Category: Exercise (Page 18 of 34)

      A golfers edge, strength training

      April 15, 2010 /

      You would think as fanatical as golfers are, seemingly willing to do just about anything to improve their game, they would be more than interested in strength training. The fact is however, the vast majority of golfers are still not taking advantage of this inexpensive tool that would not only improve their game, but improve their health.

      Golfing is not an inexpensive sport. And golfers spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on equipment alone in an effort to gain an edge on the course. The fact of the matter is, given the choice between expensive equipment and hard work coupled with strength training, I’ll take hard work coupled with strength training every time.

      I you’re going to spend the money on equipment and lessons, why not make sure your physically at your best so you not only can truly take advantage of your expense, but help ensure a long career. The following is an article, “Strength training: Is it the newest edge for golf“I wrote over a decade ago and is as pertinent today.

      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      Exercise, General fitness, General training, Sports Health and Fitness, Weight training, Workout programs, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

      Carbohydrate loading

      February 25, 2010 /

      When most think of carbohydrate loading, the classic method of low carb consumption coupled with bouts high intensity exercise followed by a high intake of carbs a few days before competition comes to mind. The result, according to the theory, is super-compensation of glycogen storage in the muscle cells and liver. The theory holds that one must deplete their glycogen stores prior to consuming or loading carbs in order to facilitate super-compensation.

      The average person’s total amount of muscle glycogen is approximately 300 – 500g depending on their gender, size, and level of training. The liver stores between 60 and 120g. A linear relationship exists between the depletion of muscle glycogen and fatigue during exercise. With less glycogen to produce glucose, hypoglycemia begins to affect the athlete. Typically, a person with a blood glucose level below 70 will start to feel light headed, lethargy, and have cold clammy skin. A highly trained athlete, on the other hand, can train at much lower levels than 70 for long periods of time.

      As with all training topics there is conflicting evidence on what is the best method to achieve super-compensation of glycogen stores. studies are reporting similar results to the classic method, which so many athletes swear by, without carb depletion, while tapering their training (1,2,3). One thing is for sure, carbohydrate levels play a key role in training and competition success.

      In order to figure out what works best for you, try different methods and keep a detailed journal. We all process carbs the same way, but we metabolize them at different rates. Keep mind, studies on training are by no means the end all be all. There are too many variables in most training studies to be reliable. Athletes, especially endurance athletes are over-trained. It is my opinion that athletes who are achieving super-compensation without depletion coupled with bouts of intense training, are doing so because they are over-trained and under-fed before starting the process.

      The body is constantly working to stay in homeostasis. Physiology shows us glycogen storage is finite; the body needs a reason to super-compensate. Achieving a glycogen depleted state over a period of time produces an insulin sensitive environment, which is essential for more than normal levels of glycogen storage.

      1. Eur J Appl Physiol 2002;87:290-295
      2. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2003;285:E1304-E1311
      3. Int J Sports Med 1981;2:114-118

      Diets, Endurance, Exercise, Nutrition, Running, Swimming, Weight training, Workout programs, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

      High intensity or high volume?

      January 18, 2010 /

      The question, “What’s best workout for building strength and muscle?” has been the subject of heated debates for years.? My answer is always the same.? There is no one workout that is the best.? There is no one workout that works for all.? However, there are training principles that do apply to everybody.

      Anatomically and physiologically we are identical.? A bicep is a bicep and has the exact same function from person to person.? An aorta is an aorta.? Our anatomical structures may have different shapes and sizes, but they all function the same.? This holds true for all tissues in our bodies from blood to hormones.? If this weren’t true medicine could not exist.? How could an anesthesiologist do his job if everybody were different?

      Therefore, in order to get bigger, stronger muscles the same stimulus is needed.? That stimulus is short, intense training sessions.? Why short?? Because we have known for centuries the body can either train long or train hard.? A perfect example is to compare distance runners to sprinters.? Because of the types of training, one is emaciated looking and one is muscular.? Remember you can not sprint a mile.? Is it difficult to run a mile, yes?? But it is essentially impossible to run a mile with 100% intensity.

      The other factor one needs to take into consideration for building bigger, stronger muscles is recovery.? How much or how often can you train?? Or better yet, how much “should” you train?? Here is where the differences in genetics lie.? Our muscles need the exact same stimulus in order to cause a chain of events that forces them to adapt by making bigger stronger muscles.? However, the rate at which we are able to recover from these intense bouts is as different as the shapes and sizes of our bodies.

      So what are you to do?? If you’re training using the typical muscle building routine, which is 3 or more working sets per exercise and 4 or more sessions a week, and not getting anywhere, change it.? First, reduce your sets per exercise by half and only train each body part once a week.? If you still don’t make gains or you plateau after a short while, reduce your sets again.? Remember, if you’re training with 100% intensity and you’re not making gains, you’re not recovering.

      More is only better when it comes to sex and money.????????

      Arms, Back, Bodybuilding, Chest, General training, Legs, Power lifting, Weight training, Workout programs, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

      The Businesswoman: Managing your fitness and diet on a tight schedule

      January 11, 2010 /

      Managing health is very important, especially for women as they are more prone to diseases with increasing years. In today?s modern world, when there is hardly much difference in professional lives of men and women, we can see a number of businesswomen, who are single-handedly managing their businesses and running them in an excellent way. But with their busy schedule, they cannot find enough time to spend on health, and are looking for some ways to manage their fitness while running on a tight schedule.

      There are some easy ways for today?s businesswomen to keep in shape:

      Walk: Give your car some rest and walk to the store to buy your groceries. And no! No Internet grocery shopping. With ?all the comfort of buying groceries at home,? it gets a bit too comfortable, and plays havoc with health.

      Stairs: Next time, use the stairs to go to your office and apartment, instead of using the elevator. Yes, it?s a little huff and puff, but certainly good for your health.

      Diet: Stick to a healthy diet, and eat less of fats, and lay more stress on the veggies.

      Weight loss prescription: For women on busy schedule, there are a number of drugs available that can help you reduce your weight, and lower the blood pressure that builds up due to incompetent employees or a vicious boss. But make sure you take only the right drug- one with no side effects. One such drug is Xenical. It reduces weight, brings down blood pressure, and also reduces the amount of anti-diabetic medicine (in case you are taking).

      You can try these techniques to lose weight and stay fit.

      Exercise, Nutrition

      Time equals muscle

      January 10, 2010 /

      A highly overlooked, but very useful tool for progressive resistance training is – Tempo. I will even go one step further and call tempo an essential tool for attaining optimum results from weight training. Yes, it’s true one can attain results performing reps just like every other hack in the gym, but I’m talking about optimum results.

      If you’re going to spend the time in the gym, why not get the most out of it. The biggest reason most people who weight train don’t use tools like tempo is shear laziness. Performing a set to momentary failure, to the point where you can’t possibly get another rep is grueling. Few people have what it takes to train correctly, achieving 100% intensity. Hence, the legions of frustrated people in gyms across the US. Like any endeavor, doing your best takes hard work, focus and dedication.

      So what is tempo? Tempo goes hand in hand with “time under tension” or TUT. TUT is simply the amount of time a muscle in under tension. To develop the optimum amount of muscle in the shortest amount of time, a set should last between 20 and 60 seconds.

      Tempo is the speed of your reps. It is expressed and recorded by three or four digit numbers representing the seconds required to complete a rep. Example: 402 (four, zero, two) or 50X0 (five, zero, explosive, zero). Using the bench press, the first digit is the speed in which the weight is lowered (negative). The second digit is the amount of time one pauses once they’ve reached their chest. The third digit is the amount of time one takes to raise the weight (positive). The forth digit, if used, is the amount of time one takes before lowering the weight again. If an “X” is used, it means explosive, or as fast as possible.

      Designing Your Workouts

      Is it really necessary to count each rep in order to build strength and muscle? No. Is it necessary to lift under control and to vary your speeds to get the best most rapid gains per your genetics? Yes. When you perform an exercise under control, the muscles are truly doing the work. ?Slower?, not ?slow? speeds make the muscles work harder by eliminating momentum and bouncing. There?s nothing impressive about performing a bench press by allowing the weight to drop, bounce off your chest and then barely being able to complete the lift.

      If tempo is used properly, the target muscle group is truly performing the exercise. Tempo forces one to lift in a very controlled manner, but like any training tool it should be used as an adjunct to your weight training program.

      Abs, Arms, Back, Bodybuilding, Chest, Exercise, General training, Legs, Neck, Power lifting, Specific workouts, Weight training, Workout programs, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 BottomLineFitness.com

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑