Strength Training for Women

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Since women spend so much time taking care of others we figured we would take the month of May to celebrate them with a few good blog posts on women’s health.

Here are some articles I love:

http://www.womenfitness.net/top10_misconception_bodybuild.htm

http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/training-articles/what-women-should-never-do-but-often-do-while-trying-to-get-in-shape-part-1-of-6/

http://figureathlete.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_45_minute_workout

http://figureathlete.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/how_strong_are_your_glutes_really

Happy Mother’s Day and happy lifting!

Fitness Tips

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When it comes to fitness tips, everyone seems to have an opinion. Best friends, next door neighbors, coworkersask any of them what you need to do to get in shape and stay in shape, and youíll likely get any number of responses. Eat less meat, eat more spinach , run every day, purchase the latest fitness product on the market, or do whatever the latest fitness magazine tells youand thatís just to name a few. You know my great uncle Leroy once told me that all I had to do to get in shape was to carry around a weed eater and push a garden tiller around all summer. Thinking back, Iím not quite sure that worked out as well as I had hoped it would; however, it did help improve my cultivating and lawn maintenance skills.

Anyway, with all of the opinions out there, where does one turn for good fitness information? Well, Iím a big fan of checking the literature, the empirical studies, yes the good oleí scientific research. While I donít think itís necessarily the best idea to form an opinion based off of the results of one single study (after all not all research is good research, and one can usually find holes in just about any study ever done), analyzing research is ultimately the most effective way to separate the good information/advice from the bad. Or in this case, the good fitness tips vs. the bad fitness myths.

With that said, I browsed through some of the literature in the fitness field to see if I could find anything that sounded somewhat appealing. You can do it too. Simply google exercise research or something like that and scan through the results. Or, if you have a few minutes, browse through a research search engine such as pub med . Journals like the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research and Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise are great sources as well.

Here are just a few links to studies that address certain ìfitness tips.î

1. Is it possible to lose weight by lifting weights? Check out this study published by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. (link)

2. Always take the elevator at work? This study may have you thinking again about the benefits of the infamous stairwell. (link)

3. Canít remember what your spouse told you to buy from the grocery store? Maybe taking a walk will help you to remember. (link)

4. Having trouble achieving the fitness results that you desire? Sometimes all you need is a little extra motivation from someone special. (link)

Jamie Ives MA, CSCS, Master Trainer

Jamie has several years of experience in the fitness industry, working with clients of various ages, ability levels, and health conditions. He enjoys using his knowledge as well as his experience in exercise prescription and program design to help each of his clients reach their individual wellness goals and improve their quality of life. For more information about Empower Personal Training, please call (919) 401-8024.

Get Fit for Golf!

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Summer is here and is in full ìswing.î For many of us, this means itís time to go and hit the linksif you can brave the sweltering heat and humidity that is!

A round of golf is a great way to spend a morning or late afternoon, and get away from the stress of the work week. However, many people find it quite a challenge to make improvements to their golf game. After all, it isnít quite so easy to ìput the ball in the hole,î as Happy Gilmore once famously stated. So if you feel this way when you play a round, one possible solution (other than lessons of course) is to give golf specific strength training a try.

Whether you are more or less a scratch golfer like myself, or if you are primed to hit the PGA tour, golf specific exercises can improve core stability, lower and upper body strength, flexibility, as well as balance. All of these components are vital in making consistent progress on the course. Check out this link for a great combination of moves that focus on improving power, mechanics, and flexibility (link). If youíre looking for a few of these exercises to do, just to get started, I highly recommend the golf squat, golf twist, power rotation w/clap, front and side leg swing, and window washers.

In any event, incorporating some of these exercises into your workout routine should help you to start hitting the course ready to make some birdiesor at least better your chances of staying out of the trees, water and/or sand.

Jamie Ives MA, CSCS, Master Trainer

Jamie has several years of experience in the fitness industry, working with clients of various ages, ability levels, and health conditions. He enjoys using his knowledge as well as his experience in exercise prescription and program design to help each of his clients reach their individual wellness goals and improve their quality of life. For more information about Empower Personal Training, please call (919) 401-8024.