The Health Risks Associated With The Use Of Anabolic Steroids
August 26, 2006
Anabolic steroids are classed as illegal drugs and are banned by most legitimate sports organizations. There can be no disputing the fact that testosterone boosts the development of muscle mass and aids sporting performance. Equally there is no doubt that its use can adversely affect the health and wellbeing of users.
The androgenic properties of testosterone can affect the body in many ways but often users see these as inconveniences that can be treated by using other drugs. The most common side effects of testosterone supplementation include the following:
1. Testicle shrinkage - the body responds to testosterone overload by reducing its own production of the hormone. This causes the testicles to shrink due to lack of use. When steroid usage stops, the testicles will grow again but they could take at least six months to return to normal size.
2. Addiction - despite some users trying to convince themselves otherwise, the use of steroids can result in physical and psychological addiction. Withdrawal symptoms can be severe with muscle shrinkage, weakness and loss of libido.
Golf Course History - You Could Play On The Worlds Oldest Golf Course
August 26, 2006
The oldest golf course in the world…
If I asked you where the oldest golf course in the world was what would you say? Scotland ? yes, good guess so far. But where in Scotland?
When pressed most golfers eventually say St Andrews, but they’re wrong. Golf was played at Musselburgh near Edinburgh at least ten years before any recorded games at St Andrews. Local records suggest that golf was played on the links land near the shore at Musselburgh from around the year 1567.
The "old course" in Musselburgh is still there today and retains much of its original layout. It has nine holes and the golf course can be played by all comers. Seven of the old course holes were laid out before 1830 (and probably much earlier) and the two "new holes" were added in the mid 1800’s.
The British Open golf tournament was held at Musselburgh on five occasions between 1874 and 1889 and the first ever golf competition for women was played on the old course in 1811. The club members still compete for the Old Club Cup, which dates back to 1774.
Exercise: Why YOU Should Do It
August 25, 2006
Hundreds of Thousands of Americans spend millions of dollars each year on diet pills, “magical” exercise devices, and misrepresented health and fitness products, when in all actuality a good set of dumbbells and a brisk walk may be all you need to get in better shape than you’ve ever been in.
What can you do with nothing but a set of dumbbells, you ask? Provide resistance to your body’s movements - also known as weight lifting. That’s all weight lifting is - resistance. The terms “weight lifting” and “resistance training” have become one in the same because they are describing the same activity - moving your body under more resistance than it normally has to handle.
In fact, you’ve just stumbled upon the basic secret of exercise in general! Whether you are talking about resistance training, Pilates, Yoga, cardiovascular activities, or any other form of exercise, all of these programs have one thing in common - performing more activity than you would get sitting on the couch. WHY should you exercise, though?
Golf Holiday - Plan Your Holiday Golf or Your Ireland Golf Vacation
August 25, 2006
Try Ireland for a golf holiday full of emerald green magic!
Ireland is, without doubt, one of the world’s friendliest countries. If you take a golf holiday in Ireland then you are certain to return home with memories to treasure for the rest of your golfing days.
The Irish landscape is full of history and steeped in legend - and it has a truly magical and mysterious quality that you simply don’t find elsewhere in the world. Each little village will bewitch you with tales of it’s past - while entertaining you richly with its beers, whiskies and food. This is hospitality at its simplest and best. Your golf holiday in Ireland will be truly unique.
Holiday golf in Ireland lets you choose from some of the world’s best links courses and the softest, lushest inland fairways and greens. No excuses then! This really is the place to make all your golf holiday dreams come true.
Are You Frustrated Yet?
August 24, 2006
I was talking to a parent recently and they told me that their son was not going to compete in wrestling because they were afraid they would get frustrated when he lost. The parent felt the child was far too sensitive to handle the frustration of failure and may get ‘burnt out’. My response was, "What will they do when they get frustrated in life?" What happens when that kid has got to suck it up and go forward when it REALLY counts? Being a new parent, my daughter is 2 and I have another on the way, I only want the best for my child. What parent doesn’t? It’s obvious this parent I mentioned loves their child, but that’s not the issue. The issue is what’s best for everyone involved. What this child is being taught is to quit when things get tough. In an effort to protect the child, the parent winds up doing a disservice to the child. The result is undermining the ultimate goal- the training of the child.
Life is training
Is A Treadmill The Best Exercise Equipment For You?
August 24, 2006
The #1 fear people have when buying a treadmill is that they won’t use it. (That’s the #1 fear when buying any piece of exercise equipment).
They know that a treadmill can help them lose weight, get fit, burn extra calories and reach their fitness goals.
But that’s only if you use it. A treadmill is a large investment to make and you want to be sure that it is the right piece of exercise equipment for your needs.
How do you know if a treadmill is the best piece of exercise equipment for you? How do you know if it’s suitable for the kind of exercise that fits your lifestyle?
If you’re thinking about buying a treadmill, here are 3 ways to tell if a treadmill is the right piece of exercise equipment for you:
#1 Do you prefer to exercise alone or in groups?
Walking on a treadmill is not a group activity (it could be - but that’s a little dangerous). If you prefer to exercise with other people, say for example in a group sports situation, a treadmill might not be the best choice for you.
The Facts About Anabolic Steroids
August 23, 2006
Anyone involved in the world of bodybuilding, and competitive sport generally, will understand the pressures that go with striving to achieve optimal performance. Sometimes athletes feel they cannot reach their peak without artificially enhancing their powers of recovery from intensive training. One way to speed up this process is through the use of anabolic steroids. In this article we’ll examine what anabolic steroids actually do. In a second article we’ll focus on the dangers associated with steroid use.
The main active ingredient in steroids is testosterone which is well known as the major male hormone. Testosterone affects the body in two ways, either as an anabolic or an androgenic influence. The anabolic action helps build body tissue by increasing lean muscle mass and bone density. The androgenic actions are those that affect secondary sex characteristics in men.
In recent years research has provided some interesting information in relation to testosterone:
1. It affects muscle size through muscle fiber hypertrophy with an increase in the cross-sectional area of muscle fiber.
2. It takes a dose of at least 300 milligrams of testosterone to raise the body’s level above normal.
3. It acts directly on the muscle itself.
Golf Information Overload?
August 23, 2006
You’ve come home from work dead tired. You grab the mail on your way in and notice your new copy of your favorite golfing magazine is in the pile. It puts a slight smile on your face as a picture of you on a couch with an adult beverage suddenly pops into your mind. After getting into your evening uniform (sweats and slippers) you make your way to your favorite reclining device with that drink and a snack in hand to make that vision on the couch a reality. You get all settled with the TV on for background and you finally enter the "Jell Zone" to enjoy that golf magazine and your well-deserved relaxation period.
You go straight to the table of contents to see what is the most interesting article and there it is, swing advice from the winner of the last major tournament. "This is just what I need," you say to yourself as you flip to the correct page knowing that your club tournament is 2 months away.
People Walking: How Some People Enjoy Their Exercise Walking
August 22, 2006
People walking regularly for exercise often walk for more than just that. They are those who have found their sweet spot in walking.
When exercise begins to feel more like enjoyment, you can bet the person who walks will sustain the program against all odds — and lose weight successfully.
It’s such an obvious thing to make your walking exercise enjoyable for greater motivation. Yet so many people walking go out of their way to make it feel like a chore, if only to feel as if they are doing a mighty lot for weight reduction.
How do you add variety and fun? Here are some suggestions that have come to me from persisting "walkers":
* Walk with a friend
* Pick nice destinations or road loops
* Walk at sunrise or sunset ?- enjoy the view
* Walk at busy hour if you love looking at people
* Have fun building a "walking wardrobe"
* Wear a pedometer for the thrill of it
* Walk in a totally new neighborhood
* Take the postman’s beat, or the policeman’s beat
* Walk along the shoreline
Golf Humor Poetry:- Ode To The Fanatical Golfer. (Part Two)
August 22, 2006
He’s not eager to reveal his handicap; Around the truth he would often tap. They told him his game was taking a nap; That it never showed up; it needed a map!
Of his golf apparel he was Oh so proud! But people thought it was just too ‘loud’. Often suggesting it needed a shroud; This caused a fight; a rolling dust cloud!
To his heart, golf was the key. It was on the green his soul felt free. He could hardly await the time for ‘tee’; But club dues must be paid; this ride’s got a fee.
Once in a blue moon he made a birdey; Though he knew much about golf (a little nerdy). About to tee off- his feet stood sturdy; But only took up a divot–brown and verde.
It didn’t take long for his eyes to in-take; The path of the ball; the flight it must make. “Easy!”, he thought. “This is gonna be cake!” But the fish all braced for it’s entry into the lake.
In secret, the rules he would often bend; From his mind, a rationalization he would lend. To him, the means justified the end; Like the fiercest warrior, his handicap must he defend.
