First off, this added resistance during aerobic activity strains the joints and can cause injury to the ligaments and tendons. Secondly, it just silly.

So, if you are guilty of this, please do your joints and your body a favor by hitting regular non-weight/resistance bearing cardio followed up by your weight training.

It is a proven fact that the human body reacts to specific training (Law of Specificity). The Law of Specificity refers to the similarity between a training activity (exercise) and the actual task (goal). If you are training to run faster in a competition, then you have to run fast in practice (not use ankle weights). It is as simple as that.

With that being said, ankle weights are a great way to add progression to an exercise in the weight room. For example, a standard leg raise for the lower abdominals can be made more challenging simply by adding ankle weights or any type of weight or resistance for that matter.

Below are a few exercises that can be performed with ankle weights. The majority of exercises that can be performed with ankle weights are for the abdominals or the hips/hip flexors. I recommend performing two sets of 20 repetitions of the following exercises. Good luck and please feel free to ask if you have any questions!

Ankle Weight Exercises

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Best Ankle Weights Workout

Dry or Damaged Skin

• Caused by: sweating more in summertime causing your skin to be less supple; chlorine in pool water and saltwater can also dry out your skin; finally the very common sunburn really can dry out your skin.

• Try eating: antioxidant rich foods like raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Drinking plenty of water is also key to keeping your skin looking good and preventing dehydration. It’s recommended to consume 8-10 cups a day.

Parched, Dry Hair

• Caused by: overexposure to sun, saltwater, and chlorine.

• Try eating: some fresh meats straight from the grill (burgers, chicken, etc.) or some non-meat protein-rich food sources like beans. Hair consists of protein fibers called keratin and protein-rich food sources help replenish this protein in your hair. Specifically, eating foods rich in vitamin B-5 (in yogurt and avocadoes), vitamin B-8 (in liver and cooked eggs), folic acid (in fortified cereals and beans), calcium (in milk and yogurt), and zinc (in meat and fish) can reduce hair loss and replace dull hair with shiny hair.

Muscle Cramps

• Caused by: overexertion and dehydration. When you don’t have enough fluid in your system, it leads to an electrolyte imbalance that causes your muscles to cramp.

• Try eating: potassium-rich foods like bananas, raisins, and spinach. Also, mixing in a few sports drinks (Gatorade, Powerade) in place of water can give you the electrolytes your body needs.

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Summertime Nutrition Tips

Doctors are warning that cola drinks, when consumed in excess, deplete the body of potassium, which can lead to weakness, and much worse – muscle paralysis.

Dr. Moses Elisaf of the University of Ioannina in Greece authored the research paper that’s come to these conclusions. He says that the hypokalaemia (potassium deficiency) can be caused by excessive consumption of glucose, fructose and caffeine, common ingredients in cola drinks.

“With aggressive mass marketing, super-sizing of soft drinks, and the effects of caffeine tolerance and dependence, there is very little doubt that tens of millions of people in industrialized countries drink at least 2-3 liters of cola per day,” says Dr. Clifford Packer from the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Centre in Ohio.

However, Dr. Moses Elisaf says “the individual role of each of these ingredients in the pathophysiology of cola-induced hypokalaemia has not been determined.”

Two to three quarts a day seems pretty insane, even by today’s gluttonous standards. But lo and behold, I found a separate reference to soda consumption that confirmed the 2-3 liter range. A British soda industry rep took issue with the study.

“The examples used in this paper by the IJCP are all very extreme cases – moderate consumption of cola drinks is completely safe and people can continue to enjoy such drinks as part of a balanced diet and active lifestyle,” says a spokeswoman from the British Soft Drinks Association.

One person examined in the study, an Australian ostrich farmer, needed emergency care for lung paralysis after drinking 4-10 liters of cola a day. Another person was a pregnant woman who consumed up to three liters a day for six years. She complained of being tired, loss of appetite, and persistent vomiting.

It was revealed that she had an irregular heartbeat, probably caused by her low blood potassium levels.

Both people made a full recovery when they began restricting their cola intake. And that’s the lesson… don’t drink liters of cola on a daily basis. Pretty basic stuff.

(via: BBC)

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Soda May Cause Muscle Paralysis

Twisting and turning the spine is a very sensitive subject, so be very careful while performing these movements. Try not to use too much weight or over rotate because this compromises the spine and could lead to future problems.

Below are a few of the top obliques exercises, and I recommend performing two or three sets of 20 to 30 repetitions.

Good Luck!

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Don’t Overlook Obliques to Reduce Love Handles

Top 8 Oblique Exercises

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Top 8 Oblique Exercises

Training the muscles of the core corrects postural imbalances that can lead to injuries and the biggest benefit of core training is to develop functional fitness (fitness that is essential to both daily living and regular activities).

See more of Matt’s Fitness Tips, or email him your own questions.

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Getting to Know the Core