The best fitness Twitters

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Twitter: revolutionary new method of communication or complete waste of time? Well, if you’re just using it to tell your friends what you’re doing (‘Off 2 shops 2 buy a Twix LOL’), it’s probably the latter – but it can be a great way to keep up with fitness trends, stay motivated, or get the inside track on sports personalities. Here are just a few of the people MF follows.

Shaquille O'Neal (the_real_shaq)

British footballers aren't the most entertaining Twitterers, but if you've ever wanted to see inside the mind of a multimillionaire elite athlete who can do whatever he wants, Shaq is the man to follow. Recently he’s done everything from confessing to using 'performance-enhancing Fruit Loops' to challenging UFC star Chuck Liddell to a fight. Typical tweet: 'Just got dat underwater ipod adaption device jammy so I can hear music unda water, I b aqua jammin, Waaaa Waaa Shaq-mu The quilla Whale'

Dana White (danawhiteblog)
If you're into a sport, following its officials or athletes can give you the scoop on new signings or matches – but the president of the UFC will go you one better, letting you know where he's going drinking or offering you free tickets to Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. He's like your best friend, only incredibly rich.
Typical tweet: (after Sean Sherk lost a close decision to Frankie Edgar) 'Sean Sherk ran out of the ring and out the doors and down the street in his fight shorts and no shirt.’
 
Dave Tate (underthebar)
‘Big’ Dave was formerly a leading US powerlifter, so in between plugs for his own stuff and mini-anecdotes about his kids, you’re sure to find something that’ll help your big lifts.
Typical tweet: ‘Training tip: If you're trying to develop a stronger squat and deadlift, train your abs standing up.’

Muhammad Ali (alidailyquote)
No, it probably isn't the Greatest Of All Time posting these, but the Ali Daily Quote has a little bit of everything: comedy, inspiration and outlandish egotism.
Typical tweet: 'I’ve seen George Foreman shadowboxing… and the shadow won.'
 
Icon Performance (iconperformance)
Jeff Green runs this training studio in Alabama, and the diversity of his tweets make them well worth following. One minute he’s giving you fat loss tips, the next he’s putting up a recipe for home-made creatine sweets.
Typical tweet: ‘grip the inside of the dumbbell w/ the pinky touching the plate to assist w/ supination & a harder bicep contraction.’

Nick Hutchings worked for Men’s Fitness UK, which predated, and then shared a website with, Coach. Nick worked as digital editor from 2008 to 2011, head of content until 2014, and finally editor-in-chief until 2015.