Folding Vs. Non-Folding Treadmills - Whats the Real Difference?
August 21, 2006
Most people buying a treadmill will be probably be faced with the choice: “Do I want a folding or non-folding treadmill?”
Folding treadmills (also called fold-up, foldable and fold-away) are a popular choice among treadmill buyers.
But apart from the obvious reason to choose a folding treadmill (to save space) - what are the REAL differences between a folding vs. non-folding treadmill? Here’s a quick overview:
The main advantages to choosing a folding treadmill are:
- you save space - if you have a small home gym or space is at a premium, folding your treadmill up and/or wheeling it out of sight is a great option to have
- it makes cleaning easier - just fold it up and you can vacuum or clean the floor area under the treadmill easily
Because of these advantages, having a treadmill that folds is often seen as just another added feature to the treadmill - like an extra water bottle holder or a pair of handweights.
However there are also distinct advantages to buying a non-folding treadmill that might make you think twice before purchasing one that folds.
Increase Your Training Intensity - Partial Repetitions
August 21, 2006
You can only build muscle tissue if you can generate progressively stronger muscular contractions, so this calls for an emphasis on finding ways to increase exercise intensity. This should not be confused with exercise duration as maximum training intensity will actually shorten the time needed to achieve maximal muscular growth.
In an earlier article I outlined the ways in which you can intensify your training. Here we’ll focus on the role that partial repetitions have to play in intensifying the training effect.
One of the biggest dangers confronting serious bodybuilders is the tendency to overtrain. Bodybuilders at the advanced level must resist the temptation to seek improvement by simply adding more exercises or extra workouts to an already demanding schedule.
One way to maintain progress yet avoid overtraining is to make constructive use of partial repetitions. This allows the introduction of additional intensity without adding significantly to the duration of training. To get the most out of partial repetitions you should follow these simple steps:
1. Use a much heavier weight than you would for the full range version of the same exercise.
2. Perform partial reps only from the halfway stage or mid-point of the exercise.
Golf Humor Poetry:- Ode to the Fanatical Golfer (Part One)
August 20, 2006
He wanted golf to be experienced by all, And hoped his daughter would heed the call. “C’mon!”, he said. “You’ll have a ball!” “Why?”, she asked. “Are we going to the mall?”
He’d often take his golf cart to work, And all his co-workers there would smirk. He didn’t know why, and thought, “They’re jerks!” “How could they belittle such a perk?!”
His swing was big and grand, yet dopey, He cried and cried when he made a bogey. Kids thought, “What’s wrong with this old fogey?” He thought, “I’m not old. I sport a goatee.”
He loved his old and tattered bag, His caddie thought it was such a drag. But he hated more “golf cart tag”, The golfer played with him, when he didn’t move the flag!
Forever chasing the elusive par, He’d hit the ball straight and far. In the traps, his ball seemed stuck to tar! He’d still be there, when “parking” had narrey a car!
He loved the smell of the “fresh-cut green”, But to him it proved such a fiend. It’s favor to him, was always lean! Despite it’s beauty, it could be so mean!
Doing vs. Performing: The Difference Between Exercising and Getting Results
August 20, 2006
Back when I was young and living on my parents’ farm, there always seemed to be plenty of tasks that were reserved for the low man on the totem pole. And you guessed it. That low man was me. Picking up and piling sticks seemed to be one of my dad’s favorite tasks for me, and quite frankly, it was one of my least desired jobs to do. Funny how that works. Anyway, every time my dad would tell me to go out and complete one of these undesirable tasks, I would respond with the requisite whining, complaining, and carrying-on that usually comes from a young person who is having to do something he/she doesn’t want to do. Nonetheless, I would slump off and begin my task, usually in a half-assed manner. Then I would rush in and tell my dad I had completed my task. He would go out, check it, and 9 times out of 10, he would make me go back and redo, complete, or what-have-you some of aspect of my job. He would always tell me, "It is much easier to do it right the first time.” This is a lesson that did not sink in until some years later. Now, however, I fully embrace my father’s philosophy, in part, because on a daily basis I see the same issues/attitudes I had as a young person showing up in how people approach their exercise programs.
Who Invented The Game Of Golf?
August 19, 2006
Well, who actually did invent the game of Golf? The question has been asked and argued for many years with no true winner. Many countries have a valid claim to an early game that resembles the game of golf. Some of the countries that make this claim are England. Scotland, China, Rome, France, The Netherlands, Belgium and Laos. The most heated debate over who invented golf definitely comes from Great Britain and Scotland.
The first area to look when deciding the answer to our question must be what actually determines when a game with sticks and balls is golf or another game. Most countries in the world have had games where you hit an object with a stick at some sort of target. Is this enough to be called golf, I don’t think so. If so, then these early games could claim the origin of many sports played today. I think it takes more than just a game with some kind of object being hit by a stick to qualify as the origin of golf.
Holland is believed to be the origin of the name of golf but not the actual game itself. Holland played a game in the 1200s called Colf, which means clubs. This was a form of golf but once again the form of many other sports.
Using An Elliptical Trainer For Weight Loss And Fitness
August 19, 2006
My second favorite form of cardio exercise is using an elliptical trainer (First is mountain biking). Elliptical trainers make your weight loss cardio program quiet, low impact, and challenging.
Elliptical trainers are kind of a combination of rowing, cross country skiing, and bicycling. You move all major muscle groups in a very fluid, low impact way. A high quality elliptical trainer is very solid, (No jerky motions) quiet, and usually comes with a display that will let you know the amount of time you have been riding, calories burned, mileage, etc.
I prefer using an elliptical trainer because of the full body workout plus the fact I can watch TV, listen to music, or even read while I am riding. The sound of a high quality elliptical trainer will not disturb others in your home. The fact that your whole body is involved makes it less likely that you will get bored or experience discomfort while on your elliptical machine. It is easy to track progress and easy to fit into your schedule. Even the busiest people I know watch at least a half hour of TV per day, now you can combine your exercise, weight loss routine with your TV time!
Increase Your Training Intensity - Negative Repetitions
August 18, 2006
You can only build muscle tissue if you can generate progressively stronger muscular contractions, so this calls for an emphasis on finding ways to increase exercise intensity. This should not be confused with exercise duration as maximum training intensity will actually shorten the time needed to achieve maximal muscular growth.
In an earlier article I outlined the ways in which you can intensify your training. Here we’ll focus on the role that negative repetitions have to play in intensifying the training effect.
At the most basic level, human muscles have three types of strength:
1. Positive strength - the ability to raise a weight.
2. Static strength - the ability to hold a weight.
3. Negative strength - the ability to lower a weight.
Many bodybuilders concentrate primarily on their muscles’ positive and static strength but equal focus should be given to negative strength, or lowering the weight, if true muscle failure is to be achieved. You can emphasize this aspect of training by completing a set of negative reps after reaching positive failure.
The Worlds Elite Golf Courses
August 18, 2006
We all here different opinions of great challenging golf courses around the world, full of history and storytelling of great games and tournaments between the legends of the professional world. Every year we hear of new championship courses opening but in my opinion they have a lot to live up to if they want to stand alongside the old greats.
My favourite world courses with their own individual characters over the years
Augusta - USA Augusta is a stunningly beautiful course located in the American Deep South. Augusta is the home of the world-renowned Masters tournament. Beautifully designed with lightning fast greens, without a doubt one of the world’s best.
Ballybunion - IRELAND Ballybunion is fantastic links course situated in County Kerry southern Ireland. Well known for it’s towering sand dunes and cliff side holes running along the Atlantic. Stunning scenery surrounds this course but it is an unbelievably challenging links course. A fantastic welcome awaits all who visits.
Cypress Point - USA Just a stone’s thrown away from Mayor Clint Eastwood’s Carmel and John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row. A fearsome course for hard men. The Monterey Peninsula on the American west coast is a pictures location but certainly one of the most difficult golf courses to date.
How to Supercharge Your Energy Levels through Exercise
August 17, 2006
Your energy levels will depend on several factors, including genetics, nutrition, sleep habits, and emotional stress. Some of these you have no control over But there is one VERY important factor that you do have control over and that is your ability to take part in physical exercise.
Need a source of vast power and energy?
Look no further than your gym.
The link between physical fitness and energy is so strong, that doctors have lately been prescribing exercise as treatment for chronic fatigue, depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and insomnia, for instance.
If sufferers of the most stubborn kind of fatigue can be energized with exercise, imagine what can do for those of us who experience ordinary, every-day fatigue.
* Feel Great At Mid-Afternoon *
Your brain thrives on oxygen. Blood transports oxygen to the brain, so the greater blood flow to the brain, the greater the oxygen supply the brain has. As you increase your heartbeat with a vigorous workout, more blood surges through the brain, more oxygen gets absorbed by your brain cells, and you feel more mentally alert and energetic.
Yoga and Low Carb Diets
August 17, 2006
Yoga is an ancient system of movement designed to generate vibrant health and well being. Excellent health and well being are experienced in the results of a yoga practice such as: stress reduction, increased energy and awareness, increased flexibility, focused mind and strong body. In our modern world there are so many types of yoga to choose from that it can be confusing and difficult to start a yoga program. Do you have to practice postures(asanas) in a hot room for an hour and a half in order to enjoy the benefits of this ancient art? And, is it necessary to execute postures under strict guidelines created for East Indian bodies and minds? As a yoga instructor my answer would be no. A successful yoga practice supports the goals of the practitioner without rigidity.
