Stress can be defined and measured in a number of ways, but there is no denying that chronic stress takes both a mental and physical toll on the human body. A wide body of research has documented stress’s physical consequences, such as reduced immune system function and increased illness, both weight gain and weight loss, reduced sleep, fatigue, and more.
Hypertension, a very specific cardiovascular condition linked to stress, is…
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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…
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If you’re seeking to get stronger, build muscle, reduce your risk of injury, improve your posture, or just generally feel better, weightlifting is an effective means to accomplish these goals. Sometimes walking into a gym for the first time can be overwhelming with so many machines and stations available. Here are some helpful tips to get you started, as well as a sample program you can follow in your first…
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…
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Gyms are great. I love putting on gym clothes, walking to my car, driving 20 minutes, finding a parking sport, doing 30 minutes of cardio, performing a weightlifting circuit, and then heading back out in the cold to drive home again (it’s really cold where I live right now). Since I have so much time to kill in my life, I try to take a one hour workout and turn…
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…
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The goal of building muscle in weight lifting is known as hypertrophy. Different than simply increasing strength or power, hypertrophy is an increase in the size of the muscle’s contractile area as a result of greater contractile proteins and a greater number and size of myofibrils in each fiber. Unlike maximal strength training, hypertrophy is best-achieved with just moderate loads. Therefore, to build the most muscle, you don’t always need…
In his book, “The Essence of Bodyweight Training,” Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Juan Carlos Santana regales of the time he and his fellow coaches designed and implemented one of the most successful conditioning programs ever for a large high school in Florida. Several of the athletic teams at this high school went on to win championships that year, and Santana was lauded for his fitness contributions. There was just…
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As I write this, the rain is coming down so hard on my Pacific Northwest home that I fear it will collapse. The atmosphere’s just abysmal and the sky’s so dark, in fact, that I flipped on the news to make sure my clocks weren’t wrong. Yes, it’s actually 7:30 AM and not the 4:30 AM it appears to be. Weather like this really gets me down, and whenever the comforting…
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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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Are you looking to have the perfect workout? There is almost nothing better than being on top of your game in training. Picture this scenario: You are on your way to the gym. Last night you were able to get some solid sleep and you now feel stronger than ever. You are excited to begin training. Your confidence level is through the roof and you can almost see yourself pushing through…
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You just registered for a half marathon in the Fall and you are excited about getting a new training program underway. You pack your workout clothes and head to work. Your lunch hour hits and it’s time to get in that first, easy training run. Then you step outside and get smacked in the face with a 103 heat index! Ouch!
Running in the summertime is a different animal altogether. …
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I thought I was in great shape and I went out very aggressively for someone attacking 13.1 miles for the first time. I hit the midway point in 52:31, an 8:01 pace. Then, about eight miles into my first half marathon back in May ’10, the Cap City in Columbus, OH, I remember thinking, “I’m never going to run again.” My tank was on empty and I knocked out the…
If you’re not performing the way you feel you should, your body is telling you something. LISTEN TO IT!
The Excitement of a New Training Plan
One of the things I love about running is building a training plan to prepare for an upcoming race. I usually start with something like Runner’s World’s SmartCoach, which is an interactive, online tool that can map out an entire customized plan based on…
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I recently had the opportunity to try one of Optimum Nutrition’s new supplements called “Essential AMIN.O. Energy”. I will go over my impressions of the product in this post.
What is Essential AMIN.O. Energy?
ON markets Essential AMIN.O. Energy as a product that will help your body withstand and recover from a rigorous training program that will tax you physically and mentally. Here are the key features of Essential AMIN.O.…
If you are like me, you probably have a gym membership. Scratch that, I hope you aren’t like me, I have two gym memberships. But when you get there, it can often be hard to get motivated or actually accomplish much at all. And even if you are hitting those weights or jumping on that machine, are you actually doing the right combination of exercises to get your body fit…
Why is compression gear so in vogue? Is it fact or fad? Is there really something to the new compression gear that enhances athletic performance? How can I use compression gear to add to my workout? These are all questions that we hope to answer. If you have watched the olympics, you’ve seen the major trend towards new body compression suits of the speed skaters, downhill skiers, swimmers, and track…
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Core stability training is designed to strengthen your torso with its wide range of muscles from abdominal muscles, internal and external obliques and the muscles tat are running along the spine. Why should they need to be strengthened?
A balanced gym exercise routine to strengthen your core will not only improve your overall fitness and feeling fit, but also help avoid back and neck pain and even injuries that can…
