“We’ve seen research on every age group, from children to men and women in their 90s, and it’s clear that you can get stronger at any age,” says Lou Schuler, co-author of the new book The New Rules of Lifting for Life.

This intriguing new book draws out long known truths about muscle strength and longevity. Simply put, the book explains how the strongest people live longer. Additionally the book explains smart and healthy ways for anyone to get in the weight room and get an effective workout.

The authors call-out some common problems seen by many who frequent the gym. For instance, they dispel the myth that women don’t need to lift heavy weights.

“Middle-aged and older women think their bones will shatter if they pick up a weight that’s heavier than their purse. There’s nothing stranger than seeing a woman do a bench press or bent-over row with a dumbbell that’s smaller than her forearm,” Schuler says.

Schuler explains how another common error to be found in the weight room is that of overweight individuals.
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If there was a part of my body that I wish would just magically look the way I want them to I would have to choose my thighs. Like other women who are pear shaped, slimming and firming the lower part of my body is very challenging.

You would think the best way to fix this problem is to eat better and exercise right? Not exactly. If those are the only things you do, you will be disappointed with the results. So what in the world can you do? The answer is strength training.

You may be thinking I want to slim down my thighs, not make them bulky! Then you probably believe strength training will end up making women look like body builders on steroids. We advise you need to stop thinking that immediately. Women have no need to worry about looking that way because we lack the high testosterone levels found in men (unless you actually are taking steroids, which is another issue entirely). For women, strength training can help you transform your body into a lean, fat-burning machine by increasing sexy muscle tone and reducing body fat.

When you have more muscle than fat, your body is burning more calories which in turn helps you burn even more fat, helping you get those sleek and firm thighs.

Oh sports bras. They’re supposed to be a little cocoon of fitness protection, but more times than not end up feeling like a straight jacket for our breasts. They’re impossible to deal with. Too loose, too tight, too itchy, too sticky, you’d frankly rather just go without. But no one wants to deal with those repercussions. Not you nor the wide-eyed onlookers at the gym.

Recently we saw a tweet in which @KSJILF announced the trauma caused to her by her sports bra. “GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF ME! OMGGETITOFF!!! – me almost having a psychotic break while trying to get a sweaty sports bra off.” After we asked her about the experience she said “They are the chastity belt for the chesticles. An ugly necessity.”

She got a response from @TriMeOn that told of a similar situation in which she had to get scissors and cut herself out of the sports bra. We can only hope it wasn’t an expensive one!

The howling laughter that followed this exchange came only because we fully connected with what she was going through in that moment. Hot and sweaty after a workout, trying to get in the shower, and for the love this contraption just will not come off! One arm trapped up the left side, another wandering around the right, your hips and neck wiggling just hoping something will shift and give. What woman hasn’t been there? So it got us wondering, what’s the worst thing your sports bra ever did to you? These are tales from the FitCrypt.
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Super active quadriceps, strong hamstrings and monster gluteal muscles are what propel a road bike across pavement. Just take a look at the lower bodies of famed cyclists such as Lance Armstrong or Cadel Evans and you will see some serious power pent up in their legs. In professional racers, the contractibility of muscle fibers is beyond efficient, and the speed at which they fly up steep grades is unimaginable.

While we may not boast the title of ‘Tour de France winner,’ we can still enjoy trying our best in a local bike race or just having fun while riding along our neighborhood bike path. Either way, nursing our well-used legs is of great importance. Post ride or race, ice and massage are crucial for speed of recovery, and so is yoga.

The following yoga poses are superbly beneficial to anyone who enjoys spending time in the saddle, i.e. the bicycle seat.

Runner’s Lunge

You might as well call this ‘cyclist’s lunge,’ as it is helpful for runners and riders alike. With the front knee directly over the ankle and the back leg stretched as far back as possible (toes on the ground) the psoas muscle receives a lovely stretch for restoration of length and suppleness. In cycling, the psoas muscle is responsible for bringing the knee forward at the top of the pedal stroke, as well as keeping the pelvis stable while pedaling.
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Living close to work is not only convenient, but also healthy, according to recent research.

A study conducted in the Dallas-Forth Worth and Austin, Texas, metropolitan areas surveyed nearly 4,300 people to determine how commuting affected their health and fitness levels.

Researchers documented participants’ commuting distances, body mass indices, and metabolic risk by measuring factors such as waist circumference, fasting glucose and lipid levels and blood pressure. Participants were also questioned about their physical activity habits for the previous three months.

Results showed that commuters who reported driving longer distances also reported taking part in less moderate or vigorous physical activity. These participants also had lower cardiorespiratory fitness levels, and higher body mass indices, waist circumference, and blood pressure overall.

This evidence suggests that the longer the commute, the more likely the association with higher weight, lower fitness and higher blood pressure levels – all of which are strong predictors of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.
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