I thought it was gonna be easy to write, but there was just so much to cover.
We cover the basics of nutrition (especially nutrients and healthy eating), weight loss, weight gain, and getting into fitness. I have two workout routines I recommend and detail in this guide. I also make recommendations for my trans comrades who might be scared of getting too buff as chuds are too fragile to touch this topic and information is sorely lacking, so someone has to step up (done to the best of my knowledge as a cis person mind you).
And this shit is all free, what the fuck am I even doing. Anyway, enjoy it.
The problem I have with all these guides is that they all assume the same thing: what you want is to get super ripped and muscly. Nobody says anything if you just want to get healthier. We humans were designed for physical activity, and we need it. The assumption makes sense, as the people who write them all are ripped already, and that's why they got into the gym lifestyle.
The best thing to get in shape and not get super muscly is probably swimming and walking. Maybe with some core training or honestly just do yoga for 5x a week 20min. Pick something that gets your heart and breathing rate up and isn’t too hard on your joints.
I walk for an hour most days and it doesn't really seem to do anything.
I mean, you’re way healthier than the version of you that doesn’t walk.
What is it that you’re hoping to gain by being healthier?
I don't know, I am the Dunning-Krueger effect. I'm so incompetent that I don't even know how to ask proper questions. That's the problem with gymbros, they will casually drop slang like "core training" or "some yoga" without bothering to realize that those terms are for insiders. It's like jargon like "we need our tank's DPS up so we can go back to pwning their noobs".
Go on YouTube type in yoga class or core training and see if you like the trainer. Come up with a schedule. Stick to schedule
Specifically add beginner. You can even start with 5 min classes to make sure you like them.
If you have access to a pool swimming really is one of the best exercises you can do. Works out your entire body building functional muscle without bulk while also strengthening cardio and lung capacity all with out placing any stress on your joints which almost every other form of exercise, including body weight, does. You don't even have to be good at it as poor form isn't going to cause any injuries.
How long? Every day?
Any is better than then none. The only way you can really over do it is pushing your self to exhaustion. Obviously depends on your general fitness level but an hour three times a week isn't a bad way to start. You'll almost definitely need to take breaks in between laps when starting but that's cool you're still making progress. I really enjoy swimming, it gives me a kinda zen, so when I have access to a pool I try to swim most days.
Does it matter which style of swimming you use? I don't know anything about the different strokes and when I try freestyle I always almost choke myself when trying to breathe.
I switch it up but front crawl (free style) is what I spend my most time with. I also do a fair amount of butterfly but I wouldn't recommend off the bat, you have to develop some upper body strength and a fair amount of breath control to not drink half the pool. Breast stroke is nice smooth motion that lets you bring your head entirely out of the water, I have to dolphin kick instead of frog kick when I do it cause I can't get my hip to turn the right way but it still works just fine. Backstroke of course keeps your face out of the water the whole time, I've really never like it though cause I hate not being able to see where I'm going and it also doesn't feel like as much of a workout unless I'm really going for speed. Another thing that might help is kick boards, (hard normally blue foam half surf board looking things) most pools that are set up for lap swim will have them, you can use them to just practice kicking keeping your head out of the water which is still a hell of a work out. There's probably some good videos out there on breathing techniques, I don't think trying to describe them in a written message would help that much.
Thanx bro, will look into a pool membership.
Happy to help, I hope you find as much joy in swimming as I do.
In the guide, I actually define fitness as "any goal you have for your physical body" as it encompasses a whole range of states and compositions. While my sport of choice is bodybuilding, the guide is also general enough that it can help anyone no matter their fitness goal or current level (the nutrition part especially).
I also wanted to add some information on cardio and callisthenics (body weight exercises) in the guide, but their sections are comparatively empty because they are not exercises I train, and I don't want to advise people on something I haven't tried myself.
For people that want physical conditioning but not to the state of a bodybuilder, I would suggest joining a sports club and participating 3-4 times a week. It can be MMA, basketball... anything that has a social component and makes you train your entire body. Naturally over the years one will develop a healthy and toned physique.