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Backwards Running?
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Endurance
"Yep I said Backwards Running!!
If you are looking to refine some of the muscular development in your legs, rehabilitate from an injury, bust some plateaus, or improve your athletic coordination, backwards running and walking should be included in your training regime.
Backwards movement has application for both the bodybuilder as well as regular athletes. Backward motion is an essential part of many sports including soccer, basketball, rugby, tennis, lacrosse and football.
Most of the time, backward running is performed in short bursts on a court or field during these events. However, the amount of time dedicated to training and improving backward running is usually minimal. Backward running appears to be a forgotten, old-school practice these days
There are several other benefits of including backward running/walking in your routine. Cardiovascular fitness can be improved with backwards motion. One early Army study from 1994 found that walking or jogging backward required more physical effort and increased the heart rate higher than when going forward.
At a rate of 6 miles per hour, running backward used a third more calories per minute than forward running.
Improved posture is another benefit of backward movement. Individuals lean less forward when moving backward compared to forward. Being more erect strengthens the back/hip region and leads to better posture both during and post exercise. Additionally, by working the antagonistic muscles, you can expect better muscle balance and coordination for those muscles
Variations of Backward Walking
Backwards Walking With Incline: Walking backwards with an incline is something else!
•Set the incline at 15 percent and 2 mph, assuming that you are adjusted to walking backwards level without holding on. You will soon feel a nice burn in your thighs.
•If you can go faster, do that for an intense thigh burn. Now, if you can’t last longer than a few minutes, that’s perfectly fine.
•Do brief intervals at 15 percent/2 to 3 mph, alternating with walking forward with a lower incline (or level) for a few minutes, back and forth, for 30 minutes.
Incline low-walk:
As you walk, lower your center of gravity so that you’re in a one-quarter squat position. Keep back straight! Do not pitch forward! This will intensify the fire in your quadriceps muscles.
Running Backwards on the Treadmill
You can sustain this at 4 mph, and go for briefer duration at faster speeds, whatever challenges you. Think outside the box. Do intervals of 6-8 mph backwards-jogs for as long as you can, alternating with forward walking (or slower jogging) for a few minutes, for a total of 30 minutes.
Jogging and running backwards upgrades athletic performance and adds spice to your routine. Never mind that it might attract attention from other gym members. This is your time, your body.
Backwards Walking Intervals
You needn’t spend a whole lot of time walking backwards to reap benefits. So if you "... read entire tip
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created by
MleighS84
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saved on 4/12/2008
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4
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32.8
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GO NUTS!
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Diet and Nutrition
"Go nuts! Don't feel bad about eating nuts—these much-maligned morsels are actually good for you
You're at a cocktail party when you spot them across the room, near the bar: a bowl of mixed nuts. Before you know it, you're talking with friends while popping nuts into your mouth. You kick yourself later--you know better than to indulge in such fatty snacks. If this sounds familiar, take heart. Believe it or not, there are good reasons to make nuts part of your everyday diet.
Heart Protection in a Shell
Two hundred and twenty thousand people can't be wrong. That's the total number of subjects in several lifestyle studies, including the Iowa Women's Health Study, the Nurses' Health Study, and the Adventist Health Study, that link consumption of nuts with decreased risk of heart disease. A review of the studies, published in Current Atherosclerosis Reports in 1999, calls the results "remarkably consistent."
Nuts stand out as heart healthy for two main reasons--protein and fat, according to Gene Spiller, director of the Sphera Foundation and Health Research and Studies Center in Los Altos, Calif. The protein in nuts is high in arginine, an amino acid that relaxes blood vessels. The fat in nuts is mostly unsaturated so it lowers blood cholesterol. And components of the fat called phytosterols (the plant counterpart of cholesterol) inhibit fatty acid absorption in arteries. Spiller points out that there are plenty of other ways that nuts protect your heart. The vitamin E in nuts helps prevent oxidation of cholesterol, which leads to fatty buildup in the arteries. Folate lowers homocysteine levels in the blood (high levels of homocysteine are a strong predictor of heart disease). And calcium, magnesium, and potassium lower blood pressure.
Crunchy Cancer Fighters
The same fat and protein in nuts that help protect your heart also fight cancer. Beta-sitosterol, one of the phytosterols in nuts, can suppress breast and prostate tumors, according to several studies at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Atif Awad, Ph.D., R.D., a food scientist who has conducted much of the research, says these studies support similar epidemiological evidence: People with diets high in phytosterols have low rates of breast and prostate cancer. Arginine has also been shown to inhibit tumor growth and it enhances immunity. All nuts are good sources of fat and protein but some nuts also stand out because of their other anti-cancer compounds. Tests show cancer-combating benefits in ellagic acid, found mainly in walnuts; vitamin E, found mostly in almonds; and selenium, abundant in Brazil nuts.
Slender Snack
It seems too good to be true, but eating nuts can be an effective weight-loss tool. A recent study conducted at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that dieters on a calorie-controlled 35-percent-fat plan including nuts and other good fats lost as much weight as dieters on a 20-percent-fat plan. More important, the moderate-fat "... read entire tip
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nuts, weight loss, vitamins, cancer, heart
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created by
Ferrari
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saved on 2/26/2008
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4
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24.9
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Avoid Anti Inflamitories After a Workout
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Diet and Nutrition
"Have you ever had a pain after a workout and thought to yourself "I'll just pop a Tylenol or and Advil and be fine after the workout?" Well don't do it!!!
When you doing any type of resistance training (strength, power, plyometric, body weight etc) your muscles rip and tear at a fiber/cellular level. When this happens blood flows to that area to help it repair itself. The action in similar to what the body does when it gets injured.
Ever notice how a bruise turns red at first when you get hurt. That is blood rushing to the injured area so that the body can work its "miracle magic" and heal that area. To help this process you would ice the injured area (if needed) then take a pain killer/anti-inflamitory pill. The would supress the ammount of blood rushing to the hurt section of the body.
When you workout your body goed through the same process as it would during an injury. And because of that you will feel some type of pain and discomfort in joints and definately in your muscle. To counter act against this you should always stretch. The other thing your should is have a fortifying recovery drink, not just a Gatorade or Powerade. Make sure to have something like a Cytomax or Aminot Vital type drink to help bring nutrients to your muscle post workout. Also have a drink at hand when you're working out.
Anti-inflamitories hinder muscle developement by blocking needed blood flow to the muscles. So avoid them at all costs.
Hope this tip helps you get to that next level of muscular developement and definition."
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weight training, strength training, recovery, health
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created by
APDietz
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saved on 2/19/2008
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3
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52.1
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4 Secrets to a Flat Stomach
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Strength Training
"If your goal is to thin your waistline and have a nice flat stomach, the first thing you need to do is decrease / eliminate the layers of fat that are on top of your abs. The most effective way of flattening your stomach is a combination of strength training (with a extra focus on mid-section), cardiovascular exercise (short, hard workouts), and stable blood sugar (keeps you from adding additional fat and makes it easier for the body to use body fat for fuel).
1. You must do some form of progressive strength training
The primary function of the ab muscle is to flex your torso forward. However, there are also muscles that flex your torso to the side and muscles that rotate your torso. Often times you see people on their ab roller every day doing hundreds of crunches or sit-ups.If you want to effectively strengthen your stomach you need to incorporate the following types of exercises:1-2 forward flexion exercises (crunch, sit-up, etc.)1-2 side flexion exercises (side bends, side crunches, etc.)1-2 rotational exercises (trunk rotations, standing twists, etc.)The abs, are muscles just like any other and should be worked at most 3 times per week. You also want to make sure you are training them progressively, working them harder each time.
2. Use short, hard cardio workouts to increase metabolism
Cardio workouts are important because they CAN, if done correctly, increase your metabolism for 4-24 hours or more! This means you are less likely to store any excess calories as body fat because they are more likely to be used by your elevated metabolism. Plus, you are more likely to burn off some excess body fat.Below is a sample interval workout that can be done with just about any activity (walking, bicycling, swimming, stair climbing, etc.).Warm up at easy pace 2-5 minutes then:
perform 30 seconds of hard work (almost as hard as possible)
perform 1 minute of moderate work (recovery time-catch breath)
repeat this process 6-10 times à Cool down at an easy pace for 2-5 minutes
3. Stable blood sugar is the key
And most importantly, you must stabilize your blood sugar! This is by far the most important factor when it comes to burning away that excess body fat and keeping it off! To effectively stabilize your blood sugar you must feed your body frequently; like every 2-3 hours. The key is to give your body only what it needs at that time. Your body burns calories 24 hours a day, so, why would you only feed it once or twice a day? Give your body the fuel it needs: vegetables, fruits, nuts, berries, whole grains, and lean proteins (chicken, fish, lean beef, eggs, etc.).
Many people are too hung up on how much fat is in food, or how healthy of a choice it is. Calories are calories and it doesn't matter where they come from. If there's extra. where's it going? Yup, you guessed it. body fat!
This is not to say that what you eat is not important because it is, it just doesn't have that much of an affect when it comes to fat loss. Try to"... read entire tip
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created by
MleighS84
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saved on 2/16/2008
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5
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Intensify Your Push Up
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Strength Training
"Do a squat trhust push up instead of the traditional push up.
Squat-thrust push-ups get you in great shape because they work your upper body, core and lower body and improve agility, strength and endurance all at once. From a standing position, bend down, put your hands on the floor shoulder-width apart, and jump your feet back into plank position. If you're strong, cross your ankles; otherwise, jump your feet wide apart. Do a push-up, then jump your feet together or uncross your ankles. Jump your feet back to your hands and stand up. Do eight reps total, rest for one minute, and repeat.
I love doing these b/c it keeps my mind focused on performing the squat thrust push up with perfect form that I don't really think about stopping a few push ups short of my goal"
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created by
MleighS84
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saved on 2/12/2008
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2
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31.4
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Mind Games
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Strength Training
"Before going to the gym, psych yourself up for war, play something heavy and preferably violent... Think of something that pisses you off, how you would like to tear someones face off, become a Testosterone crazed freak. When you are working out and feel like you've done enough, (and you've barely done what you've expected of yourself) start calling yourself a pussy, look at yourself in the mirror and be disappointed. These internal mind games will get you where you want to be...not that other guy who looks like a pencil. Seperate yourself from those wimps by having a bad attitude within yourself."
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created by
Ryan76
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saved on 2/4/2008
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3
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14
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Getting a better uptake of Protein powders
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Diet and Nutrition
"If are are wondering as to how to get a better uptake with your protein powders..
Here is a simple tip to help you with that..
you can simply just add protein powder any flavor to a Gatorade.
The reason why it works is that the sugar initiates an insulin release that will
shuttle the sugar into the muscle cells and the protein which is piggy backing on the
sugar. This will dramatically increase the likelihood of protein making it to the place
where it is needed most: Your muscle cells.
This drink is meant to be a post work out drink but can also be pre workout and taken throughout your workout."
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gatorade, whey protein, protein, uptake protein
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created by
diverman999
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saved on 2/3/2008
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3
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20.6
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So you want a ripped stomach
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General/Other
"Let me start by saying - What is wrong with you? ;)).
Why would you want a bleeding internal organ?
Oh, you meant a defined mid section aka washboard abs. Why didn't you say so from the start?
That's pretty simple.
Simple, NOT EASY!
Learn to make the difference.
Got it? Good :P Then let's get down to business.
The reason you don't have a defined mid section is because you are not lean enough (low body fat level).
"Hey dude, no offense, but you don't know what you are talking about;I can see the first row of abs popping out. A few more sessions on my worthless-piece-of-junk-ab-machine-i-spent-a-small-fortune-buying-from-a-tv-commercial and all of these babies will come popping out.”
Yeah? Well, news flash buddy – the first row of abs start showing at 15% body fat. To see full abs separation and definition you need to be at about 9-10% body fat. Do you know how to shake off that 5%?
Of course you don’t, that’s why you’re still doing hundreds of crunches believing spot reduction works. Well, it doesn’t so stop it and allow me to lead you on ONE (I’m not saying this is the only right way, in fact most programs work to a degree or another if you give them enough time and commitment) right path.
#1. Your diet needs to be in check.
---------------------------------------------------------
Try Dr. John M Berardi, Ph.D.
7 Habits of Highly Effective Nutritional Programs
http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/7habits.htm
excerpt
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“Here’s my take on it. I call these principles, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Nutritional Programs," a shameless and possibly illegal play on Steven Covey’s book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." (Great book, by the way—you should read it sometime.)
These aren’t the newest techniques from the latest cutting-edge plan. Rather, they are simple, time-tested, no nonsense habits that you need to get into when designing a good eating program.
1. Eat every 2-3 hours, no matter what. You should eat between 5-8 meals per day.
2. Eat complete (containing all the essential amino acids), lean protein with each meal.
3. Eat fruits and/or vegetables with each food meal.
4. Ensure that your carbohydrate intake comes from fruits and vegetables. Exception: workout and post-workout drinks and meals.
5. Ensure that 25-35% of your energy intake comes from fat, with your fat intake split equally between saturates (e.g. animal fat), monounsaturates (e.g., olive oil), and polyunsaturates (e.g. flax oil, salmon oil).
6. Drink only non-calorie containing beverages, the best choices being water and green tea.
7. Eat mostly whole foods (except workout and post-workout drinks).
So what about calories, or macronutrient ratios, or any number of other things that I’ve covered in other articles? The short answer is that if you aren’t already practicing the above-mentioned habits, and by practicing them I mean putting them to use over 90% of the"... read entire tip
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abs, diet, fat loss, exercise program
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created by
trifm
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saved on 2/2/2008
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7
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Exercises to Avoid
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Strength Training
"These are a few exercises you must avoid while in the gym or else your shoulders will pay for it.
Upright Row:
Upright Rows can be extremely harmful to the shoulder girdle because of the motion of the exercise. The problem is that your shoulders are being internally rotated while raising weights. This exercise can cause serious shoulder impingements (tendons being pinched between the bones).
Instead:
A front dumbbell raise combined with standard rows will work the exact same muscles.
Behind the Neck Pulldowns:
This is a sore subject because a lot of people don't want to stop this exercise. It's actually probably the most dangerous exercise on this list. First, the position you begin with this exercise is probably the most delicate and vulnerable body position. Secondly, because of the motion of this exercise, your rotator cuffs are no longer in support of your shoulder girdle thus leaving them even more vulnerable. Again, you are in serious danger of a shoulder impingment or even worse with this exercise.
Instead:
Front pulldowns actually hit the exact same muscles as behind the neck, it's just a slightly different motion.
Behind the Neck Presses:
The issues of this exercise is very similar to the behind the neck pulldowns. Again, impingments, and danger to the rotator cuffs and tendons and ligaments of the shoulder.
Instead:
Dumbell presses hit the exact same muscles, but your arm positions are much safer.
The best thing to do is not do these exercises. There are so many alternatives that you can hit the same muscles without causing the same damage!"
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danger, getting hurt, shoulder damage
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created by
ApolloFit
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saved on 2/1/2008
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6
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