The Power Workout:
July 26, 2006
Scenario: I really want to get in shape, but I work all day and attend multimedia classes until 8:30. How do I find the time to exercise, and what are a few good exercises for beginners like me? Solution: Finding time to exercise is certainly a challenge. Even the most motivated among us suffer setbacks during our business’s busy season or when a new project is on the horizon. The key to fitting fitness into your busy day is to recognize that finding time isn’t the issue–it’s making time.
You may be surprised to hear that you can enjoy the benefits of a regular exercise program in as little as three hours per week.
The following routine shows you how:
Monday: Half-hour of jogging, biking (on hills) or other intense aerobic exercise you enjoy
Tuesday: Half-hour of strength training (squats, sit-ups and push-ups for beginners; weight training with machines or dumbbells for the more experienced)
Wednesday: Rest day
Thursday: Repeat Monday
Friday: Repeat Tuesday Saturday: One hour of exercise–any type of exercise. Go rollerblading with a friend, take the family to the hills for a hike or swim laps at the pool.
10 Ways to Increase Your Energy Instantly with a Golf Performance Diet
July 26, 2006
A golf conditioning program should always be accompanied by a solid golf nutrition plan. In essence, what you eat determines how you play. So, which foods produce champions and which foods hinder play? Let me give you a few hints.
It goes without saying that proper nutrition is important for all of us. But, if you are serious about shaving valuable strokes off your scorecard, you need to make some tough decisions on seeing your diet through. If you travel for golf, or play in frequent tournaments, it is important not to fall into the trap of ’settling’ for fast food or a quick bag of chips or chocolate bar. Make a commitment to use some or all of the following tips and your energy will reach new heights in your next round.
? Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Both of these are diuretics and cause fluid loss. They also both affect performance. Coffee can over stimulate your mind or your muscles, making your performance uncontrolled. Excessive consumption of alcohol severely affects your coordination.
? Avoid large amounts of food in the two hours leading up to tee time. Food in your digestive system diverts blood away from your brain and muscles, affecting concentration and physical performance. A meal two to three hours before play is preferred.
The Role Of Repetitions In Your Muscle Building Program
July 25, 2006
Repetitions are the basic building blocks of any strength or muscle building program but it is something that many lifters take for granted. How often do you see people at the gym speed through their reps, breathe haphazardly or fail to complete each rep correctly from a technical perspective? There is much more to the simple rep than meets the eye.
The first thing to note is that a repetition consists of three elements - namely lower, pause and lift. The speed at which this is achieved depends on the desired outcome, but to maximize muscle growth a slow, controlled tempo is required. The process should never be rushed, jerky or bouncy but instead should be controlled and smooth.
The second consideration relates to how many reps need to be performed. Once again, this depends on what you hope to achieve but you can use the following as a basic rule of thumb:
1. A single repetition maximum (1RM) increases muscle strength.
2. A six to eight repetition maximum increases muscle size.
3. A higher number of repetitions will have more effect on muscle endurance and little impact on size or strength.
Secret 7 Necessities for Great Golf
July 25, 2006
The game of golf can be difficult when you consider all of the individual elements. Most golfers are overwhelmed with information regarding which tips will benefit their game and which ones won’t.
The most important aspects of the golf swing and the game, in general, all revolve around the building of a strong and solid foundation for the body, the mind and the basics of an athletic swing. Each of the following concepts plays a critical role in your understanding of what creates a great round of golf as well as contributes to a lifetime enjoyment of the game.
Stamina
Golfers tend to ignore the cardiovascular component of golf. However, walkers cover an approximate walking distance of 4-5 miles each round. Even cart riders put in their fair share of walking depending on local cart rules, weather conditions and following errant shots. Poor cardiovascular conditioning can certainly have a negative impact on your game.
Stability
The most important rule in a golf conditioning program is to work and develop strength from the core region of the body outward. A strong trunk allows forces to be transferred effectively from the legs to the upper body. It also enables the body to withstand those forces without breakdown. Stabilization comes in many forms for the golfer including postural stabilization, trunk stabilization and joint stabilization.
Create Your Own Fitness Center with Home Exercise Equipment!
July 24, 2006
If joining a fitness center is not for you, and you’re not the outdoors-y type, home exercise equipment is a smart choice for staying fit. Before you buy, you should do your homework in order to prevent your new exercise machine from becoming an over-sized clothes hanger.
Before you spend your money, first consider your current exercise routine (if any). Variety in an exercise plan tends to keep you from getting bored and provides a good route to overall fitness. With this in mind, consider a fitness machine that provides a different type of benefit to what you are already doing or plan to do.
For example, if you walk 3 times a week, you may want to consider home exercise equipment that offers resistance training, such as a home gym.
Be wary of “fad” equipment and always check for a warranty. Anything that sounds too good to be true, usually is. You want to try to find home exercise equipment that works your whole body or major portions of your body for the best results.
Decide where your home exercise equipment will be located in your home and take measurements. You want to be sure the machine you are considering will fit the space you have available.
4 Exercises That Will Help You Change Your Body Faster Than Any Other Exercises You May Have Tried
July 24, 2006
1. Lunges with a barbell. Properly executed, this exercise is the king (or queen) of total body reshaping exercises.
2. Indoor Rock Climbing. No other exercise will work as many muscles (both large and small) at the same time than using a Computerized Indoor Rock Climbing Wall!
3. 100 Rep Squats ? while standing straight, in the squat position, holding either a pair or dumbbells at your sides or a light barbell across your shoulders (behind your neck) ? you slowly squat to parallel, without using any jerking motions. Then when standing back up, you refrain from locking out your legs at the top position. Repeating this sequence for as many times as you possible can, up to 100 reps. When you can perform 100 reps, you simply add more weight. If you need a break during the set of 100 reps ? for health reasons ? then take one ? but before then, once you get back up continue where you left off until you’ve performed 100 reps. This type of volume training drives a massive amount of oxygenated blood throughout your entire body improving your endurance, melting body fat, cleaning out your lymphatic system, and boosting your metabolism.
A Beginning History of Old School Jujutsu - Part 1
July 23, 2006
Over the next couple of day’s I will writing an article of the history of Pre-WWII Japanese Jujitsu/Judo. I wasn’t sure where to start, but here I am so let’s get started.
I’m going to start with H. Irving Hancock, who in the early 1900’s wrote several books on the history of Japanese physical training & Jujitsu. I will start with his book Japanese Physical Training written in 1903.
“Subsequently he studied in Nagasaki, under Inouye San, instructor of Jiu-jitsu in the police department of that city”.
This was the first time I heard of Inouye. Now if we look at Hancock’s other book Jiu-jitsu Combat Tricks written a year later in 1904:
“Exponents of the Tenjin School of jiu-jitsu have developed in all its possible perfection a style of stopping the boxer’s blow that cannot be surpassed for neatness of execution, effectiveness and swiftness. It is a feat that applies only to stopping a left-hand blow by the boxer.”
Before leaving this book, the reason for the above two quotes are:
1.) The mentioning of Inouye, the jujitsu instructor of the Nagasaki police dept.
2.) The mention of the system “Tenjin/Tenshin”
How A Simple Golf Stretch Can Add 20 Yards To Your Drives
July 23, 2006
To quickly improve your golf, stretch your golf muscles regularly!
What’s the difference between a "golf stretch" and an everyday stretch? The answer to this question may be your missling link to a great game and years of enjoyment instead of frustration and weak attempts at quitting the game.
I know?you’ve considered it! I’ve been there many times. But the bottom line?we keep coming back!
So to end the years of frustration and quickly transform your game, you need to do golf stretches daily. Yes, that’s right?daily!
It will only take you a few minutes to get them done, but the improvement in your game will be quick and dramatic. The return on this investment (of time) is well worth it.
Now which stretches to do to get the quickest return?
That’s a personal issue. Everyone has different limitations. Some are backswing related, others are follow through or even maintaining your golf posture.
Below I’m going to list a couple of golf stretches that will help you prevent back pain and increase your backswing range of motion for longer drives.
The first golf stretch is the Lying Leg Crossover:
What Causes Muscle Growth?
July 22, 2006
In order for muscles to grow, three things are required:
1. Stimulus - exercise is needed to make the muscles work, use energy and cause microscopic damage to the fibers.
2. Nutrition - after intense exercise the muscles need to replenish their stores of fuel.
3. Rest - it is during the rest or recovery phase that the muscles repair the microscopic damage and grow.
Muscle size increases due to hypertrophic adaptation and an increase in the cross section area of individual muscle fibers. Intensive exercise impacts more on the strength influencing fast twitch type II fibers, therefore the increase in muscle size is accompanied by greater strength.
This will deplete the muscle’s energy stores and cause microscopic damage to the muscle tissue. During recovery, these stores of glycogen and phosphocreatine will replenish from carbohydrates and creatine ingested as food or supplements. Amino acids supplied in the diet will trigger the protein synthesis that repairs the damaged muscle and lead to the creation of bigger muscle fibers.
To achieve continuous improvement you will need to keep reaching for higher levels of training intensity otherwise the improvement process will grind to a halt. Fortunately, this is relatively easy to plan for provided certain basic principles and rules are clearly followed. Subsequent articles in this series will examine these principles in detail.
3 Myths About Golf Conditioning
July 22, 2006
Golf has always been viewed as a game of leisure. But today’s golfer is leaner, stronger, and fitter. Until the last few years, golfers didn’t know how to go about incorporating exercise or, specifically, a golf conditioning program.
They have had a vision of going into the local gym and being intimidated by the “muscle heads.” It can also be overwhelming to decide what plan of action to take and if it will be worth the time and effort. I have listed three myths about strength training for golf and the truths about them as well.
“I will bulk up too much and that will hinder my golf swing.”
Golf conditioning specific for golf will not result in muscle gain that will alter your swing mechanics. To increase muscle size, involves lifting increasingly heavier weights with lower repetitions, increasing your calorie intake dramatically, and spending a couple of hours per day lifting weights.
A golf conditioning program incorporates moderate weight, with medium (12-15) repetitions, and in a time frame of 30-45 minutes. This type of program is designed to improve your golf specific strength and endurance, not build muscle.
“I will lose flexibility if I lift weights.”
