Running for Success
January 26, 2007
Though it may not seem like it when we’re drenched in sweat and our legs feel like lead, marathon running is as mental as physical. When we’re exhausted, continuing consists of mind over matter. This takes enormous mental power. Once developed, this skill can be transferred from the racetrack to the boardroom.
Training for a marathon is an ideal place to improve the skills needed to achieve success in business: strategy, clear objectives, and a positive attitude. These techniques are also crucial to completing a marathon. Without them, even the most fanatically fit athlete is doomed to fail. Through physical training we can develop and master these skills.
In business, investment and marathon, a well-planned strategy is essential. In each situation, we must commit to our plan, yet be willing to adapt it if it isn’t working. Though strategy can be complex or simple, with our first marathon it’s best to choose the latter. Simplification is a great way to remove self-imposed pressure. This can mean concentrating on maintaining a steady heart rate or pace. We need to do this during both training and our marathon, since sustaining this relaxed-focus helps remove the barrier of performance anxiety.
What is the Best Exercise for Weight Loss?
January 26, 2007
It is a common misconception that aerobic exercise tones/firms muscles. Actually it accomplishes very little toning/firming. Resistance exercise (weight training) is where real toning/firming of muscles occurs.
Doing both aerobics and weight training is the optimal way to lose more fat and gain more muscle. If you are trying to lose weight, studies show that weight loss increases by 56 percent with aerobic and strength exercises combined. Muscle may weigh more, but when you increase your muscle composition, the body is able to burn more fat, even when you are resting, because your metabolism is higher. A pound of muscle will use 350 to 500 calories per week to survive, while a pound of fat only needs about 14 calories per week. New studies have shown that building muscle helps your body fight disease better, too.
Strength training benefits everyone, no matter what age or sex, and is becoming recognized as an important component of fitness. Research is indicating that the muscle loss found in elderly people doesn’t come from age, but lack of activity. Even a young person who doesn’t get enough exercise can lose muscle mass and strength. Strength training, such as lifting weights or performing weight-resistance exercises, as little as twice a week can help maintain or increase muscle mass.
How To Choose The Best golf clubs For Your Game
January 25, 2007
Wilson , Callaway, Titleist, Adams , King Cobra, Yonex, Ping , Taylor Made, Mizuno, and Spaulding are all excellent name brand golf clubs. As a beginning or even a professional golfer, trying to decide which set of golf clubs to purchase, however, may often feel like taking a shot in the dark. In a society that is increasing name brand conscious, many of us are tempted to simply buy what everyone else seems to be buying. Selecting the proper golf clubs, however, is something that you shouldn’t do without having a good idea of what types are available and what the specific use of each club is. Using the proper golf club can and will greatly improve your game. Other important things to consider are choosing the right lie and the right shaft flex. The flexibility of the shaft of the club is known as the bend or flex. If you’re a powerful swinger, you’ll have more control with less bend. Beginners and less powerful swingers are better off with more flexibility.
Personal Trainers with Real People, Real Situations
January 25, 2007
TO DO OR NOT TO DO? ? ABS
TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO WRITING ARTICLE:
Jeanne is a client I have worked with for a number of years, and through a couple of births with very quick recoveries. She is naturally tall and thin with wide hips and very flat abs. She has that perfect body for wearing couture as you can see from her Vogue magazine write up in October of 2003. She is the type that doesn’t want muscle showing at all, just long sleek ‘feminine’ lines. We have stepped up her workouts of late because she is getting stronger and we do need to keep up the challenge to maintain that high metabolic burn rate for caloric expenditure, without creating muscle definition. Jeanne doesn’t like doing cardio so that’s not a solution.
Recently when beginning our workout Jeanne stops, pulls up her t-shirt and shows me her abs. Iam very pleased with what I see, which is the definition of where the lower obliques end and the rectus abdominus (your quadrants, also known as ‘6 packs’) begin. There was strong deliniation indicating the muscles beneath. Jeanne points to it and says ” I don’t want this.” In my shock the only thing I can think to say is “If there were a group of women in hear watching us, they’d all groan at you.”
The Perfect Golf Swing Is Within Your Reach
January 24, 2007
The perfect golf swing IS achievable for any senior golfer!
Actually we have noted in our ongoing programs, a dramatic change in the quality of the games of senior golfers many of whom are achieving the perfect golf swing at their ages and despite relative inexperience on the golf course. Not only that, they are hitting the ball as long as their PGA counterparts. And we are talking about both male and female players.
So how do they do it?
The answer is so simple that it may be a little difficult to believe at first. Actually it is the result of a simple combination of personal coaching on swing mechanics and getting stronger. They do not get stronger as a result of arduous weight training using heavy weights designed to give bulky muscles.
Rather the training ideas have even been described as "enjoyable" by some and the program even involves simple exercises that will not take you away from the office or your work and yet have the potential of helping you reach the perfect golf swing much quicker than you ever thought possible.
What?s So Great About A Trampoline?
January 24, 2007
Looking for a fun way to exercise and stay healthy? Doctors say that rebound exercising is one of the healthiest, safest kinds of exercise for your joints and heart. It’s aerobic, it’s fun, and it doesn’t put the same stress on your joints and tendons that impact exercise like jogging does. What’s rebounding? You probably know it better as ‘jumping on a trampoline’.
Trampolines for the garden or yard have become one of the hottest sports in the world. And why not? It’s great for you. You can do it alone or with others. You can use a trampoline to help you brush up on other skills - snowboarding, anyone? A trampoline in your back yard or garden is like having a gym right outside your door.
Alone or with others? Trampolining is a recognized Olympic sport, and was one of the official gymnastics events of the 2000 Olympics. It has been an official competitive sport since 1947, though it wasn’t recognized as one in the United States until 1967. Among the events that are held in official competitive trampolining and tumbling are Synchronized Trampoline in which two athletes perform identical routines on two trampolines, and the double mini-trampoline, in which one athlete performs on two mini-trampolines set at two different levels. Just think - a trampoline for your yard or garden could start your family off on the road to competitive success!
Planning An Exercise Program
January 23, 2007
When designing an aerobic or strength training exercise program, fitness professionals, such as personal trainers and gym instructors, invariably use the F.I.T.T. principle as their starting point. The good news is that with a little bit of knowledge anyone can use this principle in designing an exercise program that will help them to become progressively fitter and stronger, and help them lose or control their weight.
If you want to start an exercise program or take your current routine to the next level, you’ll find the information and tips in this article just what you need.
What is the F.I.T.T. Principle?
The F.I.T.T. principle is a basic philosophy of what is necessary to gain a training affect from an exercise program.
Specifically, the letters F.I.T.T. stand for:
? Frequency
? Intensity
? Type
? Time
Here’s what each of these four things stand for:
Frequency refers to the number of times you exercise. For those new to training or those just wanting to lose weight, frequency is usually calculated within the context of a week. For example, your plan might be to walk 3, 4 or 5 times per week.
Fitness For Golf Is The Key To Rejuvenating Your Golf Game
January 23, 2007
Fitness for golf is prevalent at every level. You hear about it all the time on the television and even teaching pros are talking more about the importance of fitness for golf.
The reason being is the belief that your ‘physical limitations’ are keeping you from optimal swing mechanics, power, distance and accuracy.
For the aging golfer this is most prevalent.
Without a golf-specific exercise program, it is virtually impossible to maintain and/or improve swing mechanics. The human body declines rapidly without stress being put on it.
What I mean?is muscles and bones need stress and pressure on them to remain strong, stable and injury-free. Without this stress?the body weakens and breaks down quickly?resulting in a rapid decline in strength and flexibility.
This is death to your golf swing!
The old adage ? "use it or lose it" is very true. Haven’t you experienced a time when you were too busy with family obligations, work commitments and other stress-related issues and you felt you didn’t have the time to devote to your health and fitness?
What happened shortly after that?
The Thumb Jab
January 22, 2007
I’m sure a lot of you remember the scene in the movie “The Presidio” were Sean Connery’s character decimates the jackass in the bar with nothing more than his thumb!
Some of you may remember Andy Adam’s book on Ninjutsu highlighting Hatsumi. Several photos showed the intense conditioning of natural weapons including the ‘boshiken” or thumb fist. One photo in particular impressed me. That showed a small flat stone being broken by a “thumb” jab.
Sykes, it has been reported, had a tremendous amount of grip and hand strength. He was apparently quite fond of the “thumb” jab. Though NOT a basic method, since conditioning over a period of time is mandatory, it still was a favored “personal” weapon of his.
Allowing the thumb to jut out along the side of the fist was a “street” tactic shown to me when I was a kid by my father and uncles. Aimed at the eyes it made that left jab a really potent weapon.
The thumb as a weapon can be used to strike, gouge and/or apply tremendous concentrated force. It is also used in many Judo/Jujutsu “shimewaza” of the “combat” variety.
Personal Lactate Threshold Training
January 22, 2007
These are not the reasons we do Lactate Threshold Training.
What is it?
When muscles contract vigorously for long periods, the circulatory system begins to lose ground in delivery of oxygen (necessary for energy production). In these conditions the breakdown of glucose is converted to lactic acid. As the lactate is produced in the muscles, it leaks out into the blood and is carried around the body. If this condition continues, the functioning of the body will become impaired and the muscles fatigue very quickly. This point is often measured as the lactate threshold.
Why Do We Do It?
The aim of the training system is to saturate the muscles in lactic acid, which will educate the body’s buffering mechanism to deal with lactic acid more effectively. Thus raising the anaerobic (lactate) threshold. It’s not the lactic acid that causes the burn in the muscles as you exercise, but the hydrogen ions released as the lactic acid leaks out. An elevation in blood lactic acid levels is a major trigger of growth hormone (HGH) release. Increasing HGH, is beneficial for gaining muscle / lean tissue and reducing fat.
