Stress - How To Manage Effectively
December 21, 2006
Stress is very common in all walks of life and in all occupations. There are different kinds of stress, such as acute, episodic and chronic. Each one has its own list of symptoms and triggers that set it off. Chronic stress is the most dangerous one because it can affect a persons health and welfare and lead to depression if he/she cannot develop methods of stress relief. This is the gnawing feeling that people encounter day after day. It can be related to work, an unhappy marriage, money problems or a whole host of things that cause people to become very unhappy with their lives. People who suffer from this condition often cannot see anything good about their lives, It can lead to suicide, heart attacks and as research has shown, cancer.
We hear all about post-traumatic stress disorder from men and women who return from war and stressful situations. However, there are many things that can cause this disorder, such as abuse in childhood, rape or any other experience that may have been traumatic. People who are suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder usually exhibit three different types of symptoms:
· Flashbacks where the person feels he/she is reliving the event
Exercise The Right Way - The Lying Triceps Extension
December 21, 2006
Other articles in this series looked at a number of exercises, mainly from the perspective of developing a comprehensive muscle building program. Sometimes we take things for granted, especially when it comes to performing the basic exercises that constitute the core of most bodybuilders’ training regimes.
It is useful, therefore, to describe in detail the processes involved in actually doing these exercises. This will help beginners to start out using the correct techniques before moving on to potentially more dangerous heavy weights. If it also helps more experienced lifters to redress some of the little faults that have almost imperceptibly crept in over the years, all the better.
In this article we’ll take a close look at the lying triceps extension.
MUSCLES TARGETED: triceps brachii
STARTING POSITION
Assume a supine position on a bench.
Grasp the bar with a closed, pronated grip.
Position the bar over the chest with the elbows fully extended and the arms parallel.
Point the elbows away from the face.
This is the starting point for all repetitions.
DOWNWARD MOVEMENT
Allow the elbows to slowly flex to lower the bar toward the face.
Make sure the wrists remain rigid and elbows point away from face.
Keep the upper arms parallel with each other.
Lower the bar until it touches the head.
5 Ways To Make Your Golf Fitness Program More Functional
December 20, 2006
Many of the top touring professionals know that winning on the tour today takes much more than a great game of golf. The field is far too competitive to leave any of the key contributing elements to chance. Preparing their bodies for play is a critical component to a golfer’s success under the most competitive conditions.
How you structure your golf fitness program is essential to your overall performance on and off the course. Here are some ways you can ensure you are getting the most out of training program while utilizing the strength of your core as a building block for success.
Specific to golf ? Get rid of the traditional gym machines which focus on isolating specific muscle groups and require no stabilization work by additional muscle groups. Integrate some old and new fitness tools which allow you to move your body in a more functional setting. These include cable machines, fitness balls, medicine balls, balance disks, traditional dumbbells and don’t forget about the power of using your own bodyweight.
Workout Shoes - Shoes for Strength Training
December 20, 2006
I’ve always worked out in just a plain pair of tennis shoes. Rarely to I see or even think that using special shoes would make any difference at all. However, I began to think of better shoe support when I started doing heavy squats. This prompted me to do a little research in specific type shoes for working out that would give me better ankle support and put my feet in a more level position for squats and leg presses.
After some Googling around, I came across the Otomix brand of shoes. There’s virtually nothing on the net about workout shoes. There’s even less in bodybuilding forums about the subject. Yet soccer players have special shoes, and so do most other athletes. Tennis shoes are great for running but they didn’t seem to be wonderful when it came to squatting and doing other heavy leg exercises.
These shoes ( a few versions are available) sell for around $95 on average depending on the website you find, and the sales being offered. With some clever searching, you can find a great price. I ordered my Otomix Ultimate Trainers online and was pleased to see many e-mail and tracking notifications about my order. According to Otomix, these workout shoes were specifically for:
Women Golfers Have The Drive For Success
December 19, 2006
Watching the tournament rounds of today’s LPGA players is more exciting than ever. Annika Sorenstam continues to dominate women’s golf and shows where finesse, strength and athleticism come together to make way for the future.
Is today’s female golfer really that different? You need only look as far as statistics from previous years in combination with current levels of play to answer that question. In 1998, only 7 short years ago, Annika drove the ball 246 yards in average driving distance. Today, her average distance is 272 yards. Since undergoing a full scale assault on fitness with the help of a personal trainer, she has gained close to 30 yards in new found distance.
Is she the lone ranger in women’s golf or the wave of the future? Back in 1998, if an LPGA player drove the ball 250 yards, she was in the top 17 players in her field. Today, a player who drives the ball 250 yards won’t even place in the top 40. What accounts for these new performance standards and how can female golfers around the country prepare for high level competition?
Super Secret Exercise Tips for People with Arthritis
December 19, 2006
People with arthritis should exercise ? but they need to keep some valuable information in mind. Here are some important tips to follow:
1. Make sure you warm up. Warming up increases blood flow and helps muscles loosen up. Five minutes of simple walking or riding a stationary bike will do it.
2. Stretching improves flexibility which helps a patient prepare for aerobic activity. Stretching the hamstrings and quadriceps muscles is important.
3. Start out easy. If you exercise too hard you switch from aerobic to anaerobic activity. This can lead to potentially painful and dangerous injury. To determine where you need to be, find your target heart rate by subtracting your age from 220, then aim for 40 to 70% of that rate.
4. You need to push a bit. Make sure you are working inside the 40 to 70% range to improve energy, lose weight, and build muscle. If you push too hard you’ll be in a lot of pain and may need to back off a bit.
5. Do not eat within two hours of exercising. Digestion causes blood flow to go to the gut instead of the muscles. This could cause abdominal cramps and nausea.
Exercise The Right Way - The Upright Row
December 18, 2006
Other articles in this series looked at a number of exercises, mainly from the perspective of developing a comprehensive muscle building program. Sometimes we take things for granted, especially when it comes to performing the basic exercises that constitute the core of most bodybuilders’ training regimes.
It is useful, therefore, to describe in detail the processes involved in actually doing these exercises. This will help beginners to start out using the correct techniques before moving on to potentially more dangerous heavy weights. If it also helps more experienced lifters to redress some of the little faults that have almost imperceptibly crept in over the years, all the better.
In this article we’ll take a close look at the upright row.
MUSCLES TARGETED: deltoids, trapezius
STARTING POSITION
Grasp the bar with a closed pronated grip.
Grip should be narrower than shoulder width.
Stand erect with feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly flexed.
Rest the bar on the thighs with the elbows fully extended and pointing out to the sides.
UPWARD MOVEMENT
Pull the bar upward along the abdomen and chest toward the chin.
Keep the torso and knees in the same position.
At the top position, make sure the elbows are higher than the wrists and the shoulders.
Course Management Strategies for Junior Golfers
December 18, 2006
Many junior golfers are still in the process of developing all of the fundamentals of their game. One of the challenges faced is how to measure the progress of a player in these basics on the golf course, besides the obvious measurement of score.
When going onto the golf course it is critical that the young golfer have a specific purpose in mind as to what she or he is attempting to accomplish. These "process" objectives can become the criteria for determining how much growth is being made. Some examples are below:
Are all considerations being addressed in determining proper shot selection?
*Wind speed
*Wind direction
*Lie
*Slope
*Yardage from center of the green
*Hole location
*Choice of correct club
*Choice of correct shot
Is the young player reading the putts thoroughly?
Are the swing changes being attempted?
Is the player eating and drinking healthily enough and regularly enough?
Is the player adhering to the preconceived game plan?
Is the player playing too quickly or too slowly?
Are shots being played "one at a time" or is frustration mounting?
Elliptical Trainers ? Glide Your Way to Good Health
December 17, 2006
The Diet Exercise Dilemma
Your doctor has just told you that you need to lose those 5 extra pounds that you gained over the Holiday Season. It wouldn’t sound so bad if you would have taken his advice five years ago. Those 5 pounds have turned to 25 and that seems like the end of the world as you know it. If that wasn’t enough, there was more good news. He told you that you need to work on your cardiovascular system and slim down as well! So now what are going to do?
A Possible Solution.
Who has time for all the effort that goes into getting and keeping fit? Who has money for personal trainers? We aren’t all Brads and Janets! Let’s face it, we have very good reasons that make us want to get into an exercise program, but deep down, we don’t want to work that hard. A cross trainer sounds about as inviting as a low carb dinner. But don’t despair! The answer to this unpopular situation may lie in the form of an elliptical trainer. This amazing machine may have been "under" your Christmas tree last year. Don’t fret if it’s taken doctor’s orders to scare you into improving your cardio vascular health. Your future starts now, so let’s get on with it.
Get Out and Play: Top 7 Outdoor Exercises
December 17, 2006
Do you remember when our parents used to yell at us to go outside and play? They would get so tired of us running around the house munching junk food and fighting with our siblings that they would practically kick us out of the house!
Well, we may not have the same child-like activities lined up to get outside for anymore, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t still get out and enjoy the world! Exercising outdoors has many benefits, and they include the following:
- Little or no equipment needed to get a good workout
- No crowded gyms or obnoxious people to put up with
- No driving time to the local fitness facility
- No need to put on makeup or special clothing to workout at the gym
- Vitamin D enhancing sunshine for our skin
- The ability to workout anytime, anywhere - even on vacation
- Two words: Fresh Air
There are probably other reasons that you can think of why an outdoor workout would fit into your particular lifestyle, so now all you have to do is learn what kind of activities can be done outside.
