Category: General fitness (Page 11 of 15)

Test your strength with the Deadlift

March 16, 2009 / Anthony Stalter

Men?s Fitness.com put together a strength test using your one rep max for the deadlift exercise.

HOW IT’S DONE
Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, your toes facing straight ahead. Squat down and grab the bar with an outside-shoulder-width, palms-down grip [1]. Keep your lower back in its natural arch, and drive your heels into the fl oor and push your hips forward, lifting the bar as you rise until it’s in front of your thighs [2]. Reverse the motion and return the bar to the fl oor. That’s one rep.
THE TEST
Estimate your deadlift one-rep max?the most weight you can lift for one rep?and compare it to the calculations below.
Your 1RM (one-rep max) is…
? Less than your body weight = Damn, you’re weak
? 1.25 x your body weight = You’re average
? 1.5 x body weight = You’re pretty strong
? 2 x body weight = You’re a beast!
A 200-pound guy who can deadlift 300 pounds for one rep is pretty strong. If your number falls in the weak or average categories, see below for tips on how to bring it up.

Click here to see MF.com?s guide to deadlifting more weight.

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Interview with trainer to the pros, Ed Downs.

February 17, 2009 / Mike Furci

Ed developed the patented Downs Disc Fitness System, a training and exercise system. It is used and endorsed by professional athletes, the University of Miami basketball team, high schools around the country, rehab centers, pregnant women, and thousands of people with weight, type 2 diabetes and respiratory problems. Without corporate funding, Ed realizing his dream through self-financing (by asking clients to pay him in advance), taking out a second mortgage and the sweat equity of 14-hour days.

Here’s an excerpt from the interview:

BE: You?re actually training the natural form and function of how the body works.
ED: How the body works. How the body works my man. I love talking to somebody that understands what I?m talking about. Because sometimes it sounds so technical but it?s not really that technical.
BE: That?s kind of what attracted?you know when Stephanie gave me the e-mails and I started looking into your stuff, that?s what really attracted to me to your style of training. And there are some other coaches out there, not the same obviously but they have similar?they?re trying to accomplish the same goal. You?re taking, which actually in the lab is a fairly complex subject, and you?re making it very simple. You?re just doing what the body does.
ED: What it does. I mean, thank you. When we walk, you take your right foot forward and your left arm goes out. We don?t walk with your right foot forward and your right arm going at the same time; you would look goofy as hell. So we want to work in patterns of our natural movement. So I don?t care if I?m working with a lady or a man. A lady carrying a baby and getting ready to put it in her car seat; she?s kind of awkward when she?s reaching and bending down and they wonder why they twist their back. So I?ve got to be able to train their bodies to be able to move in unexpected movement, right?

Read the rest of the interview, HERE.

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Stay positive in the gym

February 10, 2009 / Anthony Stalter

When I first started seriously working out in the gym in college, I was fortunate enough to train with my roommate and one of my best friends, Jim. He?s easily one of the most positive guys I know and it was a pleasure to work out with him on a daily basis.

One of Jim?s theories when working out is to always keep things positive. In other words, don?t bitch, don?t look at the clock wondering when you?ll be done and no negative reinforcement when the other person was doing one on one battle with the weights.

Sometimes when I?m training now, I can still hear Jim say, ?Easy weight man ? you got this.?

One summer in between years at college, I went home and decided to work out with another friend of mine. (Jim and I lived in different states, so we couldn?t train together in the summer.) It was amazing the differences between he and Jim. Instead of, ?You got this weight ? no problem,? I heard, ?Come on you piece of shit ? this weight is defeating you.?

I asked my summer training partner why all the negative talk and he simply stated, ?Because I train better that way.? Hey, some people do train better when they?re partner is degrading them into pushing up the weight. Doesn?t make much sense to me, but hey, whatever knocks your skirt up, I guess.

I worked out with my friend for about a week and then told him I wouldn?t be making any more trips to the gym with him. His berating style sucked the life out of me and going to the gym every day became a chore. Remember that when you?re working out with your partner. I now work out with a friend that follows my routine and my instruction. I never use negative reinforcement with him and he has since said that working out is starting to become fun, even though it never was before. To me, keeping things positive, whether it be in the gym or life in general, is always the better way to go.

For more articles on negative reinforcement, check out this one by Men’s Fitness.com.

On a side note, congratulations to Jim and his new fianc? Autumn for recently deciding to tie the knot. They make a great couple and I know they have a lifetime of great things to come.

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Q&A with Mike Furci 2/4

February 4, 2009 / Anthony Stalter

In his latest question and answer session, Bullz-Eye.com Fitness Editor Mike Furci lays out the ground work to a sound diet and exercise plan, rehashes the definition of ?tone? with a reader and dispels a myth about exercising stunting your growth when you?re young.

Q: Hey Mike!
I was reading your posts on your website about how to lose love handles and I was very interested in your responses. Losing this extra weight around my waste is such a problem for me! Even though I am a very small girl I can?t seem to attain that hourglass figure — I feel like my midsection looks like a box. I was wondering if you had any advice for me concerning foods, exercises and things I need to eliminate. For instance, does alcohol really make you gain weight? Even when I do drink, I order Bacardi and Diet Coke. Recently I completely eliminated fast food, fried food and soda from my diet. Also, I don?t eat after 10 p.m., ever! But still feel like I see no results. Maybe you could set me up with the right foods to eat and when to eat them. Also what to stay away from and what I should work on at the gym to target this concern of mine. If you could get back to me I’d really appreciate it!

To read Mike?s answer, click here to read the entire Q&A article.

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Exercising with a cold

January 22, 2009 / Mike Furci

You’ve got a runny nose, coughing, sneezing and it’s hard to breath. You want to workout, but will it make your symptoms worse?

Two studies were published over a decade ago that showed results that surprised researchers. The studies showed no difference in symptoms between those who exercised and those who didn?t. And there was no difference in the duration of the colds between the two groups. When symptoms were assessed, in some cases those who exercised said they felt better.

The result of these studies are in no way meant to encourage people to train when they’re sick. The studies tested subjects who had head colds. One needs to be more cautious when dealing with a cold or other illness that produces fevers or other symptoms like chest congestion.

The rule of thumb is: If you have symptoms above the neck it?s OK to workout. Below the neck, forget it.

Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 1997
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 1998

Edit: In the third paragraph, the mistake “their” was changed to the correct “they’re”.

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