exercise physiology
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I Tried a Vintage Mail Order Bodybuilding Course and There’s a Reason Nobody Does These Anymore
“I CAN GIVE YOU MASSIVE ARMS, BROAD SHOULDERS, AND A GIANT SIZED CHEST IN JUST FOUR WEEKS,” the Body-Tone pamphlet promises. It is the “World’s Fastest Strength and Muscle Building System.” It cost $US20 in the late 1950s, but I found the text of the program in the Stark Center Archives. I am ready to…
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What It Actually Means to ‘Tone’ Your Muscles
The word “toning” is something of a joke in many fitness circles, because it’s a word that’s thrown around when people mean other things. Sometimes it’s a code word for being thin, as when somebody may promise you that a workout will tone your muscles rather than making you bulky. Other times it’s a moneymaking…
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Please Stop Checking Your Heart Rate so Much
Your heart beats faster when you’re working hard, so it’s a good way to tell if you’re exercising hard enough…right? Well, not exactly. Your heart rate is only a good gauge of effort in certain types of exercise. And it can even steer you wrong if the numbers are miscalibrated.
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How Understanding ‘Density’ Can Help You Avoid Overtraining
When I first started coaching, I would often have to talk a new client off the ledge of despair. They would look at their training plan and get overwhelmed by the prospect of so many workouts and long runs.