One area of the body that attracts a great deal of attention with strength training exercises is the anterior core, otherwise known as the abdominal muscles. The “go-to” exercise for most people to use is the plank as it places enormous tension to the abdominal region the longer you hold the position. As a result people are drawn to this exercise to let their abs “feel the burn” in the belief it is making their core stronger. Unfortunately, the abdominal stabilizers were never designed to work like this and the strength gains people think they have made do very little to influence how the core truly works. While the exercise may not cause them any direct harm, it creates the illusion that they have incredible core stability when in reality it is far from that. There are so many ways to strengthen the abdominal muscles that are more effective than the plank enabling you to move with perfect stability and strength. In this article I will explain what the true purpose of the core is, and seven of my preferred exercises for the anterior core.
Welcome to part two of our two part series of articles about agility training. In part one I discussed in great detail how valuable agility training is to different age groups and why it is more than just a series of drills for sporting athletes. While it certainly has incredible benefits to the sporting athlete it is a highly under-rated form of training that can significantly improve how people move in daily life. You do not need to be a sporting person to reap the benefits of these unique drills. In this article I am going to share with you what my favourite agility drills are, starting with the easiest versions and progressing to the seriously challenging and complex drills. To help you understand what drill is best for you to use I will label each of the various exercises with "best for" so you can stick to the ones most relevant to your needs. However, if you are confident and you feel you have mastered the simple drills, by all means challenge yourself and try the various progressions towards the end of the article. As long as you keep things safe and train in an area that has good stable footing you should be fine.
This is a short article that looks at the various factors associated with Metabolic Syndrome using a series of info-graphics to illustrate the main things you need to know. Metabolic syndrome is a name that is given to describe a range of risk factors that raises your risk for heart disease and other health problems, such as diabetes and stroke. This is a bit like the warning light before you are diagnosed with one of those diseases. The term "metabolic" refers to the biochemical processes involved in the body's normal functioning. In this article we look at the risk factors that increase your chances of developing this condition and the important lifestyle and dietary changes you will need to make to avoid the progression to more serous disease.