Archive | Workouts & Routines

Tight Hamstrings – Why Stretching May Not Work

As a trainer, I have found that clients seeking to improve their flexibility complain about tight hamstrings more than any other muscle group. Time and time again, clients are consistently surprised to find that hamstring flexibility can be improved without stretching at all.

Before I can talk about flexibility, we need to define what a “tight muscle” really is. A very big flexibility misconception is that muscles need to be physically lengthened and the best way to lengthen muscles is through stretching. This is simply not true! Muscles already have all the length they need and attempting to change that length via intense stretching is liable to cause ligament damage rather than actually increase the range of motion.

Riddle me this: If muscles need to be lengthened, then why are people incredibly flexible when unconscious or under anesthesia? If a normally stiff man who can not touch his toes is put under anesthesia, he will become as flexible as a professional ballerina. The key concept here is that the flexibility of a muscle is determined by the central nervous system. The human body is wired for survival, and the brain only doles out as much flexibility as it thinks is safe to use.

With that said, over the years as a trainer I have encountered three common presentations of tight hamstrings:

In the first situation, you have someone who once was very mobile but simply experienced a loss of range of motion (ROM) due to inactivity over the years. For this group of people, traditional static stretching is often enough to quickly return ROM to normal levels. However, if you were in this group, you probably would not be reading this article. This group is also one of the reasons why static stretching remains popular; for this particular subset of the population, it works quite well and acts fairly quickly.

In the second situation, there is the person who has a marked difference between active ROM and passive ROM. Active ROM is the range of motion a person can actively control their hamstring through (think trying to touch your toes). Passive ROM is the range of motion a hamstring can be moved by an outside force (like when a partner stretches you out). To test your active ROM, lie on your back and lift one leg up as high as you can without bending the knee. To test your passive ROM, perform the same test but have a partner move your leg up and back as far as she can. Differences of more than an inch or two between active ROM and passive ROM are a very undesirable trait and come along with a high risk of injury. This essentially means that your brain is allotting more range of motion than it can actively control. A lack of motor control is an injury risk; if you were forced into a position in which you had no muscular control (falling for example) an injury is likely to occur. In my experience, this is most common in females.

If you are in this group, an easy fix is proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching. It is a mouthful, but it is not as difficult as it sounds. This basically is stretching interspersed with muscular contractions. Here is how to do it:

– Lie on your back, and have a partner lift your leg (with a slight knee bend) in a traditional partner hamstring stretch.

– Once you reach the end of your range of motion, push down into your partner’s hand to contract the hamstring. Start the contraction slow and build up to a strong contraction over the next 10 seconds.

– Release the contraction, and have your partner push your leg back a little further.

– Repeat this process for a few more repetitions.

This is effective in fixing discrepancies between active and passive ROM because the muscular contraction in combination with stretching builds strength in the stretched position, thereby increasing involvement of motor neurons. This practice will lead to improved motor control over time and as a result, more active flexibility.

The third group consists of people who have had “tight hamstrings” since birth. This group has never been able to touch their toes. This group can stretch, get professional massage, therapy – the whole nine yards without seeing the hamstrings budge more than an inch or two.

As mentioned before, this is completely neural in nature. Not everyone was born as a gymnast. In this situation, for whatever reason, the brain is not comfortable with allowing too much range of motion from the hamstrings. There is a myriad of reasons why this could occur, the discussion of which is far beyond the scope of this article. In this situation, PNF stretching is sometimes effective, but usually only results in a few inches of ROM increase. The most effective way to improve flexibility in this situation is through various motor control drills. As motor control improves, the brain will loosen the reins and allow for more flexibility on a whole body level.

Conclusion

If you wish you could get a little more range of motion out of your hamstrings, rather than just stretch, try to figure out which group you belong to and act accordingly. You will not be disappointed!

Posted in Workouts & Routines0 Comments

Six Ways Stairs Can Boost Your Health

Did you know that regularly using stairs could save your life? Studies show that climbing just eight flights of stairs a day can improve your health and lower your risk of early death by as much as a third. So popular has this form of exercise become that you can even get free smartphone apps to count the number of steps you climb and record how many calories have been burned off.

Here are six ways that climbing stairs on a regular basis can benefit you:

1. Builds bone and muscle strength

Stair climbing is basically a more strenuous form of walking. Because you have to pull against gravity, it demands greater effort, so you get more of a workout. The exercise is great for your body, increasing your bone density, strength and muscle tone – so the likelihood of developing osteoporosis is considerably reduced.

2. Helps your heart

By raising your heart rate, stair climbing helps prevent blocked arteries and high blood pressure. This boost to your cardiovascular system lowers the risk of succumbing to serious conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and vascular dementia.

3. Aids weight loss

This surprisingly vigorous form of exercise actually burns more calories per minute than jogging. And the good news is that the heavier you are, the more calories you will expend. Even when you go upstairs at a normal pace, you’ll use at least double the amount of energy than if you were walking briskly on level ground – so you may soon find your waistline shrinking if you use the stairs regularly.

4. Relieves stress

Going up stairs will also improve your mental state, as the physical exertion releases pain-killing endorphins – the feel-good hormones that release tension and give your spirits a lift. The regular exercise will raise your energy levels, making you generally feel better about the world.

5. Fits in with busy lifestyles

Unlike going to the gym, climbing stairs is convenient, flexible and time-efficient. You can begin with just one or two flights if you like, and increase gradually. Even if you’re a busy commuter, you can use staircases in public places such as train stations, office buildings and multi-storey car parks. Of course, unless you live in a bungalow or ground-floor flat you will also be able to practise in the comfort of your own home.

You don’t have to be a fresh-air fiend to enjoy climbing stairs. No special skills, sporting ability or training is required – and you won’t have to share a sweaty changing room with strangers.

Because stair climbing is relatively easy to build into your life, you should be able to incorporate it into your routine without too many problems. Regular exercise can make a real difference to people’s long-term health, so finding an activity that you are able to sustain over the years will be invaluable for your fitness levels.

6. Costs nothing

One of the best things about stair climbing is that it’s free. No sports club fees or gym subscription, no equipment or special clothing to buy… it’s just you, and as many steps as you feel able to tackle.

A few tips…

So, which types of stairs are best for climbing? Any long flight of stairs provides the opportunity for a good workout, although some are better than others. Wooden stairs are more comfortable than metal or concrete ones as their treads provide more shock absorption, and carpeted staircases are better still. Curved stairs are just as good as straight ones for providing exercise. Even loft stairs and space saver staircases have their uses, as long as you hold on to the handrail and don’t try to go too fast. If you have to use an escalator, walk all the way up it. As the steps are deeper than those in an average staircase, it will still do you good.

Aim for between three and five stair-climbing sessions a week to get the most from your new regime. If you’re not used to exercise you should start slowly, perhaps just climbing for five or 10 minutes at first. You can work up to 30 minutes or even an hour eventually, if you feel confident.

Can anyone exercise this way?

People with knee or hip problems are not advised to climb stairs unnecessarily as the stepping action can aggravate their condition. This is particularly true when going down, as the joints come under extra strain. Anyone concerned about their health should have a word with their doctor before going ahead.

Posted in Workouts & Routines0 Comments

The Weight Loss Resolution Wobble

How’s your weight loss resolution going this year? Have you reached the point where your resolve wobbles? Let’s be honest. Does this happen every year?

Don’t worry, there are ways to get back on track easily. The first thing to realise is that you are only human. Most people are not perfectionists who can sustain a regime of eating and exercise that they do not completely enjoy.

When you tell yourself you can’t have something what happens? You want and crave it even more. That’s the body’s natural reaction when it thinks it is in a starvation situation. So here are a few tips to help you stay on track…

  • Don’t think of it as a diet – they don’t work!
    • Consider how you can love yourself more – you deserve it.
    • Do not demonise food by labelling it ‘Good’ or ‘Bad’ – you’ll crave the ‘bad’.
    • Tell yourself that all food is fuel, only some works better for you than others.
  • Make sure your new eating habits are sustainable by:
    • Create a lifestyle change with new foods and eating habits.
    • Eat food you love and that loves your body back.
    • Enjoy the food you eat.
    • Eat consciously switching your mind onto your body – eat until just full.
    • Have fun with food – try out new foods and menus to increase enjoyment.
    • Cut down on your portion size – use a smaller plate.
    • Cut down sugar or cut it out for long periods to stop your cravings.
    • Cooking from scratch will dramatically reduce your sugar intake.
    • Cut down your carbs to once a day.
    • Try eating brown rice instead of white, sweet potato or quinoa
  • Create an exercise routine that is sustainable:
    • Plan activities that are fun and that you love – the gym is not for everyone!
    • Challenge yourself by using a pedometer to increase your activity.
    • Find a friend to do it with.
    • Park further away from work and walk more.

Don’t worry if your resolve and motivation wavers. That’s natural. Have a plan of action that gets you back on track easily. Plan to very occasionally eat foods you love that do not love your body. Enjoy and savour every mouthful without any guilt. You will eat less of it and by not fully restricting it you will not crave it.

Finally, watch your stress levels they will lead you back to comfort eating. Find ways to reduce your stress such as exercise, mindfulness, laughter and talking to a trusted friend or counsellor.

Make this you’re a resolution revolution by creating the lifestyle change that loves you back!

Posted in Workouts & Routines0 Comments

How to Determine Your Overall Fitness Level

What constitutes fitness? How do you know if you are physically fit or not? Just like any other physical or physiological characteristics like height or weight, fitness is a relative measurement. We can safely assume that a weekend runner is more fit than a habitual couch potato, and in turn, is less fit compared to a marathon runner. Experts use several tests to judge a person’s level of fitness. Here are some of them:

1. Resting heart rate – Your resting heart rate or pulse is the number of times your heart beats in a minute. It indicates how hard your heart needs to work in order to pump your blood around your body. A normal resting rate should be between 60 to 90 beats per minute. Well-trained athletes fall into the low-end of this normal range because their hearts have become very efficient pumping machines.

Heart rate can be affected by many factors like medicines, stress, physical activity, or stimulants like coffee. The best way to get your resting heart rate is to measure it first thing in the morning for three consecutive days.

2. Heart rate after exercise or physical activity – Your heart rate naturally goes up during exercise or physical exertion. Try to exercise for 15 minutes on a stationary bike or treadmill and then get your pulse rate. This number, just like the resting heart rate, should go down after sometime of getting into a regular aerobic exercise program.

3. Blood pressure – Blood pressure is a measure of how hard the heart has to beat in order to push your blood through your blood vessels. It also indicates how open your blood vessels are. The baseline normal blood pressure reading is 120/80 although there is a growing consensus to define it as 115/75. Blood pressure varies throughout during the day depending on several factors like mental state and physical activity. If it measures consistently higher than 140/90 throughout the day, for several days, you are considered hypertensive and should see a doctor for prescription medicines to lower it.

A regular exercise program helps to normalize your blood pressure by helping your blood vessels to relax. Again if you’re hypertensive, be sure to consult your doctor about the types of exercise routines that are appropriate for you. He or she may forbid you to do weight training exercises which can cause a rapid rise in blood pressure.

4. Percentage of body fat – In general, the more body fat you have, the more prone you are to developing health problems like heart disease, hypertension, and even some types of cancer. However, this must be considered in conjunction with other factors like diet and exercise habits. Also, where your fat is distributed may be more important; studies show that abdominal fat, the kind that deposits itself around your waist (and in your abdomen), is more associated with heart disease risks than fat that is deposited around your thighs.

This is not to say body fat is bad; it is possible to be too thin. For women, for example, having too little body fat (less than 16%) may lead to problems like bone loss and irregular menstrual periods.

How to measure your body fat? One way is the so-called skinfold caliper test where the tester pinches your skin as if to pull away your fat from your muscles and bones. It is done on several different points like your upper arms, your abdomen, or the back of your shoulder. Another way is simpler and is called the Body Mass Index (BMI) measurement. It is calculated by dividing your weight (in kg) by the square of your height (in meters). If using pounds and inches, divide your weight (in pounds) by the square of your height (in inches) and multiply by 703. A BMI value of 18.5 to 25 is considered optimal. Higher than 25 is considered overweight, and lower than 18.5 is considered underweight.

5. Strength – Certain exercises such as sit-ups, leg extensions, and push-ups indicate the strength of your upper body, lower body, and abdominal muscles. If you can barely do a few sit-ups or push-ups, you may have been out of shape for some time. You may want to consider weightlifting to improve your strength.

6. Flexibility – This is a little bit overlooked compared to strength, but flexibility or the ability to bend your body and joints to full range, is a good measure of your overall fitness. You lose flexibility as you age, and you may find that you are less able to do some postures or bending motions that you could easily do when you were younger. Doing stretching exercises is the best way to improve your flexibility.

All these factors must be considered to determine your overall fitness level. Tests can be done by a physician, a personal trainer, or a fitness professional. By measuring these indicators, you can customize your exercise program and concentrate where it is more needed, say cardiovascular training, weight training, or flexibility exercises.

Posted in Workouts & Routines0 Comments

How to Lose Belly Fat Fast for Women With 3 Simple Strategies

How to lose belly fat fast for women? That’s the question frequently asked by ladies whenever they want to lose weight. On top of that, they also want to burn those abdominal fats without doing excessive exercise and going for the extreme diet. They want to look healthy and fantastic at the same time after removing the fats.

Can you spot reduce the belly fat by doing 1000 crunches or sit-ups every day? While I really impressed with your determination to do that number of crunches, sadly scientist has found out you can never spot reduce any selected area of your body (unless you going for liposuction, that will be a totally different story). But don’t worry, here I will share with you the 3 effective strategies on how to lose belly fat fast for women.

Strategy #1 Get to the Lowest Calorie Intake

Fat is stored calories. How do you store those calories? The answer is simple, you are eating too much! You need to cut down your calories intake so that the fat cells can be released. When you don’t supply enough calories, your body has to dig up your fat cells to compensate the calories deficiency.

According to the American College of Sport Medicine, the lowest calories intake for women is 1,200 calories per day and men’s lowest calories intake is 1,800 calories per day. As our topic today is about how to lose belly fat fast for women, I suggest you to go for 1,200 calories per day. This way it will give your body the chance to release the stored fat to be utilized as energy.

I like to remind you that 1,200 is a very low number of calories. I suggest you to stay with this calories intake until you start to feel lethargic. From there, slowly increase up your calorie intake accordingly until you feels your energy level is back to normal.

Strategy #2 Increase up Your Fat Burning Activities

You already lower down your calories intake. Your body starts to release the fat cells now to be utilized as energy. By increasing the activities that consume energy, you will increase the chances for the fat to be burned.

Before you thinking about hardcore exercises, I want you to think about your activity of daily living first. Find which activities you do daily that you can change so it can increase up your calories burning. For example, taking stairs instead of elevator, park your car a little further from the main entrance and etc. The message here is, get active throughout the day!

Strategy #3 Do the Metabolism Boosting and Fat Burning Exercises

For this purpose, your exercise routine should consist of resistance training and cardio. And you also should choose the routine that is challenging you. Remember, what doesn’t challenge you, will not change you!

So how much exercise should you do? Let’s get back to the American College of Sport Medicine again. They found out that for 150 to 250 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week provides only modest weight loss. The significant weight loss only occurs when you go for more than 250 minutes per week.

My suggestion is go for 300 minutes of exercises per week which consist of resistance training and cardio. Keep the intensity moderate as you are at your lowest calories intake now, you will easily to be burned out if you go too intense for your exercise routine. You may perform your cardio 3 times a week and your resistance training 2 times a week.

For your cardio exercises selection, my advice is to choose the activity you enjoy to do. It can be jogging, brisk walking, swimming or playing sport games. For resistance training, you can go to the gym or you can just workout at home. YouTube will be able to provide you several resistances training routine you can follow. For example, you can type into the YouTube search box for “full body resistance training at home” or just “full body resistance workout at the gym”.

Lastly, these 3 strategies on how to lose belly fat fast for women won’t work if you just leave it on this article. Work on it and you will be able to see the leaner midsection soon!

Posted in Workouts & Routines0 Comments

Top 10 Rules of the Gym! Gym Code of Conduct!

In this edition of the top 10 we look at the dos and don’ts for gym goers. These simple but often overlooked and commonly forgotten rules will allow for a far more pleasant experience the next time you go to your local gym.

1. SHARE EQUIPMENT

As most gyms are often over crowded during peak hours, be considerate when using the machines. It is very easy to take turns in-between sets on any given piece of equipment. When doing cardio, don’t go longer than 30 minutes on one machine.

2. WIPE DOWN EQUIPMENT

There is nothing grosser than getting on a piece of equipment that has not been wiped down. Respect the equipment and other gym goers by wiping your sweat off the bench, treadmill or whatever piece of machinery you just used. Disinfectant spray and paper towel are provided in most cardio sections.

3. PROPER HYGIENE

Just because you can’t smell yourself, doesn’t mean others can’t. When you workout hard, you perspire and sometimes you will smell bad. Deodorize before and after and regularly wash your gym clothes after use.

4. RESPECT OTHER’S SPACE

This rule especially applies when in the free-weight section of a gym. Not only do people need their space to execute exercises effectively, they also need space in case something goes wrong. Keep your distance and do not become a distraction when someone is in the middle of their set.

5. CLEAN UP YOUR MESS

Whether it’s an empty water bottle, paper towel, chalk or a wrapper, do not leave your garbage lying around the gym floor. Always double check your work area and leave it in the same condition you found it.

6. BRING A TOWEL

When you are going to the gym, you should always bring a towel or two with you. Most gyms provide towels but it’s always smart to be prepared. One towel is to put down and wipe the machines with, and the other is for you.

7. PUT BACK WEIGHTS

No one likes getting to a piece of equipment they’ve been waiting for only to discover they have to remove 360lbs of plates from it. Also, no one likes having to search the entire gym for a certain weight. Put your dumbbells, barbells and any attachments back when you are finished with them.

8. DRESS CODE

People go to the gym to work-out, not to stare and gawk at you or anybody else. Get over yourself. T-shirt, shorts, sweat pants and runners are perfect choices. Sports bras, under shirts, short shorts and sandals are not. Also, remember your indoor runners and lose your street shoes in the locker room.

9. NOT A SOCIAL GATHERING

It’s a gym and not a bar or restaurant. You are here to exercise, not to socialize with friends or pick-up. Stay off your cell phone, don’t tie up equipment you aren’t using and try and stay focused.

10. VOLUME CONTROL

Nothing is more distracting and annoying than ringing cell phones, listening to other people’s iPods through blaring headphones, the sound of slamming dumbbells on the floor, and excessive and unnecessary grunting and growling. Remember, it’s a public gym and not your basement.

So respect the gym, respect others using the gym, and most importantly, respect yourself and your fitness goals which are the reason you are there in the first place. Take care of your gym and your gym will take care of you.

Posted in Workouts & Routines0 Comments

Exercises and Workouts – Why You Should Be Adding Face Pulls To Your Workout Routine

If you take a good look at the exercises in your workout program, chances are you have a mix of moves for your legs, chest, back, shoulders, and arms. Common stand-ins include lunges, squats, deadlifts, chest press, shoulder press, rows, curls, and triceps extensions.

But, there is often one important exercise missing. That exercise? Face pulls. While it may have a funny name, it is one you will want to be including in your workout routine as it brings many advantages.

Let us take a closer look at what you stand to gain from this exercise and how to perform it correctly…

1. The Benefits Of Face Pulls. There are three main advantages face pulls have to offer. First, on the aesthetic side, they are going to help round out your shoulders, ensuring you get a complete look to your body.

If you only ever work the lateral and front delt, this can become problematic regarding the overall look you can obtain. You will get significant development in the front and side of your shoulders, but your rear shoulders will be severely lagging.

Face pulls help you avoid this.

Next, face pulls also contribute to adding strength to your shoulder region. These muscles are critical to strengthening as they are highly prone to injuries and if not taken care of, can become strained very quickly. Face pulls will help to work your rotator cuffs, helping you avoid injury.

Finally, they directly contribute to improving your strength. You will work your rear delts as well as your traps (trapezius muscles) when you perform them, both of which will then help out whenever you are doing back focused exercises in your workout routine.

2. Adding Face Pulls To Your Workout Routine. Now you see why you need to do face pulls, how do you perform them and add them to your protocol?

To perform a face pull, you will want to attach a rope to a mid-height cable pulley. Stand back with your arms extended on a slight diagonal. Hold the one handle with each hand and then bring the handles up, so they are in line with your face.

Your elbows should be flared out, and from there, you will pull the rope towards you, separating your hands, so each hand moves towards your face, in front of your ears. Direct the movement with your rear delts as much as possible, keeping your upper arms parallel to the ground.

Once this movement is complete, return the rope to the original starting position to finish the rep. This exercise can be incorporated into either your shoulder or back day – or both if you want to give those rear delts a workout.

Do not overlook this practice any longer. It is one you really must be doing as part of your overall exercise routine.

Posted in Workouts & Routines0 Comments

History of Strength and Conditioning Science

Early records of strength training date back to 3600 BC when Chinese emperors made their subjects exercise daily (Webster 1976). During the Chou Dynasty subjects were required to pass weight- lifting tests before entering the military. There is large amount of evidence that indicates weight training was part of life in ancient Greece and India. In fact, the Greeks built numerous sculptures of people lifting stone weights.

Numerous systems of training have been proposed over the years. The accumulation of experience and different philosophies has led us to the current training methods utilized today. Keep in mind; many authorities have varied greatly from the original purpose of strength and conditioning. Hard work and dedication formed the foundation of earlier training methods. Today the opposite has occurred in numerous settings as easy work and quick fixes form the foundation of most people’s regimens.

During the 16th century in Europe books on weight training began to surface. Sir Thomas Elyot’s book on the topic was published in England in 1531. Joachim Camerius, a lecturer at Leipzig University, wrote several books in 1544 recommending that weight training should be a key activity offered in the model school. John Paugh published a book in 1728 titled A Physiological, Theoretic and Practical Treatise on the Utility of Muscular Exercise for Restoring the Power to the limbs, which pointed out the benefits offered by weight training for rehab purposes. In the 1860’s, Archibald Maclaren, devised the first formal system of physical training with dumbbells and barbells for the British Army.

The showmen and strongman entertainers of the 19th Century heavily contributed to methods used today in the fitness and Sports Conditioning industry. From extensive research iron game historian David Webster credits Italian circus and fairground performer, Felice Napoli as the one who popularized strongman performances on an international scale. Disciples of Napoli include Professor Attila (Louis Durlacher) and Eugen Sandow (Frederick Muller). Attila became well known and he attracted some of the world’s most well known physical culturists and many rulers of Europe. His list of students included King George of Greece, King Edward of England, Crown Prince Frederick who became King Haakon of Norway, the six children of King Christian of Denmark, the Queen Mother Alexandra of England, Princess Dagmar (Empress of Russia and mother of Tsar Nicholas), and the Duchess of Cumberland.

At the time training the wealthy was a much respected occupation. We have what we call personal trainers today. The current protocols used by the majority of today’s trainers are a far cry from the original teachings and benefits provided by trainers. The fame and notoriety of trainers of those days was a result of the public displays of extraordinary physical feats. These events were often attended by royalty and were highly acclaimed for their promotion of physical well-being.

Eugen Sandow, born in Koningsberg in East Russia in 1867, was recruited for his teachings by presidents and rulers from around the world. Nine kings and queens and many princes of Europe, as well as US presidents William Taft and Woodrow Wilson endorsed Sandow’s book Life is Movement. Sandow was a successful strongman as well as a promoter of formal fitness and health management. He emphasized that physical education and sport should be an integral part of the school system. He also toured the world lecturing and promoting physical culture as a means of improving the quality of life.

Most authorities recognize Sandow, as one of the most important figures in the history of fitness, with the history of his work revealing that the modern phenomenon of science based fitness training is not a novel invention. Sandow promoted the importance of strength and skill as being the cornerstone of fitness. A half a century later Dr Kenneth Cooper proposed that being fit was primarily dependent on aerobic conditioning. Approximately 25 years later the important role of strength training has once again been recognized by the academia.

In Russia during the same period Vladislav Krayevsky founded the St Petersburg Amateur Weightlifting Society (1885). Many respected scientists, athletes; artists became his students, including famous strongman George Hackenschmidt, who credited Krayevsky for teaching him all he knew. Hackenschmidt mentioned in his book The Way To Live that some of the world’s strongest men of the era, including Sandow were trained using Krayevsky’s system.

Krayevsky’s work and the popularity of his students had a major effect on weightlifting in Russia. Not only was he a renowned teacher, but he also achieved significant numbers in barbell lifts himself. He was the president of the jury at the first world championships in Vienna in 1898.

Krayevsky wrote two of his fundamental works during the period of 1896-1899. The writings were titled The Catechism of Health-Rules for Athletes and The Development of Physical Strength with Kettlebells and without Kettlebells. The Catechism of Health-Rules for Athletes was sent to press December 9th 1899, but was never published and is now preserved in manuscript form. His other book was published in 1900 and reprinted three times (1902, 1909, 1916) after his death (1901).

Krayevsky was well studied on the history of physical culture and all forms of gymnastics. He was knowledgeable about Swedish gymnastics and noted its therapeutic benefits, but his concern with the lack of scientific data of the Swedish system led him to recruit experimentalists to research it.

Many of Krayevsky’s recommendations are still used today. His recommendations include medical control of an athlete’s health, consistent training and varying load patterns, full spectrum physical development, psychological development and avoidance of smoking and alcohol.

The early strength pioneers developed numerous devices in regards to strength training including cable machines, kettlebells, barbells, dumbbells, odd-shaped bars, thick grip bars, weighted boots, isolation machines and various throwing devices. Yet 50 years later there are numerous people who claim to have invented this machinery. In today’s industry there are many systems and people promoting their new systems, which are not really new at all.

The development of different scientific and educational cultures split the West and East as their promotion of physical activity was vaguely different. During the years following the World Wars Russia and Europe still continued to promote various elements of physical strength, power and skill while the West primarily promoted aerobics. Kenneth Cooper’s book Aerobics was popular at the time as well as Swedish endurance exercise research. According to Cooper and the Swedish researchers cardiac and general health depended primarily on prolonged endurance work. Supporters of the endurance doctrine heavily protested strength training. Cooper told the world strength training promoted a beautiful body but did nothing for health.

During the same period that the aerobics craze was running wild in the West Russians and Eastern Europeans accumulated extensive international information on strength and sports training while developing comprehensive educational programs to promote their findings. Most schools offered weightlifting and within a few decades there were approximately 1 million weightlifters in the USSR. Strength training became a key element in all sports training programs in the USSR while the attitude in the West was that weight training would slow athletes down and limit their range of motion. Consequently Russia dominated the Olympic Games, especially in Olympic Weightlifting, at the same time the aerobic doctrine became gospel in the West.

The Russian dominance has often been attributed to the use of anabolic-androgenic drugs, but the sporting use of these drugs was actually introduced in by the West first. It is probably more accurate to say that the Eastern nations dominated due to their special strength science and understanding of comprehensive sports conditioning. On the topic of drug usage no one uses more drugs than Pro bodybuilders, which are predominantly Americans.

In the West today the majority of gyms, trainers, academia and coaches are still ill informed when it comes to fitness and Sports Conditioning. The aerobic endurance crazes still dominates in most cases, yet this makes up a minor portion of fitness. All one needs to do is study the science and abundant evidence that supports the numerous health and fitness benefits of a proper strength-training program to realize its importance.

References

Siff, M.C (2000) Supertraining. Mel Siff.

Copyright 2005 Jamie Hale

Posted in Workouts & Routines0 Comments

Cardio Pilates – Are They Really That Good at Shaping Your Body?

It’s true Cardio palates are one of the best ways to is ways to lose weight and stay healthy. These workout routines help you shape your body by burning excess calories. Expensive personal trainers believe other than investing long hours in the gym combine the palate’s and cardiovascular exercises is one of the most efficient ways of burning calories in any environment.

Cardio Palates workouts provide better results when wanting to lose fat fast, this has been tested by fitness fanatics, dieters and health professionals while being scientifically monitored. A few cardiovascular exercise you may have heard of include running, jogging, cycling and dancing. They play a vital role in keeping your heart healthy and includes many other benefits.

Regular exercise keeps your body in good shape you will look good feel good and be healthy. It’s true that combining the core benefits of Palates and the powerful advantages of a cardiovascular workout produce high impact, fast acting, and amazing results.

Losing inches couldn’t be easier than when you combine cardio and Palates, this technique seriously helps you tone up. A Cardio Palates routine will last around one hour, which combines a high intensity Palate’s workout with a powerful cardiovascular stimulus.

This technique provides a full body workout, and goes beyond just a simple cardiovascular routine. Your muscles will be working harder, they will develop throughout each session following each session they will continue to heal and grow around another 24 hours. This means that not only do you get the initial calorie burn but it is also followed up by 24 hours of increased metabolic rate, thus burning more calories even when you’re sleeping.

Posted in Workouts & Routines0 Comments

14 Benefits of Rope Skipping!

Skipping sounds as an inexpensive and simple exercise that can be performed anywhere, either be at your home or a nearby park, you might even observe children skipping ropes on sidewalks. One you develop coordination between skipping and rope movement, you can skip for longer time without any miss.

1.Skipping rope can be beneficial in your exercise to lose weight. It is so effective in burning calories that an hour of skipping rope will make you burn up to 1000 calories.

2.The exercise is easy to learn, doesn’t need you to look for a guide or coach. The best thing about this activity is that once you start skipping, you learn very quickly and in no time you start skipping like a kid.

3.It’s inexpensive as you only need a rope.

4.It turns out to be fun when you start doing it with a friend or a group of friends.

5.It enhances your coordination and rhythm between hands and feet movements.

6.Strengthens your bones and increases your stamina and endurance.

7.When you practice it with your friends, it develops a sense of teamwork and social skills in you.

8.It makes you more vigilant and alert. It increases your attention skills.

9.It can be a healthy sport and competitions can be held for it all year round.

10.It can be exercised by people from any age groups and both genders.

11.Skipping enhances flexibility and athletic abilities. It improves your reflexes, balance and posture.

12.It tones your muscles in arms, legs and abs.

13.Without running it speeds your heart rate like that of a runner and so requires a lot of energy to maintain a good fitness point.

14.But skipping rope can be frustrating or boring as after missing a few jumps. Even if you have a good stamina and maintain a good coordination, you fail to skip for more than 2 minutes. This is because your calves and Achilles tendons are stressed when you keep skipping in the same pattern and when they sting you start missing.

So to skip without missing you have to keep changing from a single bounce to a double bounce or to a skip or a jog or a knee up. You should keep changing the skipping style after every 30 seconds to avoid fatigue. To avoid a miss you can even do side skipping or rotating rope without jumping. This can be to warm you up in the start or to avoid any halt during the sets.

Posted in Workouts & Routines0 Comments

/html