10+ mon, 5+ day ago (1287+ words) Calisthenics is a form of exercise that involves only doing movements using your body weight. It can be a great way to improve your strength, flexibility, and balance without needing excessive equipment or a gym membership. As a trainer, I have many of my clients who would rather exercise at home doing calisthenics exercises to build muscle and lose weight. If this sounds like a form of training you would benefit from, knowing the best calisthenics apps is essential for providing you with guidance during your workouts. Keep reading to find out more about the best calisthenics apps! Calisthenics Mastery has over 150 exercises targeting 27 different muscles in your body." You can search by exercise or muscle group, set up a personal plan, adjust the difficulty, schedule your workouts, and track your progress. There's something for everyone, from beginner to advanced…...

5+ mon, 3+ week ago (266+ words) Step aerobics is a type of cardio workout where you step up and down onto a platform, typically a gym step or some other type of raised platform. It's low-impact, but you'll still burn calories and enhance your cardiovascular endurance, heart rate, and overall strength." There are different types of step aerobics, including simply stepping up and down, as well as other moves like side-to-side steps and weighted step-ups. Most involve upbeat music and stepping up or down to the beat. One of my favorite moves is stepping up and lifting my knee up to my chest for a good stretch and a test of balance. Step aerobics is simple, and all you need is a step or platform. You can do exercises on your own at home or join an aerobics class that incorporates step aerobics. Here are some…...

2+ week, 5+ hour ago (224+ words) The classic, humble lunge is an effective leg-day move that fine-tunes your balance and stability while strengthening your back, hips, and legs. You can choose from several variations with or without weights. I like the simplicity of lunges and how you can power through a few rounds as part of your at-home workout routine." The researchers measured muscle activity and joint forces at the knee and hip joints of four participants while they performed different types of lunges. They used effective tools, such as eight infrared cameras, force plates, motion capture systems, and EMG (electromyography) to analyze different muscles." Participants performed a warm-up exercise for at least 70 minutes before starting the experiment. This was a small pilot study of only four participants who were all professional fitness trainers with no orthopedic medical history in their knees or backs, so these…...

7+ mon, 1+ day ago (758+ words) Researchers explored whether having bigger biceps is protective for your overall health and promotes longevity. Let's look at the research on those guns. The post Is having bigger biceps protective for your overall health? Researchers explore appeared first on The Manual. Recently, researchers explored whether having bigger biceps is protective for your overall health and promotes longevity. If you need any more reasons to pump iron and train your arms, let's look at the research on those guns. In a large study published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia, and Muscle, researchers pooled data from almost 900,000 people. A primary goal was to determine how muscle mass affected the risk of mortality from various causes. The study included those with muscle wasting, which refers to declining muscle mass. The researchers noted that arm circumference is one of the most accessible and…...

11+ mon, 3+ week ago (459+ words) Strava data reveals that the share of men uploading and practicing Pilates or yoga has significantly increased. Men are getting the benefits of these workout methods. The post New data shows an increase in men trying yoga and pilates. What are the benefits? appeared first on The Manual. Women are more than twice as likely to practice yoga than men, according to the CDC. While plenty of men also enjoy yoga and Pilates, there seem to be more women interested in these practices than men. That might be changing, and recently, more men are interested in exploring the benefits of yoga and Pilates. Once they start, many people love how it feels for their mental and physical health. You might find yourself doing a yoga pose and stretching and moving your muscles here, there, and everywhere because it feels so good....

2+ mon, 4+ hour ago (335+ words) The muscles on your inner thigh are given the umbrella term of "adductors, which includes the pectineus, gracilis, adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, and obturator externus (on the outside of the upper thigh). Starting at various points on your pelvis and pubic bone, the muscles run down to your femur thigh bone, making their way down your inner thighs. This group of muscles helps you move your legs inward toward the center of your body, a movement known as adduction. Squeezing your legs together can help you feel the activation of these muscles. With the right moves, you can strengthen your adductors, which comes along with plenty of benefits. Your adductors are some of the biggest muscles in your body, and they help stabilize your lower body when you're going about your day-to-day tasks, from walking to climbing stairs…...

5+ day, 14+ hour ago (373+ words) If you are intrigued, keep reading this guide to learn what makes the lift unique, its major benefits, how to perform it, and how to correct common mistakes! Unlike isolated movements, this lift challenges your entire kinetic chain'from feet through hips, core, and upper body'while also demanding timing and precision. Because it involves multiple joints moving rapidly and then stabilizing, it's more technical but also increasingly effective as a total-body strength builder compared to many traditional lifts. Beyond muscle, it enhances explosive capability (rate of force development), coordination, and movement efficiency. It also has metabolic benefits and can support bone health due to the heavy, dynamic nature of the lift. The coordinated, dynamic movement pattern carries over well into athletic tasks like jumping, sprinting, and changing directions while also building serious strength. Recommended sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 2 to…...

1+ mon, 2+ week ago (385+ words) As the weather cools down as we inch closer to fall, many of us are seeking a new fitness routine tailored to the season. While outdoor walks may have been your go-to workout of the summer, the Lagree and Guan Jing methods are the perfect workout as you transition into your fall and winter workout routine. In general, Lagree recommends that this workout routine be performed two to three times per week for the first six weeks, adding one more session for the next 6 months. Eventually, you'll be able to work yourself up to two sessions per day. This exercise plan focuses heavily on endurance, which means you'll need to allow time to work up your stamina. Practicing GuanJing is easy to work into your routine, requiring only short 30-minute sessions. For example, Guan recommends a 30-minute practice that has…...

7+ mon, 3+ week ago (413+ words) Recently, researchers explored whether mental training and mindfulness can improve running performance. Let's delve into the new research. The post Can mental training and mindfulness improve your running performance? New study appeared first on The Manual. Is training your mind just as important as training your body? Many of us have a warmup routine that helps us get ready for exercise or a game. Before I go running, I like to do some yoga poses as well as a short dynamic warmup with moves like jumping jacks and high knees. Recently, researchers explored whether mental training and mindfulness can improve running performance. Let's delve into the new research. In a study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers incorporated mindfulness training, which refers to a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy designed to promote awareness and acceptance of the current…...

3+ mon, 1+ week ago (935+ words) You know your fitness experience is about to take a different turn'when it starts by entering a space known as The Chamber. Yes, that chamber is an actual physical entity, and it delivers an almost bewildering variety of fitness, health, and wellness experiences that represent something very different when it comes to the basic gym experience. The company responsible for this experience is Ammortal, and they're selling the Ammortal Chamber mostly to high-end gyms, a handful of pro teams, and elite athletes at a price of just under $160,000. That's a lot of zeroes for a lot of experiences, so let's unpack this product and the approach behind it to examine the modalities and the goals. Coming up with a tidy, succinct definition of the company isn't simple. The array of fitness, health, and wellness experiences included in a visit to…...