Do you have back pain? Back pain can be caused by over lifting and straining your back muscles, but also by a sedentary lifestyle and poor posture. Add these 5 back exercises to your workout regime to help strengthen your back, build muscle, and banish pain for good. The more you work out your back, the better those aching muscles will feel.
Squats are one of the go-to exercises during strength training. They are a functional movement, easy to learn and are a progressive exercise to use from your beginning through advanced fitness levels. When it comes to improving squats, proper form is crucial to reduce the pressure on your knees. Have you ever wondered if your shoe selection was contributing or taking away from your squat form? Researchers Legg, Glaister, Cleather and Goodwin did. They presented the results of their findings on the type of shoes worn during squats in the April 2016 issue of The Journal of Sports Sciences.
You think about being a lot of things when you cross the parking-lot and head towards the gym. You imagine your muscles becoming Incredibly Hulkish from your kick-ass workouts. Maybe you’ve got your dancing shoes and plan to debut a hot cardio move. One thing you don’t imagine is that the folks at the front desk might identify you by scent without having to ask for ID.
Everywhere you turn in the fitness industry, whether it’s a gym, a supplement store, a workout magazine or wellness blog, you’ll receive some sort of advice. You’ll hear how you should work out each day, what you need to eat and how you should go about living your day-to-day life. Society encourages a “do more”, an overtraining mentality by the attention given to extreme bodybuilders and dramatic weight loss transformations because of how much they have achieved and overcome.
Over the years, there has been a much debating over whether or not protein shakes are beneficial when it comes to building muscle mass and improving performance. The fact is, when used correctly, protein shakes can play an important role in how well an athlete progresses in their workout program and how quickly they reach their goals. Because protein is used to some degree in almost every function in the human body, more is needed when the body carries an excess amount of muscle tissue. The key is to get the amount of protein the body needs without overloading on calories that may not be used up during exercise or regular daily activity.
For those of us who have experienced the benefits of strength training (lower body fat, elevated energy, a sculpted physique, metabolic boost), it’s a common concern. Why wouldn’t you want to do something every day that makes you feel and look so good! The answer to daily strength training being healthy isn’t a simple one; it depends on the individual. Strength training is intertwined with recovery and what you do post-workout.
The physical condition continuum has four major points: Sick, Well, Fit, Sports-specific. Each of these points has unique aspects to it that deserve attention during physical conditioning.
It’s 2:29 pm. You're fending off yawn after yawn. Unfortunately, most days you find yourself counting the minutes between lunch and quitting time, trying not to grab a cappuccino or candy bar for a boost. Stop! There’s another way. Turns out (hint hint, functional fitness), you might not feel the urge to turn to sugary snacks and stimulants if you incorporate tiny bouts of discreet movement into your day.
Ever have trouble keeping your eyes open in the afternoon? It’s happened to us all. The hours after lunchtime can zap your energy, making it difficult to get work done and finish daily responsibilities. It also can lead you to skip an evening workout! So what causes this? Often it can be connected to the energy-draining foods we eat. Let’s look at some of the culprits so you can avoid them and get through your day with as much energy as you had in the morning!
How careful are you in the gym? It may surprise you to realize that, regardless of how attentive you think you are, you’re taking some mighty awful risks every time you hit the weights or step on a treadmill. Of course, getting injured in the gym is more than just a setback to your fitness: it can mean real consequences rippling through the rest of your life, with implications far beyond your max squat. Let's talk about the 5 most common gym injuries faced by the fitness-savvy, and help you figure out the steps to take to avoid finding yourself on the receiving end.
