The Art of Bodyweight Training Editors note - This is a guest post from Khaled Allen at Warrior Spirit. If you ask most people how to get stronger, they immediately recommend weight training, using barbells, dumbbells, or kettlebells. If you are starting from a very low level, pushups or situps might be recommended, but these are only as preparation for the serious business of heavy lifting. Once you’ve mastered the pushup, where do you go from there? Benefits of Bodyweight Training The benefits of bodyweight training are numerous. Principles and Methods Most people don’t realize that strength is much more than simply the amount of load a muscle can lift. The reason is simple: weight training relies on moving a load in the most efficient manner possible (a straight line), while bodyweight training tends to distinguish itself by utilizing disadvantaged positions. As an example, take the L-sit, a movement in which the athlete holds their legs out at a 90-degree angle from the body. • The one-armed pull-up • The planche 1.
A Beginner’s Guide to Getting Toned Congratulations on selecting the goal to get toned! Committing to this goal will make you leaner, stronger, and all-around healthier. But before we dive right in to working out, you should first have an understanding of what achieving the goal of “Get Toned” will entail. What “Get toned” really means: There are a lot of misconceptions about what it really means to get toned. Here are some mixed strength & cardio training plans to get you started: Transform Your Body: A 3-week long functional fitness workout plan that uses the barbell, bodyweight moves, and high-intensity conditioning. Lose the fat coat (conditioning): You can develop your muscles, and they can be the nicest, strongest, shapeliest muscles in the world, but it won’t matter if they are hidden by fat. Here are some cardio-focused training plans for you: Run your first 5k! Build those muscles (strength training): To get toned, you have to build muscle. Proper weights and reps: Like what you see?
Four Ways to Enjoy Long Runs Runners often have a love/hate relationship with the long run. We love the sense of accomplishment we feel when it's over; we hate the anticipation of actually getting out there. Yet it must be done: The long run is the keystone of any training program—5-K to marathon." Indeed, extending the distance you normally cover triggers several lasting changes in your body, says 2:24 marathoner and running coach Kevin Beck. Long runs aren't easy, but they don't have to be death marches, either. Tune OutPROS Running with music can stop your brain from getting overwhelmed with anxiety about the distance you have to cover. Pair UpPROS Running with a training partner can turn a long run into a social hour (or two or three), says Colleen Tindall, a USATF-certified running coach in Moorestown, New Jersey. Run in CirclesPROS Breaking a long run into several smaller loops makes a daunting distance more manageable. The Maniac Next Door
CrossFit Exercises List Photo Credit CrossFit Fever A CrossFit Exercises List for the enthusiastic CrossFitter! These CrossFit exercises are used in CrossFit training, workouts of the day (WODs), and will help you build insane strength. There are infinite variations of these CrossFit exercises, but the most common versions can be found on this list. Most exercises are linked to an instructional YouTube video, so you can check out the exact technique and movement of each CrossFit exercise. Clean: A weight lift starting from the ground that requires using the upwards momentum of a deadlift, jump, and front squat to bring the weight up to the shoulders. This list of CrossFit exercises is always growing! Olympic Weightlifting Starter Difficulty: Beginner to intermediate. Coach: Diane Fu from FuBarbell Price: $19.99 Workouts: 12 video tutorials on the Clean, Jerk, & Snatch Introduction to CrossFit Difficulty: Novices & beginners. Coach: Gina Gonella Price: Free Benchmark CrossFit WODs Coach: N/A Workouts: 24 Price: $14.99
11 Steps to Becoming Addicted to Running photo credit: Thomas Hawk Running is one of those things that you don’t miss until you try it again after a long hiatus. I’ve recently been reminded of this as I just starting to get back into running myself. I’ve been a runner for the past 13 years, about 9 of those competitively. I’ve run all sorts of distances and races, and I can tell you that the absolute hardest runs are the ones when you’re just getting started. While long-distance running is a test of perseverance, actually running on regular intervals can be an even bigger test of persistence. Luckily, there is hope. At this point, our bodies start craving the run. Yes, we can actually become addicted to running (or physical activity in general). Running, especially outside and on trails, creates a release of endorphins that can cause euphoria (runner’s high) or just a general sense of happiness. Interestingly enough, it looks like a running addiction can cure another addiction! Don’t give yourself any excuses.
Beginner Gym Workout with Focus on Core Turn that beer belly into washboard abs with my “Hard Core” gym workout! This beginner gym workout targets your core muscles; abdominal, chest, and back, in a simple but effective routine. If you’d like an ongoing, structured core training plan, check out the Six Pack Abs Training Plan, Cardio Ab Blaster Plan, & 20-Day Plank Challenge Time: 30 minutes | Difficulty: Easy “Elise’s abs program is the only thing that makes me actually work my abs. 20-Day Plank Challenge: For those who are short-term oriented, take this plank challenge! Unfamiliar with some of the exercises and gym equipment? The decline bench: You can find this type of bench in the free weights section of the gym. The captain’s chair: These are usually found in the selectorized weights area of the gym. The rowing machine: This machine can be found in the cardio area of the gym. If you have never used the rowing machine, check out our guide to rowing. Like what you see?
Four Ways to Stop the Dreaded Side Stitch Do you have any tips for runners prone to side stitches? I get them once in a while, and when I do, it stops me in my tracks. It happened last week in the middle of a race and I had to walk the last mile. Thanks. Few things are worse than getting a side stitch during a run. Eat mindfully pre-run. Happy Trails. Coach Jenny—Co-Author, Marathoning for Mortals and Running for Mortals Have a question for Coach Jenny? Follow her on Twitter and Facebook or "like" the Ask Coach Jenny page to ask a question, learn from others, and get inspired! 9 Steps to Faster Sprinting Want to improve your running fitness and overall health? The Perfect Holiday Workout Having trouble finding the time to train?
Armored Gadgets The 25 Golden Rules of Running Editor's note: This article originally appeared in Runner's World a few years ago. The article remains popular online, and the rules are as good now as they were when first published. In most cases, these rules started out as a lightbulb over one runner's head. After a while, that runner told a few running buddies (probably during a long run), word spread, and before you know it, coaches were testing it, sports scientists were studying it, and it evolved from idea to theory to accepted wisdom. Along with each of the rules we present, however, we list the exception. Why? 1. The most effective training mimics the event for which you're training. This is the cardinal rule of training for any activity. The Exception: It's impractical to wholly mimic a race--particularly longer distances--in training because it would require extended recovery. 2. Increase weekly training mileage by no more than 10 percent per week. 3. Wait for about two hours after a meal before running. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Review of Running Sunglasses Even during the cold winter months, when daylight hours are in short supply, sunglasses are an indispensible piece of gear. If you run between sunrise and sunset, you’re still susceptible to the sun’s harmful UV rays. Sunglasses are your first line of defense—and they also offer protection from biting winds on cold winter days or from debris on the roads and trails. OAKLEY POLARIZED RADARLOCK PATHYou can change lenses on the Radarlock Path (pictured above, $300) faster than you can change your shorts. RUDY PROJECT HYPERMASK PERFORMANCEThe '80s called to say these Hypermask ($205) sunglasses are all that and a bag of chips. BOLLE TEMPESTDon’t let the stylish looks of the Tempest ($190) fool you. XX2i FRANCE 1 DUAL KITBargain hunters should look to the France 1 Dual Kit ($150). RYDERS VIA PHOTOCHROMIC“These glasses won’t win any beauty contests,” says one tester, “but they might be my new ‘go to’ glasses for running.” JULBO ULTRADon’t want to swap lenses? Snowshoe Reviews