268 Shares Old “Doc” Plume, the local hardware store owner, who was known for his miraculous cures for arthritis, had a long line of “patients” waiting outside the door when a little old lady, completely bent over, shuffled in slowly, leaning on her cane. When her turn came, she went into the back room of the store and, amazingly, emerged within half an hour, walking completely erect with her head held high. A woman waiting in the line said, “It’s a miracle! You walked in bent in half and now you’re walking erect. What... More »
119 Shares Leg Press All you have to do is load it up, strap yourself in (not really) and push as hard as you can. I’ll admit, it can be pretty satisfying to see that much weight move because of your own strength and will. Unfortunately, the leg press is not without its flaws. First of all, it can give you a false sense of real strength. When you leg press, you’re in a sitting or lying position with little help from your core musculature. Anytime you train that heavy without the core being... More »
526 Shares Trying to make 2009 your healthiest year to date? I’ve compiled for you what I believe to be some of the best health conscience habits you can easily adopt. Habit 1: Drink more water. Sure, I know about all the news reports that say it’s possible to drink too much water. Surprisingly, this same story is told just about every 4 years when news stations have no other “news” going on, and it always seems to stir up all sorts of awareness on the topic. The truth is, in all my... More »
438 Shares Fat season. That’s what we call it around my office. It starts on Halloween, and it usually runs straight through January. We are bombarded by holidays that require us to consume copious amounts of meats, pies, cookies, chocolates, and alcohol. On top of that, for those of us living in the north, it gets dreadfully cold and painfully hard to do as much moving around as we would like to. It is due to these conditions that it is not unlikely for an individual to gain between 5 – 10 lbs within... More »
283 Shares The Gluteus Maximus. It’s the king of all the skeletal muscles in your body. By sheer volume it takes up more space within your body than any other muscle. This may be apparent in some individuals more than others. But the fact of the matter is, no matter who you are, what you have behind you is big news. Lately, wherever you look you’ll find fitness experts singing the praises of abdominals and the core. They are so forward-focused that they’ve failed to stop and look at the other side of the... More »
30 Shares I don’t like shoes. I think they look silly and I think our society gives them too much power. Their main purpose is to provide protection for our soles when we are walking outside on rough terrain but why can’t it end there? Why do business men and women feel the need to have to wear these silly things all day long? They’re not comfortable. I spent most of my life as a child not wearing shoes and it’s continued that way into my adulthood. Sure sometimes I get strange looks in... More »
157 Shares The Scene: You’re driving in your Volkswagen on a cool autumn day. You gaze out the window to admire the colorful foliage when out of nowhere a toddler on a big wheel rolls directly in front of your car. You slam on the breaks, just barely avoiding disaster. You can feel your heart in your chest. It appears everything has slowed down. Your vision seems to have narrowed. Your once clogged sinuses are now clear. That nagging tendinitis you have had in your elbow seems to have temporarily gone away. Your body... More »
28 Shares It’s probably no secret to you. Some people were born with good DNA. Nothing they ever do seems to have any negative implications on their physique. They eat what they want, their training programs seem to be haphazard and yet they still have the body of an all star athlete. How can this be? It’s all in your genes. Take a look at your parents. Chances are you have a similar body type to the ones they had during they’re years growing up. Does this mean you should blame your parents for... More »
Many of us are confused when we hear about how important a healthy metabolism is to our well being. What exactly is this metabolism and how do you know you’re treating it right? I find it best described as you would your own personal bank account. You can make deposits and you can make withdraws. If you make enough deposits, over time, your metabolism will mature appropriately and you will reap the rewards of a healthy and aesthetically pleasing physique. Make too many withdrawals and you could find yourself in metabolic debt.... More »
27 Shares Maybe it’s too expensive. Maybe you’re too shy. Some people just plain do not like the gym. It can be boring, intimidating, and it can seem somewhat redundant. The good news is there’s another way. Sports! Here we’ll take a look at what I feel are some of the most appropriate alternatives to the average gym routine. In my eyes an ideal fitness program should consist of a few key elements. Full bodied, primitive movement patterns, intensity, and recordable progression. Here are my top four sports that I feel possess these ingredients.... More »
50 Shares Being courteous. Polite. Mindful of others. These things seem like common sense in any type of workplace environment. So what happens to people when they step through the doors of a gym? It seems that all these things get thrown out the window. Most gyms have their own rules about these things. But shouldn’t we as fully functional adults have the common decency to behave conscientiously without the rules? What may seem obvious to some may not be so obvious to others. Trust me – I’ve seen them all. It’s time for... More »
When you’re at the gym do you sometimes feel like you’re just spinning your wheels? You show up every day, put an hour in and get nothing back in terms of results. Don’t let yourself turn into THAT gym guy. Making a daily trip to the gym is a good habit but really how good is it if you’re not making any progress? Time and time again I see the same people sitting on the same treadmill, bike, or StairMaster. Like clockwork these people show up to the gym at the same... More »
37 Shares From the several hours I spend a day at my gym I get to observe all types of gym goers. One thing most of them have in common is that they all appear to be lost. The gym, much like a dense forest, can be a very scary place and if you don’t have a plan you can end up forgetting where you are or where you are going. Here are a few things you must do if you want to guarantee success at the gym. 1. Have a clear destination If... More »
109 Shares Stand up. Sounds tough right? In this article, I will explain to you how you can get from a seated position to a fully standing position with just a few simple steps. You see, you and I were designed to be standers. Somewhere along the way our culture has become infatuated with the seated position. You do it everywhere:in your car, at your desk, at the movies. It’s no wonder you’ve forgotten how to stand up properly. While in a seated position, your primary standing muscles at the hips are in a... More »
226 Shares Leg Extensions You’ve already spent most of the day in a seated position. The last thing you need to do is train your legs from that same position. As someone who spends any amount of time sitting, you have to be sure that your workout routines are well-balanced, providing exercises that focus more on quality movement patterns and less on specific muscle groups. Truth is leg extensions may be doing more harm than help. Passive structures in the knee (ligaments) are stressed more in open chain exercises like the leg extension which can... More »
