Baby Steps: How I Deal With My Body Image Issues The Three Extremes Obesity I’ve never had an ideal body. Genetically I am predisposed to carry fat in my stomach and hips (thanks mom). I never cared when I was in grade school, but when I changed schools in middle school I started to listen…
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Strength Training for Runners
Runners in the midwest have been running outside for a few months now. There are races every weekend for runners of all abilities and distances. People run for various reasons including the cardiovascular benefits, mental health benefits or they just like to compete. Unfortunately many runners neglect strength training and wind up losing muscle which…
Joint Injuries and Strength Training
The Boring Stuff: Anatomy There are a few different types of joint types in the body. The two most common types of joints that get injured are hinge joints (ankles, wrists, elbow, and knee) and ball and socket joints (hip and shoulder). These joints are exactly as they sound. A hinge joint is a meeting…
Invest in Your Health: Benefits of Personal Training
Strength Training as an Investment Personal Training is often looked at as an expense, but what if it was looked at as an investment? An investment to improve your current health. An investment to prevent future injuries and disease with an educated approach. An investment to hire a professional to guide you to manage your…
How To Prevent Age-Related Muscle Loss
Falls are the most common cause of injuries during old age. Sarcopenia is defined as age-related muscle loss that occurs after age 30. Inactive adults can lose up to 3-5% of their muscle mass each decade. As early as age 65, this percentage may increase drastically. This muscle loss is usually associated with lower activity…
Women and Strength Training
Women and Strength Training: The Myths Strength training is extremely important for both men AND WOMEN. There are so many benefits that come from strength training that it should be an easy choice to fit strength into your regular routine. Unfortunately there are so many myths about strength training, especially regarding women! Below are just…
Free Weights and Machines - Which is Better?
Here are some common quotes we hear around the fitness industry: “Machines are only for people with injuries.” “I don’t use machines because they don’t help build mass.” “Machines don’t work for functional training.” We lumped quite a bit of nonsense all into one post. Each quote above has its own issues and we…
New Years Resolutions - Achieving Success
Why New Years Resolutions Fail The New Year is the number one time of year for making exercise and nutrition related resolutions and 80% of those will fail by February. In January you have good intentions about attacking your new gym routine and eating plan, but a disturbance in routine causes you to lose focus…
Is Your Training Hurting You?
Training For Sport Versus Training For Health Reasons I recently came across a research study titled “A 4 year Analysis of the Incidence of Injuries Among Crossfit Trained Participants.” This particular article intrigued me because CrossFit has become such a popular training style for many people. What many people don’t realize is that CrossFit was…
Cardio and Weight Loss - What You May Not Know
Here is a small section from Dr. Wayne Westcott’s article about the myth of the “fat burning zone.” Full article can be found at –http://www.healthy.net/Health/Essay/What_Is_The_Fat_Burning_Zone/733 Consider This- The following example is taken from the exercise physiology lab at the University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse. A 160-pound male walks for 30 minutes at a pace of 3.5 miles…