Some people shrug warm ups off or do them half heartedly as undesirable foreplay to “real” exercise, but the truth is that warming up before effort is a great idea if you want to stay whole. Not only does it help with long term injury prevention, but it also prepares the body for movement, which gives you better performance during – and more benefit from – the actual exercise. Continue reading Warm up
On Cardio
First off, a disclaimer. Cardiovascular – or cardio – health is important. Your heart and lungs keep you alive. Nothing that follows below should be taken as a suggestion that you should not do your level best to look after it.
Secondly, an admission. I haven’t been doing any cardio training in the last year or so, having focused mainly on strength building instead. In case you haven’t read our previous article on training, exercise, and play, that doesn’t mean I didn’t do a damn about it. It means I didn’t specifically work on it in order to improve it. Continue reading On Cardio
Isometrics
When you think “exercise”, you probably imagine some sort of movement. And, in most cases, you’d be spot on. Isometric exercises however are a special case, where you exercise without actually moving.
Do not for a second imagine that this makes them any easier to perform. Continue reading Isometrics
The Plank
Yarr! Happy international talk like a pirate day! Today we’ll be looking at a staple of piratey life, the plank!
Well, almost; the plank we’ll be talking about is not the one you’re made to walk off into shark filled waters, but an awesome abdominal exercise.
Mindful exercise
Or, why you should pay attention to what you’re doing.
It’s easy to get caught in a rhythm when you’re doing an exercise. Whether it’s a martial art drill, or a set of squats, as soon as you settle into a pattern your body seems to go off on autopilot, and your mind starts to wander. Ideally, you want to avoid that. Continue reading Mindful exercise
Exercise, Training, and Play
In one of his articles, Mark Rippetoe discusses the difference between exercise and training, and why the two should not be confused. Understanding the distinction is crucial if you want to improve yourself over the long term. Continue reading Exercise, Training, and Play
A pull up bar, and a new book
Obligatory warning and disclaimer: A poorly constructed pull up bar can be dangerous. We cannot accept any responsibility for any injuries or damages that may be caused by following any of the information on this page. A well constructed pull up bar can also be dangerous if you fool around with it, so be careful!
One of the things I’ve been really missing since I moved earlier this year is my pull up bar. It was just a regular in-door pull up bar, the kind you stick in a doorway, but it sure saw a lot of use.
My new place doesn’t have any doorways that can take it, or a ceiling high enough that I could mount one inside which would not end with me cracking my head. So for the last few months I just got some pull ups in whenever I could, but not being able to do them on the regular at home was bugging me some. Continue reading A pull up bar, and a new book
Bring on the weights!
Before you ask: no, barbells are not strange alien devices which will turn you into The Hulk just by being in the same building. But more on that later.
Weights are a fundamental component of fitness training. Whether you want to get stronger or just shape up, exercising with weights regularly will get you there. While the barbells and dumbbells are relatively recent developments, the idea of getting stronger by lifting heavy stuff has been with us for time immemorial. There are artefacts from ancient Greece describing progressive weight training, and it likely that they weren’t the first people to figure it out. Continue reading Bring on the weights!
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)
Most of us have been felt it sometimes – and if you haven’t, chances are you will at some point. That dull pain that can set in up to a couple of days after a particularly harsh workout, and makes even the smallest movement an absolute torment. While it can happen to everyone, regardless of age and condition, and can be annoying or painful as hell, there’s no need to let the idea put you off your exercise. Here’s why. Continue reading Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)
What’s the deal with meatless meat?
Since I started taking more interest in nutrition and eating clean food, a number of well meaning people asked me why I didn’t go all the way and go for a fully vegetarian diet. Many suggested various meat substitute products “which really taste like meat”.
After all vegetables are healthy, so these products must be healthier than actual meat, right? Continue reading What’s the deal with meatless meat?