Tag Archives: muscles

Housework Can Be a Workout

You know those days where it seems like you’re being pulled in a million directions and you can barely feed yourself properly and shower, let alone squeeze in a workout? Or after a particularly stressful week, all you want to do is lie on the couch and veg, although your house is a disaster zone? Been there, done that, too. But instead of choosing between chores or a workout, why not combine them?

Turning housework into a workout is a way to kill (or clean) two birds with one stone. All it takes is a good attitude (especially if you dislike cleaning!) and a nice variety of different types of activities to keep your heart rate up and your muscles challenged. Below are three cleaning activities, what muscles you’ll work when doing them and how many calories an average 150-pound person can expect to burn in 30 minutes. (more…)

Posted on November 6, 2023 by Jennipher

Vibram FiveFingers Simulate Barefoot Running While Offering Protection

Vibram Five Fingers

There are twenty-six bones, twenty muscles and thirty-three joints in the human foot. The human foot is truly a work of art and we need to treat it with respect! By wearing proper foot wear, you provide your feet and your body with the advantages they need during exercise and normal daily activity.

The Vibram FiveFingers are shoes that are exploding in popularity, as barefoot running is recieving more and more attention. FiveFingers provide you with all the benefits of going barefoot while protecting your foot from cuts or surface injuries. These shoes can be worn while exercising or during normal everyday activities. By wearing these shoes, you will not only improve your strength, but they will help improve your balance, agility, and proprioception. Proprioception is defined as one of the human senses that targets reception of stimuli produced and the awareness of the position of one’s body. Check below to see the benefits of exercising barefoot as well as with the FiveFingers! (more…)

Posted on October 29, 2023 by Matt

The Mechanical Bull Riding Workout

PBR (Professional Bull Riding) is in full swing and the finals are happening right now in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bull riding is one of the most extreme sports in the world and it challenges every muscle in the body. Bull riding was first introduced in 1869 in Deer Trail, Colorado at the first ever rodeo. These rodeos were held as competitions between ranches back in the old western days.

Bull riding is considered a “dance” between a bull and cowboy and the winner is decided after 8 seconds. If the cowboy rides for eight seconds, it is considered a ride, or a win, and if he doesn’t, it is a no score and the bull gets the victory. The point scale is decided by a group of judges that judge the cowboy’s technique, as well as the bull’s bucking ability. The scale ranges from zero to a hundred and a ninety plus point ride is considered a great ride. (more…)

Posted on October 28, 2023 by Matt

Biggest Loser Workouts Blast Fat and Preserve Muscle Mass

Season 4's Jim Germanakos shows off his muscles

NBC’s Biggest Loser’s weight loss methods have been controversial since the show premiered in 2004. Obese contestants passing out, being rushed to the hospital, throwing up and collapsing happens nearly every episode, having many experts and viewers concerned that the workouts are too intense for the morbidly obese participants. Many contestants, after losing upwards of 100 pounds, gain the weight back after leaving the regimented atmosphere of the ranch, leading many to believe that the results are too much too soon, making it impossible to maintain.

A new study, however, shuts the critics right up. Not only do the four to six hour daily workouts help the contestants drop tons of weight fast, but the quality of their weight remains ideal- making the Biggest Loser ranch one of the fastest and most effective ways to lose weight. (more…)

Posted on October 13, 2023 by Kelly

A Good Night’s Sleep Key to Weight Loss

If you’re making an effort to lose weight, there are two things you usually think about: diet and exercise. Well, folks, add sleep to your list.

There have been past studies that point to the importance of adequate shut-eye for healthy weight management. Now, a new study adds to the mounting evidence that your sleep habits have a substantial impact on the quality of your weight.

In the latest study, which has been published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, 10 overweight men and women lived in a sleep lab for two separate two-week periods. During both stays, they followed the same calorie-restricted diet. However, one of the times they only got five and half hours of sleep as compare to eight and a half hours the other time. (more…)

Posted on October 7, 2023 by Health Buzz

Light Weights Just as Good for Building Muscle

All the old-fashioned mantras of weight lifting can be thrown out the window. Well, at least those related to pumping  heavy iron.

You don’t have to lift heavy weights to build muscle. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to make an effort. While it’s often touted that you need to lift heavy weights to gain muscle, according to a new study conducted at McMaster University, you can get the same level of muscle building by using lighter weights. The key is to life the weights until you reach muscle fatigue.

In the study, participants used weights based on a range of repetitions. The heavier weight they used was enough to fatigue them after 5 to 10 repetitions, whereas the lighter weight was an amount that the person could lift at least 24 times. Doing the higher reps of lighter weight worked just as well. (more…)

Posted on August 13, 2023 by Jason

Best Protein Powder Supplements

What’s the best protein supplement I should take? As a personal trainer, I tend to get this quite often. I strongly recommend getting your protein from a healthy source that is a part of your diet rather than taking a protein supplement. Obviously, we are always on the go and don’t have time to cook or grill chicken or round-up other healthy high-protein meats or dairy products. So, with that being said, below is a list of the best quality protein powders that will help meet your body’s protein needs.

  • Nature’s Best Isopure Chocolate Powder: Isopure is a fat-free, sugar-free, and carbohydrate-free whey protein powder. It is also glutamine enriched and lactose free. Each serving contains 26 grams of protein and there are 47 servings per container. (more…)
Posted on July 19, 2023 by Matt

Whey Protein Helps Shed Pounds, Gain Muscle

Whey is a popular supplement for people looking to build lean muscle mass. The protein is a by-product of the process of turning cow’s milk into cheese. When you use it in its purest form, as whey protein isolate, it contains little-to-no fat, lactose or cholesterol. And, if you use whey protein along with a healthy diet and fitness program, you will have a better chance of developing lean muscles and lose weight.

Types of Whey Protein

There are two types of milk proteins: casein and whey protein. Within the whey category, there are three major forms that are used weight loss and fitness purposes: whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate (as mentioned above), and whey protein hydrolysate.

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Posted on July 8, 2023 by Jason

Eat Protein Foods, Not Protein Supplements

Protein drinks have become more and more popular over the years, and are most commonly recognized as used by gym-dwellers. But now, it is not uncommon for average exercisers to drink them. Even use by teens and pregnant women has been on the rise!

Our bodies need protein. It is responsible for building and repairing tissues (especially muscle), and works as many chemical messengers in the body, like enzymes. Not only that, but protein (along with fat) helps raise your satisfaction and fullness. These important functions give people the impression that the more protein they eat, the more beneficial it will be. But as with everything else, there is a limit!

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Posted on June 25, 2023 by Rebecca

Massage Benefits Before and After Exercise

During an intense workout, the human body undergoes all sorts of different processes. Almost every system in the body chips in and focuses its efforts on keeping the muscles working properly. It is an inevitability that the body gets beat up during exercise. But that’s where protein and massages come into play.

First off, protein helps build and repair the broken down tissues from the intense workout. That’s why everyone these days is so protein-driven! Secondly, massages don’t affect muscle strength, but have been proven to optimize recovery. There are two different ways to use massages to help speed up recovery: self-massage (self-myofascial release) or professional massage.

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Posted on June 16, 2023 by Matt

Lose Fat, Gain Muscle with Milk

There are many drinks marketed as workout supplements to improve your energy, weight loss, or increase the muscle-building benefits from your weight training. Until now, you wouldn’t have thought of milk as one of them.

According to research from McMaster University in Canada, women who drink two large glasses of milk after a strength training routine may gain more muscle and lose more fat than women who have sugar-based energy drinks.

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Posted on May 31, 2023 by Jason