Direct answers to fitness and performance questions.

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40 answers 5 comparisons 16 calculators 26 terms Last reviewed 1 Oct 2026

Calculators All →

Heart Rate Zone Calculator Your five training zones in beats per minute, from your age or a measured max heart rate, … Age → zones 1 to 5 Running Pace Calculator Convert a distance and time into pace per km and per mile, with equivalent times at every … Distance + time → pace TDEE Calculator Estimate the calories you burn per day, and the intake that follows for cutting, … Maintenance calories BMI Calculator Your body mass index, its WHO category, and the healthy weight range for your height. Weight + height → BMI Body Fat Calculator Estimate body fat percentage with a tape measure, using the US Navy circumference method. Tape measure → body fat % 1RM Calculator Estimate your one-rep max from any set of 1–12 reps, and get the working loads that follow … Weight × reps → 1RM

Comparisons All →

Creatine vs beta-alanine Creatine, unless your event is an all-out effort lasting one to four minutes, where beta-alanine is the better buy. strong Cutting vs body recomposition Cut if you have a fair amount of fat to lose or want results sooner; recomp works best if you are new to lifting or returning after a break. moderate Free weights vs machines Near enough the same for muscle and strength, so pick on what you will do consistently and what your gym actually has. moderate Full body vs split routine Either works: with the same weekly sets per muscle, full body and split routines build similar muscle and strength. moderate Whey vs plant protein Whey, by a small margin: in trials soy protein matched dairy protein for muscle gain, while other plant proteins did slightly worse. moderate

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Cardio 5 Fat loss 9 Muscle gain 12 Nutrition 8 Recovery 6 Strength 6 Supplements 5 Training 12

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How fast can I lose fat? 0.5–1% of bodyweight per week; faster than that and you start paying for it in muscle and performance. moderate How long should I rest between sets? 2–3 minutes between hard sets of compound lifts, 1–2 minutes for isolation work. moderate How much protein should I eat? Eat 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day; more has shown no extra benefit for muscle. strong How much sleep do I need to recover? 7–9 hours for most adults; sleeping less than you need measurably hurts training performance and recovery. moderate Is soreness a sign of a good workout? No: soreness tracks novelty and ((eccentric|eccentric)) loading, not growth. moderate Does creatine cause hair loss? No: the whole claim traces to one 2009 study of 20 rugby players that measured DHT, not hair, and it has never been replicated. moderate Does creatine work? Yes: creatine monohydrate reliably adds a few percent to strength and 1–2 kg of bodyweight, and it is the most replicated supplement in sport. strong How many sets per muscle per week? 10–20 hard sets per muscle per week covers most of the available growth for most lifters. strong How often should I squat? Twice a week for most lifters: enough to practise the pattern and accumulate volume, spread far enough apart that both sessions stay hard. moderate What heart rate is Zone 2? Roughly 60–70% of your maximum heart rate, the pace at which you can still hold a full conversation. definitional What is a good bench press? Roughly 1.0× bodyweight is intermediate for men and 0.75× for women; advanced is about 1.5× for men and 1.0× for women. moderate

Recently reviewed

Can you lose fat from one area? Barely: training a muscle does not meaningfully slim the fat over it, and the trials that found any local effect found a small one. 2026-10-01 Why did I gain weight overnight? Water and food, not fat: a kilo of fat holds about 7,700 kcal, so a jump of one or two kilos in a day cannot be fat you have eaten. 2026-10-01 Why has my weight loss stopped? Usually intake has crept up, and your maintenance drops as you get lighter; water can also hide real fat loss for weeks. 2026-10-01 Can you build muscle in a calorie deficit? Yes, but slowly: it works best if you are new to lifting, returning after a break or carrying extra fat, and gets harder the leaner and more trained you are. 2026-09-17 Do I need to load creatine? No: 3–5 g a day saturates your muscles in three to four weeks, and loading only gets you to the same place in one. 2026-09-17 Do ice baths help recovery? They ease soreness a little, but after lifting they can blunt muscle and strength gains, so save them for busy competition periods. 2026-09-17