SRA (Stimulus·Recovery·Adaptation)

The SRA cycle explains why training only works when stimulus, recovery and adaptation are timed well — otherwise you collect fatigue instead of progress. Tie SRA to RPE, RIR, MEV and daily activity (NEAT) as a hardgainer.

What does “SRA” mean?

In short SRA stands for Stimulus – Recovery – Adaptation. A training stimulus creates short-term fatigue. With adequate recovery (sleep, calories/protein; cover your BMR), performance rebounds above baseline (supercompensation). Next stimulus: when adaptation peaks — not too early, not too late.

Stimulus: effective tension, near failure via RIR, clean technique.
Recovery: sleep, calories/protein, stress; high NEAT can extend recovery time.
Adaptation: strength, hypertrophy, coordination — observed via RPE/RIR trends and load/reps.

Timing & frequency

For many hardgainers, a stimulus frequency of 48–96 h per muscle works well — depending on volume, intensity, RIR targets and recovery capacity.

Muscle / lift type	Typical SRA window	Note
Back (pull/row)	48–72 h	Technique-heavy; steer via RPE.
Chest (press)	48–72 h	Strong progress at 2×/week and RIR 1–2.
Quads (squat/leg press)	72–96 h	Higher systemic load; hit MEV, manage fatigue.
Hamstrings (deadlift/curl)	72–96 h	Very taxing; longer pause. DOMS ≠ progress.
Shoulders / arms	48–72 h	Smaller muscles, recover faster.

Practical checklist

Monitoring: strength trend ↑, good pump, target RIR hit, DOMS fading, appetite & sleep stable?
Deloads: every 6–10 weeks if fatigue accumulates or performance dips.
System load: stress/sleep shift your SRA window; high NEAT? raise intake or reduce steps.
Nutrition basics: consistent surplus; protein 1.8–2.2 g/kg; cover BMR + activity.

Implementation in training

Track: sets, load, reps, RPE/RIR, subjective recovery (1–5).
Plan: big muscle groups every 2–3 days, smaller slightly more often — within your SRA window.
Link: align SRA with MEV (volume) and RIR (intensity).

Common mistakes

Too high frequency: training before recovery completes → creeping performance drop.
Always RIR 0: no buffer for progression; technique breaks down.
Ignoring nutrition: missing surplus, NEAT too high, protein too low.

Myth #2: “More is more”? Myth #1: Six-meals dogma

FAQ

When should I apply the next stimulus?
When performance, drive and technique are better than before the last session and fatigue has cleared — often 48–96 h depending on volume, RPE/RIR and sleep.

How does sleep affect the SRA window?
Poor sleep extends recovery → reduce frequency temporarily or increase calories/protein and reduce NEAT.

SRA (Stimulus-Recovery-Adaption)