12 Fitness Websites That Changed The Way I Live
I would like to share with you all some of the websites out there that have been influential in changing the way I think about health, fitness & nutrition. Although there are lots of good sites out there I’m limited this list to only include those which have had a significant effect on me.
I regularly visit the websites listed below and I am sure you will get a lot of value from at least one (but most probably many) of the sites listed below. If there are any sites you haven’t heard of before I strongly suggest you check them out today!
Fitness/Training Websites
Not listed in any particular order, here are sites that focus mainly on the work-out side of things.
Mike Mahler
The information on Mike Mahler’s site is what finally convinced me to try out kettlebells as a fitness tool. Mike is an effective teacher and I have since bought 3 of his DVD’s and have not been disappointed.
- Level 1 Beginner Kettlebell Workshop DVD
- The Kettlebell Solution for Fat Loss and Mental Toughness DVD
- The Kettlebell Solution for Size and Strength DVD
If you’re interested in finding out more about kettlebells and strength training then I definitely recommend signing up to Mike’s newsletter.
Straight to the Bar
I’ve been following STTB for a couple of years now. It is a very frequently updated blog (several posts a day) which scours the net and finds anything related to strength training and lifting from traditional weightlifting to kettlebells to bodyweight exercises to parkour to anything else that’s amazing and cool.
If you like watching amazing feats of strength or innovative strength training techniques then I recommend checking this site out.
Beast Skills
A great website devoted to body weight strength training. Although it’s a static website and is only updated on an infrequent basis it contains a lot of quality content. Check the tutorials page which includes tutorials on crazy skills like how to do chair handstands, how to do ‘L-seat to Handstand Presses‘ and the how to do ‘Clapping Handstand Pushups‘ (yes, it is exactly as the name describes)!
T-Nation
Although most of this website is geared towards traditional bodybuilding and weight lifting, it also covers alternative training techniques as well as inspirational articles and interviews.
I love a recent article that came up in a recent series called ‘Mythbusters‘. In the article for Volume 1 of the series, there is a myth titled ‘You know how much stress your body can take‘ on the 2nd page. Craig Weller completely very convincingly dispels this myth and if you have 2 minutes to spare I would definitely recommend you reading it now.
CrossFit
I have to admit I’m not 100% fully converted to the CF method of training – that may be just a matter of time though. There is a great video tutorial section on the website and if you want to find out how popular CF is right now, just do a search on YouTube.
Ice Chamber
The Ice Chamber is a is a fitness training facility in California run by Steven Khuong and his wife Maya Garcia. Steven was never much for fitness growing up, and while in seventh grade he was hospitalized with severe paralysis due to a case of Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Although he made a miraculous recovery from the disease, he was unable to walk for a year, and it took the next several years to recover basic balance/strength/coordination skills. Things started to change when he joined a weight training class and eventually got to the point where he now teaches people in similar situations he was in.
Check out some cool videos of him training;
StrongLifts.com
Mehdi, a blogger from Belgium, writes about strength training with a focus on compound exercises and free weights. This site is great for beginners and anyone who wants to know how to work out the right way and see results. Check out his Beginner 5×5 Strength Training program, a great routine and very simple to follow.
NOTE: Mehdi is also an advocate of healthy eating, however I would personally recommend referring to the Warrior Diet or Mark’s Daily Apple for nutritional information.
Zen Habits
Zen Habits is not a fitness blog, more a self-improvement blog, however as Leo is also a fitness enthusiast he’ll often blog about fitness related topics. Some great articles I have read recently on Zen Habits are:
- Minimalist Fitness: How to Get In Lean Shape With Little or No Equipment
- Top 42 Exercise Hacks
- How to Get Bruce Lee Like Strength Without Ever Going to a Gym (NOTE: This post is actually written by Jonathan Mead, not Leo Babauta)
- All The Best Tips on Getting In Shape, In One Handy List
Nutrition Websites
Of course, working out is a waste of time if you aren’t going to eat right. Although a much shorter list, I place as much importance on the below sites as I do any of the ones listed above.
Warrior Diet
This website was actually referred to me by Mike Mahler himself when I queried him regarding some diet questions. The website if full of detailed nutrition and diet information. The information will likely go against everything you’ve probably been told about dieting but after having purchased 3 of his books I can confirm that his dieting concepts are revolutionary albeit not new. As Ori Hofmekler explains, it is the same dieting methods that were used back in ancient Greek and Roman times, when men were actually warriors.
Books that Ori has written and which I can thoroughly recommend are the Anti-Estrogenic Diet, the Warrior Diet and Maximum Muscle, Minimum Fat
Mark’s Daily Apple
Mark’s Daily Apple is a health and fitness blog with an emphasis on food and nutrition. Check out a photo of Mark Sisson at 54 years of age with muscular arms defined six pack abs. As you’ll read in the article, he achieved (and maintains) them without any ab workouts and no cardio, just healthy eating and bang for buck compound exercises
Honorable Mentions
I don’t go to the following sites as much hence the title ‘Honorable Mentions’. The articles I that I have read have been commendable and I am sure they are worth your while too.
MuscleHack
Mark McManus’ blog MuscleHack is blog covering topics focused more towards traditional bodybuilding than strength training. If you’re wanting to get in good shape for summer then you’ll find some interesting and helpful information on this site. He is passionite about the topic and has an easy-to-understand writing style.
Gym Junkies
Gym Junkies is another good strength training blog with some great articles and resources.
A recent article that caught my attention was titled, ‘Top Bloggers & Strength Coaches spill their 3 favorite exercises’ which incidentally includes Mark Sisson (from Mark’s Daily Apple).
Also, check out the iPod Workouts section.
What about your favorite websites?
If you think I’ve missed out an influential website that should be on this list, please feel free to add it as a comment below with a reason why you think it deserves a mention.
Popularity: 20% [?]
Comment by Scott
12 April 2009
Cheers Elliot. Some great sites on there.
Comment by liz
14 April 2009
Regardless of your current fitness level, gender, preferred sport or exercise, there’s something in this list for everyone.
For me personally, Zen Habits and the Warrior Diet provide a lot of insights that can help me improve my overall well-being and fitness level. Great resource. I’m stumbling it.
Comment by Justin
20 April 2009
Thanks for including us on this list!
Im a big fan of Mahler, Mark Sisson and Mr. Scott Bird as well! Its pretty amazing how many good fitness sites are out there on the net now.
The magazines better be scared
Comment by Berto at PricePlow
20 April 2009
Thanks for this list! I came through a link on MarksDailyApple (I follow the primal blueprint) but can always use more
Comment by Alexis
22 April 2009
A site that has some nice comprehensive health info is http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com
Comment by Elliot Wilson
29 April 2009
Thanks for the comments people. I’m not surprised that I’m not the only one who likes these sites!