There are literally dozens (84, according to BodyBuilding.com) of exercises you can do to firm up your chest, but in reality, most of us only do one or two until we really get good at them. Many of these workouts are aerobic in nature, and many involve gym and home workout equipment, but overall, the key to building mass in your chest lies in doing a variety of exercises and sticking with them over time. It is also recommended that you swap exercises often and … [Read more...]
7 Back Exercises for Beginners
According to the American Chiropractic Association, around 31 million Americans experience lower back pain at one time in their lives. Moreover, back pain is also the most common reason for missed work. One-half of working Americans claim to have had back pain as a cause of work-related activities. Quick Navigation MY NECK, MY BACK (MUSCULAR-SKELETAL EDIT)THE 7 BEST BACK EXERCISES FOR BEGINNERSBACK EXERCISES KEEP YOU HEALTHY The human back is one of the most … [Read more...]
When Should Youth Start Resistance Training?
We all know that parent who wastes no time in getting their 3 year old fitted for that sport: golf, soccer, tennis, or racing. Thanks to the likes of Tiger Woods, the Williams sisters, and let’s not forget those young Olympic athletes, in which the minimum age for participation in the youth events is 13. At some point, kids must be introduced to a strength training program to help their bodies adjust and adapt to the stresses of resistance training and to help … [Read more...]
Ways to Avoid Common Injuries in Fitness
Getting back into the gym after a prolonged absence from a lifestyle that includes daily physical activity can be an arduous process; the last occurrence we, as renewed fitness enthusiasts, wish to encounter is an injury stemming from muscular imbalances and/or incorrect ergonomic stature in exercise. Jumper’s Knee, shin splints, shoulder ailments, and ankle sprains are all commonly occurring instances in the realm of … [Read more...]
Exercise and Stretching
A healthy lifestyle should be balanced with nutrition and exercise. Most people know, that in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, nutrition is just as important as exercise and vice versa. What some may not know, is that there are three components to exercise that are all equally important as well. Exercise includes cardiovascular training, resistance training, as well as stretching. Benefits of Stretching Stretching is essential to keep your muscles young, … [Read more...]
How to Burn Extra Calories Throughout the Day
Whether you want to lose weight, have more energy to play with your kids at the end of the day, don’t have time to make it to the gym, or want to eat an extra cookie or two, here are some easy ways to burn additional calories throughout the day. 1. Fidget If you’re someone who cannot sit still, do not fight it. If you’re a non-fidgeter, start tapping your feet and hands and pacing around the room when you’re on the phone.By fidgeting, you can burn up to 350 more … [Read more...]
The 5 Principles of Training: Why We Do What We Do
Let’s be real, the body isn’t a big fan of any form of change on any level. In fact, the human body is actually quite acquiescent to growth and change and at the same time, will fight tooth and nail against efforts to bring about said change. On a cellular level the body is highly adaptable and efficient at making both negative and positive changes but it does not like change that seeks to shed excess body fat or add muscle and it will protect itself by putting on … [Read more...]
Proper Mindset = Proper Form
“Maintain proper form”, is a phrase that often finds its way into most exercise articles. It's overheard day in and day out in fitness centers across America, but do you really know what it means, or how to achieve it? "Form" is a word that gets plenty of application but not nearly enough explanation. Your idea of exercise form could be the difference between breaking a personal record or sustaining a career ending injury. This concept is far too important to remain … [Read more...]
Is Obesity Running in Your Genes?
Do you have that one friend that eats like an elephant but still looks like a stick? Why is it that some people keep gaining weight in spite of their vigorous efforts to control their diet? Is it possible that some people are more susceptible towards gaining weight than others? If two individuals are given the exact same diet over a month, do you think their weights will be identical? You will be shocked to know the answer. There have been studies that suggest … [Read more...]
Body Composition: Fat-Free Mass and Fat Mass
In the fitness world, we use body composition to describe the proportions of fat, bone, water, connective tissue, and lean muscle in the human body. When referring to body composition, we are talking about the percentage of body mass that is both fat mass and fat-free mass (Lean Mass: L%, Fat Mass: F%). When we talk about measuring body fat percentage, we must understand, first, that all fat is not accumulated equally, stored equally, and nor is it measured equally … [Read more...]