Tag Archives: Stamina

Benefits of Rowing

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Whether you already row or are considering rowing to keep in shape, lose weight, cross-train for another sport, compete on the water or rehabilitate from injury or surgery, rowing is the complete exercise for you.

Arms, legs, chest, back, abs—even your mind. Your whole body gets a complete workout from the efficient, rhythmic motion of rowing. Rowing is such a great exercise in so many different ways.

* Low-impact (easy on the knees and ankles)
* High calorie burner (because it uses so many muscle groups)
* Great for joint health (joints move through a wide range of motion)
* Upper body (completes the stroke)
* Lower body (the legs initiate the drive)
* Works the back and abs too!
* Superb aerobic fitness (great for cardiovascular fitness)
* Relieves Stress (for overall health and well-being)

This is different from the rowing you may have done as a kid in a rowboat. The difference lies in the sliding seat. Your legs compress and extend with every stroke—in addition to the more obvious work being done by the back and arms.

Legs: You begin each stroke with your legs compressed and your shins vertical. You initiate the drive with the powerful muscles of your legs, and finish with your legs fully extended. Rowing promotes both strength and flexibility through this wide range of leg motion.

Arms: At the catch, your arms are outstretched; at the finish of the stroke, they have pulled the handle into your abdomen. As with the legs, this range of motion promotes both strength and flexibility.

Core: chest, back, abs: At the start of the stroke, the power of the legs is connected to the handle by means of the arms and the core muscles of the body. Then the back is more fully involved as it swings open through the middle of the stroke. Finally, the body is stabilized at the finish by the abdominal muscles.

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The Advantages Of Training Brazilian Jiu-jitsu

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If your goal is to become a fighter or to be able to defend yourself completely, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu has significant advantages over most other martial arts. It remains the only single style that addresses all areas of fighting completely without the need for cross-training. Brazilian Jiu-jitsu was designed as a fighting style to defeat other martial arts, where styles like Boxing, Karate, Kung Fu and Tae Kwon Do all specialize in striking someone, none of them present solutions for someone who is pinned on the ground; conversely, Jiu-jitsu offers solutions for defending against striking attacks while standing and on the ground in addition to all methods of grappling attacks. With the popularity of contests like the Ultimate Fighting Championship, you will see people naming their styles as Wrestling or Kickboxing, but they all (and must) supplement their training with Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. To this day, there are still fighters entering the cage with Brazilian Jiu-jitsu as their only method of training to ensure their victories.

The Military has recognized the effectiveness of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu as a martial art not only for sportive contests, but in the real world as well. America’s Army cannot afford to buy into theories or Hollywood myths about martial arts; for a soldier, knowledge of martial arts is life and death, not a hobby or a film script. Through a scientific method, trial and error and process of elimination, The United States Army chose Brazilian Jiu-jitsu to be the core of their Combatives Program. In 2002, SFC Matthew Larson re-wrote the Army Combatives Manual (FM 3-25.150) and made Brazilian Jiu-jitsu the backbone for the entire work. Today, it is hard to find any elite Military or Law Enforcement agency that does not incorporate Brazilian Jiu-jitsu as a serious part of their doctrine.

12 reasons why Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is great for your mind and body:

1. Losing weight and gaining a ripped functional body

2. Helps release stress through riveting physical activity

3. Teaches you to protect yourself and your loved ones

4. Surprise yourself with what you’re capable of achieving

5. Avoid confusion and unnecessary situations

6. Make lifelong friends

7. Gain greater vigor and energy throughout the day

8. Quit cigarettes and other bad habits

9. Become full of self-confidence and self-love

10. Learn ways to change what you don’t like about your life!

11. Jiu Jitsu teaches you to move and to use your body improving your coordination

12. Gives you another goal to achieve in life, should you choose to master the art or achieve success in competition

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5 Good Reasons Why Women Should Be Lifting Weights

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1. It beats aerobic training hands down for fat loss

Studies show, even when they were performed at the same intensity (ie, the same amount of oxygen was consumed), weight training had a greater effect on the metabolism, and burned more calories for hours after wards. This is because, when you lift weights, you are not only using a lot more of the muscle at a greater intensity, but also building new muscle. And, of course, the more muscle you have, the more fat you burn.

2. It will make you stronger and fitter

I am often amazed at people who can run for miles but can barely pick up a heavy bag. That’s because aerobic activity (like running and step classes) burns a lot of calories but doesn’t build muscle, so you’re actually getting weaker. Research shows, women who lifted weights performed best in tests of strength and power. The aerobically trained group did worst. So, for real fitness benefits, do both.

3. It strengthens bones

Intensity is everything. It’s better to do between three and weight reps with a heavier weight than 20 with a light one. Do it with enough weight and you can significantly increase your bone mass. The exercises best suited to this are those that make the body work harder, such as squats and lunges using weights. This provides valuable protection against osteoporosis, which affects one woman in three over the age of 50.

4. It improves your mood, confidence and well-being

Countless studies are showing that not only can weight training improve your body, but it can also make a real difference to your state of mind. Lifting weights develops confidence, and has been shown in some cases to be as effective as drug therapy in improving depression and anxiety. Interestingly, in research done by Professor Maria Fiatarone in Australia, this was particularly the case when subjects lifted heavier weights.

5. It helps prevent illness and aids recovery

One study found that women who had breast cancer surgery had greater strength and less fatigue after resistance training. It also helps with diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, MS, arthritis and many more conditions that can severely affect the quality of life. Just remember to get clearance from your doctor before starting any exercise.

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