Training — Popular

  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...

  Whether you’re just starting to think about getting into strength training, or you are, quite frankly, ripped, it’s important to understand just how beneficial it is not just for the size of your muscles, but your overall health and well being. Building muscle and being stronger are as good a reason as any for adding strength training to your workout. But when you stop going to the gym as often as you should, or you stop all together, the added motivation that comes from knowing all of strength training’s health benefits will help to keep your program on track –...