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40 answers
Does cardio kill gains?
Not at typical volumes: in controlled trials, adding cardio did not reduce muscle growth or maximal strength, but it can blunt explosive power.
How fast should my easy runs be?
Slow enough to hold a full conversation, usually 45–90 seconds per kilometre slower than your 10K pace.
How many steps a day should I walk?
7,000–10,000 steps captures nearly all of the health benefit; beyond that the curve flattens.
What is a good VO₂max?
It depends on age and sex: in a large US lab registry the median is 48 ml/kg/min for men and 38 for women in their twenties, falling to about 33 and 23 in their fifties.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Does eating late make you fat?
Not by itself: total daily calories decide it, and late eating mainly matters if it leads you to eat more.
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.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
About 20% below your maintenance, which for most people is 400–600 kcal per day.
How many steps a day should I walk?
7,000–10,000 steps captures nearly all of the health benefit; beyond that the curve flattens.
Should I bulk or cut first?
Cut first if you are above roughly 20% body fat (men) or 30% (women); otherwise start building.
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.
Does cardio kill gains?
Not at typical volumes: in controlled trials, adding cardio did not reduce muscle growth or maximal strength, but it can blunt explosive power.
How close to failure should I train?
Stop most sets 1–3 reps short of failure; going all the way adds fatigue for little or no extra growth.
How long should I rest between sets?
2–3 minutes between hard sets of compound lifts, 1–2 minutes for isolation work.
How long until I see results?
Strength within a few weeks, measurable muscle growth within a couple of months, and a change other people notice usually after several months.
How much protein per meal?
About 0.4 g/kg per meal across four meals, which is roughly 30–50 g for most people.
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.
Should I bulk or cut first?
Cut first if you are above roughly 20% body fat (men) or 30% (women); otherwise start building.
Do I need to lift heavy to build muscle?
No: anything from roughly 5 to 30 reps builds similar muscle, provided you take the set close to failure.
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.
How many sets per muscle per week?
10–20 hard sets per muscle per week covers most of the available growth for most lifters.
Is the anabolic window real?
Not in any practical sense: total daily protein matters far more than eating within 30 minutes of training.
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.
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.
Does eating late make you fat?
Not by itself: total daily calories decide it, and late eating mainly matters if it leads you to eat more.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
About 20% below your maintenance, which for most people is 400–600 kcal per day.
How much protein per meal?
About 0.4 g/kg per meal across four meals, which is roughly 30–50 g for most people.
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.
How much water should I drink?
Drink to thirst, plus around 500 ml per hour of hard training; pale-yellow urine is the practical check.
Is the anabolic window real?
Not in any practical sense: total daily protein matters far more than eating within 30 minutes of training.
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.
Does stretching prevent injury?
Not overall: static stretching has no clear effect on injury rates, and long holds just before training briefly cost a little strength and power.
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.
Is soreness a sign of a good workout?
No: soreness tracks novelty and ((eccentric|eccentric)) loading, not growth.
What is a deload?
A short, easier training period, usually a week with fewer sets or lighter loads, used to shed fatigue before training hard again.
How much water should I drink?
Drink to thirst, plus around 500 ml per hour of hard training; pale-yellow urine is the practical check.
What is a good deadlift?
Roughly 2× bodyweight is intermediate for men and 1.25× for women; advanced is about 2.75× for men and 2× for women.
What is a good overhead press?
Roughly 0.7× bodyweight is intermediate for men and 0.5× for women; advanced is about 1× for men and 0.75× for women.
What is a good squat?
Roughly 1.5× bodyweight is intermediate for men and 1.25× for women; advanced is about 2.25× for men and 1.75× for women.
How do I calculate my 1RM?
Take a set of 3–8 reps to near failure and run it through a rep-max formula, because accuracy falls off past about 10 reps.
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.
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.
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.
Does caffeine improve performance?
Yes: 3–6 mg/kg about an hour before training reliably improves endurance, with smaller gains in strength and power.
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.
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.
How much creatine should I take?
3–5 g of creatine monohydrate every day, at any time you like.
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.
Does stretching prevent injury?
Not overall: static stretching has no clear effect on injury rates, and long holds just before training briefly cost a little strength and power.
How close to failure should I train?
Stop most sets 1–3 reps short of failure; going all the way adds fatigue for little or no extra growth.
How long should I rest between sets?
2–3 minutes between hard sets of compound lifts, 1–2 minutes for isolation work.
How long until I see results?
Strength within a few weeks, measurable muscle growth within a couple of months, and a change other people notice usually after several months.
How often should I change my program?
When progress stalls or your goal changes; there is no need to switch on a fixed schedule.
Is soreness a sign of a good workout?
No: soreness tracks novelty and ((eccentric|eccentric)) loading, not growth.
What is a deload?
A short, easier training period, usually a week with fewer sets or lighter loads, used to shed fatigue before training hard again.
What is progressive overload?
Doing more over time, with more weight, reps or sets, so your muscles keep getting a reason to adapt.
Do I need to lift heavy to build muscle?
No: anything from roughly 5 to 30 reps builds similar muscle, provided you take the set close to failure.
How many sets per muscle per week?
10–20 hard sets per muscle per week covers most of the available growth for most lifters.
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.
No match.