THE SQUAT Move down until the thighs are almost past parallel to the floor. Extend the knees and the hips until the legs are straight. Repeat this motion. Joint Actions Knee Extension Hip Extension Ankle Plantar flexion Target areas Legs Bottom Target Muscles/Prime movers Quadriceps Gluteus Maximus Gastrocnemius Attachments of Target Muscles Rectus femoris: Iliac […]
The first 3-4 weeks are designed to learn proper technique as well as allow the ligaments, tendons, and muscles to adjust to the increased stress that will be placed on them incrementally in ongoing weeks. These opening 4 weeks lay the foundation not only for the body physically, but for the mind mentally. Strength Training […]
Strength training, once the exclusive domain of athletes and bodybuilders, has recently acquired a new importance in the areas of fitness, health, and weight loss. For the first time, the Public Activity and Public Health Guidelines, a joint recommendation from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association, has recommended strength training […]
Skiers use their entire body when they’re working a slope, whether in a race, skiing moguls for recreation, or even just noodling around on a bunny hill. And there’s no better way to get ready for the ski season than through strength training for a couple of months before the first flakes fall. Skiing is […]
Part of the reason is simply that the more variety you include in a workout, the more it’s likely to keep your interest. And, studies show that boredom is a major reason many people drop out of weight lifting programs. But there’s another reason you want to tweak your strength training that has more to […]
Many women consider the inner and outer thighs their “trouble spots.” While spot reduction doesn’t work, eating a healthy diet and focusing on certain strength training exercises that target the thigh muscles can lead to a loss of both inner and outer thigh fat, which creates leaner, trimmer thighs. Thigh Toning Exercises Beginners may want […]
Muscle building and strength gains go hand-in-hand. If a muscle becomes bigger, it will get stronger. If a muscle gets stronger, it will become bigger. Jumping, sprinting and near-maximal weight training induce the fastest gains. Why? Muscles come in two types and three categories. Type I muscles are “slow-twitch” muscles. These muscles are not very […]
Have you ever met someone who’s a regular runner, swimmer or general sports person? Often when you ask him how his hobbies are going he’ll reply how good it is but “I’ve got this tightness in my shoulder/hamstring/back etc.” The stresses and strains of repetitive sport/movement leave people with a number of weaknesses and muscle […]
An example of a muscle imbalance is when a stiff lower back causes the hamstring muscles to be tight and the adductor (groin) muscles become weak. Fitness professionals have two theories to correct this problem. One is to train movements like a side lunge with a twist. The other is to place the affected person […]