Follow the Path of MOST Resistance! Why Weight Training Is The Fast Track To Sculpting Your Body
September 30, 2007
Resistance is NOT futile! When it comes to changing your body for the better quickly and permanently, nothing comes close to good old-fashioned weight training.
The shape of your body is determined by three things: muscle, bone and fat. While there’s really nothing you can do about changing your bone structure, there is a whole lot you can do about muscle and fat. This ratio of muscle to fat is commonly known as your body composition.
And what is the fastest way to change your body composition? Weight training. Why is it so effective? Because it builds muscle.
Muscle is the key to changing your body. While fat certainly gives your body shape, muscle is what gives you the shape you actually WANT!
One of the greatest things about muscle is that it burns calories all day long, even when you’re lying on the couch. What this means is that the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn during the day and the more you’ll be able to eat without gaining weight. Sound interesting? There’s more.
Sit Up Straight! It Will Help Your Game
September 30, 2007
What does it take to reproduce the perfect golf swing? Precise coordination of muscle contraction and relaxation, muscle balance and body awareness are all required to recreate a good swing. A prerequisite to these necessary components is good posture.
Good posture is a state of musculoskeletal balance that allows the body to move efficiently in a stress free range of motion. Faulty posture sets the body into a state of neuromuscular imbalance where flexibility and range of motion are limited (loss of power), neuromuscular pathways are disrupted (loss of control and consistency) and detrimental forces are placed on the spine and joints (increased chance of injury).
The cause of poor posture and muscle imbalance is a persistent use of certain muscles with inadequate activation or exercise of their opposing and / or supporting muscles.
Common muscle imbalances negatively affecting the golfer:
Throughout life we are constantly exposed to situations that place us in poor postural patterns. We grew up sitting in school hunched over a desk for most of our young lives. We finish school and begin our careers. Many of us now find ourselves sitting in poorly designed chairs hunched in front of a computer. Those of us who spend excessive time in our cars are often conditioned toward a slumped over lazy posture.
Bodybuilding, Weight Loss, and Exercise Tips ? Goal Setting for Long Term Results
September 29, 2007
My name is Greg Ryan. I am a fitness expert, professional bodybuilder, personal trainer to movie stars, former employee of Kathy Smith and have over 50,000 hours of paid personal training sessions under my belt. For the last twenty years I have been able to continually make progress, stay consistent and have some fun in my quest to be in better shape.
This is not because I am anything special or know some magic formula, but because I have learned a few goal and program-setting techniques that I would like to share with you. Start incorporating them into your plan today and notice the difference tomorrow.
The very first question I ask each new client that comes to me is, "How long have you been on the same workout program?" Without fail most, if not all, say, "Over six months." They do not understand why they are not progressing.
Rule #1:
Change your routine every twelve weeks: Your body adapts to exercise like our bodies adapt to taking antibiotics. For some reason after a period of time it gets used to the same routine.
Rule #2:
What You Must Know About Trampoline Safety
September 29, 2007
Tumbling on the trampoline caught on like wildfire in the early 1960s, and still enjoys great popularity today, but the sport also still involves the same potential dangers. Trampolines in the last 45 years have gone from being an institutional or recreation center piece of equipment, to something that is found in many homes, in a variety of sizes and quality.
From a simple, round trampoline of relatively small dimensions, to the large, outdoor models sold for family fun, every trampoline represents the possibility of injury, if not used properly, or if used by those not experienced in tumbling or acrobatics.
Here are some simple tips to make your sure that you enjoy the fun of a trampoline, while eliminating many of the risks.
* Placement
Never set up even a small, exercise trampoline indoors where there is a risk of hitting light fixtures or the ceiling. Outdoors, place trampolines well away from clotheslines, tree limbs, fences, outdoor furniture, and other objects that can cause injury when someone falls off.
If at all possible, secure your trampoline by setting its legs/supports down into the ground, thereby reducing the distance of a fall. At the same time, it’s advisable to provide padding to a depth of 10″ or more, for at least 10′ around the trampoline.
Which Type of Yoga is the Right Choice for You?
September 28, 2007
You finally made the decision to practice yoga, but which style of yoga is the best one for you? There are many types of yoga, and while they usually have common elements, their focus is often quite different. If you have not been physically active in a long time, then one of the more gentle, slower moving styles may be right for you. If you are an athlete or are very physically fit, you might want to check out some of the more strenuous forms.
The following is a list of the more common yoga classes that you will find.
Hatha Yoga
Almost every style of yoga practiced in the west is some form of Hatha Yoga. It includes asanas, breathing exercises, relaxation, and meditation. Each of the individual forms of yoga has a different emphasis, but classes usually include some combination of these elements.
Ashtanga
This is a very fast paced, intense style of yoga. It follows a series of postures, which are always done in the same order and are connected with the breath. Each posture flows directly into the next one, so it is a very demanding practice. Ashtanga can be a good choice for physically fit individuals who like a challenge.
History of Golf- How it all Started
September 28, 2007
Since before the time Mary Queen of Scots was disciplined for playing golf two Sundays after the murder of her husband Lord Dernley in 1567. Golf is known to have been played at St. Andrews before the founding of the university in 1411. It is a safe bet to say that golf was played in some form or another as much as a century before this.
Golf is the only game whose objective it is to hit a ball across a course of some kind that had sand traps, bunkers, and other obstacles to prevent you from accomplishing this. The ball is balanced in mid-air and hit to another spot below the ground.
It was the Scots who introduced the golf hole into the game. It was a national pastime more than four hundred years before Prince Charles fled Culloden in defeat at the hands of the English in 1513 at the Battle of Flodden Field.
At Flodden the Scots were no match for the English in the first assault and were defeated 50 years earlier. King James II banned the game of Golf because he believed it was interfering with archery practice and he did this with a Scottish Act of Parliament. The first documented record makes references to modern golf. James III also banned the game in 1471.
Strong To The Core of Your Being - The Benefits Of Core Training
September 27, 2007
If you were to ask me which muscle group in your entire body you could work to get the greatest benefits in the shortest amount of time, I would tell you without hesitation, “the core.” Strengthening the core can realize tremendous benefits to anyone regardless of his or her training experience and can do so very quickly.
But what is the core?
The core, as it’s known in strength training circles, consists of all the muscles in your abdominal and lower back areas. This includes all the abdominal muscles (rectus abdominus, internal and external obliques, transverse abdominus and intercostals) as well as the muscles associated with the spine (the erector spinae group) and the hip flexors (iliacus and psoas, collectively known as the iliopsoas).
These muscles all work in harmony to provide stabilization for your body and to transfer power from the legs to the upper body and vice versa. The core muscles also function to keep your insides in, where they belong!
And why is strengthening the core so important?
Weak core muscles contribute to all kinds of problems in the body, the most prevalent of which is lower back pain. By strengthening the muscles that help support the spine and improve posture, you can dramatically decrease the symptoms of lower back pain.
Golf Travel Bags ? Choose Wisely to Protect Your Investment
September 27, 2007
Planning a golf vacation? Don’t forget to protect your golf clubs by choosing the right golf travel bag. How do you choose the golf travel bag that is right for you? Let’s take a quick look at three different styles to help you make the right choice.
Remember, choosing the right golf travel bag isn’t only about the bag itself. Golfers planning a golf vacation or just looking for protection on short golf trips should ask themselves a few questions before making a purchase.
What is your budget for a golf travel bag?
Do you travel frequently with your golf clubs?
Do your golf trips mostly include air travel or auto travel?
With these questions in mind, let’s take a quick look at the different styles of golf travel bags and the benefits and negatives each offers.
Hybrid Travel Bags
These types of golf travel bags are essentially a golf bag with a hard top to protect your clubs. Unlike other styles, hybrids do not protect your day-to-day golf bag.
Hybrids will help golf travelers with space restrictions. They require less space than other models and also weigh less.
Weight Loss & Low Body Fat ? High Calorie Burning Techniques During Workouts!
September 26, 2007
My name is Greg Ryan. I am a fitness expert, professional bodybuilder, personal, trainer to movie stars, and former employee of Kathy Smith. For twenty years I have been able to continually make progress and keep my body fat below normal. I accredit this to being able to work smarter than most not harder.
No matter what your goals are, or how old you may be the objective is to lower your body fat levels. Here are some workout tips to maintain high intensity during your workouts.
1. Maintain a consistent flow to your workouts from start to finish.
2. Set a time frame to your total workout.
3. Always monitor your heart rate zone during cardio workouts.
4. Do not spend over 90 seconds between weight training sets.
5. Drink water during the workout.
6. Go over your workout in your head prior to the workout session.
7. Never do the same workout twice in a row.
8. Alternate your rep ranges during your weight training sessions.
9. Eat with in two hours after a hard workout.
10. Eat adequate amounts of protein in your diet.
Martial Arts Strength Training
September 26, 2007
According to various sources on the internet, a 1996 article in Iron Man Magazine revealed Bruce Lee’s workout. In addition to his cardio and karate workouts, Lee lifted weights three times a week and performed the following routine:
clean and presses 2 x 8 squats 2 x 12 barbell pullovers 2 x 8 bench presses 2 x 6 good mornings 2 x 8 barbell curls 2 x 8
Unfortunately, he injured his back doing good mornings, which nearly ruined his career. Otherwise, his weight training was successful in that it is credited with helping him add 30 pounds of solid muscle to his relatively small frame.
Although Lee is the most famous martial artist ever, it may be that the strongest was a man named Masutatsu Oyama. Therefore, it will be interesting to contrast Lee’s workout with Oyama’s.
The Karate Bull-Fighter
Oyama was one of the first to bring Karate to America and founder of the Kyokushin style of Karate. His 1958 classic “What is Karate?” was one of the first books on the subject written in English, and designed to make the subject accessible to westerners.
