What Are Custom Golf Clubs
October 26, 2006
Custom golf clubs are anything from a single club to a full set of woods, irons and putter which have been custom specified and assembled just for you. They may work for somebody else and other people will probably love your custom built golf clubs, but they are yours.
To make an analogy that most of you will be familiar with we will compare buying a new set of golf clubs to buying a new suit or dress, there are three ways you can go about this;
Option 1 - You go to a clothes shop and browse around until you see something fashionable and then buy it and hope it fits you OK and is comfortable. That is the normal way most people buy their golf clubs.
Exercise Tips: Move Your Body - Boost Your Productivity
October 26, 2006
Do you find yourself setting a New Year’s Resolution (every year) to get fit/go to the gym/lose weight/drink more water? If you could answer yes to any of those. I totally understand. I did that too for many years. But I also discovered two weeks into January I had blown my resolution and then would feel guilty for "not achieving my goals". What I discovered was it was more about making movement part of my everyday routine (notice I used the word movement not exercise)! Making little changes in your life can help you make exercise part of your life, rather than something you "have to do"!
Make an appointment. Begin by starting with three thirty-minute exercise sessions per week. Book your exercise times in your diary well in advance. One of the main reasons many people don’t exercise is because they think they don’t have time ? so book it in and make time. Choose whatever time of day suits you and your daily schedule; for some people it will be the early morning (and it’s a wonderful feeling knowing that you’ve exercised before breakfast and don’t have to think about it for the rest of the day!), for others it will be during the day, at lunchtime or after work. No matter what time suits you, make the appointment with yourself.
Manual Vs. Motorized Treadmills
October 25, 2006
When people go to purchase a treadmill, one of the first questions they ask is "Do I want a manual or motorized treadmill?"
What’s the difference between the two?
The Basic Difference:
With a manual (or non-motorized) treadmill, you push the belt with your feet. The action of your feet against the treadmill moves the belt.
With a motorized treadmill you keep pace as the treadmill motor moves the belt for you at a pace you set electronically.
Advantages & Disadvantages:
Manual treadmills:
Tend to be cheaper (since you’re not paying for the motor) and can range from $200 to $600.
They also tend to be smaller, take up less space and are easier to move (since they aren’t as heavy as a motorized treadmill).
Some people have theorized that manual treadmills burn more calories than motorized treadmill since you supply the power to move the belt.
This is unfortunately NOT TRUE.
Because you supply the power, unless you are in top athletic shape, you will tend to move slower and get tired more easily. This results in LESS calories burned on a manual treadmill.
Tips for Buying Used Golf Clubs
October 25, 2006
Used golf clubs can be great for those who are on a budget, don’t play much, or just want a spare set. They certainly aren’t for everybody, but many will find that they can get the job done just fine. Here are a few tips if your looking for used golf clubs.
Research Different Clubs
You will need to do some research and see what’s out there. This applies to new or used clubs. You may want to consider renting some clubs and asking a friend what is good. Check places like ebay. The idea is to know what your looking for and what suits your style of play.
Checking out the Clubs
When you find a set of used clubs you like you will need to see if they are in good condition. The first place you will need to check is the clubheads. You need to make sure the groves are still there and aren’t fading away. Make sure they have no dents or spots that show extreme amount of wear. If your buying a whole set you will need to check every club.
Check the Grips and Shafts
Moving From Beginner To Intermediate Level Bodybuilding
October 24, 2006
By now you’ve made significant progress in your bodybuilding career. For the past three to six months you’ve learnt how to perform the core lifting exercises in a technically correct manner. You’ve also conditioned the body and developed sufficient core strength to prepare yourself for a whole new level of intensity. Hopefully you’ve also built some rock solid muscle! But that’s only the beginning.
In recent weeks your workouts have probably lost some of their effect so, even though you’re lifting bigger weights, your muscles now need even greater stimulation to generate maximal growth. Don’t expect miracles though - from this point onwards, every little bit of improvement will take even greater and more intensive work than before.
Because you’ll be working your muscles more intensively, they’ll also need more recovery time to adapt and grow and that’s why you’ll be reducing your workouts to three a week. Each primary muscle group trained will now need one full week to recover. After being used to whole body sessions and more workouts per week it may seem as if you’re not doing enough but the point is, you’ll be working your muscles very, very intensively and making better use of your time.
Junior Golfers Gain A Competitive Edge By Building A Stronger Body
October 24, 2006
Strength training for juniors is supported by organizations such as the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Each of these organizations encourages children’s participation in appropriately designed training programs as long as they are competently supervised.
Many research reports conclude that juniors can benefit from strength training programs through the improvement of motor fitness skills, self esteem, overall strength and physical and emotional well being.
For those juniors who are anxious to get an early start with strength training as a perfect compliment to their golf game, let’s review the importance of form, function and good nutrition. These principles serve as the foundation for junior fitness and a lifetime of health and wellness for your young athlete.
Yoga Accessories? Getting What You Really Need
October 23, 2006
Unlike some other sports, you don’t need a lot of yoga accessories when you practice. With yoga, your body is really the most important ‘equipment’ that you need. There are some items that are basic and which can help you be more comfortable and safer in your practice.
Standard Yoga Accessories
Clothing
Your clothing should be comfortable and breathable and allow you to move freely. You don’t want anything that is going to get in the way of your movements or that will bunch up or create a distraction. For instance, oversized, loose fitting tee shirts can fall towards your face during some inversion poses and cause you to pay more attention to whether or not anything is showing, than to the actual asana. If you are taking a class, your instructor might want you to wear something form fitting in order to check your alignment.
Shorts are often a good choice, if the whether permits, because you tend to get very warm from doing the asanas and your body temperature heats up. In some types of yoga, such as Bikram, shorts are really a necessity because of the level of heat in the room.
Salsa Dancing for Fitness is Hot
October 23, 2006
Salsa dancing is emerging as a refreshing replacement for conventional aerobic exercises. Classes based on the fiery music and movements of Salsa, Mambo, Cumbia, Merengue and more are starting to get people interested in Salsa dancing, while at the same time giving them a pounding workout.
Salsa music first appeared in the 1960s as a rhythmic fusion, birthed in the cultural melting pot of New York City. Combining Cuban Son with Guaracha, Montuno and Guaguanco, it also has a strong Puerto Rican Plena, Bomba and American jazz influence that mellows the smoking urban sound.
Salsa’s popularity began to percolate beyond the borders of the Latin neighborhoods in the early Seventies, spreading into New York’s ballrooms and dance halls. Although somewhat formulized when practiced by those who favor profession competitions, salsa dancing in its most traditional form is typically spontaneous and extremely energetic. Dance movements alternate between the very slow and the furious, an embodiment of its lively musical style.
Senior Golfers Increase Swing Speed
October 22, 2006
It is widely known that with increased age comes a decrease in flexibility. This is why so many golf fitness programs emphasize stretching and increasing range of motion for senior golfers. It has also been well documented that senior golfers between the ages of 55 and 79 can increase their drive distance and enhance their overall golf performance by engaging in a safe and effective golf conditioning program.
According to a recent study evaluating swing speed, senior golfers reaped great benefits by engaging in regular core stabilization exercises. Senior golfers participated in an 8 week study where they engaged in a core stabilization program several times weekly utilizing tools such as foam rollers, mats, stability balls, medicine balls and elastic cables. The end result was an increase in club head speed of over 6 mph. In real terms, this can yield an increase in drive distance of over 17 yards.
For those senior golfers who are interested in improving their length off the tee while increasing their level of fitness, try these core stabilization exercises.
Glute Bridge
Goal:
This movement is designed to strengthen the glutes as well as improve their firing rate.
Instruction:
Movement, Muscles and Machines
October 22, 2006
Sport encourages the integration of the whole organism because it is necessary to think as we move and plan ahead. In performing each movement in response to the run of play, we use mechanisms that nature evolved for the purpose of survival in a hostile world. Sport is today’s equivalent of the hunting, fighting and avoidance of predators that kept our ancestors alive. The skills developed in our past are essential in today’s sport; accuracy, speed, strength and intelligence are all requirements for success.
We have come to believe that the stronger a muscle the better, without a thought to what we actually do with a stronger muscle. I am not advocating we should do nothing, or that all exercise is harmful. The important issue is why we exercise and what is it we hope to achieve? If we want to get fit, ask the question - fit for what? When did you last review your objectives for devoting so much time and effort to its pursuit?
