A FAQ for the Fitness Reddit

This is a FAQ for the Fitness subreddit. It is a collective effort from all the people you're likely to encounter there and is required reading if you wish to post a self.fitness post, as a lot of issues have been questioned and answered previously in depth.

You're also welcome to check out the /fit/ FAQ, which is just as good as this one

Please edit this page if you think you have something to improve.

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Outline

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All Questions

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Content

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Getting Started

Using Fitit

What is the first thing I should do here on Fitit?

The first thing you should do is read this FAQ. It contains an enormous amount of collected, consensus information to address a wide range of fitness goals, all the way from "I'm skinny and I want to become strong and muscular", to "I'm fat and I want to become lean and strong". It is the place to begin on Fittit.

Also, consult your physician and get a health check up before starting any fitness or diet regimen.

How do I ask for help?

If, after reading this FAQ all the way through, you find that your question is not answered, you will need to ask for help on the fitit subreddit. Contrary to popular belief, simply saying "help me" is not enough. We need lots of information about you in order to give you advice. Everyone is different and not everything works for everyone.

Things which should be included in your post for help:

• Weight, Height, Sex, and Age
• Your Goals (weight loss, muscle, etc)
• Any injuries or disorders that we should know about? (Diabetes, broken ankle, etc)
• Do you smoke? (If yes, stop. Stop now.)
• History of diet or exercise (What have you tried? What worked? What didn't?)
• Do you have access to a gym?

What kind of response am I going to get?

The following is the general set of responses you will get from Fitit. This covers all goals and is an amazing starting point. If these responses answer your questions, another "help me" post is likely not necessary.

• Losing weight is 80% diet. Fix the diet FIRST.
• Stop drinking soda and other sugary drinks. Stick with water, coffee, and tea.
• Strength training will help you lose fat faster than cardio. Join a gym and start lifting heavy things.
• If you are very overweight, running may place stress on your joints. Biking and swimming are good alternatives for cardio.
• Running intervals (sprint/walk/sprint) will help you lose more weight than long slow cardio Reference.

I'm a woman. Don't I need a female-specific workout/diet plan?

Nope. While some things are different for women than they are for men (where your body tends to store fat, how quickly you'll lose body fat, how quickly you'll add muscle, etc.) pretty much everything in this FAQ applies equally to women and men. How to lose body fat, how to add muscle, how to get fit, how to "tone up"...the principles are same for both women and men.

I'm trans. Do I need a different plan?

M to F

If you have not yet started hormones and wish to gain a female shape, it's probably a good idea to avoid lifting until you do start the hormones. Cardio is fine, bodyweight stuff like gymnastics, yoga, and pilates are fine. Your dietary needs are unchanged - work with the BMR for a male until you start hormones.

If you have started hormones, you can follow the standard advice in this FAQ. The hormones will keep you from putting on male-pattern muscles.

Additional information in this 3-part series: part 1, part 2, and part 3.

F to M

If you have not yet started hormones, shape change will likely need to wait until you do.

If you have started hormones, you'll likely find yourself stronger than you used to be. Lift to gain size and male pattern muscles.

I want to change a million things at once!

Uh, don't do that. You only have a finite amount of willpower. If you start doing a hundred things at once, you'll let some of them slip. Working extra hard at the gym and then getting ice cream is a failure. Don't do that.

Fix the diet first. Always fix the diet first. Stick with it for a few weeks or months. You will not only lose (or gain) weight, but will also have increased energy. Once you can keep tabs on your diet without much concentration, THEN start working out. Start slow, 2 or 3 days a week, and work up to it.

When changing your diet to lose weight try to avoid the impossible idea of eating smaller dessert like treats (smaller candy bars/ice cream or "weight watchers" half size sugar treats etc) and instead concentrate on eating no treats for a short period of time so you can see weight loss results in the first days. It is far harder to stick to the idea for a year of eating small batches of treats which will constantly trigger your appetite and cause you to not lose much weight than it is to decide to try avoiding appetite triggering treats altogether to lose significant weight more quickly over a much faster period of time. Treats containing sugar, no matter what size, will trigger hunger AND keep fat on your body so it is VERY hard to lose weight while trying to eat smaller versions of the same bad foods. Just make the decision to completely avoid treats for a week and you will likely see clear weight loss results that will make you want to stick with it a while longer. Cutting sugary treats in half is like trying to cut a heroin habit in half - it's pretty hard to do since each hit makes you want more.

Ok, so where do I start?

Start with someone else's plan. This FAQ has dozens of recommendations. Don't try to construct a diet and exercise regimen yourself - you simply don't have enough information at this point. Follow what a professional says. While you're doing this, you will have time to research and figure out what works for you and what doesn't. After a month or two on a professional plan, feel free to tweak it or make your own from scratch. You should have enough knowledge at this point

Common Abbreviations, Initialisms, and Fittit Lingo

• You 'lose' weight and your pants become 'loose'
• A 'regimen' is a systematic plan or regular course of action, a 'regiment' is a military unit made up of several battalions, and a 'regime' is the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit.
• A 'rep' is a repetition: one complete movement of the exercise you are performing. For example, a rep of a bench press starts when the bar leaves your chest, and ends when the bar comes back to your chest.
• A 'set' is a number of reps performed in a row, with little or no rest in between. With an exercise like the squat, a set is all of the reps you perform between taking the weight out of the rack, and putting it back again.
• Sets of repetitions are typically recorded as sets x reps. For example, 3x10 pull-ups.
• When recording or posting your sets and repetitions, make sure to include the weight of the bar. For example, a standard barbell with a 45lb (45 lbs = 20.4 kg) (20kg (20 kg = 44.1 lbs)) plate on either side would be 135lbs (135 lbs = 61.2 kg) (61kg (61 kg = 134 lbs)), not 90lbs (90 lbs = 40.8 kg) (41kg (41 kg = 90.4 lbs)).

• 1RM One Rep Max -- The maximum amount of weight that can be lifted one time.
• 5RM Five Rep Max -- The maximum amount of weight that can be lifted five times in a row without taking a break (aka "rep", short for "repetition"). Most beginners on a weight program should be training with five reps to maximize strength gains, thus will will be more familiar with their 5RM than their 1RM. For estimation purposes, a trainee's 5RM is normally about 85% of his/her 1RM.
• ATG Ass-to-grass or ass-to-ground -- A type of barbell back squat also known as a "full squat" and is performed by squatting low enough that the trainee is nearly sitting on the ground. This type of squat is commonly used by people training in the Olympic lifts, while most powerlifters choose to only go deep enough that the hip is below the top of the knee (aka "hit parallel").
• BB Barbell
• BCAA Branched-chain Amino Acid -- Within the context of Fittit, BCAA's are a supplement combination of three amino acids (building blocks of protein): leucine, isoleucine and valine. Generally taken to promote the increase in lean mass and reduce recovery time.
• BF% Bodyfat Percentage -- The amount of a person's body weight that is due to body fat. This is the preferable metric compared to Body Mass Index (BMI) but is more difficult to determine.
• BP Bench press or (less frequently) blood pressure
• BW Body weight -- often used when referring to weight lifted as a multiple of body weight (e.g. 2 X BW Squat for a 150lb (150 lbs = 68 kg) individual squatting 300lbs (300 lbs = 136 kg))
• C25K Couch To 5K -- A nine week beginner's running program that is designed to help an untrained enthusiast gradually become capable of running 5 kilometers (5 km = 3.11 mi) (3.1 miles (3.1 miles = 4.99 km)).
• CC Convict Conditioning -- A popular bodyweight strength training program.
• CM Cheat Mode diet -- A popular variant of an intermittent fasting program developed by Fittit's own silverhydra and intended for people who regularly train with heavy weights.
• DB Dumbbell
• DL Deadlift -- A movement that entails bending over and picking up a barbell from off the floor. The weight is lifted until the knees and elbows are locked out.
• DOMS Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness -- The muscular aches felt in the 1-3 days that follow a strenuous workout.
• ECA Stack -- A combination of two stimulants (ephedrine, caffeine) and aspirin. Used to increase the rate at which body fat is burned.
• GHR Glute Ham Raise -- An exercise used to strength the hamstrings.
• KB Kettlebell
• keto Ketogenic diet -- An ultra low-carb/high fat diet designed to keep the body in a status of ketosis. Visit /r/keto for more information.
• IF Intermittent Fasting -- A technique of not eating for 12-24 hours (depending on the specific plan) at a time. The goal is "macronutrient partitioning", or encouraging the body to alternate between burning fat and building muscle over the course of a single 24-48 hour period.
• LG LeanGains? -- Combination of IF with heavy lifting. Check out /r/leangains/
• OHP Overhead Press -- A type of barbell movement that entails lifting the bar from shoulder height to over one's head.
• P90X -- A high-intensity, 90-day, DVD-based exercise and nutrition program designed to promote fat loss. Visit /r/P90X for more information.
• paleo Paleolithic diet -- A nutritional plan based on the presumed ancient diet of wild plants and animals that various human species habitually consumed during the Paleolithic era. Visit /r/paleo for more information.
• PL Powerlifter/Powerlifting -- A sport that focuses on the development of maximum strength in three types of weight lifting events: squat, bench press, and deadlift.
• PR Personal Record -- The maximal amount of weight an individual has ever personally lifted.
• PWO Postworkout -- Generally used in the context of food or a beverage consumed immediately after a workout, "PWO shake, PWO meal, etc."
• RDL Romanian Deadlift -- A variant of the deadlift performed without bending the knees in order to target the hamstrings and lower back muscles.
• SS Starting Strength -- A very popular beginner's barbell-based weight training program developed by Mark Rippetoe. The program focuses on five lifts (squat, bench press, overhead press, deadlift, and power cleans) and is designed to allow a beginner to add more weight to the bar every time he/she sets foot in the gym. Starting Stength is both the name of the program itself, the title of the book and companion DVD.
• SL Strong Lifts -- Another beginner's weight training program, very similar (and largely inspired by Starting Strength). The primary difference between StrongLifts and Starting Strength is in their respective online communities. StrongLifts is subscription-based and is much more Internet-centric while Starting Strength has a free wiki, is "the original", and is grounded in Rippetoe's book.
• TGU Turkish Get-Up
• VFF Vibram Five Fingers -- A popular brand and model of minimalist running shoe that approximates running barefoot.

Weight Loss

I'm fat and I want to lose weight, where do I start?

Very simply put you need to consume fewer calories than you burn. Exercise helps with this, but by far the most significant thing you can do is to tweak your diet: eat less and eat better. A few thoughtful members have posted detailed write-ups about losing fat. Those threads are thread 1, thread 2, and thread 3. This thread is a collection of comments from many members of /r/fitness.

What do people look like at different body fat levels? How low do I need to go to see my abs?

Click here for some pictures and plan accordingly.

I'm overweight and want to start working out. Any suggestions?

There are different ways to approach being overweight. Some suggest cardio, such as distance running, swimming, biking, or any sport that keeps you moving and your heart rate increased for an extended period time. This helps consume calories. Others say lift weights. Learn to squat, deadlift, bench press and overhead press. More muscle means your body needs to burn more calories. Some say combine cardio and weightlifting. There is no consensus on exercise, besides finding something you can commit to. What is agreed upon, however, is that diet needs to change. You need to eat less, while not starving yourself. Keep a food journal or use a calorie counting site to have an accurate log of your diet. This will help you see what you eat, and it will help others help you. Eating meat is fine, just make sure to also eat fruit, vegetables, healthy grains (whole wheat bread, brown rice, quinoa) and lots of water. Soda and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) should be avoided at all costs. Diet soda contains artificial sweeteners and may be avoided depending on the person. Some people find success with diet soda, others do not, you should experiment to see how your body reacts. Be wary of foods that are labeled "diet" and "reduced calories," as they can be highly processed or high in sugar. Alcohol also contains what are considered "empty" calories and so should be avoided (or consumed in moderation) in the interest of weight loss.

I hear the diet sodas are fine for you/really bad for you. Should I drink them/stop drinking them?

Diet soda has been extensively discussed on /r/fitness, on the question: is it bad for you? Some studies link diet soda consumption with negative health outcomes of the type associated with carbohydrate consumption (e.g., obesity, type II diabetes); however these studies do not control for other relevant factors --- such as number of calories consumed other than (obviously) diet sodas --- and one can also conclude that diet soda is consumed by people who have other health-related issues. The general consensus is that zero-calorie sodas have no direct metabolic effects related to carbohydrate consumption; but of course, they may contain other ingredients -- for example, caffeine -- which do have metabolic effects. In short: drinking diet colas appear to be similar to drinking coffee, and as long as you are controlling your diet, there is no scientific evidence strongly indicating negative health consequences any different from drinking coffee.

But I just need to lose some belly fat, how do I do that?

You can't target where you lose fat. Your genes are responsible for where your body stores fat, and it's the same thing for losing fat. It's pretty much a "first on, last off" type situation, so if the first place get fat is your belly it's probably going to be the last place to lose it. Do the things mentioned above to lower your overall bodyfat percentage and your belly fat will start to go away.

How do I stay out of "Starvation Mode"?

Starvation mode is a MYTH. It was popularized due to the Minnesota Starvation Experiment in which subjects were given 50% of their daily calorie intake for months. The result? Well, they lost weight until they had almost no weight left to lose and their bodies simply could not get the calories ANYWHERE. Concisely put: starvation mode happens when you are, quite literally, wasting away. Not when you have a simple caloric deficit. Your body will make up for it with fat stores. That's what they're for.

How do I keep track of what I eat?

Probably the easiest was is to use a calorie tracking site. It'll help you keep track of how many calories you eat every day as well as things like carb and protein counts. There are many free sites and some even have apps for iOS and Android. Some of /r/fitness' favorites are My Plate, DailyBurn and FitDay.

How many pounds of fat can I lose a week?

That depends on how much body fat you have to begin with. The higher your percentage of body fat, the more fat you'll be able to lose in a week without your body catabolizing (burning) your muscles for energy. The general rule of thumb is to aim for a couple pounds a week. As your body fat percentage gets lower, though, it'll be more difficult to lose fat as quickly as you did when it was higher.

To lose weight, you must use more calories than you take in. Below is a simple way to determine how much of a caloric deficit to aim for.

* 1) Find the number of calories you need every day at your present activity level (including exercise) just to maintain your present weight. You can estimate this through an online calculator. Or you can studiously track the number of calories you take in every day over a period of, say, 2-3 weeks. Use this to calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) (this is sometimes erroneously referred to as your Basal Metabolic Rate -- BMR -- which would be your TDEE if you lay perfectly still in bed for a day).

* 2) Note that one pound of fat is about 3500 calories. (If you gain/lose weight during the period that you're calculating your TDEE, you can use this equivalent to account for it).

* 3) To lose 2 lbs (2 lbs = 907 g) a week, you need to run a calorie deficit of 2 lbs (2 lbs = 907 g) * 3500 calories/lb = 7000 calories over that week. That's a calorie deficit of 1000 calories per day. Therefore, you take your TDEE, subtract 1000 calories from it, and that is your average daily calorie target, at which you should expect to lose about 2lbs (2 lbs = 907 g) a week. You may actually be able to lose more than just 2lb (2 lbs = 907 g) a week with this much of a deficit though, because fat stores also cause your body to retain water weight as well.

* 4) This academic article says that, losing weight by dieting, there is a maximum amount of fat loss your body can endure, before it starts losing muscle too. That amount is 31 calories/day/lb of fat (Note that the author revised this number from 31 to 22 in (22 in = 55.9 cm) an email exchange with Redditor, Chr0me). Example: If you are 200lbs (200 lbs = 90.7 kg) and 20% bodyfat, you have 40lbs (40 lbs = 18.1 kg) of fat on you. You can run a deficit of 31 calories/day/lbs of fat * 40 lbs (40 lbs = 18.1 kg) of fat = 1240 calories per day, above which you will definitely lose muscle mass. Unless you need to shed muscles, keep your caloric deficit below this limit. If you want a more detailed way to calculate an optimal calorie intake, read this thread.

How do I measure my body fat?

There are five main methods (in ascending order of accuracy): bioimpedance meters, calipers, hydrostatic weighing/air displacement, DEXA (aka DXA) scan, and MRI. The later three require very expensive, specialized medical equipment and can not be done at home. You can get a volumetric measurement for about $50-100 from a clinic or university (check with the physiology, kinesiology, human performance, sports medicine, or equivalent department) that has a BodPod? or pool. DEXA scan can also be an option, but will typically be more expensive and might be overkill. An MRI is definitely overkill and only used for scientific studies involving body composition.

Calipers can be accurate (and are the cheapest method), but requires that the person conducting the measurements have a lot of experience in order to get an accurate read. Inexpensive plastic calipers can be purchased online and many gyms that offer personal training services will be able to measure you as well.

Bioimpedance meters can be bought for about $30 online and take about five seconds to use. Their accuracy can be all over the map though and is dependent on a lot of things, including your hydration level. If you use it first thing in the morning, it can be a good way to track your relative fat loss progress, but don't put too much faith in the absolute readings. Also: if you do buy one, get a handheld type, the models that are integrated into a bathroom scale are wildly inaccurate.

- Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percent_body_fat

That's too hard. How can I estimate my body fat by sight?

You can find a picture guide to bodyfat % here.

Some general guidelines:

1. Full House = No visible muscle definition. Bodyfat level = over 20%.

2. Hard = Some muscle separation appears between delts and upper arm. Abs are still not visible. Approx. bodyfat level = 15-19%

3. Cut = More muscle separation appears particularly in the chest and back, outline of the abs begins to appear slightly. Approx. bodyfat level = 12-14%

4. Defined = Muscle separations get deeper in the arms, chest, legs and back, and abs appear when flexed. Approx. bodyfat level = 10-12%

5. Ripped = Abs are clearly visible all the time, vascularity in arms is prominent, chest and back separation is obvious, and face is starting to appear more angular. Condition can be held indefinitely. Approximate bodyfat level = 7-9%

6. Shredded = Striations appear in large muscle groups when they are flexed. Vascularity appears in lower abdomen and in the legs. Condition can be held for several days with careful dieting. Approximate bodyfat level = 5-7%

7. Sliced = Muscles and tendons begin to appear in the face when chewing, striations appear everywhere and vascularity appears everywhere. Bodyfat levels are close to 3% and subcutaneous water levels are near 0. Condition can only be held for a few hours at a time. Not a healthy condition to stay in due to lower water level.

What about loose skin after weight loss?

You'll probably have it for awhile, but it really depends on genetics, age and the amount of weight you lose. In many cases your skin will bounce back if taken care of properly. Drink lots of water, get your vitamins, exfoliate your skin daily to promote circulation and use a good lotion with cocoa butter. You should also increase muscle mass which will make the skin appear less saggy, so hit the weights. It does take time, but think of it as a daily reminder of how awesome you are. The supplement DMAE can also help tighten skin.

Weight Gain

I am skinny. How do I put on weight?

First and foremost, you need to do strength training. If you want weight, and don't want it to be fat, you need to train your muscles. Secondly, you need to eat more - especially protein. Healthy fats and carbs should also be increased, and most people aim for 3000-4000 calories a day. Experiment starting on the low end and increase as needed.

This thread has some great information regarding how much protein you should be eating. Typically 1-1.5 grams (-1.5 g = -0.053 oz) per pound of bodyweight.

Eating more can be very hard for some skinny people. The Gallon-Of-Milk-A-Day (GOMAD) diet has helped quite a few skinny people put on muscle mass, but it is not for everyone; consider adding half a gallon a day and eating more. Also, read the bulking portion of this article (minus the product recommendations).

Snack on calorie dense foods. Eat nuts such as almonds, cashews, and peanuts throughout the day. Also try eating two tablespoons of peanut butter a few hours after every meal (it won't affect your hunger). redeyemoon has also written Skinny Guy's Guide to Eating Big. This is a living document and redeyemoon can be contacted about any discrepancies/updates that need to be made.

High Calorie Meals

One of the easiest ways to make sure you're eating consistently is to eat the same few meals repeatedly. Here are a few high calorie meals to try out.

General

• Have a protein shake. Total calories: ~800
• Also try a Svunt shake Total calories: ~1600
• Herman_Gill also has a great shake recipe Total calories: ~1500, ~450 per serving

Breakfast

• Scramble 5 large eggs with at least 25 grams (25 g = 0.883 oz) of cheddar cheese on top. Have 4 slices of buttered toast on the side and drink 2% or whole milk. Total calories: ~1500
• Try Zahrada's Protein Pancakes with lots of peanut butter on top, milk to drink, and 5 slices of bacon. (Note: Be sure to add 1/2 scoop of protein powder as suggested in the comments) Total calories: ~900

Dinner

• Meat Slop by Silverhydra is great to make in bulk

Tips and Tricks

• Keep a journal. Whether it's for calories consumed or weight lifted, it doesn't matter. Buy a dedicated book for this, record your numbers, and write down how you feel. This may seem stupid, but you will benefit from it in a few weeks time when you look back at it.
• Do one step at a time. Start with your diet.
• One cheat day a week may help keep you going, but don't go overboard. Eating 7 cakes on a cheat day isn't going to help you. Putting the cheat day on a normal weekday, rather than a weekend, is usually a good idea, to keep from binging
• Tips from experienced, successful members of the fittit community

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Diet

General

What is the most important rule to follow for a healthy diet?

Minerals - Includes Salts like sodium & Potassium Proteins - Mostly found in meats and animal products (eggs, dairy) with some plant sources with large amounts (soy, rice/pea protein powders)

Non-Sugar Carbs - Found in vegetables & grains mostly

Sugars - Includes "natural" sugars like those found in whole fruit & natural fruit juices

Some say eat whole foods. They say eat foods that are basically in their natural state and didn't need to be processed to be edible. You can be very lax with this rule, by allowing yourself sugar (controversial as any form of sugar triggers appetite especially if avoiding carbs) and salt as long as you add it yourself ; or you can be strict, by excluding olives and legumes. The choice is yours. Just stick to whole foods.

Maintaining enough vitamins, minerals and proteins while limiting carbs, sugars and calories is by far the most important rule to a healthy diet regardless of their source and whether or not they are "natural" or "whole". Repeated studies have shown that having excess body fat, type 2 diabetes and weight gain are resultant from eating and storing more calories than one burns. Eating too many of any form of calories whether from whole foods or not will cause these problems. A Newcastle University team has recently (2011) discovered that Type 2 diabetes can actually be reversed by an extreme low calorie diet alone (http://www.ncl.ac.uk/biomedicine/news/newsitem.htm?id=diet-reverses-type-2-diabetes).

There is no evidence which excludes "whole" foods calories from this fact and whole grains are some of the highest calorie, low vitamin foods around. There is also no evidence that calories from low fat or high fat foods are any different from other calories for weight control.

Calories are calories and as long as you have a source of essential vitamins they are the same.

Fat calories are not "worse" than other calories. In fact fat has many essential vitamins and no health risks contrary to popular beliefs. Native peoples in the far north got virtually all their vitamins from the fat and organ meat of the animals they ate as there were no vegetables in that climate, and before the introduction of modern processed foods they had extremely low rates of heart disease. Additionally the linking of saturated fats to heart disease is a myth and has been completely dis-proven. The most recent studies including a meta study of over 347,000 people across 23 years (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20071648) showed no increase of cardio vascular problems from consumption of saturated fats. Fats are essential for many bodily functions including metabolism and brain function. Best estimates are that congestive heart disease (arterial clogging) comes from too many blood sugar peaks brought on by over consumption of sugars, carbs and starches at rates higher than your body can control their effect on blood sugar (another reason to avoid carbs and sugar) and perhaps over consumption of calcium which is a also component of arterial clogging.Heart attacks themselves are often now linked to inflammatory response of the body reacting to changes in injured or scarred arteries (which may explain why small doses of anti inflammatories like aspirin reduce the risk of heart attack.)

So what's the dietary answer? Make sure you get your vitamins, protein, minerals and salts and fluids you need from somewhere and don't consume more total calories than you burn each day regardless of what type of calories they are. Other than that try to avoid things that likely aren't good for your body such as preservatives and other non nutritional substances of unknown effects that can be avoided.

Which diet plan is the best?

There is no best. There are many paths to maintaining a good diet and losing weight. Some methods work better for some people, other methods for other people. The important thing to understand is that people are different in their tastes and lifestyles but not in their body metabolisms by any large degree. Resting body metabolism between extreme athletes and unfit people vary by less than 5% which means it has virtually no impact on how much you can eat or burn in daily decisions. You should be prepared to experiment and find what works for you so that you can maintain a diet that avoids an excess of calories over your lifetime however actively you choose to live.

In the end, the "best diet" is the one that you will stick to.

How can I form a dietary plan that works with my busy schedule?

First we need to know your goals. Are you trying to gain or lose weight, or something more specific? Generally, you can take one free day a week, and cook up a good amount of food. Healthy chicken breasts can be cooked at one time and refrigerated for the next week or two. The same with rice. Peanut Butter and Jelly makes a versatile, portable sandwich should you be somewhere without a fridge in need of food. Nuts are a healthy, portable snack. Scrambled eggs can be left on the stove to cook on low heat as you do your morning routine. Carrots make a good, portable snack or meal addition.

Is it possible to gain muscle while losing weight?

You need to do away with preconceptions about weight. Just think of what you're saying "gain muscle while losing weight", well gaining muscle is gaining weight, but you'd be gaining lean mass and not fat. A better question would be "Is it possible to gain muscle while losing fat?" Which is absolutely possible and the best option you got :) A combination of better diet + cardio exercise and weightlifting = gain muscle, lose fat. Again forget about weight, depending on your body type and your current situation you might stay at around the same weight or go down then up, that's not exactly bad as long as you're losing fat and the weight comes from muscle. You'll still look and feel better :)

Should I take supplements?

Studies have shown that simply taking a daily simple multivitamin supplement can help one avoid a huge number of health concerns that arise from vitamin deficiencies in modern eating practices. It is extremely difficult to get natural levels of vitamins from even whole unprocessed vegetables today because the actual farming soil has been depleted over years of over farming - vegetables simple don't have the same levels of vitamins and minerals in them that they had 100 years ago. Furthermore, the other primary source of vitamins in food is from animal fats and organ meats such as liver which modern guidelines and eating practices tend to limit. Thus the two primary sources of necessary vitamins vegetables and meat fats no longer provide enough essential vitamins for the average person and a multivitamin supplement can be essential.

The other huge benefit of taking a multivitamin is that lacking vitamins often cause food cravings which leads to the intake of more calories. So if you make sure you are getting the vitamins and minerals your body needs with a multivitamin supplement you may not get as many hunger cravings which may cut down on binge eating.

One should be concerned, however, because there is preliminary evidence that taking a daily multivitamin increases the risk of premature death. The October 2011 study by Mursu et al. followed 39,000 postmenopausal women over 19 years and found that the group of women who self-identified as daily consumers of multivitamins were 2.5% more likely to die over that period than women who did not take multivitamins. The study published by Miller et al. in January 2005 expressed concerns about high-dosage Vitamin E supplementation, concluding that it "may increase all-cause mortality and should be avoided." These results were corroborated in October 2011 by Klein et al., where they concluded that "dietary supplementation [at any level] with vitamin E significantly increased the risk of prostate cancer among healthy men." Given that no study in a peer-reviewed medical journal has ever found any benefit by taking a multivitamin for healthy adults, you should seriously question whether taking a multivitamin is worth it.

Other Supplements are just that -- something to take in addition to (not instead of) regular food.

Diet is generally more important than supplementation, but certain supplements can be useful for achieving fitness goals. Many supplements make doubtful or exaggerated claims, so do your research before purchasing them.

• What supplements do you know work?

What are the effects of alcohol consumption on fat loss?

One of the breakdown products of ethanol is acetate. Overview of ethanol metabolism

Presence of acetate in plasma reduces plasma level of free fatty acids 70-90%.

By reducing FFA you are in essence reducing the availability of fat to be used for energy. You will burn the glucose in the blood and the energy from the alcohol, not fat. Drinking often has been found to increase abdominal obesity and negatively affect weight loss.

This doesn't mean all hope is lost for a healthy lifestyle and alcohol though. Most of the problems occur when alcohol is consumed alongside unhealthy foods. (Where your body would normally metabolize the foods, the alcohol takes precedence and the foods essentially go to body fat). A good article and collection of sources on the matter can be found here.

How much should I eat?

That depends on your basal metabolic rate -- the number of calories you need daily just to maintain your weight (no loss or gain) and go about your daily activities. It also depends on whether you want to lose weight or gain weight. If (like many) you want to lose weight, your body can only take weight loss at a rate of about 1-2 lbs (-2 lbs = -907 g) per week, maximum, without losing muscle too. Your best bet is to track everything you eat and determine your calorie intake; add (subtract) 3500 calories for every pound of weight you lost (gained); and that's your BMR. Once you've determined your BMR, take an amount less by 500 calories (3500 calories per week -- which corresponds to about a pound of fat) and use that as a target average. Try to get between 0.5gm and 1.0gm of protein per day per pound of lean body mass (your total body mass, minus the total fat); and make up the rest of your calories with (good) fats and carbs.

How much protein should I eat in one sitting?

According to this article how you divide your daily protein intake is not important to your muscle gains. Thus, you can simply divide the total protein up into multiple meals, or you can eat it all in one sitting. This is because, while your body can only absorb protein at a certain rate (and that rate depends on the kind of protein you're absorbing), it will keep absorbing it until its gone completely through it. So feel free to do 6 meals of 20-30g (-30 g = -1.06 oz) protein each, or two big meals of 60-90g (-90 g = -3.18 oz) protein each -- as far as your gains are concerned, they're the same.

Low Carb / Paleo / Primal

What should I eat? What can I eat? How do you eat well and not get bored?

The short answer is: buy a cookbook or find a good website and make the stuff in it.

• Mark Sisson at Mark's Daily Apple has a bunch of good "primal" recipes
• Mark has a cookbook out that has a lot of good "primal" recipes, too, with pictures and so on.
• Joyful Abode's recipe index has a lot of good low-carb recipes in it.
• Everyday Paleo has nice looking paleo recipes
• What does r/Fitness eat for lunch at work?
• r/Paleo and the r/Paleo FAQ
• r/keto and the r/keto FAQ

The longer answer is: Educate yourself to find out what's healthy and eat that. There's a vast variety of stuff to eat out there that's actually good and good for you, as long as you don't unnecessarily limit yourself.

Make sure that whoever you're learning from actually has some evidence on their side, though. See some of the books, websites, and videos linked below.

Also remember that if you're going to make some changes in your life, you will have to make some changes in your life! This may include trying stuff you've never eaten before (Greek yogurt, really?), or eating things in different combinations, or abandoning old standbys (hard to have a sandwich for lunch when you can't eat bread). Luckily, it may also include being "allowed" to eat stuff that, before, was a "guilty pleasure". (Bacon, cheese, steak, and eggs all come to mind for this FAQ editor.)

Eggs? Don't they raise blood cholesterol, and cause heart disease and death?

If you're an otherwise healthy person, then: No. That idea was raised by a number of studies from the 1950s, which have now been soundly refuted. Eggs do raise LDL-cholesterol, but there are two types of LDL cholesterol, and eggs raise the large-fluffy LDL type, not the oxidized LDL (small type) that is associated with atherosclerosis. Additionally, it raises HDL, and HDL:LDL ratio is a bigger risk indicator than total cholesterol. Also, blood (serum) cholesterol levels do not detectably rise due to dietary cholesterol. Most studies indicate that eggs decrease (or, at worst, have no effect) the risk of atherosclerosis. There is both scientific and anecdotal evidence supporting this idea. Furthermore, high cholesterol is not associated with the actual risk of heart attacks and cholesterol is essential for many bodily functions including metabolism and brain function (your brain is largely cholesterol). Links to a number of studies is here. So, the evidence says, you can eat 8 eggs a day (for example), with no effect on your blood cholesterol or risk for heart disease. However, if you are not a healthy person -- specifically, if you are fat with an obesogenic diet, and at risk of diabetes -- eggs can increase risk for vascular disease.

For some more citations, check out the Eggs FAQ

Okay, okay, so eggs aren't bad for you. Now how can I make them taste better?

Take a look at these threads: http://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/ouik1/are_your_eggs_boring_try_this/ http://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/h85pc/how_do_you_like_your_eggs_fittit/ http://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/pnhhc/for_people_that_eat_eggs_on_a_daily_basis/

Is a low carb diet a good idea for me?

Source.

The primary health benefit of low-carb is that people stop eating so much sugar and carbohydrates (flours and starches and pastas) which greatly reduces caloric intake without jeopardizing vitamin, protein or essential oils (fats) losses. Most carbohydrate sources are not nutrient-dense foods and are not ideal, unless you are trying to store more energy for more significant periods of exertion (e.g. marathon, distance bicycling or days of long hiking)

But it's not as simple as it seems; you can also go wrong with low-carb, since you need to distinguish between "good" fats and "bad" fats, just like "good" carbs and "bad" carbs. Vegetable oils (hydrogenated or otherwise) and seed oils (soybean, corn, safflower, etc.) are highly inflammatory fats that are not ideal for consumption. Saturated fats (e.g. from animal products) and omega-3 fats from fish/fish oils are ideal fats that are safe to consume.

Most average people eating modern processed foods are consuming combined sugar and hydrogenated vegetable oils get the worst of both worlds. At a young, still growing age, lots of people can get by without noticing any detrimental effects on their body fat, but these foods will eventually cause metabolic syndrome (diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, obesity) and other degenerative diseases if regularly for many years. And as long as it takes to gradually acquire these conditions, it can be even harder to reverse them. Low-carb or paleo dieting can help people lose body fat so they can start getting to a less metabolically deranged state.

In terms of athletic performance, low carb adapts your body to be better geared to burning fat. For example, intramuscular trigyclerides (i.e., fat stored in muscles) can double in 8 weeks on a low-carb diet. This can have advantages in ultra-endurance type of events that go beyond the point of the bodies ability to run the muscles off of carbs alone (4-8 hours or longer).

When weightlifting, the muscles energy to exercise come from carbs. Your muscles can store carbs in the form of glycogen enough for about a couple of hours of intensive activity. Upon entering a state known as ketosis, the body converts protein into glucose to replenish these carbohydrates. If you stay in ketosis long enough, and do a high enough volume of weight training, you will have more and more troubles getting a high intensity during weight training.

Don't worry so much about lowering carbs if you're young, healthy and lean unless you are eating more calories than you are burning. Especially if weight training. Low-carb diets are high in protein and fat, which are very satiating and people tend to eat fewer calories on these diets. This means weight loss, yes, but it also means that growth is slowed if calories are too low and you may find building muscle is at a much slower rate. Contrary to the myth that low carbs contribute to slow growth among children most studies have proven the opposite. In fact the seminal world study of native populations and their native diet done in 1938 by Dr. Weston Price before world trade made such studies impossible showed that high meat and fat diets lead to extremely healthy native populations with straight teeth, well proportioned bodies and often larger size than other populations. (This was documented in photos as well and is available in it's original form for free Title: Nutrition and Physical Degeneration Author: Weston A. Price 1938 http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html)

Probably a bigger concern in the diet would be trying to get enough carbs from good sources. Unrefined carbs for sure, but many carbohydrates can have a very high lectin and phytate load - these are the defenses of a plant to prevent them from being eaten. Their goal is to mess up your digestive system and block the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Whole wheat is probably the worst offender. But most rich carb sources can be significantly optimized to prevent these problems. Oats can be soaked overnight in water. Grains can be sprouted or fermented. Tubers can be peeled and cooked. Also, eating high nutrient foods can prevent issues with low vitamin and mineral absorption, e.g. beef liver.

Vegetarian / Vegan

How will weight lifting work if I am a Vegetarian / Vegan?

Yes, you can get big and strong as a vegetarian or vegan.

Protein requirements vary, if you aim for the usually recommended 1g/lb bodyweight (using lean mass is more accurate, but requires a body fat percentage to be known) then it is almost impossible to get without a) supplemental protein, or b) getting tons and tons of calories in the process. For those who want to aim for this level of protein and not get excessive calories, The Vitamin Shoppe sells Nutribiotic Brown Rice Protein in 3lb (3 lbs = 1.36 kg) tubs, and they've got brick & mortar shops across the country; TrueProtein sells rice protein, hemp protein, and gemma pea protein in bulk fairly cheaply as well.

If you aim for a more moderative but still adequate protein intake (1-1.2g/kg bodyweight or lean mass), then you can achieve this through a healthy and smart diet. Just be aware to eat varied sources for a more complete distribution of amino acids.

In regards to soy usage and phytoestrogens (isoflavones), they do not affect testosterone levels per se. They may modulate the androgen receptor, which mediates the effects of testosterone. This is a 'leveling mountains and filling valleys' effect, and could potentially reduce testosterone if your testosterone levels were well above baseline to start. There is evidence that these same phytoestrogens can actually act androgenic (like testosterone) in older men suffering from low testosterone!

A conclusive statement about whether soy is 'good' or 'bad' cannot be made about the isoflavone content. Just be aware to cook your soy to denature the trypsin inhibitors so you can actually get the protein. A good review of soy can be found here

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Exercise

General

I need help finding an exercise program to obtain my fitness goals. Help.

Try the programpicker website. It has collected all the standard information we have in this FAQ, reduced the number of questions to a bare minimum, and recommends the best program for you to meet your fitness goals.

I want to get toned, how do I do that?

People often ask this question without understanding what muscle tone actually means. Muscle tone is the amount of tension a muscle maintains when it's at rest. It is a neurological phenomenon, and if one wanted to increase muscle tone, the most efficient way to do it would be to lift heavy weights for low repetitions, increasing neuromuscular efficiency.

However, many people use the term "toned" to refer to a person with visible muscle definition. In this sense, there are no special "toning" exercises for your muscles. Fitness advice for women is often guilty of purporting to have the "secret" to a toned body. For men, the question is often 'how do I get ripped?'

The answer, in fact, is extremely simple: build up muscle mass and lower your body fat.

Fat people may have huge muscles, but they will never be "toned" unless the fat is removed to reveal the muscle underneath.

Skinny people have an easier time getting "toned", as any muscle they put on is not covered by fat. However, it is often harder for a skinny person to add muscle.

Number 1 myth: Higher reps (over 15) will get you "toned." This is completely untrue. Higher reps help with muscle endurance, which may be useful for some sports. However, if your goal is to get "toned," you should be focusing on increasing muscle size. The larger the muscle, the easier it will be to see. Do not worry about getting bulky. It's not easy to put on muscle, and it is very doubtful that you'll accidentally put on too much. Even if you do, it's not hard to shrink down to your desired size.

Tips on how to put on muscle are addressed in more detail elsewhere, but generally you should focus on compound lifts in the 8-12 rep range.

Diet: To get more "toned" you will need to have a low body fat percentage. Too much fat and you will look flabby, bloated, or bulky, no matter how big your muscles are. Fat cannot be "spot reduced" on the body, thus preventing you from toning just one body part. A healthy diet is necessary to lower your overall body fat, making your muscles more visible.

A note to women: Often I hear about women who are averse to heavy weights as they don't want to "bulk up" or "look like a dude". The fact of the matter is most women will never get as bulky as guys because they lack sufficient testosterone. The female professional athletes you see with large, "toned" arms got that way through of a much more vigorous workout routine than you will ever attempt. A woman's lifting routine should not be that different from a man's. This is how women who lift weights like a normal human being look.

Just remember the simple formula: increased muscle size + lower body fat = "toned" body.

Will doing 1000 sit-ups give me a six pack, I'm 5'8 (68 in = 1.73 m) and weigh 250 lbs (250 lbs = 113 kg)

Short answer no, long answer no definitely not. Your abs are muscles same as your calves, quads, deltoids etc. The way that you build muscle is by stressing it then resting, muscles grow when rested not when being stressed. Over-taxing the muscle will lead to muscle wastage and possible injury. Also, everybody on earth currently has an eight pack, it's just hiding behind a layer of fat. If you're fat then no matter how many crunches or how big your abs get if the fat on top of it is concealing them you'll still look fat. For men body fat of about 10% is normally considered to be the cut off point to have your abdominals show, for women it's about 18-20%. Doing sit-ups will not target fat burning on your stomach. Your body takes care of fat burning itself internally so it decides where to lose fat from (i.e. men typically find lower abdominal region of fat hardest to lose). To get that killer six/eight pack you need to get to about 10% body fat.

Unless you are a muscular 250lbs (250 lbs = 113 kg), no. You may grow muscle, but it will be covered in a layer of fat. You must have both muscle and low body fat.

I'd like to isolate a specific muscle using barbells/olympic bars/body weight/a cable. What exercise can I do?

Check out this click map (for males) or this one (for females); click on a muscle, it will take you a list of appropriate exercises, with full descriptions on form.

I am a female, if I start lifting weights will I get huge?

Maybe, if you take heaping amounts of steroids, eat 8,000 calories a day, and proceed to lift for at least 5 years. Otherwise, no. Weightlifting will not make the average woman bulky. You may however find yourself with a nicer butt, shapelier legs, less body fat, a higher metabolism, strength, confidence, and a positive outlook. Proceed with caution. Don't believe us? How many of your skinny male friends do you think have tried to get muscled up? And how successful were they? Do you think they -- motivated as they were -- would fail while trying extremely hard, while you would accidentally succeed? No, that would not occur. This is because it is dedicated, long term effort to become muscularly huge.

Also look at this article for information on how women should train. The Female Fitness Bible is also a good read.

This blog is full of examples of women who lift weights and aren't huge. This video shows you a female olympic weightlifter. As you can see, she doesn't appear 'bulky', but is still extremely strong.

I have a bad injury, please help me train around it.

Joint Injuries

Joint injuries require lots of extra help. Joint mobility work is necessary and should be done every morning. This typically involves joint circles (except for the hinge joints: elbow, fingers, knees, etc. Never "circle" hinge joints). The best recommendation I've seen is to do a number of joint circles equal to your age, both clockwise and counterclockwise. If you have a popping or creaking joint, double this number. If it is painful, move slower and triple the number.

It may also help to put light pressure on the joints and work them out. For instance, doing standing pushups against a wall is a great way to help a shoulder injury. Doing "squats" while lying on your back will help a knee injury. The key is to move them, and put stress on them, but not a lot. Your body will respond to stress by making things stronger.

Muscular Injuries

RICE - Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. Additionally, non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are helpful to reduce pain and swelling.

As for applying ice, there are many recommended ways to do this, I will provide one: apply ice for 10 minutes, then no ice for 20 minutes, and repeat as often as possible. Ice causes a vasoconstriction. When you remove the ice the vasodilation brings fresh nutrient dense blood into the injury site to speed recovery. This is similar to contrast bathing. There is a good break down of how to implement RICE here.

Note that if an injury and pain persist for longer than a few days, you should see a doctor. Do not trust Fittit to heal you.

Should I work out if I'm sick?

The general consensus is that, if it is a mild head cold (runny nose, sore throat, etc) you should be good to workout, but with a chest cold(coughing up mucus) it's probably a good time for a rest day or two. There are some other concerns for those that dont have a home gym. If you are fairly sick you should stay home for the health of others that go to your gym(especially during flu season). If you are sick, can't get to the gym, and still feel the need to workout try an at home bodyweight circuit. Keep in mind while you're sick, you should lower the intensity of your workout to keep the body focused on the task at hand(fighting your sickness) and to prevent injury, as your body overall is in a weaker state than normal.

Is strength training harmful?

Yes. With additional strength and muscle mass, you will become irresistible to the opposite sex, which which will raise your risk of STDs, and cause you to lose sleep and productivity, due to the numerous additional opportunities for casual sexual activity.

You may also lose friends, who enjoyed having the "fat guy" or the "scrawny dork" around to make them look better by comparison.

But seriously, while there is a risk of injury with any physical activity, the potential for harm in an inherently controlled environment like a gym or weight room is substantially less than many "safer" sports, such as cycling (collisions with pedestrians and automobiles), soccer (near ubiquitous ACL tears, especially for women), or even tennis (tennis elbow).

The most frequent causes of injury in strength training are a) using too much weight, or b) not using proper form.

(This is why you see those horrible youtube powerlifting / weightlifting injuries. Competitors are trying to lift the MAXIMUM amount of weight, and are willing to accept the risk of injury. This is FAR different than lifting in the gym, where you are trying to lift a substantial amount of weight in a safe and sustainable manner.)

The response to this is NOT to use the weight machines, which appear safer, but actually can create muscle imbalances due to involving fewer muscle groups and moving along fixed pathways that may not align with your body's geometry, but to learn to do the exercises properly with free weights, beginning with just your bodyweight or an empty bar, and gradually adding weight in 5 or 10lb (10 lbs = 4.54 kg) increments until you find the appropriate weight for your ability.

Make sure to lift with your muscles, and not with your joints. If your muscles are sore, that is a good thing. If you are feeling joint pain, figure out which muscles are weak or imbalanced, then focus on strengthening them for a week or two, before returning to the exercise. (E.g. if you're having shoulder pain when bench pressing, check your form, then make sure your anterior deltoids and rotator cuff muscles are sufficiently strong, before continuing to bench press.)

There are numerous benefits to strength training. In addition to gaining muscle mass and strength, your body's resting metabolism will increase, your hormone production will increase, making you feel more confident, your skeletal system will become stronger, making you more resistant to osteoporosis, etc., etc., etc.

I have muscle soreness two days after my last workout. Should I workout again today?

It sounds like you're experiencing Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). You should workout again today, and you'll notice that this decreases in intensity over the next couple of weeks.

If I don't feel Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) the day after, am I working hard enough?

Yes. You were probably feeling DOMS because you recently started your workouts. Over time, DOMS goes away.

What type of shoes should I wear for _?

Running

Consider barefoot/minimalist running. These types of footwear have become quite popular in recent years. However, if you prefer "regular" running shoes your best bet is to go to a running store and get fitted for some shoes. They can analyze your feet and your gait and will recommend shoes just for you.

Weight Lifting

Flat soled shoes (Vans, Airwalks, Converse, etc) or minimalist footwear such as Vibram Five Fingers, Feelmax shoes, or even water shoes. Barefoot is also ok, but be careful not to smash your toes. If you're going to be squatting a lot or doing the olympic lifts, dedicated weightlifting shoes with a raised heel can help your form. exrx article on weightlifting shoes

Martial Arts / Yoga

None. Barefoot or in socks is best. You want to train ankle and toe mobility and support here too.

How do I get the rotten milk smell out of my protein shake bottle?

Put a mixture of 50% vinegar and 50% water in it and let it sit overnight. Wash it afterwards and it should smell like plastic again.

Which should I do first, cardio or weights?

Concurrent strength and endurance (cardio) training should be avoided if you want maximum results from strength training. Cardio inhibits the muscle building effects of resistance training on a molecular level. Periodization is the best solution, but if you must do both, put them as far away from each other as possible (eg. on different days). You will still get big and strong if you do both simultaneously, but it will take longer.
Sources: http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Abstract/2006/11000/Concurrent_Strength_and_Endurance_Training__From.13.aspx
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17095927

Also, since fatigue from cardio first can result in poor lifting form, the general consensus is to lift first. Read more about it in this thread.

My posture is all crappy. How do I fix it?

Note: Click the links in the text below for solutions to each of the problems presented

Lower cross syndrome is a posture issue generally caused by sitting all the time. The erector spinae (lower back spinal muscles) and hip flexors tend to be tight, and the glutes and abdominals tend to be weak. This typically results in an anterior pelvic tilt - causing one's butt and gut to stick out.

Similarly, some people can end up with a posterior pelvic tilt. People with a posterior tilt tend to look as if their lower back and butt are completely flat.

Upper cross syndrome is another posture issue caused by sitting while hunching forward (at a computer, over books, etc). The pectorals and the upper back/next tend to be tight, while the scapular muscles (shoulder blades) and neck flexors tend to be weak. This tends to manifest with a hunchback "computer guy" posture.

You can find the exercises for APT and hunchback condensed into this document, which includes images and a short description of each exercise.

Weights

How do I get started lifting weights?

Starting Strength is an excellent beginner weight lifting program. It is tailor-made for someone new to lifting who wants to get stronger and build a solid base of muscle. The program will work for men or women. If you can, purchase the book Starting Strength. It goes into great detail about how to perform the basic compound lifts that make up the program. If you can't get the book, check out the Wikia page and the official site. Both of those sites are great resources and the Wikia page has some excellent videos on how to perform the lifts.

Can I do Starting Strength if I only have access to dumbbells or machines?

No. If you try to change the prescribed program then you are no longer doing the program. Using dumbbells or machines will produce an approximation of these two programs but it will not be a perfect replication. The major reasons that dumbbells won't work is because the programs require that the weight used on lifts be increased in 5 pound (5 lbs = 2.27 kg) and, in many cases, 2.5 pound (2.5 lbs = 1.13 kg) increments, which is not usually possible with dumbbells. Dumbbells will also not be heavy enough to use for squats and deadlifts once you're past the very early stages of training. Lastly, as you progress to using heavier weights, the dumbbells will become more and more difficult to get into position.

Dumbbell programs are not recommended for beginners. See this section for details.

I don't like these programs so far. Anything else?

Sure. There's tons of ways to get fit. As a beginner, a program like Starting Strength is going to be ridiculously more efficient than anything else. But if it's not for you, then you'll probably peter out quickly. Here is a beginner full-body hypertrophy program that is pretty decent. If you HAVE actually looked at Starting Strength, you'll notice that this program is amazingly similar, but with different sets and reps - that's because these types of programs WORK.

If it's still not for you, the same site has a Upper/Lower split routine that is pretty decent and straight-forward. Beyond this, though, you're on your own

If you must choose another program, choose one from this list or this list and do it. The best program is one that you follow properly and consistently.

How do I increase my _?:

Bench Press

Learn to bench. Purchase Starting Strength and learn to bench correctly. You may also check out Stronglifts' article on benching, or view ( WARNING NSFW LANGUAGE ) Dave Tate's lecture on benching. You should be adding weight every session. If you cannot, you will take some weight off, and move back up. If these methods fail, check to see you are getting enough rest, getting enough food, putting enough intensity into your workout, recheck your form, and then consider assistant exercises. Push ups and dips work similar sets of muscles.

Overhead Press

Learn to overhead press. Purchase Starting Strength and learn to bench correctly. You may also check out Stronglifts' article

Squat

See this post.

Deadlift

See this post.

Chinups/Pullups

See this post.

If you need to increase your grip strength see this thread or this thread.

How do I go from skinny to strong with weight lifting?

A lot of people have had good experiences with the Starting Strength weight lifting program and the drinking a gallon of homo/whole milk a day (GOMAD Diet). Be advised that GOMAD is only necessary if you're having a lot of trouble gaining any weight. 1/4 GOMAD or 1/2 GOMAD may be advisable depending on how many calories you need.

Starting Strength Wiki

GOMAD Diet

How often should I lift weights to get the best results?

Depends on your goals. Most beginners have great results doing some 5*5 (5 sets of 5 repetitions) programs, 3 times a week.

How many reps/sets do I do to make the most of my workout?

Depending on your goals, the following rep ranges can be used as general guidelines.

• Doing 1-3 reps focuses on power. (Heavy weight, little enough reps for a fast contraction)
• Doing 4-7 reps is best for increasing strength. (Speed slows, but heavy weight is still used)
• Doing 8-12 reps is best for increasing size. (Moderate weight and higher reps gives a great amount of overall volume and time under tension)
• Doing over 12 is best for endurance. (Lots of reps, but to get this many reps a lighter weight is used)

I've just started a program and after a few sessions, the weight doesn't feel hard to lift. Why?

This is because you are still a novice to strength training and the weights you are lifting are still very light. When the weights get heavier, they will feel much tougher and you will start to feel more soreness (DOMS) in the coming days. Do not increase the weight prematurely and do not add more reps to your sets.

However, it is not out of the question to take this time to add more sets to work on your technique, especially if there is a squatting, deadlifting or Olympic lift (like power cleans) in your chosen program, as long as the extra sets do not impede on your overall progress.

How do I perform the bench press without a spotter?

As a beginner, you have a couple of options:

• Perform your bench press sets inside a power rack with the pins set just around your chest level.
• Do not put the collars on the bar. If you get pinned under the bar, tilt to one side and let the weights drop off.
• Bring the bar down to your hips and get out from underneath the bar.
• Be conservative with your reps. If you pushed out a rep and it was very tough to lock out, rack the bar and call the set "done". Chances are you didn't do that last, tough rep with perfect technique, so any more reps will have no benefit. This is referred to as "technical failure".

I have one or two dumbbells and I don't want to join a gym, can you help me design a program?

Honestly, the dumbbells will probably be a waste of your time, because either they'll be too heavy, which will keep you from being able to exercise with proper form, or, more likely, they'll be too light to cause any reasonable level of muscle growth. If you're determined not to join a gym (despite the fact that many are less than $20/month and will give you access to a full range of commercial grade fitness equipment), your best bet is to put the dumbbells in a closet or a corner where you won't stub your toe on them and do bodyweight exercises. (See the next question for full details.)

However, if you have adjustable dumbbells or a set of fixed weight dumbbells that increase weight in small increments, you can get a good workout with them. If your dumbbells are relatively light (up to .50lbs (50 lbs = 22.7 kg) or so), you can use them for arm and shoulder exercises, and combine them with body weight exercises. Heavier dumbbells can be used to target bigger muscles as well, such as the chest (dumbbell bench press), back (bent over rows), and legs (bulgarian split squats). The important thing is for your dumbbells to have enough weight to give you an appropriate workout, as well as having small enough increments to be able to appropriately increase resistance as your fitness level increases.

Bodyweight / Calisthenics

What if I don't want to / can't / would rather not use weights?

Bodyweight exercises are another option for you. Some people even prefer them. A basic program like SimpleFit is a great place to start. Burpees are an amazing cardio and conditioning exercise - watch Mike Rowe demonstrate. A good resource for different bodyweight skills and tutorials to learn said skills can be found at Beast Skills.

As you progress, and are able to do a decent amount of reps, you will stop progressing in strength and will progress in endurance and stamina. This is fine, but if you want to keep increasing strength, you need harder exercises. At this point, buy and follow a routine like Convict Conditioning, Naked Warrior, or Never Gymless.

What do I do if I can't do one pullup?

Negatives and assisted pullups are the answer here. A negative pullup involves grabbing the bar, jumping so your chin comes close to the bar, and squeezing everything to let yourself down as slow as possible. Assisted pullups require a chair. Stand on the chair so you chin is near the bar, and pull with all your might. Use both your legs and arms to do the pullup. This works best if you're not standing directly under the bar, but slightly beyond it so your body angles underneath the bar.

But bodyweight skills are easy! I can do 100 pushups and situps no problem

Pushups, pullups, and things like this are considered basic skills. The following list of progressions should get harder and harder, but they are by no means a workout progression. Check out some of the plans listed in the resources at the end of this page.

• Pushups -> Close Grip / Triangle Pushups -> One Armed Pushups
• Bodyweight Squats -> High Step Ups -> Pistols -> Jumping Pistols
• Pullups -> Uneven Pullups -> One Armed Pullups
• Situps -> Lying Straight Leg Raises -> Hanging Straight Leg Raises
• Pushups -> Pike Pushups -> Handstand Pushups

But you can't get stronger with bodyweight skills!

This is simply not true. While bodyweight skills definitely have an upper limit, unlike weight lifting which is limited only by how many plates will fit on the bar, leverage can be varied quite a bit, increasing the difficulty of these skills. There are many stories of people who don't weight train lifting very large amounts their first time out, due to body weight skills. Here is a video of Ross Enamait deadlifting 455lbs (455 lbs = 206 kg) (at 170lb (170 lbs = 77.1 kg) body weight) with no deadlift skills and a primarily bodyweight-only training routine.

What are some recommended Bodyweight only programs?

For most of these programs, you WILL need a pullup bar at the very least.

• SimpleFit is a very easy program to get into, and is very hard to master. Good for general fitness goals.
• Naked Warrior is a very good program which teaches you how to master the one-armed pushup and the one-legged squat. It also covers many of Pavel's typical techniques, such as maintaining full-body tension, proper breathing, irradiation, and many more. Good for general fitness goals for an intermediate or advance athlete.
• Convict Conditioning is a great routine with a concrete progression structure focusing on 6 "master" exercises: one-armed pushup, one-legged squat, one-armed chinup/pullup, hanging straight-leg raises, one-armed handstand pushup, and a stand-to-stand back bridge. Good for increasing strength and training to achieve any of these master steps, even from beginner level.
• RMAX International has an entire line of workout plans which are bodyweight only. TACFIT is an all-in-one plan that is very good. FlowFit covers one specific routine made for freedom of movement and conditioning. BodyFlow covers what RMAX calls "biomechanical exercise" or "tactical gymnastics" - a combination of strength, flexibility, and tumbling work.
• Building the Gymnastic Body covers gymnastic style training with a fitness slant. Slightly more equipment is required for advanced levels, such as gymnastic rings or parallel bars.
• You Are Your Own Gym is a fairly comprehensive program that lots of practitioners seem to love. At the very least, it's a good dictionary of exercises.
• Some more ideas can be read through in this thread.

Cardio

What is "conditioning"?

Conditioning, or Aerobic Conditioning, is training your cardiovascular system pump blood, and thus oxygen, throughout your body better. Conditioning and cardio are generally synonyms, though conditioning is a more accurate term.

If I want to be more conditioned, do I need to run?

Not at all. Running and sprinting are very good ways to condition yourself, but there are many other options. Jump rope (for time) is a classic example. Burpees are also a good choice for conditioning: try doing the maximum number of reps in a given time period, like 10 minutes.

How do I start running?

Try the Couch to 5km (5 km = 3.11 mi) Program (here is the chart), and check out the running subreddit.

Why does running hurt my knees?

You run wrong. Hyper-padded shoes reduce nerve feedback to fool you into heel striking (contacting the ground on the heel with a straight leg). The human leg is amazing. If you jump, you can land nearly soundlessly by bending at 4 different locations: toes, ankle, knee, and hip. All the force is spread out and absorbed by the muscles not the joints. You want this same feeling while running. Run on the balls of your feet, with shorter strides. Yes, it may be slower while your body adjusts, but it will save you all the knee damage. Consider barefoot running, or shoes with less padding.

I want to up my running mileage.

To increase mileage read How to Add Running Mileage Safely to allow your body to get used to the increased load. Never try to lose weight while training for an event, especially half and full marathons.

Why does my skin get itchy when I run?

It's called "exercise-induced urticaria", a milder form of a very serious condition called "exercise induced anaphylaxis". Histamine is a vasodilator, and your vessels dilate to increase blood flow during exercise. If you get too much, too fast, it gets itchy- just like during an allergic reaction. You can take loratidine (Claritin)/cetirizine (Zyrtec) for it before you exercise to decrease the intensity. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) also works, but can be sedating. If it's severe enough, you can combine 2 classes - as benadryl/loratidine/cetirizine are H1 blockers combined with some heartburn meds like - Cimetidine (Tagamet)/famotidine (Pepsid)- cause they are H2 blockers. You'll live, but it's annoying. It's more likely to show up with more drastic temperature differences (I.E. Running in colder weather from a warm house, or leaving a cool house to run in very hot weather).

Swimming and Cardio

Swimming is highly effective cardio exercise BUT generally only effective for experienced swimmers. For new swimmers, poor technique means uncontrolled breathing and gasping, leading people to believe that they are exercising much harder than they really are, when in fact they are only suffering lack of oxygen. The most important initial step in swimming is to get stroke analysis as a basis for improving the stroke.

A great way to get into swimming for people who are interested is taking adult swimming lessons, then joining a masters (read: 18+ years old) team in your area. Such teams are usually cheap or free and will almost always happily accept swimmers of any skill/experience level. This will allow you to continue to improve your technique, work out with a coach (which is generally more effective than doing it on your own), and give you motivation to get in the water on a regular basis!

What can you tell me about the value of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) or Tabata?

Check out this recent academic article reviewing definitions of HIIT and its benefits. If you are interested in starting a HIIT sprinting program, here is a website which describes a novice program. Some good threads can be found here and here and here.

I think I have shin splints or Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome. What do I do?

Shin splints are a catch-all description for pain in the shin area following/during exercise -- typically running. They begin to hurt while running, and the pain persists for hours to days after the exercise is complete. The standard treatments include: (a) RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation); (b) NSAIDS (like ibuprofen) to reduce swelling (which helps avoid the pain in the first place); and (c) a recuperation period of reduced (or zero) stress on your shins, to permit them to heal. A usual cause of shin splints is a too-sudden increase in running intensity -- such as increasing your weekly mileage, or intensity, more than about 10% per week. One possible contributor is micro-factures in the bone. Rest is an important treatment for shin splints.

CECS is pain located in an area similar to shin splints. Here is an excellent discussion at the Mayo Clinic website. When it develops, the pain will onset during a run, and becomes so intense that the workout is ended within 0.5-1 mile (-1 miles = -1.61 km). The pain typically resolves within a half hour or so after the end of the workout. To mitigate development of CECS, one can take NSAIDS before and after workout to reduce swelling; and RICE the injured area post-workout. Check out this thread for discussion on how to address CECS.

Flexibility / Mobility

What is flexibility? How is it related to mobility?

In general, flexibility is the ability to move your body into an extended position or range of motion - the splits are a good example. Mobility, however, is better thought of as "flexibility in motion" - high kicks, for example, are related to the splits flexibility, but are not the same, as a person who can do the splits may not be able to kick high

Both flexibility and mobility are very very similar. So similar, in fact, that the terms are generally used interchangeably. Just try to think of it this way: flexibility work tends to involve static stretches, and mobility work tends to involve movement through a full range of motion.

Is there a generic beginner program for increasing flexibility and mobility?

Sure. I (phrakture) wrote one up right here. It is, in fact, two programs, targeted at raw beginners. It is a program to get people from inflexible to above average flexibility. But like everything in life, you need to keep increasing the challenge to continue flexibility gains and add more target work.

My wrists hurt when I do pushups. How do I fix this?

See this post about improving wrist mobility and overall health.

I am very inflexible, what sort of stretches should I do?

A lot of flexibility issues have nothing to do with muscle length (which stretching would fix), but are more related to body alignment - pelvic tilt, foot flexion, etc. Working on mobility and increasing range of motion can typically fix a lot of flexibility issues and should be a person's initial focus.

Example: An average modern person who sits all the time (at work, in a car, and at home), is likely to think they have tight hamstrings that need stretching. This is generally not the case. Sitting too much causes issues with pelvic tilt. Being that the hamstrings are attached to the pelvis, tilting the pelvis causes the hamstrings to become taut. So, in the case of your average person above, fixing the pelvic tilt is going to be a superior solution to stretching the hamstrings. troublesome has two very good writeups on posterior and anterior pelvic tilt that are definitely worth reading. A google spreadsheet of the troublesome's stretches and mobility exercises and be found here

Suggested upper body mobility work: Band or bar dislocates, scapular wall slides, scapular pushups, YTWL drills, large arm circles

Suggested lower body mobility work: Full squat holds, cossak squats, walking in a squat position, front and side leg swings (do not kick!), "Hula Hoop" hip circles

When should I do mobility work?

Mobility work generally involves dynamic movement. As such, it lends itself very well to a basic warmup. Most people recommend doing dynamic mobility work for the muscles and joints you plan to use in a workout as part of the warmup.

When should I stretch?

Assuming you have already addressed posture and body alignment issues, and are working on mobility, stretching can be a nice addition to your arsenal. Just remember that stretching alone won't fix most flexibility issues as they tend to be related to body alignment. Static stretching is typically done after a workout, when muscles are fatigued - this means the muscles that fire as part of the stretch reflex won't be as strong and you will be able to stretch a little bit more. Static stretching before a workout, contrary to popular belief, does not help prevent injury and can actually cause a slight decrease in strength for a period of time.

What sort of stretches should I do?

"Stretching" is quite a broad term. There are a few types of stretching, these can be split up into dynamic stretches and static stretches. Static stretches can be further split up into static active flexibility, static passive flexibility and isometric stretches.

• Static active involves holding a stretched position using your muscles, eg holding a side kick in the air on your own.
• Static passive flexibility (relaxed stretches) are done with your muscles in a relaxed state, these are what most people think of as stretching.
• Isometric stretching involves reaching a stretched position, contracting the muscles and holding that position for a period of time after which increasing the stretch and reapplying the tension
• Dynamic stretching involves stretching a muscle with controlled, dynamic movements rather than reaching a stretched position and holding the stretch

Designing a stretching routine is as difficult as designing a workout routine, and should not be attempted by beginners. The following sources are recommended for full routines:

• Martial Arts Planet guide
• Tricks Tutorials guide
• Brad Appleton's Stretching ebook
• AGT Program Stretching
• Sport Stretch (book)
• Stretching Scientifically (book)
• Starting Stretching by our very own phrakture.

Gym Etiquette

I've never been to a gym before. What should I remember to do?

• Re-rack your weights when you're finished. Help keep the gym clean. Also, some people have trouble lifting the heavier weights.
• Wipe down machines when you're done
• Talking (or grunting) at a reasonable volume is fine. Avoid occupying equipment while you're chatting, though.
• Don't use more than one piece of equipment at a time unless you are sure nobody else needs them.
• If you're resting between sets and someone is waiting, offer to let them work in. This means alternating your sets and theirs in order to share the equipment. Don't be afraid to ask (politely!) if you're in the opposite position.
• Try not to stare at others in the gym - it can distract them and make them uncomfortable. If you're watching somebody's form, don't do it for too long.
• More here, and this thread
• Don't offer unsolicited advice, unless somebody is close to hurting themselves. You can also let a staff member know if you don't want to approach them yourself and the danger is not imminent.
• If you notice that somebody looks like they need a spot immediately (the bar has stopped moving in a place where it's not supposed to), stand by ready to help, if they call out for help then please do so. Grabbing onto the bar without their knowledge as it may startle them, distract them, or they possibly could have gotten that rep but were at a sticking point. Some people also prefer to abandon a failed rep on their hips (when it comes to a bench press) rather than have a spot.

I don't have a spotter, can I ask somebody?

PLEASE DO! Most people around will be happy to help. Be a good citizen, and if somebody asks you, give them a spot.

What should I wear?

Wear closed-toed shoes for safety. Other than that, just remember that workout clothes shouldn't interfere with your exercises. Excessively bagging clothing will get in your way, excessively tight may constrict your motion as well. Wear something comfortable which doesn't get in your way. Lots of people wear skimpy clothing to the gym, this may bother you but remember that they are probably just dressing for comfort.

I'd like to compliment somebody on their progress/form/effort. Should I?

There are various opinions on this. Some people will appreciate it. Other people don't like knowing that anyone is paying attention to them. I wish there were a simple answer to this, but there isn't.

There's a bully at my gym. Help!

Do you have a guy or a girl who just won't leave you to workout in peace? Try some of these methods of dealing with your "bully" before you consider going to jail for assault with a 5-pound (5 lbs = 2.27 kg) dumbbell.

Ignore Try ignoring them. Maybe that weirdo is just having an off day. If you can shut them out mentally and still get a great workout, do it.

Confront You've tried waiting for him or her to go away, but they just won't leave you alone. You're absolutely sure an intentional gauntlet has been thrown, and now it's time to accept.

• Don't overreact. Anger is a common response to things that a person does not understand (why is this happening? what are you doing?). When you explode in a raging maelstrom of doom and destruction at your provoker, they've won. Plus, you might get kicked out of your gym.
• Address the person away from other people, and, again, keep your cool. By approaching them amongst other people, it will be much harder for him/her to back down from their tough crap act.
• Remember, SIZE MEANS NOTHING. The ripped, vain look is usually only there for one reason: intimidation. Once you aren't intimidated, they lose all their power over you.
• Maybe this person is a dick because their life sucks. Maybe you could make it better by being the nice person. You might even find a good drinking buddy out of it. This comment suggests the "nice guy" approach. (Always good to start with this one.)http://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/kxfba/advice_gym_bully/c2o1zyx
• Good response to mean looks can be found here.(0 g = 0 oz)kd
• Does a humorous remark suit you better? Try this. http://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/kxfba/advice_gym_bully/c2o0i7w

A Higher Power If none of those have worked and you're at the end of your rope, consider talking with the manager about it.

• PASSIVE FOLKS BEWARE - If you are skipping down to this step because it sounds easier, a fair warning to you. Rarely does a business have a strict "no tolerance" policy, so if your bully learns that you tried to get him/her kicked out of the gym, you could find yourself in a much worse (possibly irreparable) situation.

Switch Gyms Sometimes, it's better to just move on. Consider looking into another gym that you would enjoy going to.

For more comments and advice, feel free to look through this thread. http://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/kxfba/advice_gym_bully/

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Supplementation

As the name implies, supplementation should only be used for additive effects - your primary fitness goals will be mostly achieved via diet and exercise. Still, with that in mind, there are three supplements that are frequently cited for general health and building muscle:

• Fish Oil
• Vitamin D
• Creatine, which boasts a large set of proven effects via human clinical tests.

For more information on supplementation, see supplement resources.

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Psychology

I just came here to announce what my fitness goals are (lose 80 lbs (80 lbs = 36.3 kg)), how I'm starting toward them today, and asking you to hold me to them. Someone responded "This is substitution (or, 'the Gollwitzer effect'). Come back and tell us what you've already done after you've achieved it." What does this mean?

"Substitution" is a well known psychological effect: when you announce your goals to people, you receive psychological satisfaction, and it makes it less likely you achieve them. See this thread. Fitit is about helping you achieve your fitness goals. Fitters therefore will dissuade you from announcing your goals (although you should certainly have them privately), but instead to talk about what tasks and activities you have recently completed toward your fitness goals. If you don't have any recent achievements, go get some, then come back and tell us.

Keep in mind that this is true in real life, too! If you walk around telling friends "I'm going to lose 80 lbs (80 lbs = 36.3 kg)", this makes it less likely you will lose it. If you must tell them something, tell them what you've already done: "I have lost 10 lbs (10 lbs = 4.54 kg)" but don't talk about your goal (although you should certainly have one).

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Resources

Diet

• Restaurant Calorie Directory, a directory of restaurant nutrition information and calorie calculators.
• Body by Science, by John Little and Doug Mcguff
• swole.me, a website which can plan specific meals for a diet within macro and calorie constraints.
• The Paleo Diet for Athletes by Loren Cordain and Joe Friel
• Leangains, Intermittent fasting blog by Martin Berkhan
• Mark's Daily Apple -- Living and eating "primal"
• Low Carb Megathread -- Low Carb diet and Ketosis plus recipes
• In (1,594,201,455 in = 40,493 km) Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan
• The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan
• What to Eat by Marion Nestle
• Advanced Sports Nutrition by Dan Benardot
• Table of Diet supplements, sorted by Effective/Not Effective/Dangerous from Kreider et al. 2010 *Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition*
• Overview of the Hormones; Leptin, Cortisol, Insulin, Testosterone as well as Triglycerides

Supplementation

• Examine.com - The Science behind Supplements: A user-driven submission based compendium of dietary supplements. Edited by /r/Fitness moderator Silverhydra
• Supplements Subreddit

Exercise

• Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe
• (2 Pa = 0.00029 psi)080 StrongLifts 5x5 by Mehdi
• Convict Conditioning by Paul "Coach" Wade
• Never Gymless by Ross Enamait
• Greyskull LP by strengthvillain
• Westside for Skinny Bastards III by Joe DeFranco?
• Naked Warrior by Pavel
• SimpleFit by Kevin Mckay
• Introduction to Tabata High intensity exercise
• Racing Weight: How to Get Lean for Peak Performance by Matt Fitzgerald
• Beast Skills: Tutorials RAWR
• The Cyclist's Training Bible: A Complete Training Guide for the Competitive Road Cyclist by Joe Friel
• Explosive Lifting Sports by Harvey Newton
• Strength Training for Young Athletes by William J. Kraemer
• Total Heart Rate Training by Joe Friel
• Enter the Kettlebell by Pavel Tsatsouline
• Power to the People by Pavel Tsatsouline
• ExRx An exhaustive resource covering every exercise imaginable.
• Catalyst Athletics Exercise Demos

Software and Tools

• For Couch to 5K: http://c25kapp.com/ http://felttip.com/c25k/ http://www.c25k.com/
• Jefit Weight lifting log for Android
• FitnessFast Weight lifting app for iPhone
• Gym Buddy Weight lifting and cardio log for iPhone
• RunKeeper Track many stats of your walks/runs, for Android and iPhone
• Podrunner Free Workout Music Mixes
• LiftPro Fitness Tracker Android App
• MotivationRPG A pseudo-game that periodically reminds users to perform physical or mental exercises, subject to user customization, and can be used to randomize physical training.
• Fitocracy (Still in Beta) A MMORPG style fitness game where you level up for doing fitness based activities
• Uprace Uprace is a social game about setting, sharing, and reaching personal goals
• Bodyrock.tv A bodyweight exercise and nutritional website emphasizing women can fit and strong at the same time.
• Reddit's Guide to Fitness from The Greatist. A good infographic for beginners although some aspects have been criticized
• Music Gym An iOS app that plays songs from the chorus and skips tracks by double tapping the volume buttons.
• FitnessBliss A web application that lets you manage your workout routines.
• http://www.strstd.com/ A web application that creates a 5/3/1 training scedule for you based on your current stats.
• Google Docs spreadsheet for the 2nd edition of 5/3/1. Includes the recommended options for assistance exercises. Green cells are the only ones you edit, and you can only edit after saving a copy. Copy/paste will just copy the values in the cells, not the formulas.
• Workout music Thread with links to several discussions about workout playlists.
• Chrome - Automatic Unit Conversion KG->LBS, LBS->KG, etc
• Firefox- Automatic Unit Conversion KG->LBS, LBS->KG, etc
• CC Tracker An Android app for Convict Conditioning.

Calorie Tracking Sites

• My Plate Web, iPhone and BB
• SparkPeople Web, Android, iPhone and BB
• myfitnesspal Web, Android, iPhone and BB
• FatSecret Web, Android and iPhone
• FitDay Web and iPhone
• DailyBurn Web and iPhone
• Lose It! Web, Android and iPhone

Other Subreddits of Interest

A few of the more active related subreddits are listed here. The mish-mash at the bottom is the most comprehensive.

• Advanced Fitness
• Bicycling
• Swimming
• LoseIt
• Keto
• LeanGains
• Nutrition
• Health
• WeightRoom
• Giant Mishmash

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Meta /r/fitness

Behavior which can get you banned from /r/fitness

The mods tend to ban lightly, but they do exercise judgement in banning people, and aren't held to fixed rules about why people get banned. If they see clear anti-social behavior, they'll ban you. You can always message the mods to appeal why your behavior constructively contributes to a fitness-centered conversation.

• If you post repeatedly to /r/fitness, and are getting downvoted and downvoted, and/or your karma is in negative territory, you should take the hint and stop posting to /r/fitness: you aren't constructively contributing to a fitness-centered conversation. But, if you don't, mods can take matters into their own hands, and ban you. You're welcome to message them and explain how your comments constructively contribute, even though you're being habitually downvoted by the community.

• If you post NSFW material, particularly if it is unmarked and especially if it does not constructively contribute to the fitness-centered conversation, you can be banned. There are plenty of places to find and put NSFW material on the internet, and /r/fitness isn't going to be one of them. This subeddit should be readable by your 10 year old cousin.

How to tell someone to read the FAQ

Copypasta the following into your comment:

Hi! Welcome to Fittit! You're going to love it here.

We saw you coming and have collected answers to your question **[right here](http://www.reddit.com/help/faqs/Fitness)**.

Welcome!