Posts Tagged ‘fitness exercises’

All kind of common myths circulate about how to build muscle. Most people will tell you that you need to do 12 reps, that is 12 repetitions, of a weight exercise if you want to build muscle. This is a fiction. It is not the number of repitions that build the muscle but the time that the muscle spends under tension.
The trick is to do the exercise more slowly rather than do more of them. A few repetitions performed slowly will have more effect than repeating the exercise more often more quickly.
Using slightly heavier weights and performing fewer reps will have the best effect on building muscle mass.
It is important to increase the weights slowly. You should begin with weights that well within your ability to lift them. Gradually progress at each session to heavier weights. Stop if you feel any pain and go back to the previous weight.
Always make sure that you warm up before beginning your weight training. This will avoid muscle strains. After the session make sure that you stretch the muscles to ensure that they do not become tight and stiff.
Another common myth is that reps should be done in three sets. There is no magic involved here. The idea of breaking your reps into sets is just a way of introducing a period of rest into the weight training. This is important if you want to avoid muscle strain.
You will often hear that you should do three to four exercises for each muscle group. Generally speaking this will not be enough to build muscle effectively. You need to work the muscles more than that.
The injunction not to let your knees go beyond your toes has probably baffled you unless you have a good trainer to explain it. This is in fact perfectly true. Studies have shown that you are more likely to suffer injury when doing squats if your knees go beyond your toes.
Researchers at Memphis University found that knee stress was much higher when the knees went beyond the toes. But they also found that hip stress was greater if the knees were not allowed to move forward.
The best solution seems to be to focus on the position of your upper body when doing squats and lunges. If the upper body is kept upright then the stress on both knees and hips is reduced.
Some of the best guidance for preventing joint strain can be found in yoga manuals. A few classes with a good yoga teacher may be a good way of developing the correct posture for weight training.
Another common myth that you will hear in the gym is lift weights draw abs. The idea is that the abdominal muscles support the spine so by pulling them in you will protect the spine from injury.
But the muscle you draw in is the transverse abdominis is not the most important one in protecting the spine. All the abdominal muscles work together to protect the spine. So by deliberately working one muscle you may prevent the others from doing their part.
Again posture is your best guide. Keeping the spine straight when you perform an exercise will ensure that all the abdominal muscles come into action.
The single most common myth is that if you work out every day you will build more muscle. This is not true. Muscle builds because cells are damaged in the process of exercise. When the body repairs that damage it makes the muscle stronger. You need to allow your muscles a day to rest so that your body can do the essential work of repair.

What do you think of when you hear the term “sports fitness”? Do you see football players on the field, soccer players scuffling over a ball, a volleyball team at the beach, or a tennis match? There is a tendency to understand the term to mean the sport itself, rather than a way to stay fit.
People engage in sports for specific recreation-related reasons like entertainment, competition, or self-satisfaction. Because sports involve physical activity, most fitness experts and health care professionals know that sports is one way to stay fit and healthy. Sports fitness, as opposed to “exercise” or “physical fitness,” however, involves developing a skill or ability. Sports fitness is an opportunity for personal growth.
Sports enthusiasts may be more likely to maintain a healthy lifestyle (although some would question that assertion) because of the inherent discipline and physical demands. But sports fitness can also mean weight loss, better mobility, greater energy, and a host of the things we use to describe good health. Sports fitness is a character-building pursuit.
Sports do teach people to value their health. Without health, they couldn’t maintain the energy and vitality necessary to participate. Especially if they are in professional sports, their livelihood may depend on their fitness and health. Sports fitness is a lifestyle.
Let’s assume, for a minute, that you are a person who needs more exercise to get or stay physically fit and healthy. You have many options: gyms, health centers, home exercise. You can do aerobic exercise routines, undertake a weight training program, or spend hours on an exercise bike or treadmill. Those are all beneficial activities. But some of us find them boring. We won’t stick to them because we’re not having fun. Sports fitness is fun!
One way to get healthy and have fun at the same time is to pursue sports fitness. You can get your workout on the basketball court or baseball field. You can enter swimming competitions or run marathons. These exercise routines involve other people, interaction, and FUN! So, let’s say you’ve decided to get your exercise through sports fitness.
There are some things you should know about things you can do to assure sports fitness is a safe, healthy program for you:
1. Get a Lot of Fluids
We can go days, even months, without food. But we can’t live without frequent drinking water. It’s the most important nutrient we’ll ever consume. And when you’re engaged in sports, you perspire more, losing that precious liquid gold. In fact, if you lose too many fluids without replacing them, you could have very serious health problems. In the extreme, you could die.
So when you’re engaged in strenuous exercise, you should always drink water to replace what you’re losing through sweat. Some sports involve losing fluids so rapidly that it would not be possible to replace them with water alone. In fact, drinking too much plain water at once can lead to a toxic reaction (water intoxication) due to an unhealthy balance of electrolytes in the body. To avoid dehydration and water intoxication while playing sports, experts recommend sports drinks. They come in three categories.
Isotonic sports drinks contain a similar balance of water and other nutrients as in the human body, including 6-8% sugar. Hypertonic sports drinks contain less water and more sugar than the human body. Hypotonic sports drinks contain more water and less sugar than the human body. Most of the sports drinks on the market are isotonic.
No matter which you choose, sports drinks have two important ingredients you won’t find in plain water: carbohydrates and electrolytes. Carbohydrates help keep energy levels up, and a proper balance of electrolytes (made up of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, phosphate, and hydrogen carbonate) is essential to well-being. Drinking a lot of fluids is essential for sports fitness.
2. Eat more Fruits and Vegetables
The strenuous exercise involved in sports rapidly depletes the body of essential vitamins and minerals. Fruits and vegetables contain essential nutrients. When you’re engaged in sports fitness program, make it a habit every day to eat a dark green vegetable, a yellow or orange fruit or vegetable, a red fruit or vegetable, beans or nuts, and a citrus fruit like oranges. Sports fitness involves a healthy, balanced diet.
3. Protect your Bones
Obviously, people involved in sports fitness are at a higher risk of injuries, including broken bones. The more you can do to keep your bones strong, the better off you will be. Be sure your diet includes calcium sources like sardines, tofu, and dairy products, etc. You might also consider adding a calcium supplement to your daily routine. Not only will your bones withstand the bumps and crashes you get on the court or field, you’ll be getting a head start in fending off the dreaded osteoporosis.
4. Warm Up and Cool Down
You may strain a muscle or fall prey to another type of injury if you’re body isn’t loose and limber when you start playing any kind of rigorous sport. Like runners, stretching routines are a great way to get limber. And more active warm-ups get your heart rate going gradually.
After the game is over, don’t go straight to the clubhouse or bar. Do a few cool down exercises to gradually release tension and transition to less activity. You have fewer sore muscles and less tightness if you do. Sports fitness involves responsible preparation and follow-through.
Participating sports is a great way to get and stay physically fit and to have an active, interesting social life. Sports fitness allows you to meet more active people interested in health and fitness who can help you stay motivated and involved. The best thing about sports fitness is that you get a great workout while you’re having a great time. It’s the best of both worlds!