Need help where to start! (soreness, muscles, fat loss, lifting weights)
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Well, Im about as out of shape as you can get. 6ft 300lbs and been large all my life.
I know you need to exercise but any ideas to motivate myself into getting to the gym. I mean I know its not a big deal to go, but Im guessing Im not the only person in my situation that gets self conscience when they go to the gym.
And Work out ideas and plans... I have gone on and off to the gym in the past and eventually give up because I felt weird or didn't get any results.
I know that eating well is just as important, and I have tried eating better, but I think that all I am doing now is maintaining where I am at now... any tips here on this part would be great too.
I have never had a routine for eating/working (besides high school sports) out and desperately need one.
I know its hard work, but just need some help on getting started.
I'd start off with P90X or something. You don't need to motivate yourself. I don't really do it anymore, but it was a good base. I didn't need to think about anything. Just like it says, you just press play, and do what they do. It'll get you comfortable moving, get you results, take away a lot of the guesswork.
Much better than wandering around the gym with no clue as to what to do. Is P90X perfect? No. Is it an excellent starting place? Yea.
I've got no advice as far as diet aside from stay away from fast food, soda, canned food. Not so much because they are evil and they have evil gonna give you cancer additives or any of that, but because it's insanely easy to eat a million calories when you don't have to cook the food.
If you feel self-conscious in the gym, I agree that Megadell's general idea about working out at home is worth considering. P90X might be kind of intense to start out with, however. It's a good idea to work into a fitness program gradually. You might begin by walking, along with buying some dumbbells of various weights and doing a basic strength workout at home.
It's important to think in the long term. Think of fitness as part of your way of life, and aim to make it so from now on. Looking at it from that point of view, you have the rest of your life to enjoy good fitness, so you don't have to push beyond your limits in the very beginning.
I agree with Megadell about avoiding junk foods (or at least going lightly on them). Also, when it comes to "real" food, keep consumption of bread and other grain products modest, and go for whole grains as much as possible when you do consume grain products. There is debate about whether dairy products are good to consume. I happen to think they're fine, but you might want to read up on that. Definitely go for lean meat, as well as nuts and other plant foods with good amounts of protein (like legumes), and eat LOTS of vegetables, and a good variety of veggies.
Can you take walks somewhere? You need to start small at first, get your body used to the movement.
Swimming is great also, like treading water or doing laps.
You have to plan a time. Put on your walking shoes, get a new pair for motivation.
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1. Start with a time-specific event.
Example: "I want to complete my first 10K run in 9 months from now"
Or "I want to bicycle my first metric century six months from now"
The goal should be achievable, but clearly stated and specific.
Then formulate a general plan to achieve your goal. The plan should include both exercise and diet.
Goals like "I'd like to lose weight and become healthier" often don't work because they are too nebulous. You may start motivated, but a few weeks later you will abandon your plan because there will be nothing to keep you on target.
2. Tell your friends and relatives.
Very important. If you make it public, the peer pressure will make it more difficult to give up,
and you will get support.
3. As far as what to do, at your stage anything will work for a long while. Start with walking, progress to jogging and running as you get fitter. Incorporate weight lifting - sign-up for a cheap gym or make a small gym at home. Again, don't worry about anything fancy at this point. As long as you train(not "workout") consistently, you will make progress for a long while.
Once you achieve reasonable fitness, then it's time to get fancy about your training.
Quote:
...eventually give up because I felt weird or didn't get any results.
Again, you approach this too casually, without specific goal, and did not train long and intensely enough. Everybody responds to exercise, but different people respond at different rates. Keep at it and the results will come.
If you want to lose body weight its about 80% food and diet,Until you get the diet lifestyle under control the gymn wont give you too much in the way of visible success in your efforts.
A few common sense items dietary speaking is to eat whole foods and not processed foods out of a box with dozens of unpronounceable ingredients, no deep fried foods, a diet with 70% vegetables,20% meat or fish and 10% fruit,no sugar,alcohol or soda drinks,cut out products made of flour such as bread products, Diets dont generally work but they can be a springboard to the concept of healthier living,Try a few dietary lifestyles like South Beach Diet or the Paleo diet.
Or if you really want to go extreme theres the "Fat Sick and nearly Dead" method
but Im guessing Im not the only person in my situation that gets self
conscience when they go to the gym.
I can understand this feeling so I suggest you check out a few gyms that are fairly convenient for you. I workout a a YMCA and there is no reason for anyone to feel self conscious about working out there. We have a mix of high school kids to senior citizens. There are more people who walk on the treadmills than lift weights. An advantage of the Y is they have various types of classes like spinning, aerobics and boot camps. They also have a Biggest Loser program.
I suggest you check out various gyms at the time you would most likely be going there. The clientèle can change at various times during the day. The busiest times are usually 4PM-7PM, since many people like to go right after they get off work.
Check out the people who are lifting. If they look like this and the majority are putting chalk on their hands, this is probably not the place for you.
2. Tell your friends and relatives.
Very important. If you make it public, the peer pressure will make it more difficult to give up,
and you will get support.
This can actually be counterproductive because you're replacing the actual work of doing something by saying you're going to do it. This only works when there's a significant, concrete loss if you don't follow through as opposed to some nebulous feeling of guilt
Getting Started
This section is the TL;DR - read this first
Defining Your Goals
Most beginners to the fitness world have one of three goals - they want to stop being fat, they want to stop being skinny, or they want to "tone up". All of these goals are achieved the same way - by losing fat and building muscle. The only difference between these three goals is the degree to which each applies. Improving the way you look is 80% about diet. To lose fat, gain muscle, or "tone up", you have to eat correctly. This should be your first priority and your only priority for a period of time. Getting your diet in check is that important.
A quick note about the term "toning". Toning is just a matter of losing fat and building muscle. Fat does not "turn into" muscle - fat is lost, and muscle is gained. Additionally, losing 3lbs of fat is done in exactly the same way as losing 30lbs of fat. Building 3lbs of muscle is done in exactly the same way as building 30lbs of muscle. It's just a matter of degrees. So for those looking to "tone" - be aware that you actually have two goals: to lose a small amount of fat and gain a small amount of muscle.
Fixing your Diet
"Fixing your diet" means being conscious of what you eat, and how much you eat. The best way to do this is to track your calories for a few weeks - using a calorie tracking application or pen and paper. After you get a handle on what you are eating, it's time to figure out how much you should be eating. To do this, we need to figure out your Total Daily Energy Expenditure, or TDEE (see here or here), and adjust it based on whether or not your goal is to gain muscle or lose fat. If you wish to gain muscle, eat over your TDEE. If you want to lose fat, eat under your TDEE. The more you go over or under (within reason), the faster you will see results. It is, however, a better idea to remain conservative and stay within 500 calories above or below.
Remember: it took you a long time to get in the state you're in; it will take a long time to get out of it. Don't rush it.
In terms of what foods you should and should not eat, calories matter more than specific foods.
Adding Exercise
Once the diet is in check, and you can eat properly, it's time to add exercise into the mix. What type of exercise you choose depends on your goals and what you like to do with your free time. The most important thing is that you find something that you either like doing, or really want to do. You don't need to choose a certain type of exercise because it's what you feel you're supposed to do. There are many choices. If you find something boring, then try something else!
As a beginner, the most important thing you can do is leverage someone else's knowledge to learn how to exercise properly. To do this, use a plan that a professional has created for beginners, not one you created yourself. You wouldn't work on your own car, why try to work on your own body in the same manner?
Exercise can roughly be broken down into three categories:
Strength Training: using your muscles to move an external load. This is how you get stronger and build muscle mass. Popular programs are:
Barbell Programs: Starting Strength, Strong Lifts 5x5, Westside for Skinny Bastards, and Greyskull LP are most popular. See /r/weightroom for more info.
Bodyweight Programs: Overcoming Gravity, You Are Your Own Gym, and Convict Conditioning are some popular programs. See /r/bodyweightfitness for more info.
Dumbbell Programs: The Dumbbell Stopgap
General Aesthetics: Allpro's Beginner Routine is very good. AWorkoutRoutine has many sample programs. FIT is another; see this write up for more info. Also check out /r/bodybuilding.
Aerobic Conditioning: training your cardiovascular system to pump blood, and thus oxygen, throughout your body better. This is how you improve cardiovascular health and general endurance. Popular conditioning includes:
Running: Couch to 5K is a popular beginning running program. See /r/running for more info.
Swimming: Zero to 1 Mile is like Couch to 5K for swimming. See /r/swimming for more info.
High Intensity Interval Training: See this 8-Week HIIT program or Introduction to Tabata for examples
Circuit Training: See examples like The Magic 50 and No Excuses, both by Ross Enamait. You can find more in Never Gymless.
Jumping rope is also very good. See Punk Rope for ideas and details
Activity: anything else that simply gets you up and moving. There are many examples, such as:
/r/bicycling
/r/yoga
/r/hiking
/r/martialarts
/r/dance
/r/sports
/r/climbing
And many more...
If you still need help selecting an exercise program, try the program picker 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.
General Q and A
Can I lose fat and build muscle at the same time?
If you are overweight and/or new to strength training, then it is possible to build muscle while losing fat, but a vast majority of people will need to do one or the other at a time. If you have been training effectively for a year or more, generally not: you're better off with a bulk/cut cycle. See Lyle McDonald's Adding Muscle While Losing Fat - Q&A
How fast can I lose fat without losing muscle?
There is a maximum amount of fat loss your body can endure, before it starts losing muscle. That amount is 31 calories/day/lb of fat (Note that the author revised this number from 31 to 22 cal an email exchange with Redditor, Chr0me).
Be aware, though, that this data comes from the Minnesota Starvation Experiment, and uses subjects under severe dietary restriction that did not strength train. This information should be taken with a grain of salt. See Lyle McDonald's take on this study for more.
How fast SHOULD I lose weight to minimize muscle loss?
The International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism recommends a weekly body-weight loss of 0.7% to increase muscle while losing fat, and a weekly body-weight loss of 1.0-1.4% to simply preserve muscle mass.
In real terms, 0.7% body-weight loss works out to a 7 calorie daily deficit per kg of total bodyweight (or a 3.2 calorie daily deficit per lb of total bodyweight), and the 1.0-1.4% range works out to a 10-14 calorie daily deficit per kg of total bodyweight (or a 4.5-6.4 calorie daily deficit per lb of total bodyweight)
How important is protein?
Proper protein consumption is important to almost anyone using this FAQ - it is beneficial while losing fat and while building muscle.
How many people should I tell about my goals?
"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. If you walk around telling friends "I'm going to lose 80 lbs", 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" but don't talk about your goal (although you should certainly have one).
How does this help me get a six pack?
As with every other goal here, having defined abs is a matter of having enough muscle mass and low enough body fat. Generally the hardest part of getting a six pack is losing enough body fat to make the bottom portions of the abs show well enough. Just remember: you lose 3lbs of fat the exact same way you lose 30lbs.
Should I bulk or cut?
For some the answer is obvious - if you are underweight and want to put on muscle, you should eat at a caloric surplus (bulk); if you are overweight and want to lose fat, you should eat at a caloric deficit (cut). But for those beginners who are neither under- nor over-weight, the so-called "skinnyfat", the choice between whether to cut or bulk is a bit more difficult.
You can choose to "cut" in order to reduce overall body fat percentage, but this will be slow going and will postpone your ability to gain appreciable muscle mass. You can "bulk", eating well over your maintenance calories in order to maximize muscular gains, but at the same time gain additional unwanted fat.
Ultimately, there is no right answer for this question. You need to choose one goal at a time. Whatever you choose to start with, be it cutting or bulking, all that matters is that you start doing something.
Did I hurt myself or is this normal soreness?
It's probably DOMS if the pain..
Started 24-48 hours after your workout
Feels more like overall soreness in a particular muscle
Decreases over the course of a few days
See your doctor if the pain...
Started in the middle of your workout
Is sharp and localized
Has not gone away after 4 days after your workout.
General Fitness Myths
For more info on Nutrition myths, see the Examine.com FAQ.
Myth: My metabolism is higher/lower/different than other people
No it's not. Excluding rare and serious metabolic conditions, which should be diagnosed by a doctor, people's metabolisms tend to be within 200-300 calories of each other. This is almost negligible when you consider daily calorie consumption.
Myth: Doing high reps of lighter weights will help me get toned
Firstly, being "toned" is not a valid concept. Muscle tone is the amount of tension a muscle maintains when it's at rest. What most people mean when they say "toned" is certain level of muscular definition. Being "toned" is simply a matter of having enough muscle mass and low enough body fat.
Additionally, working high repetitions of exercises at low weights will increase muscular endurance more than anything else. If your goal is strength, you should be working high weight for low repetitions. If you goal is size and definition, you should be working medium weights for medium repetitions. See What do different repetition ranges mean?.
Myth: Ab exercises can make you lose stomach fat
You can't target where you lose fat. This is called "spot reduction" and it doesn't exist. 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 body-fat percentage and your belly fat will start to go away.
Myth: Eating too little puts you in Starvation Mode
Starvation mode is a myth that 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. Do not worry about starvation mode.
Myth: Women will get bulky if they lift heavy things
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.
Some women are averse to heavy weights because they don't want to "bulk up" or "look like a dude". However, most women will never get as bulky as guys because they lack sufficient testosterone. The female professional athletes you see with "toned" arms are more indicative of what is possible without drugs.
Myth: Lifting weights is going to make me huge like a bodybuilder
Putting on muscle is not easy. It takes years of dedicated work. It is insulting to the people who do this on purpose to think you could get to the same level accidentally. Unless you're specifically training to "be huge" you're not going to accidentally get huge. And even if you find yourself getting bigger than you'd like, you can always stop working out to reverse these effects.
Myth: Lifting weights makes you inflexible
The ACSM finds that full range strength training improves flexibility. Additionally, top weightlifters, gymnasts, bodybuilders, and more regularly demonstrate advanced levels of flexibility while being exceedingly strong.
Strength training does not create inflexibility if done properly - an imbalanced program and lifting through abbreviated ranges of motion causes inflexibility.
Using /r/Fitness
Rules and Regulations
"Hate speech" is not allowed, the exact definition of which at the discretion of the mods. This includes, but is not limited to, sexism, racism, or swolehate.
Blatant NSFW material is not allowed.
Don't be an idiot
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 fittit 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?
How do I post about my progress?
Firstly, take a look at /r/progresspics, as it is made specifically for this. But if you must post to Fittit, keep the following in mind:
You've made progress with your fitness and you want to share it with us? That's great! Making serious life changes is hard and you should be proud. There are some ways of sharing that help the community more than others, however, and you may also get more out of sharing in a way that tells us HOW you changed for the better.
Some things a great progress post should include are:
Weight, Height, Sex, and Age
Any other measurements made during this progress, such as beginning and ending weight, waist size, body fat percentage, etc
Your diet and exercise routines, including details such as calories consumed, weight lifted, distance run, etc
Before and after pictures. Try to use similar lighting and poses to really show the changes. Also try to incorporate a picture from the sides to show posture shifts.
What motivated you and what did you learn?
What are your next steps? What now?
By including much or all of this information in your post other Fittit users may benefit by learning answers to questions they may have had, but did not want to ask.
How can I get someone to check my form on a certain exercise?
This is commonly referred to as a "Form Check". When posting a form check, you need to be aware of a lot of things that can help us help you. You will need to record one or more videos of yourself doing the exercise, and then include them in a text post, keeping the following notes in mind:
When posting a video:
Rotate the video properly, if you recorded it sideways.
Make sure your entire body can be seen, and equipment (such as a squat rack) does not obscure important body positions.
Include at LEAST 3 reps or 20s of a static hold. If you cannot do this, you should provide a form check of an easier version of the exercise.
Record videos from 90 degree angles - sides, front, or back.
Make sure lighting is good.
Please include the following textual information:
Link to the video
Your height and weight
Name of the exercise being done (for squat, specify high or low bar)
Current maximum weight or progression for the exercise
The weight or progression being used in the video
Any specific questions you may have
How can I get advice related to my medical condition?
Somewhere else. While people in Fittit might have similar conditions as you, not a single person will be able to examine you personally, and it's very hard to validate credentials over the internet. You should find a professional with proper schooling and experience who can examine you personally. General practitioners might not be the best for sports related questions, so it is recommended to find a "Sports Medicine" doctor or a Physical Therapist.
Why isn't anyone critiquing my routine?
Here is why
How to tell someone to read the FAQ?
Copy and paste the following into your comment:
Hi! Welcome to Fittit! You're going to love it here.
Welcome!
Diet Details
What is the most important rule to follow for a healthy diet?
Maintaining enough vitamins, minerals and proteins while limiting 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 discovered (2011) that Type 2 diabetes can actually be reversed by an extreme low calorie diet alone.
I should avoid fat, right?
Fat calories are not "worse" than other calories. Fats are essential for many bodily functions including metabolism, brain function, and testosterone production. However, fats are more calorically dense than other macronutrients and provide more calories - this makes a difference if you are attempting to eat at a deficit.
Well then I should avoid sugar because of insulin spikes, right?
Insulin gets a bad rap. Sugar isn't the only thing that spikes insulin - protein does too. Insulin is considered to be the anabolic hormone - you need it to build muscle.
Rather than worrying about insulin, you should worry about whatever diet works the best for you and helps you hit your overall caloric goals.
Which diet plan is the best?
There is no best. There are many paths to maintaining a good diet and losing weight. 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.
What about Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting, or IF, has been shown to increase metabolic rate in some circumstances. But at the end of the day, IF is just another way to reduce caloric intake over a 24 hour period. It is merely a "trick" to eat less.
What's the deal with low carb diets?
Low-carb dieting is another "trick" that allows people to 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 processed 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).
Carbohydrates are not what makes people fat. Calories matter most. However, low-carb diets have been shown to improve fasting plasma glucose and insulin levels, cholesterol levels, blood triglycerides, preserve muscle mass during weight loss, and other health markers.
Low-carb dieting has side benefits for ultra-endurance athletes (increase in intramuscular triglycerides), but can negatively impact high intensity strength training by reducing muscle glycogen and forcing the body to convert protein into glucose, rather than use it for muscle building.
What about Paleo / Primal / Keto / South Beach / Atkins ?
These are restrictive diets that also use "tricks" to make people simply eat less calories. The tricks vary, but usually result in a person eating a low-carb / high-fat diet, but restricting food choices.
Because food choices are restricted on these diets, finding good things to eat can be tough. Below is a list of cookbooks and websites with information pertaining to these diets:
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
Can I still get strong if I am a Vegetarian / Vegan?
Yes. Protein requirements vary, but you will probably want to consume a protein supplement in addition to your normal diet if you are strength training. Rice protein, hemp protein, and gemma pea protein are good options, as is soy. Egg or whey protein is ideal if that is allowed.
There are certain important factors to keep in mind when considering vegetable protein. PDCAAS, the FAO/WHO standard for determining protein quality, considers soy protein to be just as useful as whey or animal protein. Unfortunately, recent research suggests that measurements such as BV and PDCAAS do not take into account important factors such as anti-nutritional factors and chymotrypsin inhibitors. These anti-nutritional factors limit the extent to which your body can utilize the protein and are commonly found in soy and other vegetable protein isolates. Thus, it is important to keep in mind that you may require a higher dosage of vegetable protein to gain the same effect.
If you aim for a more moderate 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.
Won't soy protein affect my testosterone levels?
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
Should I take a multivitamin?
If your diet is lacking in vitamins and minerals, a multivitamin might be beneficial, but it is certainly not needed.
Multivitamins are a stop-gap to fill holes in an insufficient diet. The best option is still to get these vitamins from whole food sources when possible.
Should I take other supplements?
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:
Omega-3 Supplement such as Fish Oil (note that flax/chia seeds are not sufficient)
Vitamin D
Creatine
For more information on supplementation, see /r/supplements
Exercise Details
What do different repetition ranges mean?
See Realization of Training Goals on Wikipedia.
1-5 reps primarily develop strength, with more impact on muscle size and none on endurance.
6-12 reps develop a balance of strength, muscle size and endurance.
13-20 reps develop endurance, with some increases to muscle size and limited impact on strength.
20+ reps are considered to be focused on aerobic exercise. They do still use the anaerobic system, but usually at a rate through which it can consistently remove the lactic acid generated from it.
Powerlifters typically concentrate on the 1-5 rep range, with forays into 5-8. Bodybuilders typically concentrate on 5-12 reps. Athletes typically concentrate on rep ranges that mimic their sport, or a specific periodization schema.
How long should I rest between sets?
In general, the more intense the lift, the longer you should rest.
Heavy Weight/Low Reps = Longer Rest (3-5+ minutes)
Light Weight/High Reps = Shorter Rest (0.5-3 minutes)
Rest periods should be determined on an individual basis. Certain programs may call for strict rest periods, or you may have some flexibility.
Is strength training dangerous?
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 with chaotic or unpredictable environments, 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 using too much weight, or not using proper form. The first reason 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.
I am still growing, will lifting weights stunt my growth?
Lifting weights with proper form while maintaing a healthy diet will not stunt your growth. In fact, weight lifting has many benefits for youths including increased strength for sports and higher self-esteem.
See:
Misconceptions About Training Youth
Strength training in children and adolescents
Resistance training, skeletal muscle and growth
Should I use machines to avoid injury?
No! Weight machines can 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. Instead, 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 increments until you find the appropriate weight for your ability.
Weight machines are popular in commercial gyms because they may reduce the risk of idiots injuring themselves WHILE working out (which could create lawsuits for the gym), but they increase the risk of injury when you actually attempt to use those muscles outside of the gym (which the gym doesn't care as much about, because they're not going to be sued).
That is not to say that machines do NOT have a place in a good routine. They should simply not be the primary focus.
What about the Smith Machine?
The Smith Machine should be viewed like any other machine (see the above section). It is not safer than normal free weight work.
Should I train full-body or a body-part split?
For the first several months of weight training, beginners can expect to raise the weight they are lifting in a linear progression, without any increased rest time needed - this means you will get regularly stronger day after day.
Beginners to strength training are defined by how quickly they can recover from exercise. For this reason, as a beginner, it is best to get as much work in as possible each week. If you do a full-body routine three times per week, that means you're training your entire body roughly 12 times per month (144 times per year). A body-part split, hitting different body parts over a week is going to train your whole body one (maybe two) times per week, which is 4-8 times per month (48-96 times per year).
As a beginner, doing a body-part split is not taking advantage of your advanced recovery capabilities. Splits should be left to the more advanced strength trainees who need longer to recover.
I have an injury, what should I do?
If an injury and pain persist for longer than a few days, you should see a doctor. Do not trust Fittit to heal you.
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.
Should I work out if I'm sick?
Over the internet, it's very hard for others to evaluate how sick you are. Missing one workout because you're not feeling well is not the end of the world, but repeatedly begging off workouts may have an impact on your longterm goals.
The general consensus is that, if it is a mild head cold (runny nose, sore throat, etc) you should be good to workout--be sure to wipe down the equipment when you're done--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 don't 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 some light bodyweight work (see /r/bodyweightfitness). 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.
Should I workout again if I'm still sore?
It sounds like you're experiencing Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). DOMS is merely a sign that you body isn't used to what you did. This is fine. You should workout again today, and make sure to properly warm up. You'll notice that this decreases in intensity over the next couple of weeks.
Am I doing something wrong if I'm not sore anymore after a workout?
No. DOMS is merely a sign that your body did something new. As it adjusts to your new routine, soreness will lessen and maybe even go away completely.
If I do cardio and strength train, what should I do first?
Since fatigue from cardio first can result in poor lifting form, the general consensus is to lift first.
However, concurrent strength and endurance training should be avoided if you want maximum results from strength training[1][2]. 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.
Aren't bodyweight exercises for beginners?
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. Progressive resistance makes you stronger. It does not matter if this comes from varied leverage, or extra weight.
The key to getting stronger with bodyweight exercise is to make them progressively harder by changing exercises slightly as you get stronger.
There are many stories of people who don't weight train and end up lifting very large amounts their first time out, due to body weight skills. Here is a video of Ross Enamait deadlifting 495lbs (at 170lb body weight) with no deadlift skills and a primarily bodyweight-only training routine.
See /r/bodyweightfitness for more details on bodyweight exercises.
What sort of cardio is best?
The answer is up to your preferences. Take a look at /r/bicycling, /r/running, /r/swimming, and other subreddits for details regarding cardio.
How do I improve my flexibility/mobility?
Flexibility and mobility are roughly the same concept, describing the ranges of motion that a person can move through. There are many ways to improve flexibility and mobility - stretching, foam rolling, and mobility exercises. In general, foam rolling and mobility exercises should be included in your warmup, and stretching should be done after a workout.
Starting Stretching / Molding Mobility are two programs for raw beginners to get to above average flexibility, but like everything in life, you need to keep increasing the challenge to continue flexibility gains and add more targeted work.
Other Q and A
How do I fix my poor posture?
Posture
In general, strength training is going to help posture more than anything else. There are specific exercises and methods to fix specific issues with poor posture, if needed:
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. Here is an alternative link to the condensed document for those who wish to download it without a scribd account.
I am transsexual. How should I workout?
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.
How can I clean my shaker bottle?
The exact same way you clean anything else. Soap and water. If it still smells after washing it, then add a little bit of a vinegar and water solution and shake it around.
This may help
Glossary
Grammar and 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.
Sets and Reps:
A 'rep' is a repetition: one complete movement of the exercise you are performing
A 'set' is a number of reps performed in a row, with little or no rest in between
Sets of repetitions are typically recorded as sets x reps. For example, "3x10 pull-ups" means 3 sets of 10 reps.
When recording or posting your sets and repetitions, make sure to include the weight of the bar (typically 45lbs / 20kg). The weight of the bar is always included.
Abbreviations
1RM: One Rep Max -- The maximum amount of weight that can be lifted one time.
5K: A running race which covers 5 kilometers
5RM: Five Rep Max -- The maximum amount of weight that can be lifted five reps.
ATG: Ass-To-Grass/Ground -- A squat performed low enough that the trainee is nearly sitting on the ground
BB: Barbell
BCAA: Branched-chain Amino Acid -- 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
C25K: Couch To 5K -- A nine week beginner's running program that is designed to help an untrained enthusiast gradually become capable of running a 5K.
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. See /r/cheatmode.
DB: Dumbbell
DL: Deadlift -- A movement that entails bending over and picking up a weight from the floor using the legs and back.
DOMS: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness -- The muscular aches felt in the 1-3 days that follow a strenuous workout.
EC Stack: Ephedrine and Caffeine -- A combination of these two stimulants used to increase the rate at which body fat is burned.
ECA Stack: Ephedrine, Caffeine, and Aspirin -- The addition of Aspirin to an EC Stack is thought to reduce some of the cons of the stimulants
GHR: Glute Ham Raise -- An exercise used to strength the hamstrings.
KB: Kettlebell. See /r/kettlebell.
keto: Ketogenic diet -- An ultra low-carb/high fat diet designed to keep the body in a status of ketosis. See /r/keto.
IF: Intermittent Fasting -- A dieting technique of purposely not eating for 12-24 hours (depending on the specific plan) at a time.
LG: LeanGains -- Combination of IF with heavy lifting. See /r/leangains.
OHP: Overhead Press -- A type of barbell movement that entails lifting the bar from shoulder height to over one's head.
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. See /r/paleo.
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. Also see /r/weightroom.
PR: Personal Record -- The maximal amount of weight an individual has ever personally lifted.
PWO: Pre- or Post-workout -- Generally used in the context of food or a beverage consumed immediately before or after a workout, "PWO shake, PWO meal, etc." Clarifcation as to whether the user means pre- or post- will need to be sought if their use is unclear.
RDL: Romanian Deadlift -- A variant of the deadlift performed with little to no knee bend in order to target the hamstrings and lower back muscles.
ROM: Range of Motion - the distance a joint or limb travels during exercise.
SS: Starting Strength -- A beginner barbell program by Mark Rippetoe
SL: Strong Lifts 5x5 -- A beginner barbell program by Mehdi Hadim
TGU: Turkish Get-Up -- An exercise common in the kettlebell community
Resources
General
Simple Science Fitness: digestible information with cited links, to provide you with the fundamentals and tools to effortlessly burn fat and build muscle naturally in the shortest amount of time.
Diet and Nutrition
Examine.com - The Science behind Supplements: A science-based compendium on supplements, nutrition, fitness, and health.
Leangains, Intermittent fasting blog by Martin Berkhan - see also /r/leangains and the Leangains FAQ
Mark's Daily Apple -- Living and eating "primal"
Restaurant Calorie Directory, a directory of restaurant nutrition information and calorie calculators.
EatThisMuch automatically creates meal plans with your personalized food preferences, nutrition targets, and budget.
Low Carb Megathread -- Low Carb diet and Ketosis plus recipes
Exercise
ExRx An exhaustive resource covering every exercise imaginable.
Catalyst Athletics Exercise Demos
Bodyrock.tv A bodyweight exercise and nutritional website emphasizing women can be fit and strong at the same time.
Software and Tools
Couch to 5K Applications: Ease into 5KRun 5k app for iOSCouch to 5k - C25K Running Program
WalkJogRun For tracking running routes
RunKeeper Track many stats of your walks/runs, for Android and iPhone
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 A MMORPG style fitness game where you level up for doing fitness based activities, and can play PvP (Player Versus Player) duels, and complete quests and achievements.
Uprace Uprace is a social game about setting, sharing, and reaching personal goals
BodyLog website and App for monitoring progress via pictures
FitnessBliss A web application that lets you manage your workout routines.
Sworkit Generates randomized circuit training workouts for iOS, Android, and web browsers.
StrengthCalc.com Printable workout routines and diets with pre-filled numbers
Thryv allows you to plan and manage your fitness lifestyle in one place.
Smart Phone Apps
Jefit Weight lifting log for Android
FitnessFast Weight lifting app for iPhone
Gym Buddy Weight lifting and cardio log for iPhone
LiftPro Fitness Tracker Android App
Strong Log Android App for logging Starting Strength/StrongLift workouts.
CC Tracker An Android app for Convict Conditioning.
Big Lifts Android app for Starting Strength and 5/3/1
Endomondo Web, Android, Windows Phone, iPhone and BB workout tracker
Tabata Trainer Android app for doing and creating HIIT workouts.
Lift Club iOS app for weight lifting logs, interval timer and HIIT, progress tracker and goal setter.
Calorie Tracking Sites
myfitnesspal Web, Android, Windows Phone, iPhone and BB
Lose It! Web, Android and iPhone
FitDay Web and iPhone
DailyBurn Web and iPhone
My Plate Web, Android, Windows Phone, iPhone and BB
SparkPeople Web, Android, iPhone and BB
FatSecret Web, Android and iPhone
ShapeUp Club Web, Android and iPhone
While exercise and diet are both important, diet is much more important when it comes to losing weight. Almost any mainstream diet program will help you lose weight--Weight Watchers and Spark People are both good introductions to eating better. If nothing else, give up sodas and fast food if you consume a lot of that.
Not all gyms are equal. Visit the ones in your area and talk to the staff. If you don't find one you like, just start walking every day. If you're eating better and walking you'll drop some weight and then might feel more comfortable in a gym.
No matter what diet or exercise plan you choose, the important thing is to follow it about 90% of the time. You're going to have to make what will initially feel like sacrifices if you want to lose weight. But 10, or 50 or 100 pounds from now you'll realize they weren't sacrifices at all-just changes.
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