Fitness. Strength. Nutrition.
Posts tagged exercise
No Equipment? No Excuses: 20 Exercises You Can Do At Home
Jul 2nd
- No gym,
- No weights,
- No equipment.
Can a decent workout be done? Yes
Is it ideal? No
There is always a time when you can’t get to the gym, or don’t have the hour or two to get there do the workout and get home. If you haven’t set your own home gym up, there is still a lot you can do. You won’t get you the gains that you will get from going to the gym, lifting weights and completing your full program, but they certainly aren’t easy, and will at least help you maintain your work, and take no time at all…which means no excuses.
Eccentric: Hammer Your Hamstrings
Mar 31st
Hamstrings can become the forgotten muscle. They aren’t the sexiest muscle and in a lot of programs they don’t get enough devotion. So, how do we get more bang for our buck and hit those annoying hamstrings harder? With eccentric exercises of course.
What Is Eccentric Exercise?
There are two types of muscle contractions.
- Concentric contraction occurs when the muscle is shortening.
- Eccentric contraction occurs when the muscle is lengthening.
The best way to picture this is doing a bicep curl. When you bring the weight up, you are performing a concentric contraction, when you lower the weight; your biceps are working eccentrically to lower the weight with control.
Fascia Part 2: Where Is The Problem?
Mar 13th
Everywhere. I could leave that one word as this whole past and I would have answered my somewhat useless question correctly. After reading Part 1, you will now be knowledgeable enough on this topic to understand that your fascia connects right through your body. One thing goes wrong, many things go wrong. However, seeing as I am writing a post on where the problems lie, I’m going to answer my own question.
Fascia Part 1: An Important Piece Of The Pain Puzzle
Mar 6th
Things hurt sometimes. You get pains and aches. It’s ok, because generally you can fix it. However, sometimes the issue may not be so simple. Got hamstring problems? How about tight calves? Get constant pain in your arches? Back get sore occasionally? All these problems can be, and often are related to fascia. What in the world is Fascia? Read on…this 3 part series will tell you all you need to know about this important piece of the pain puzzle. Part 1 is going to cover what fascia is, how it becomes tight and why it causes you pain. Problems and solutions come in the next two parts. I am a firm believer in understanding a concept makes it easier to apply.
Mobility Vs Flexibility: Do You Understand Them?
Jan 31st
Mobility and Flexibility are two terms you hear used frequently, and often at the same time. Both are very important, but they are two very different concepts. Mobility is the new term that gets thrown around a lot, but with very little understanding of what it actually is…
Flexibility and Mobility: What Is The Difference?
Flexibility is the ability to take a joint through a range of motion passively. For example, if someone takes you through a hamstring stretch whilst you are lying on your back, it is a test of your hamstring flexibility. They are passively assisting you in taking your joint through its range of motion.
Isolation Exercises: You Still Need Them
Jan 28th
The fitness world is starting to come around now. There is still a lot of crap out there, but better concepts are becoming much more prevalent. There are myths floating around the fitness world that just never seem to be totally abolished. On the other hand, there are many incidents where certain theories or practices are being completely wiped out because there is thought to be a better practice. We are in an industry of extremes. It’s either one way or another. Me? I like to sit on the fence sometimes…Compound and Isolation Exercises
Overhead Squat: The Ultimate Exercise?
Jan 21st
This question is always asked, if you could only do one exercise in the gym, what would it be? Well I think that is an extremely stupid question and I am not going to answer it. But, I’m going to tell you about one of my favourites, the Overhead Squat. Want a great warm up exercise that doubles as a killer strength manoeuvre? To simply look at this exercise you know it’s good for you. You get strength, co-ordination, balance, flexibility, range of motion, and a big workout…all in one.
What Is This So Called Ultimate Exercise?
Soreness Post Workout: Let Your Body Heal
Jan 4th
Everyone has felt the pain of doing a hard workout. You are tight, you can’t move, going to the toilet is excruciating, and you can’t even think about working out again within the next week. You stretch, doesn’t help. You go to the pool, doesn’t help. There is a view out there that taking some anti-inflammatory drugs will help ease the pain. Is that a good idea? Absolutely not.What Is The Pain?
Recover Properly & Get More Gains
Jan 2nd
Hydrotherapy, Ice Baths, Hot/ Cold Showers, Compressions…when you hear all these words you immediately think of athletes. Recovery is an essential part of an athletes training. It allows them to train harder, more frequently, and get better gains. Recovery is scheduled into most athletes week, and it is just as important as one of their main training sessions. If athletes can get such a great benefit from recovery, then why can’t you?Why Is Recovery So Beneficial?
Jessica Biel: How To Get Her Body
Dec 29th
Pic: Muscle With Attitude
We all want to know how to get a body like the stars. In Jessica Biels case it is shear hard work. Here is an inside look at her program (for a certain phase), taken from Muscle With Attitude. You can view the full post, an interview with Jessica Biels Trainer here.
Her program revolves around core body strength and a lot of compound exercises. The cardio isn;t that easy either. It is generally circuit based, and to be honest, would challenge even the fittest. Goes to show even the rich and famous need to work hard to get the body they need. Check out an example of a program from her trainer below.
Are You A Slacker In Class?
Dec 27th
Pic: lnx
Recently I did a circuit/ aerobics class. I’ll be honest, I can’t say I get around to doing them much. For no other reason than I simply don’t have time. I am an athlete, and my training revolves around things that are going to make me a better athlete. There are more efficient things that can be done.
I think they are great workouts, and have a place in the fitness industry. You get a full body workout, in a short amount of time, with someone motivating you. Sounds good to me.
Fads: Don’t Be Dazzled By Your Trainer
Dec 26th
Pic: Darren131
Have you been hanging off one leg, from a tree, holding a swiss ball, ranting some motivational mantra whilst doing a reverse ab curl. Or have you jumped single legged from an unstable bench, onto a swiss ball, commando roll into a Pump class whilst doing a single arm pull with a theraband. OK OK not funny and totally unnecessary…but you get my point?
Tight Hips? Tips To Loosen Your Hip Flexors
Dec 24th
What’s long and hard and as stiff as a plank of wood? Get your mind out of the gutter…I’m talking about your hip flexors. Tight Hip Flexors can be a big problem, and so easy to get. In a previous post, Pain At The Desk, we saw how sitting down affects your hip flexors. I know when I sit at the computer too long, I tighten up very quickly, and after a long flight from Down Under to Europe I’m as tight as a drum.
Where Are Your Hip Flexors?
Don’t Be A Fool, Stay In Front
Dec 22nd
Pic: GreenBeanPrime
I walk into gyms all over the world and see people ripping that bar down behind their neck during Lat pull downs. If it weren’t for my superior self-control, the fitness trainer at that club would have that exact bar knocking ever so gently against their head as a quiet little reminder.
You may have been told that you should do it in front of your head, but not been given an explanation as to why…and besides, it doesn’t hurt you, and you’ve also been told that it targets your Lats better if you do it behind your neck. So…
No Time to Exercise? Cut Your Workout in Half
Dec 21st
Exercise is on your list of priorities…just maybe a little further down than it needs to be. You have so many things to do in a day how can you possibly fit exercise in? Once your schedule gets a little lighter you’ll be laughing you way to good health, right?
Lack of time is one of the biggest reasons people cite for not participating in exercise. Besides the fact that there are a million things you can do at home or at work, there are a few ways to cut your workout time down in the gym, but still get the benefits of your long workout.
Sauna: Heating Up Good For Your Health?
Dec 20th
Taking a sauna is a popular practice around the world, especially here in Europe. Yesterday I had a sauna. I can’t say that it’s something I do very often, I dislike sitting in a hot room dripping sweat and struggling to breathe. I got a call from one of my teammates, didn’t have much else to do and thought, why not? Now I’m from Australia, and yes, we have saunas. They differ slightly from those in good old Deutschland. Here, saunas are taken quite liberally, no swimsuit. It’s a unisex theme, both in the sauna, in the shower area for the sauna, and in the relaxation area. Oh well, you have to embrace the culture right? Anyway, my sauna yesterday inspired my post today. After sweating it out, and boy am I an efficient sweater, then a cold shower, a little lie down…repeat this process three times, I have to say, I felt pretty refreshed and relaxed.
Pain at the Desk? Ditch the Bench.
Dec 19th
Sitting at a desk all day at work is bad for you. But hey, what can we do about it, we need to work. I get that. What really bothers me is seeing people at the gym making their problems worse.
Its pretty common for people to go to the gym and jump on a bike for a bit of a warm up, do a few sets of bench, some curls, bit of leg press, maybe stretch your hammys at the end and get out of there. OK it’s not always like that but you get the picture.
Fat Burning Zone Goes Bust
Dec 18th
Don’t get me wrong, I see the logic, you want to lose fat, you gotta burn it. However it really does amaze me that this myth is still ripe in the fitness industry. It scares me is that there is a lot of trainers who are still peddling this line to their clients.
