Training

  It’s like they don’t belong there. In gyms around the world, where the iron of weights and strength training machines give the place a decidedly metallic look and feel; there, on a rack in the corner is a bright, colourful display of beach balls. Or at least that’s what it looks like. Whether or not you use them, there’s one undeniable fact about stability balls, they are more versatile for your workout than just about any other single machine or device. Also known as Swiss balls or exercise balls, they first appeared in Europe in the 1960s and were...

    Don’t you just love a nice, hot shower? There’s nothing quite like the inviting warmth to make you feel good all over. And cold showers are like getting a needle, you can handle it, but you hate it. There’s a reason why we love hot showers so much and hate cold showers even more. Water conducts heat away from our bodies faster than air. It’s why you could be comfortable outside without a jacket in 20°C/68°F weather, but you would freeze your #^*&s off if you jumped into the water of the same temperature. Your body is programmed...

  The sad truth is that the vast majority of women, including those who regularly workout, avoid weight training because of an irrational fear that they will “bulk up”. So let’s put that one to rest right now. Bulky muscles are largely the result of testosterone. Without it, you’ll have a tough time building muscle. Men have 15 to 20 times more testosterone than women. Without the same levels of testosterone, women will not “bulk up”, or look like a man, if they start a weightlifting program. The myth surrounding women bulking up is unfortunate because it robs so many of...

  Is there a time when you visit the gym that you don’t work on your biceps? After all, they are the poster child for everything bodybuilding. From gyms to supplement makers, a bulging bicep is your assurance that they are the place to go and the products to use. You can’t say the same for your back muscles. First of all, you can’t see them when you’re working out, even in a mirror, so you don’t get nearly the same satisfaction of watching them pump as you workout. And back muscles are rarely used to advertise anything. The emphasis on...

Strength training might be one of the most underrated ways to improve your physical fitness. When most people think of getting into shape, jogging or other aerobic exercises are usually the first things that come to mind. But, as we saw in our last dispatch, there are many fitness benefits to strength training beyond simply improving your power and increasing muscle size. In this edition, we thought we’d look a bit more at the “how to” of strength training to either help you get started or, if you’re already a convert, to help you get better results. Strength training can be done in...