Posts Tagged ‘fitness’

The Swole 3×5 Workout – A Fresh Approach to Strength Training

Monday, November 11th, 2024
The Swole 3x5 bent over rows

The Swole 3×5 Workout Routine

If you have been reading weightlifting materials for any length of time, you have probably heard of 5×5 training. It has worked for many trainees. We folks at Project Swole even made excellent progress on a 5×5 program. But with all this 5×5 hype, has anyone stopped thinking there might be an even more efficient way to train? You might want to take a moment to learn about The Swole 3×5 workout.

In my experience, at least for trained athletes, there are benefits to a Swole 3×5 workout routine which include added volume for accessory movements, core training, and conditioning due to the slightly lower workload.

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The Best Video on Demand Platform for Fitness Videos

Monday, October 21st, 2024
Fitness Videos told this man to do pushups

So I was out on the Interwebz looking around at strength training and fitness videos, and your typical YouTube martial arts fights, and I got to thinking about how annoying the ads are and how much the video quality sucks. There are some cool channels like Muscle Madness and Strength Wars but ultimately most of the videos on the web are slow to load and often the quality makes them hard to sit through. Worst of all is when videos are taken down, leaving dead links and video embeds scattered around the web.

So where can we go to find a reliable, secure, white-labeled fitness videos hosting service? The journey begins…

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Athletes Should Only Train Sport-Specific Movements

Friday, September 13th, 2024

Should Athletes Train Individual Muscles or Only Sports Movements?

Adrian Gonzalez uses sport-specific training for baseball

Personal trainers have to know how to train people from all walks of life. I’ve seen bodybuilders, strength athletes, middle-aged men, obese housewives, trained athletes, newbies, weekend warriors, and about 100 other types of people and athletes. No one routine can be designed for everyone. Sport-specific movements might be prescribed for some athletes, while others might need a beginner’s routine, while others might only want to focus on powerlifting movements like bench, squats, and deads. We need to always be aware of the athlete’s goals when designing a workout routine.

Even in sport-specific niches like football, baseball, basketball, and soccer, or with other athletes such as powerlifters, bodybuilders, strongmen, and Olympic lifters, there is no one-size-fits-all training routine. You can’t take a baseball pitcher and train the pitching motion for 5 hours a day, 7 days a week. It just won’t work. So how do you train athletes who only need a small variety of movements to be successful at their sport?

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5 Benefits of Going to the Gym

Thursday, August 29th, 2024
athletes going to the gym

In today’s fast-paced world, maintaining a healthy lifestyle has become more crucial than ever. Among the various ways to stay fit, going to the gym stands out as one of the most effective and accessible options. Whether you’re looking to shed a few pounds, build muscle, or simply improve your overall well-being, the gym offers a structured environment where you can work towards your fitness goals. But the benefits of going to the gym extend far beyond just physical appearance. From boosting mental health to fostering a sense of community, hitting the gym regularly can have a profound impact on various aspects of your life.

More often than not, we typically start going to the gym because we want to look better. However, exercise offers much more than simply looking good. Regular exercise not only strengthens muscles and increases flexibility, but it can also lower stress, blood pressure, and mood while increasing happiness levels – as well as possibly helping prevent certain diseases or illnesses.

Here are five compelling benefits of going to the gym that can inspire you to make exercise and fitness a regular part of your routine.

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How to Stay Fit While Traveling

Tuesday, August 20th, 2024
fit couple traveling

Staying fit and in shape while traveling can be challenging, I get you. When I was traveling in Southeast Asia, I could only find member and personal training gyms.

That said, it’s entirely achievable with the right strategies. Whether you’re navigating bustling cities, relaxing on a beach, or trekking through remote landscapes, maintaining your fitness routine helps you feel energized and ready to make the most of your journey. 

This guide offers practical tips on how to incorporate exercise into your travel plans, make healthy food choices, and stay motivated, ensuring that your adventures leave you feeling just as strong and healthy as when you started.

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The 5 Best Low-Impact Exercises

Thursday, August 15th, 2024
low-impact exercise man planking

If you’re an exercise enthusiast, it might be hard to wrap your mind around the many benefits of low-impact exercise. Far too many fitness junkies believe that your workout needs to be high-intensity every single time. While there are countless benefits associated with high-intensity exercise, it’s not the only form out there.

Low-impact exercises are especially useful if you’re recovering from a recent injury. They also serve you well when training for a vigorous event. Incorporating low-impact exercises into your workout regime helps condition your body, repair muscles, and give your body the rest it needs to recover. Want to learn more about some of the best low-impact exercises for overall health and strength? Keep reading!

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The 10 Best Desk Exercises You Can Do at Work

Tuesday, August 13th, 2024
man performing desk exercises

In today’s fast-paced work environment, spending long hours at a desk has become the norm, often at the expense of our physical well-being. However, staying active during work hours doesn’t require a trip to the gym. Incorporating simple desk exercises into your daily routine can help combat the negative effects of prolonged sitting, boost your energy levels, and improve overall health.

Let’s explore the best exercises you can do right at your desk to keep your body moving and your mind sharp, all without leaving your workspace.

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The Best Exercises to Build Endurance

Monday, July 1st, 2024
this girl got ripped abs partially by adding exercises to build endurance

Athletes have become bigger and stronger and are in better shape nowadays, and the trend to build endurance through specific training has only accelerated this phenomenon. Athletes are getting leaner and more ‘ripped’ than ever, in nearly every sport.

It used to be that a baseball player, for example, would focus on exercises specifically designed to improve the specific skill set that they needed to succeed on the baseball field. The same sport-specific training was true for every sport. But as people began to see the broad-spectrum benefits that came with endurance training for events like the triathlon, it became evident that an individual with greater strength and endurance in any sport could benefit from a more well-rounded circuit of exercises.

It didn’t take long before regular people started to realize that they could benefit from endurance training, too, and it quickly became more and more popular. Today, its appeal is at an all-time high. Even weekend athletes, as a result of endurance training, are becoming almost indefatigable.

Here’s why.

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What is My Body Type? Ectomorph, Mesomorph, Endomorph

Tuesday, June 18th, 2024
a group of men asking what is my body type?

You could be wasting your time with a great workout routine and proper nutrition if you don’t know how to train and eat based on your body type. When I first started training and reading about body types my first question – what is my body type, was hard to answer. It seemed I was the combination of 2 of them so initially, I struggled to categorize myself. Honestly, your body type category doesn’t matter enough for anyone to be stressed out about categorizing the body type but knowing the details of how to eat and train for each type, at least gave me some direction as I set goals for fat loss and strength gains in my earlier years.

Hopefully, this guide will help you find some answers if you ask the question, ‘What is my body type?’

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Top 6 Ab Training Mistakes

Friday, June 7th, 2024
this ripped couple avoided ab training mistakes

Want thick, dense abs that stand out like a washboard? Want a ripped midsection with veins and shredded striations? No? How about this: Want to look good naked? If you answered yes to any of those, you’ll want to be sure you’re not making any common ab training mistakes.

You will never achieve any of the above goals or personal goals if you train your abs once a week with three sets of crunches for 100 reps, or if you eat like a horse. Avoid these 6 common abdominal training mistakes and your abs will dial in. Whether you are a bodybuilder, an athlete, or a novice, chances are you are making several of these ab training mistakes in your training right now. Take heed!

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Tips to Protect Your Knees While Working Out

Wednesday, June 5th, 2024
powerlifter shows how to protect your knees with proper form

Are you experiencing unpleasant pain in the knee while training your legs? In this article, we are going to tell you how to protect your knees from any unpleasant injuries as they are very common.

Your legs are one of the most important parts of your body. As athletes and/or gym rats, we must train our legs regularly, even though it can be quite unpleasant at times. Training legs is not always fun, and is sometimes a bit painful, causing many beginners and even novice athletes to neglect them. Personally, I love deadlift day, I don’t care much for squat day, and I abhor lunge day for the reasons mentioned above.

Today we will share some tips and tricks of the workout trade, used by coaches and athletes that you can use to protect your knees from inflammation and injury.

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The Ultimate Goal: Training Longevity

Thursday, May 30th, 2024
older male training longevity

A few years ago, Josh Hanagarne, aka The World’s Strongest Librarian, sent me this great piece of work on training longevity. Enjoy!

How to Train for Your Future

We hear about weight training goals all the time.

  • I want more muscle.
  • I want less fat.
  • I want to look good naked.
  • I want to deadlift more.
  • I want to bench press 500 pounds.

What about training goals that wily matter when you spot your first gray hair or when you buy your first pair of bifocals? Granted fat loss is always a concern as you age, but what can we, as dedicated strength athletes, focus on NOW that will help us stay healthy as the years tick by?

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Grip Training: Hold On With A Bulldog Grip

Wednesday, May 29th, 2024
massive forearms due to heavy grip training

A few years ago, Josh Hanagarne, aka The World’s Strongest Librarian, sent me this great piece of work on grip training. Enjoy. (BTW, the quote in the title is from Abraham Lincoln).

I got into grip training for two reasons:

Number one, it looked fun and people I liked were doing it. Monkey see monkey do.

Second, I was getting strong enough that my hands were starting to become my limiting factor. This was a sobering realization which took place at the intersection of Lame and Weak.

Like most things I like right off, once I jumped in, I jumped in all the way. Grip training was addictive for me. Better yet, it gave me one more way to make progress, which is usually the major ingredient in how happy I am. I could either set aside dedicated days for grip work or, the more I learned, I could squeeze it into my normal workouts without much of a headache.

Before I tell you how I add grip training to your workout, I just want to give you a quick look at four different types of hand strength so that you don’t overemphasize anything or neglect anything that could be useful to you.

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Crush Your Calorie Burning Goals with a Mini Stepper

Tuesday, May 21st, 2024

Finding time for exercise can be challenging. However, with the advent of compact and versatile workout equipment like the mini stepper, staying active has always been challenging. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve deeper into the world of mini steppers, exploring their benefits, mechanisms, and strategies for optimizing your calorie-burning potential.

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How to Fit In a Workout On Vacation

Friday, May 3rd, 2024
fit woman workout on vacation

Most vacations mean people take a break from their everyday life. Vacations can be great for health as well, by eliminating the daily stress from working 8-10 hrs, commuting, and having stressful responsibilities. They leave their routines at home and go away to have some fun. It’s great to get away and not think about work, but it may not be so great if you’re trying to stick with some daily habits. You’ll want to attempt to workout on vacation to keep your muscles limber and your blood flowing.

One of the most popular routines is a full-body workout. It can be difficult to keep up with this routine while you’re away for various reasons such as lack of equipment and training facilities. No matter the reason why you think you can’t get it done, here are a few tips to help see that you do.

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The Brain Benefits of Regular Exercise for College Students

Tuesday, April 2nd, 2024

Exercise is Great for Your Brain!

College Chick experiencing the Brain Benefits of Regular Exercise

We all know that exercise is good for our bodies, but did you know about the brain benefits of regular exercise? Doctors recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity workouts 3-5 times a week as a way to ensure optimum cardiovascular health, and you know that you feel better when you’re getting your body in motion.

In addition, you might use exercise as a way to tone or build muscle, increase strength, flexibility, coordination, and endurance, lose weight, or even address the symptoms of chronic illness (like pain or arthritis).

Depending on the type of activity you choose, you could gain a wide variety of physical benefits from your exercise routine. But for college students enmeshed in their studies, the pursuit of physical perfection can be a hard sell.

Luckily, exercise also provides plenty of advantages on the mental front, as well. And for students seeking ways to boost brain power, the brain benefits of regular exercise could be a major boon.

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Harmony in Fitness and Style: Exploring Their Complementary Relationship

Tuesday, October 31st, 2023
fitness and style girl

The connection between fitness and style has grown more complex and linked than ever before in a culture that increasingly values uniqueness and self-expression. Our fashion tastes and commitment to living a healthy lifestyle are frequently both reflected in the way we dress.

This article delves into the harmonious synergy of fitness and style, highlighting how these two facets of life can coexist in perfect harmony.

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Trampoline Exercises and Workouts: Bouncing Your Way to Fitness

Thursday, August 17th, 2023
woman performing Trampoline Exercises

Are you looking for a fun and effective way to stay in shape? Look no further than trampoline exercises and workouts! Not just for kids, trampolining can provide a low-impact, high-intensity workout that engages your entire body.

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Top Considerations to Help Choose a Public Gym

Monday, July 3rd, 2023
choose a public gym like this fit couple

Deciding on a public gym can be challenging, especially if you are a beginner with little fitness experience. It is essential that you choose a public gym that makes you feel comfortable and at ease, with respectful members and helpful staff, as well as the proper physical amenities for security, cleanliness, and accessibility.

There are many options you should consider when bearing in mind accessibility and safety. In this guide, we will run through all of these options, giving you an insight into the amenities you should look out for.  

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Making a Meme: How to Create Your Own Fitness GIF

Wednesday, June 14th, 2023

If you go on to the internet right now, you’ll find loads of comical pictures and videos about so many different things. In the fitness community, many content developers are making a meme about exercises performed wrong, silly workout outfits, or even serious memes like a max effort PR attempt. Some general memes cover politics, others cover social attitudes, and some are dramatic like the infamous Will Smith slap.

woman making a meme about planks

Making a meme or a GIF is fairly simple, especially when you have the right software or apps to aid you in this process. There are several ways you can go about making your own gif or meme. But what are a GIF and a Meme? What are the differences?

Here is a quick guide to these two popular aspects of social media and the internet at large, and how you can make them yourself.

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