Popular Fitness Questions: Answered
9th Jun 21
When it comes to fitness, everyone asks the same questions. With the internet so full of information, it can be hard to find a clear answer. That’s why we’ve put together the 10 most popular fitness questions to clear up any confusion and give you somewhere to go to get answers.
Keep reading for the answers to all of your fitness questions:
Want to move fast? Jump to the right section below.
- Is Working Out in the Morning Better for me?
- How Quickly Can I Get a Six-Pack?
- How Do I Lose Weight Fast?
- Where Do I Start?
- How Long Before I Start to See Results?
- How to Build Muscle?
- Can I Lose Weight Just by Dieting?
- How Often Should I Change My Workout?
- How Often Can I Have a Cheat Day?
- I’ve Reached My Goal. What’s Next?
1. Is Working Out in the Morning Better for me?
Starting off the fitness questions, we have; is working out in the morning better for me? Exercising in the morning is something a lot of people say we should do. It energizes you for the day and helps you stay focused and motivated. That doesn’t mean you have to exercise first thing, though. It all depends on when suits you. If you want to feel energised for the day, get up and work out in the morning, but if you are someone who prefers to workout later in the day to fit in with your routine or tire yourself out for sleep, then the option is yours.
2. How Quickly Can I Get a Six-Pack?
The simple answer, not quickly at all. Getting a six-pack isn’t something that happens after doing a couple of sit-ups, and it most definitely depends on your fitness levels and body type. Some body types just aren’t built to have six-packs. You can be lean and toned, but an actual six-pack takes a lot of training and a lot of commitment. Six-packs are from a combination of very low body fat, a very strict calorie deficit, strong abs and patience. Basically, there is no quick way to get a six-pack; if there were, everyone would have one.
3. How Do I Lose Weight Fast?
The simple answer; you can’t. Not safely anyway. Losing weight needs to be done over a period of time that allows your body to adjust and adjust to the new routine. If you try and lose weight quickly, you could restrict your body to the important nutrients and minerals it needs by cutting things like sugar or carbs out completely. When the diet ends, or you eventually crash out of it, it could cause more harm if you return to how you were eating and exercising before.
If you want to lose weight, it needs to be a permanent goal reached over a period of time and then altered to stay that way, not a seesaw that goes up and down. Getting Summer Body Ready, for example, can cause you to lose weight just for summer then pile it back on after, and this can be very bad for your body and your mental health.
4. Where Do I Start?
For this fitness question, it’s all in the planning. No matter what your goal is, whether you want to lose weight, gain weight, build muscle, anything, you need to plan it out. Be realistic with what you can achieve, and start small. If you have a goal in mind, set a date with it, and then plan backwards, breaking down each week and what you will do to achieve it. This way, you can see how much progress your making and any setbacks will only be small.
Check out our article here on planning your goals to get started!
5. How Long Before I Start to See Results?
This one can depend on a lot of factors. Your goal is one of them; weight goals are going to have different result times to build muscle or toning up. It also depends on your body type, some people can start losing weight and lose a lot straight away and then plateau and some people can be the opposite. Generally, you’re best waiting 4-6 weeks before you see any results, but there is no set timeframe.
6. How to Build Muscle?
This is a complex question. Building muscle is made up of a lot of different aspects. It’s good to know the science behind muscle growth first and foremost. Once you know this, it’s all about making a plan to train the muscles enough to grow but not too much to cause injury. Lifting weights is good for targeted muscle growth, or you can do exercises that use your body weight. There are loads of options, and we could go on forever, but the baseline is, learn the science behind building muscle first, as this will give you a good starting point.
For more in-depth information, try here.
7. Can I Lose Weight Just by Dieting?
The bottom line is, no, you can’t. Dieting is a good place to start, and it will help you shed those initial pounds, especially if your weight is down to how much you eat. Eventually, however, you will hit a wall with dieting alone. Exercising for weight loss is massively important and will help get you to your goal and be healthier in general.
8. How Often Should I Change My Workout?
The answer to this fitness question all depends on your personal preference; do you get bored easily or do you like a set routine? If you get bored quickly, do a set workout that changes slightly from week to week, and then after a month or two, swap it out for something else. If you like a routine, make yourself a workout that doesn’t change and stick to it. The only time we would suggest changing your routine is if you stop seeing an effect from the workout. If your building muscle and have reached a set weight and aren’t progressing, then you might want to shake things up a bit. As long as it’s getting you the desired effect, then it’s really up to you.
9. How Often Can I Have a Cheat Day?
It really depends on how a cheat day could affect you. A rest day from exercise is recommended for one day a week to allow your body to recover, but cheat days are often seen as a day to eat whatever you want without much impact. The issue is they could impact reaching your goal and your mental view of that goal.
If on a cheat day you had one cheat thing, like a meal or a snack, the effect will be pretty small, but a full cheat day could knock you off course and make you want to give up on reaching that goal. So if you are pretty strong-willed and think having a cheat day won’t affect you and your progress, maybe go for one every two weeks, but if a cheat day is going to throw you completely off course, maybe one a month or limit it to a cheat meal.
10. I’ve Reached My Goal. What’s Next?
Congratulations! You’ve reached your goal, but what now. If you’ve worked hard at reaching your fitness goal, you will want to stay where you are, at that new weight or at that strength level. This is the time to look back at your plan and alter it to still do the same thing but toned down slightly. If you were losing weight, re-calculate your new calorie intake. You’ll find a point where you can consume a set number of calories to keep the weight you are at. If you are building muscle, maybe cut down your number of workouts, or stick to the weight you know you can lift but don’t push yourself further. You will find a new balance that suits your lifestyle instead of being a journey to a goal.
We hope we’ve answered all of your fitness questions and cleared up any confusion. If you want a more in-depth answer to any of these fitness questions, head over to our learn area, where you can find articles on nearly every topic to help guide you further and give you as much information as possible. Good luck reaching those fitness goals; you can do it!
Before beginning any exercise or nutrition program, consult your physician, doctor or other professional. This is especially important for individuals over the age of 35 or persons with pre-existing health problems. Exercise.co.uk assumes no responsibility for personal injury or property damage sustained using our advice.
If you experience dizziness, nausea, chest pain, or any other abnormal symptoms, stop the workout at once and consult a physician or doctor immediately.
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