Here’s a simple exercise that you can use both to assess your fitness and to improve it.
Ski season is rapidly approaching and with it means sore quads. That is if you don’t do any preseason conditioning. I would start with the simple assessment of the your quad endurance, which is also a great exercise to add into your routine. Read more
Many people claim that they don’t have time to exercise, but can you find 10 minutes a day? If you can, that’s enough to begin seeing improvements in you physical condition. Here are some bodyweight exercises for you. Read more
Though I usually recommend bodyweight exercise and dumbbell workouts for general fitness, if you are going to weight train, you may as well do it right. Old school exercises, such as the deadlift are the key to serious size and strength. Dane Fletcher covers everything about the deadlift: why it’s good, how to do it, variations, and how to adjust your sets and reps to achieve your athletic goals.
Advancing technology is a great thing – after all, it’s seen us progress from TV to video and now the DVD. Advancing technology for gym goers has seen the rise of multi-gym, the Smith Machine and the Nautilus variable cam. One of the unfortunate side effects of such progress, however, is that sometimes the old, tried and true basics get lost in the rush to try out the new and exciting. Nowhere is this more evident than when it comes to the deadlift. Once the king of mass and power movements, the deadlift is virtually unknown by modern day weight trainers. Those who are familiar with it have been taught to leave it alone as a useless and potentially dangerous movement for bodybuilders. The truth of the matter, however, is that there’s only one way to build a physique that emanates rugged power and thick, deep mass - and that is to enter the dead zone. Read more
Blogger Franco Normani explains why he converted from weight training to bodyweight exercises and details his current routine.
Two years ago I decided to convert to bodyweight exercises for my strength workouts. I had gotten tired of lifting weights and using resistance machines, even though it had been part of my workout regimen (off and on) for 15 years up to that point. I felt compelled to switch to a more natural form of exercise, having built up reasons over the years until a critical point was reached.
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My exercises are chin-ups, pull-ups, wide arm dips (between two supports), and push-ups. My cardio consists of running and fast walking, which provides a leg workout as well.
Why did I choose these particular strength exercises? Read more
Alberto Salazar won three consecutive New York City Marathons in the early 80’s. Throughout his career, he set six U.S. records and one world record. Then, last summer, Alberto Salazar suffered a near-fatal heart attack at the age of 48. Arthur De Vany writes:
He [Salazar] had at one time been described as “a man who once heard testers declare his cardio output to be the greatest they had ever measured.” Note also the severe loss of muscle mass associated with marathon training, one that Salazar tries to avoid in his trainees. No wonder they look like ghosts. When I saw some of the participants of our recent Huntsman Senior Games Marathon in St. George, they looked like the walking injured and near dead. Read more
This 300 Workout is a full body circuit for people who want to keep it simple. All that is required is an inexpensive pull-up bar.
Olga does 10 pull-ups a day at the age of 6. This video shows shows her trying her best for the camera. If her performance shames you, check out my article Double Your Pull-ups in Six Weeks or Less.
For people who claim they have no time to exercise, having to go to a gym for their workout just adds another excuse for not exercising regularly. Having a set of dumbbells at home, on the other hand, makes strength training quick and convenient.
If you are really looking for a way to get fit without having to fork out large sums of cash for a gym membership or fancy exercise equipment then why not get yourself a good set of dumbbells instead. There are lots of different exercises that you can incorporate in to your dumbbell workouts that will help to tone up every part of your body and not just your arms as so many people think they do. Read more
The recent death of top distance runner Ryan Shay during the U.S. men’s Olympic marathon trials thrust the issue of sudden death in fit, highly trained athletes back into the news. Art De Vany attempts to find what the causes are, and how common it actually is.
I have searched for a good source on sudden death in athletes for some time now. Finally, I found an excellent one put up by the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation Sudden Death in Athletes.
The most common cause is Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM). That large, slow-beating “athletic” heart may kill you. So can alcohol, energy drinks, and steroids. Which activity is most dangerous? You may see why I play tennis now. Weight lifting didn’t make the grade, but competitive lifting is such a small sport. In part, the sports with the most participation rank highest. Read more
Check out my new Squidoo lens Bodyweight Exercise Workouts. It has YouTube videos, articles, and links to bodyweight exercise information. Go to http://squidoo.com/bodyweightexercise.
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