FAQs

Can I try Strength Lab for FREE to see if I like it?
Intro Sessions are free though, if a subsequent Membership is purchased it counts as the first session of the Membership since it includes 6-10 exercises by the client and forms the basis of their next session. A card is required to book an Intro Session and will be charged $25.00 if the client cancels after the 12 hour window or fails to attend the session.

What should I wear?
First off, you won't sweat nor have to change your clothes or shower. This is because sweating is not evidence of maximum effort, only that you're too hot. SLT employs exercise-station dedicated fans to keep the trainee cool.

Do I have to learn how to control the equipment settings?
Your SLT trainer will have performed all your weight calculations and set up the relevant machines to your settings before you arrive (5 minutes early, of course) so that you can focus on maximal mental and physical engagement in your training with minimal distraction.

Are the machines and gym kept clean?
All equipment surfaces are sanitized between client sessions, the floor mopped daily, facility air HEPA filtered and all trainers refrain from work at the first sign of their illness through two days after remission.

What can I expect in terms of effort while I train?
The training at SLT is not supposed to be fun. It is supposed to be hard because this is what muscle responds to. While the practical loads used are typically 60%-80% of the client's one repetition maximum (1RM), thus recruiting all muscle motor units, the slow cadence, advance equipment and coaching ensure the maximum effort can be exerted by the trainee safely. And training at Strength Lab Truckee will never be easier: everything else will (i.e. your life.)

What is momentary muscle failure?
Momentary muscle failure simply means the inability to complete the positive repetition of the exercise with good form and cadence. It's an energy usage issue, not muscle damage and it is not "volitional failure." It's an important tool often used at SLT to ensure client's exert maximum quality effort rather than quit.

If I become exhausted, what do we do to adjust?
Occasionally new clients find themselves exhausted after 30 minutes sessions and become unmotivated to engage in other strenuous activities. In these cases we will reduce the volume of exercises per session for a time or suggest a transition to 15 minute sessions twice per week.

Will I be sore after each session?
Because training at SLT does not emphasize the negative portion of exercises (i.e. eccentric overload) our clients do not experience delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Immediate, mild and brief soreness does occur and may persist for two or three days in new trainees but is by no means debilitating or even particularly uncomfortable.

Should I eat a special diet?
You cannot out-exercise a bad diet. That being said, the lowest hanging fruit and the best bang for your buck is to simply eat more protein and fat, which you need for muscle synthesis and hormone secretion and which also yields greater levels of satiation so you crave cheap carbs less.

How important is sleep when training?
Deep sleep is the most important ingredient to metabolic health and muscle anabolism and we usually don't know if our sleep is good or bad. Your trainers at SLT will help with strategies to improve your sleep.

How do get started?
Purchasing a membership is as simple as going to the Pricing page, selecting the membership best fitting your needs, creating an account with your email address, entering your payment information and submitting. All Memberships are recurring subscriptions so that you only need to follow this process once.

What if I am unable to keep my scheduled training time?
Session rescheduling or canceling is allowed up to 12 hours before the session (12 hour window) and can be done most easily though the booking platform (link) or by email, SMS, or phone call (530) 206-3430). Quarterly and Annual Memberships have shorter windows.