Fitness

Rock climbing is a sport of managed risk. Even in a climbing gym, which is the most controlled climbing possible, a bad fall or belayer’s mistake can still result in serious injury. Climbing shoes, a harness and a belay device…
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Soccer moves often demonstrate the difference between a player of standard ability and a particularly skillful player, and the results of a good move can sometimes even decide the outcome of a match. What is more, learning a few extra…
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Hitting a portable punching bag is one of the best training tools for any boxer who does not have access to his regular equipment at the boxing gym. A boxing speed bag builds quickness, hand-eye coordination and accuracy, while a…
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Preparing for a fight means a boxer must come into the ring at peak efficiency. He needs to have endurance, sharp reflexes, proper technique and the power to throw effective punches. As the fighter gets close to the fight date,…
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Resistance or stretch bands can add versatility to your strength training regimen. They are they lightweight and portable, and offer a different type of resistance for your muscles compared to traditional weight training. They come in different strength levels, so…
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Basketball is a sport where overall athleticism and physical ability play a key role for many players. Tall, athletic players who can run well and jump high would seem to have an advantage over those with normal stature and average…
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Baseball is a game based on the ability to master skills. Whether it is being able to throw quickly and accurately, catch the ball consistently or hitting with power and confidence, athletes can do exercises and drills that will make…
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Your hip joint is the site where your leg meets your pelvis. Because of the great number of muscles acting on or crossing over your hip joint, and because of these muscles’ propensity to become tight and inflexible with disuse…
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Cable machines are not the devices you plug into your TV. In fact, cable machines are the arch-nemesis of cable televisions. They require you put a load on rather than take a load off. Cable machine exercises have many benefits…
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A big gym contains a lot of equipment, but you probably barely use any of it. And even if you do, you don’t truly need it. If you’ve got a pair of dumbbells and an adjustable bench (also known as…
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Get your legs looking great by doing some simple exercises at home or at the gym. Whether you are going on vacation or just want to look great in your shorts, you can get toned up by following a specific…
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Many exercises work upper, mid and lower back muscles. A strong back can enhance overall strength and improve posture, resulting in decreased neck tension and a slimmer appearance, according to Pam Mazzuca, personal trainer and athletic therapist, in a July…
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Overview Backcountry skis are specially designed equipment for skiing off groomed slopes, as opposed to in the front country, at a resort or on-piste. To ski in the backcountry, skiers must “skin,” meaning hike on skis, up a slope and…
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Bulging arms are a primary goal for many lifters new to the gym, and this often leads to a heavy emphasis on bicep curls. Sculpted biceps will bring definition and that much-desired peak, but if you want big arms, you…
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The bench press is a staple in many strength-training programs. Working to improve performance in similar exercises is an effective way to increase strength in the bench press. Focusing on the muscles you use in the bench press can add…
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Everybody in the weight room wants big arms. Next to the bench press, the most common exercises are variations on curls. So why are impressive arms so rare? As Arnold Schwarzenegger puts it in “The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding,”…
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Yoga offers children a non-competitive approach to exercise that emphasizes personal ability and effort. Yoga poses combine physical stretches, directed breathing and mental focusing, creating a reflective environment for fitness. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) notes that yoga can…
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If you are trying to lose weight, you probably know that weight loss boils down to calories you eat and calories you burn. Regular exercise and diet are the keys to successfully losing weight, but adding small bursts of activity…
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Basketball is a common sport played between two teams. Basketball is played both competitively and for recreation. Therefore, some of the rules of basketball vary depending on age and level of play. However, the basic regulations and objective remain the…
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The upper back is made up of three major muscle groups–the latissimus dorsi, teres major and minor and the rhomboids. Specific exercises produce specific effects, including thickness and width for the upper back. To achieve a thick back, the two…
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A game of table tennis can range from a fun basement event to an organized professional tournament. The governing body of table tennis, USA Table Tennis (USATT), provides information about clubs, players, coaches, equipment and official policies for all levels…
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Stretching your body from head to toe on a daily basis helps to keep the muscles and joints healthy. Robin Gargrove, director of YMCAfit and one of the UK’s top fitness professionals, says, “Stretching helps to reduce muscle tension, improve…
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You may overlook your upper back muscles when deciding which strength training exercises to perform, but they have many important functions and should not be neglected. The major muscles of your upper back are the latissimus dorsi (lats), levator scapulae,…
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Fat has a way of appearing in some of the most unwanted areas on the body. The knees happen to be one of these locations. Although this fat is not as serious as abdominal fat, it can still cause self-consciousness….
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Soccer is a sport that takes athleticism, enthusiasm and skill to play. When young people take up the game, they are usually long on enthusiasm but need to be given tips on nearly every skill needed to play. While there…
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Sustained, rhythmic cardio exercises strengthen the heart, burn calories and lower your blood pressure. This type of exercise brings your heart rate into its training zone. Estimate your optimal zone by subtracting your age from the number 220, and calculating…
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The hip contains several very large muscle groups that move the legs. The gluteus maximus, the largest muscle on the hip, moves the legs back. The gluteus medius abducts the legs, moving them out, away from center. The adductors brevis,…
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The muscles of the hamstrings include the biceps femoris, semimembranosus and semitenonosus. They are located on the upper portion of the back of your legs. These muscles are responsible for flexing the knee and extending the hip, which is basically…
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Your gluteal muscles are made of three components: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus–the largest of which is the gluteus maximus. To develop these muscles, resistance or weight-bearing exercises must be performed. One way to accomplish this is…
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Achieving pitching proficiency requires you to perform constant repetition of key pitching movements. Malcolm Gladwell, in his book “Outliers: The Story of Success,” posits the existence of what he calls the “10,000-Hour Rule,” which suggests that the key to your…
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