travel workouts when you don’t have access to weights.

But for long-term muscle building or serious strength gains, traditional resistance (barbells, dumbbells, machines) gives you more control, consistency, and room for progression.

6. How Do You Adjust Your Mindset When You’re Injured?

Injuries can feel like a major setback, but they can also open the door to new opportunities.

First, let yourself feel frustrated. It’s normal. Then reframe the situation. An injury doesn’t mean you have to stop training. It means you need to pivot.

If you’ve got a lower body injury, it’s the perfect time to focus on upper body strength. Nursing a shoulder? Pour your energy into building strong, powerful legs.

More importantly, injury recovery is about perspective. It reminds you to be grateful for what your body can still do. It teaches you patience. It challenges you to train smarter and listen to your body.

Some of our clients make some of their best progress during injury recoveries because they dial in their nutrition, stay consistent with what they can do, and come back stronger, mentally and physically.

Final Thoughts

Your fitness journey is about more than sets, reps, or macros. It’s about understanding your body, making informed decisions, and building a life that aligns with your values, even when it’s hard.

Whether you’re wondering how long to rest, what to eat, how to stay consistent, or how to deal with setbacks, we’re here to help.