Physical Fitness Stack Exchange
Physical Fitness Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
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3 answers

Should I "feel the burn" during a workout?

I am aware of the other question on feeling the burn, but that question seems to be about feeling the burn after a workout. My question is, should I feel the burn during the workout. At the moment when I do my reps, I feel..almost nothing. I'm…
Matt Bronson
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How to count laps while swimming?

I always lose track of laps while swimming more than 1km freestyle in a pool. Is there any gadget or technique which helps counting laps?
Quassnoi
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4 answers

How can I avoid building a lot of muscle while gaining strength

As I start towards exercising to gain strength, I want to avoid gaining a lot of muscle. I don't know how accurate it is, but I have heard that muscle size is not related to strength, i.e. the more muscles you have does not mean relate to the…
Matt Bronson
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6 answers

Where to go after "mastering" 90 second planks?

I've been using planks to increase my trunk strength, and am getting OK at holding the plank for 1 1/2 minutes. Will I get more benefit by starting to increase that time, or adding a different exercise (and which one do you recommend)?
Robert Gowland
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2 answers

How to keep fit while travelling long-term?

While on the go, it's hard to maintain the same routines you have back at home. Similarly, you're unlikely to find a gym while you travel in some more out of the way places, and you're sick, stuck on a bus, etc etc. You're eating strange foods…
Mark Mayo
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9
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2 answers

Fiber Menace - How scientific is this book?

After drastically increasing my fiber intake for nearly a month at the suggestion of family members via breads, fruits, vegetables, and juices, I ran into constipation so severe that I was unable to have a bowel movement for two weeks because of…
Lotus Notes
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3 answers

Working out - do taller people have it harder?

Background: I was working out with some friends today and during one of the exercises (jump squats) I jokingly said to my buddy (who is 5'4" with a normal proportioned frame, I have a lean build) when he was cheating on the exercise a bit, "Hey man,…
stoicfury
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What are the differences between Paleo and Atkins diets?

I have been slowly adopting a Paleo diet over the past few by changing what I eat for breakfast and incorporating more protein and vegetables. In addition, I have also been making changes in what I eat for dinner as well. Since I'm eating more meat…
user241
9
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4 answers

Deadlift - belt or no belt?

The deadlift seems to put a lot of pressure on the spinal vertebrae. Is it safe to deadlift without a belt or does correct form completely eliminate the need for one?
Leo
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What's the point of the weekly 2-day break in Starting Strength's programming? Can a novice just skip that?

Starting Strength prescribes two daily lifting schedules (A and B), to be performed alternately on 3 non-consecutive days per week. That means something like this: S M T W T F S ------------- week 1 A B A week 2 B A …
user2567
9
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2 answers

How does one properly 'cool down'?

Having already asked why a cool-down is so important, my next question is how do you properly get into a cool down? Please be specific of how to get into this cool-down with metrics that can either be measured for ALL exercises or to a specific type…
James Mertz
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4 answers

I seem to lose muscle size quickly if not working out for some time. Why?

Not months of lay off but no more than 10 days takes my muscles, especially of my arms, from looking big and feeling hard to something that doesn't make me look like I lift serious weight. It stays in good shape and feel for up to a week of not…
Ken
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1 answer

Does stretching interfere at all with strength gain or injury susceptibility in resistance training?

I searched through the site and couldn't find a good answer to this. Does stretching (to improve flexibility) interact or slow the muscle building and strength increasing benefits of weight training? Also, directly related, does increased…
Seth Rogers
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2 answers

What does staying "tight" while lifting actually do?

"Make your upper back tight" , "make your glutes tight" and so on are often intrusctions given on how to do various exercises in the gym... but why actually do we do this?
tryst with freedom
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How often should someone run to maintain ability?

I spent my summer running a lot more than I had in the past, getting up to distances of 7 miles. I am not a fast runner and it took quite a while to get myself to get to the point where I could run over 2.5 miles. Let it be clear, I am still not…
Piper
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