Power Up Your Strength Training Gains with Giant Sets
Giant sets – the term sounds intimidating, doesn’t it? You might envision grunting and moaning as you struggle to lift a “giant” weight that’s too heavy for you to handle. Don’t worry! That’s not what giant sets are all about. In fact, you’ll typically use weights that are lighter than…
How Body Weight Impacts the Risk of Developing Type 2 Diabetes
You’re probably aware that there’s a link between type 2 diabetes and body weight. In fact, obesity accounts for 80 to 85 % of the risk of developing this chronic health condition. So closely are they related that experts have coined the term “diabesity” to describe the strong association between…
5 Triple-Duty Exercises that Combine Power, Strength, and Cardio
Who doesn’t appreciate exercises that offer multiple fitness benefits at the same time? You have to love movements that build strength and power while getting your heart rate up enough to offer cardiovascular benefits. Are there exercises that meet these criteria? Yes, and chances are you’re already doing some of…
What’s the Best Type of Exercise to Prevent Knee Osteoarthritis?
Oh, those achy knees! That’s what millions of people over the age of 50 say on a frequent basis. Chances are, those achy knees are due to knee osteoarthritis, a degenerative type of arthritis that becomes increasingly common after the age of 50. Osteoarthritis is due to cumulative joint injury…
Are Whole Grains Good or Bad for Your Gut and for Your Health?
The debate about the health benefits of whole grains continues. On one hand, you have research, like a Harvard study, showing whole grain consumption is linked with a lower risk of premature mortality. On the other side are people in the low carb and Paleo camp who believe that all…
Are There Foods or Supplements That Help with Brain Function?
We want to stay physically fit as we age, but we want our brains to stay as sharp as possible too! As we get older, we lose brain volume, especially in our area of the brain called the hippocampus, a portion of the brain involved in memory and cognitive function.…
How Good Are Your Balance Skills? And Why It Matters
Do you have a good sense of balance or could it use a little work? And why is good balance so important? A lack of strong balance skills is a leading cause of falls, especially in people over the age of 60. That’s because balance and proprioception degrade with age…
Strength Training and Rhabdomyolysis: Who’s at Risk?
It’s normal to be sore after a tough workout, especially if you aren’t accustomed to working that hard. You might feel stiff and have a bad case of achy muscles. Sound familiar? This is due to delayed-onset muscle soreness or DOMS. Although we don’t fully understand the etiology of delayed-onset…
Can Consuming Protein after a Workout Help You Build More Muscle?
Protein – most bodybuilders are obsessed with it. No wonder! It’s the building blocks of new muscle tissue. Protein is made up of long strings of amino acids held together by tough bonds called peptide bonds. Once your digestive tract breaks it down, the amino acids travel to muscle tissue…
The Surprising Role that Fish Oil Plays in Muscle Hypertrophy
One of the more popular supplements men and women take these days is fish oil supplements. Fish oil is the oil derived from fatty fish, including wild salmon sardines etc. The potential health benefits of fish oil come from the long-chain omega-3’s they contain. These omega-3’s are primarily EPA and…