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Caffeine is that magical drug that wakes many of us up in the morning and keeps us alert late in the day. But did you know that this widely-consumed drug can also enhance your exercise performance? In fact, athletes have been using caffeine as a performance-enhancer for more than 30 years, and many nutritional supplements and beverages are effective primarily for their caffeine content. Caffeine is a stimulant, and is…
With the holidays upon us, I though I might reach out to Tweakfit readers, Santa Claus, and anyone else who might be listening and provide the top fitness-related products I’d love to have this year. Here’s my list, and why I know they will help me get in better shape this year.
1. Garmin Forerunner 910XT
Why: It’s really, really cool. With all the features of its predecessors, the 910…
Running requires endurance and flexibility, but strength also plays a significant role in running performance — especially for women. Because women carry the majority of their weight in their hips and lower body, strength in these areas can enhance their running stride and efficiency, while minimizing fatigue and injury.
You can improve both muscular strength and endurance in the gym through resistance training. To improve endurance, however, you first need…
We’ve all likely heard of the concept of periodization with respect to planning our exercise programs. For those who haven’t, periodization is the systematic variation in volume and intensity of exercise in order to reach a high level of performance at the right time of the year. Originally developed by Dr. Tudor Bompa to allow rowers to “peak” during the most important competition of the year, the common exerciser can…
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By now, you’re probably in the fitness minority if you haven’t heard about Crossfit and the functional fitness revolution. Elaborate gyms lined with row after row of various exercise machines and cardio equipment have taken a back seat to simple “box” gyms with nothing more than some medicine balls, free-weights, ropes, kettlebells and maybe some rowing ergometers. But how effective is functional fitness? Can rusty kettlebells and old ropes really…
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The next time you’re exercising, take some time to notice what your mind is doing. What are you thinking about, if anything? Are you focusing on the activity at hand, or are you lost in the sounds of your iPod? Are you aware of the sensations in your body, or are you intently focused on a newscast on one of the monitors above the treadmill? What you are focusing on during…
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Winter is quickly approaching and now is the time to get in shape for your favorite winter sport. Not only will training and preparation allow you to enhance performance and perform longer, you will be less likely to incur an injury. Consistent exercise will definitely prove beneficial, but to maximize your accomplishments on the slopes, consider varying your routine to include exercises from the following categories.
Aerobic Exercise (Cardio)
Cardiovascular…
WHAT IS AGILITY?
Agility is the ability to accelerate, decelerate, and change direction quickly and efficiently while under control. Many trainers and coaches focus on agility training as one aspect of sport-specific training. Increasing agility can help prevent such injuries as ankle and non-contact ACL sprains, as well as increase sports performance. For optimal results speed agility training should be incorporated with other aspects of a training regimen, such as…
The Anatomy
There is somewhere around 640 skeletal muscles in the human body. Skeletal muscle is a complex network of muscle fibers, connective tissue, nervous tissue, and blood vessels. The connective tissue forms a framework of support by surrounding individual muscle fibers, bundles of muscle fibers (called fascicles), and finally the individual muscles that are made up of these fascicles. Another type of connective tissue, called fascia, plays an integral…
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Use these exercise guidelines to structure your workouts and achieve your desired fitness goals.
Aerobic Training
Aerobic Training has many benefits, including weight loss, increased stamina, and decreased risk of heart disease and other chronic health conditions. Aerobic training is also the core of many exercise routines for women as many women prefer fat burning over muscle building.
Generally, aerobic training should be performed at a level between 60% and…
You may have heard that “your body expends an extra 50 Calories per day for every extra pound of muscle you gain”. When I first heard this statement, I felt a bit suspicious because if it was really true, then all weight lifters would have an easy time losing body fat. I did some research and found out that this statement is not entirely true because the number of extra…
