I'm hearing /reading all about the benefits of creatine supplementation for active individuals (strength, fatigue resistance, better tolerance for high intensity exercise, muscle mass, etc...). This all sounds great, but I am concerned about weight gain. Even though I'm told that this is most often related to water retention, I would still prefer to not gain any more weight. Is there a way around this?

Simply put, motivation doesn't work for long, and isn't always going to be there. It is more of a wave that comes and goes. However, being consistent despite of these waves WILL get you to where you want to go. Show up on days where it's easy and go hard, show up on days where it feels impossible and take it easier. The continuous conscious effort of forcing yourself to go is something that will become a part of who you are and how you operate. If its 15 minutes of moderate effort or 60 minutes of intense effort, creating and maintaining the habit is going to become the motivation.

Goal- I want to be able to sprint anywhere between 60m-400m without the effects of the lactic acid build up/the burning that cramps my legs and slows me down. How can I do this most effectively?

This is a question I get from more intermediate and advanced lifters, particularly friends. Not to say this isn't information for beginners, it just might be a little out of the realm of "necessary" at this point. For those who don't know a "split" is how someone would break their exercises down for a week. For example, Lower Upper, Push Pull Legs, 3 Full body, 5 Full body, "Bro" splits, etc. Like most things in life, there is no perfect answer. I recommend making a decision, pick one, and try it for at least a month. If it isn't stimulating your brain to want to continue then switch to something new. The program that is going to keep you showing up, is the one that is going to yield results 10 times out of 10. The split/program you actually enjoy will get you to show up more regularly. One thing I would be remiss not to add is prioritizing rest. I try to remind people that we grow in recovery, not by constantly breaking down the muscles. As a couple good rules of thumb: - Try not to exceed 16 sets per muscle group in a week. Limiting the amount of sets you do will force you to increase the intensity of your sets, while also preventing you from overtraining and causing injury. This will increase your progress and eliminate "junk volume". - Every 2-3 days should be a day off the weights. Notice I didn't use "rest day". That's because a good cardio focused day, recovery/mobility day, or yoga session will vastly improve your weekly gains more than laying down on the couch watching football ever will. - Enjoy the process! Going back to what I mentioned above, if you don't enjoy it, you won't show up. If consistency is the number 1 factor in losing weight or gaining muscle... showing up is the number 1 thing you can possibly do.

This is the most common question that gets asked by beginners and people looking to kickstart a weight loss journey. There's simple and complex ways to break this down based on goals. This community is based on simplifying things to make them accessible, so with that being said... 2-3 hours a week is the best place to start! If you reframe and think of exercise like a prescription, when you go to the doctor they often give you the smallest possible dose that will get you the results you're after. This will be your minimum effective dose for muscle growth and increase metabolism. This can get broken down into a few different ways: 1:00 long sessions 2-3x a week 0:30 minute sessions 3-6x a week (0:30-0:45 6x/wk has been my personal go-to for a while now!) If you're starting from the very bottom: 0:15-0:20 minute sessions 4-6x per week will help build the habit of showing up for yourself The attached video is ground level fitness, and a great place to start. Even if you're a high level lifter don't shrug off the benefit of adding this in on rest days. Continuing to build the habit is the most important step! https://experiencelife.lifetime.life/article/when-it-comes-to-exercise-what-is-the-minimum-effective-dose/