Many of you who have read many of my previous articles about core strength or core stability will know I am not a big fan of the popular plank exercise. I have even written a detailed article (7 exercises better than the plank) discussing how over-used this exercise is and how you can find many so many better ways to train your core than the plank. However, many people believe I contradict myself by saying that the side plank is a good choice for I regularly use it and see it as a great exercise for improving core stability. There are several reasons I suggest this and in this article I will explain why I rate this exercise so highly. I will also show you how to gradually progress from a simple exercise to a more functional movement to ensure you get the most out of it. Enjoy.
Did You Know That Blueberries Are Rated As A Super-food?
Blueberries are not only delicious, they are often referred to as a “Superfood” for these little balls of goodness are packed with a ton of vitamins and minerals. They are regularly considered as a favourite fruit by many people in the health and wellness industry. Blueberries have many health benefits and are known to help with heart health, bone strength, skin health, blood pressure, diabetes management, cancer prevention, and even mental health. In this article we will share some information about this fruit that you did not know and show you why it is something you should include in your diet.
How Weak & Stiff Ankles Create A Chain Reaction Of Multiple Injuries
One of the biggest mistakes I have ever made in sporting career is not treating my ankle sprains with enough respect and ensuring I had full mobility, stability and strength before going back to playing and training. I cannot tell you how many times I sprained my ankles, my left ankle in particular suffered at least 3 grade 3 tears plus several smaller tears! Nearly all of us have sprained our ankle at one point in our life and almost all of us are also guilty of under-playing the consequences just like me. After the initial searing pain, we limp home, reach for the pain-killers, get the frozen peas out of the freezer and on the swollen ankle, before resting on the couch with our foot up for an hour or two. After a few days of hopping around we try to soldier our way on, and before you know it the pain has gone, the ankle is a bit stiff, but we feel we will be back to normal in a week or two. It is about this time we think we are okay have got away with just a sprain. But, as I am going to show in this article it is at this time that even the simple grade 1 sprains can create a dangerous chain reaction of compensatory movements that are conspiring to create much more severe and painful problem.
What Are The Key Factors to Improving Bone Density & Preventing Osteoporosis?
In recent weeks I have had several discussions with people regarding the things they should do to prevent Osteoporosis. Some of these people had witnessed their parents succumb to this and were concerned that it would happen to them so they wanted to ensure they did everything they could to prevent it. Osteoporosis is a disease of the bone that makes a person’s bones weak and more likely to break and is often called a “silent disease” because you cannot feel your bones getting weaker. Many people do not even know they have osteoporosis until after they break a bone. Once you have Osteoporosis you cannot reverse it so it is vital you do everything you can to prevent it from happening by making important lifestyle choices. If you do already have it you can still do things to prevent any further bone loss and also drastically reduce the likelihood of any future bone fractures. The sooner you start the better, for research shows that how likely you are to develop osteoporosis depends partly on how much bone mass you attained in your youth. The higher your peak bone mass, the more bone you have “in the bank” and the less likely you are to develop osteoporosis as you age. In this article, I will discuss what they key factors you need to start doing now to avoid this becoming a problem later in life.
7 Best Squats To Build Strong Legs & Bulletproof Knees
If you have been going to gym for some time, or if you have a knee problem you will know all about the importance of being able to SQUAT. The squat, along with the deadlift, is one of the most common leg exercises used in the the gym and regarded as arguably the best leg strengthening exercise. It is also very popular in the rehabilitation field, for the amazing benefits it can provide to not only your legs, but your entire body with regards to posture, core stability, and better movement control. When you develop a great movement pattern with the squat you improve any movement sharing the same timing, such as jumping which is why it is a favorite of sports coaches around the world. But it also improves the strength of muscles around the knee and the timing of standing up out of a chair, or climbing up stairs and many everyday tasks which are usually very difficult for people with knee pain, explaining why the health and rehabilitation field love it so much. There are so many ways you can do this great exercise, but which one is the best? Well, there is no definitive version that is good for all of us, (besides maybe the single leg squat), there is only the best one for you and knowing which one this is, can be just as important as learning the execution and technique. This article we look at 7 of our best squats to use to help build strong legs that will be bulletproof to injury.
Unstable Balance Training – Useful Training Tool or Dangerous Gimmick?
The past 10-15 years balance training has really taken off in gyms as a part of gym training however it does spark a debate about the value of using exercises like this and more specifically the use of unstable balance training. Previously balance was just standing on one leg and mainly used for older adults and rehab but with the introduction of equipment like the BOSU and balance boards we have seen an evolution of strength training exercises. But is this stuff just a gimmick and is it even dangerous as some experts suggest? I am a massive fan of Dr Stuart McGill who does not endorse this type of training but I am also a massive fan of Twist Conditioning that do encourage it. Both experts have training models that prove to work and have research backing up their beliefs. In my 20 years as a trainer I have found that there is no one way or absolute answer to anything with exercise and health. And when it comes to balance training there are times when it is great and other times when it is detrimental. The key is to know when and who you are using it with and there must be an intelligent approach to how it is applied. The benefits can be astounding, however if used poorly there is definitely a point where the risk outweighs the reward. In this article, I will dig deep into everything you need to know about balance training and you can make up your own mind if it is useful to your training or not.
How to Improve Core Rotational Power with the Woodchop
The wood-chop exercise is an amazing way to improve core strength and rotational power as seen in sports like golf and tennis. However, its value is not limited to those who play sports, for rotational movement is a critical part of daily life and something we should be trying to maintain and improve. Learning rotational exercises can be difficult for it is one of the movements that must be trained at a relatively high speed in order to get it right, and with so many moving parts it is easy to make a real mess of it. In this article, I show you how to break this down with very easy exercises and gradually build up to the more complex and functional exercises that produce great results.
16 Week Advanced Leg Strength Workout Plan
This is part two of our articles about leg strength and why you should never skip legs day. In part one I discussed the various reasons why it is important to spend time strengthening the legs and how the leg muscles can have a big impact on the upper body. In this article I am going to give you an advanced workout plan that has four programs split up over 16 weeks. This plan assumes that you have correct technique with all the exercises, no injuries, and are someone who has plenty of experience in the gym. If you are a beginner, or someone getting back into it after a long break these workouts will be too challenging for you at the moment. It would be wise to spend some time building up a base and correcting any movement weaknesses before attempting hard training like this.
6 Reasons Why You Should NEVER Skip Legs Day
Developing incredible leg strength and power is very important for those who play sports for the muscles in your legs are the engine room that provide the ability to run, spring and jump. Spending time in the gym to build leg strength is one of the most important goals during the off-season training for many sportsmen and sportswomen. You only have to look at the thigh development of sprinters, rugby and football players to see how important leg strength and power is. However, it is an area of the body that is often neglected by many of the general population who just wants to get fit and lose a bit of weight. This is a real concern, for apart from the obvious benefits for sporting performance, strong legs can prevent many of the injuries we see today with the knee and the back. Strong quadriceps enhance knee health, and strong glutes and hamstring muscles can be real back savers when lifting heavy objects from the floor. And in terms of losing weight and obtaining that toned and athletic appearance, the strength of your legs can play a massive role in this department too. The message is clear, leg strength is critical to your overall health and daily function so it is never a good idea to skip legs day.
Focus On the Process Of Getting Into Shape Instead of Your Desired Results
Getting in shape is never easy and in the early stages it may seem like you are getting nowhere. Today’s modern world is moving so fast and technology has allowed us to get things at the click of button that we have come to expect instant gratification in just about everything we do. And when it doesn’t happen people become discouraged very quickly. Most health and fitness experts will tell you the best way to overcome this is to set specific goals you can measure that keep you on track and accountable. For a long time I preached this method too, and while I had some wins with this approach I had many more losses. I came to realize that success has more to do with the process of getting in shape instead of what you wanted. Instead of focusing on the end goal of losing weight or getting fit, I found it was more important to focus on the system you used to get there. In this article I am going to share with you how this change in mind-set can be a complete game changer to the way you approach everything to do with health and fitness.