Results matching “Bird”

Just came across the blog of 'The Human Vise', Pat Povilaitis. The picture at left - Pat reshaping a horseshoe - says it all.

Check out the fitness blog of writer John E Fike, aka the Low Budget Warrior. A great mix of bodyweight, kettlebell and conditioning work.

A few snippets from this week's health news :

• Via Physical Strategies : a gene that could help cure heart disease
  The first study on the gene, naming it Apo A1-Milano, showed it might protect against heart disease in an unusual way.
  
• Homework contributing to childhood obesity, parents say
  Parents and Friends chief Jenny Branch says as childhood obesity becomes a major problem, homework is forcing children to sit in front of computers instead of exercise.
• New Study Indicates Tanning May Be Addictive
  Now, a new study of college co-eds indicates that some people may be addicted to ultraviolet (UV) light.
• Red Pepper: Hot Stuff For Fighting Fat?
  Food scientists in Taiwan are reporting new evidence from laboratory experiments that capsaicin - the natural compound that gives red pepper that spicy hot kick - can reduce the growth of fat cells.
• The First Urine Test To Detect Insulin Doping In Athletes
  Scientists in Germany are reporting development of a urine test that finally can identify athletes who misuse certain kinds of insulin in an illicit attempt to enhance performance.

Youtube has plenty of strongman training from PJTrainer. His latest video, mini blob clean and press [streaming, 432kb .flv download], is a great starting point.

Pistols are a great exercise, however the balance can be a little tricky at times. If you find yourself almost being able to do them without holding on to something, the All around strength blog has some great advice.

New to pistols? They're really nothing more than a one-legged squat (usually bodyweight only). Much more difficult than you might imagine. For further information, head over to Power Athletes Mag and check out this superb article by Steve Cotter.

In the face of a growing obesity problem, the Australian government has asked fast-food retailers across the country to greatly reduce the quantity of trans-fats in their cooking. So far, many retailers seem to be agreeable to the idea - particularly with the unfavourable response anticipated by a negative reaction.

A hamburger from the local take-away is fast becoming a reasonable idea.

Musick hath charms to soothe a savage breast

- William Congreve

This is the second part of this month's series on workout music; a collaboration with Run to Win's Blaine Moore.

I love to listen to music, and my tastes vary wildly according to mood. When I'm heading to the home gym, however, there are only two types of music to consider. These are not two genres, but instead can be thought of in terms of their effect on your heartrate - soothing or aggressive.

Soothing

Soothing music has a lot of things going for it. Put on a relaxing tune and watch as your breathing and heartrate slow, and your focus improves. These factors alone can make it a very worthwhile way to begin your workout.

When I tried using soothing music in a workout, I had great results. I felt more focused, and calmly set about breaking a few PRs. It sounds perfect - yet I changed back to more aggressive tunes in the very next workout (and have kept them ever since). Why?

The short answer : I prefer it. I'm much more comfortable with loud, obnoxious, aggressive metal (or anything from hard rock up, really) as an accompaniment when I'm lifting weights than anything a little more calming (I save that for a relaxing break at the end of a long day).

The longer answer : there have been numerous studies on the relationships between music and the human body. Music to heal, music to relieve symptoms; music to take your mind to a different place.

Of these (several of which have been listed at the end of this article), two points stand out. Soothing music has been shown to :

• reduce cortisol levels
• reduce muscle tonus

Reducing cortisol production has many health benefits long-term (such as a reduction in blood pressure and aiding the ability of the immune system to do its job) [1], but this has dubious benefits during the short period of a workout. Cortisol is a complex hormone, but amongst its many roles are protein breakdown and the takeup of amino acids - neither of which are particularly desirable during your workout.

Similarly, reduction of muscle tonus can be seen as both a good / bad thing. For those with exceedingly tight or spasmodic muscles, a little reduction may be welcomed. In all other cases, however, it's not something you particularly want.

Aggressive

I've grown up surrounded by hard rock and a little metal (AC/DC and Metallica are typical), and this is very much my default. During workouts I generally listen to music of this 'weight'.

My usual practice is to throw a random sample of songs on the iPod from a personal 'workout' playlist, listening to one song per set. When the next set begins, I switch to the next random song (whether the previous one is still playing or not) and get down to business. This works out well.

The reason for listening to this type of music is again a question with both a short and long answer. The short one is the simple fact that I'm used to heavier music, and I feel more 'at home' with it playing than I do with something more soothing (which I generally associate with a darkened room, glass of wine and closed eyes).

The longer answer is that aggressive music can actually assist strength training in the same ways that soothing music can hinder it. An increase in both cortisol production and muscle tonus are of benefit here. A couple of other benefits might be :

Music promotes dissociation : you're much less likely to think about pain and more likely to succumb to the various chemical changes taking place in your body when you listen to music you enjoy. Personally I enjoy a lot of different genres, but the heavier ones usually top the list.

Motivation : along similar lines is the concept of motivation. If you enjoy the music, you're more likely to enjoy the workout; and therefore more likely to repeat the process. Always a good thing.

Conclusion

Overall, it's the heavier stuff for me. Soothing music is great for doing just that - soothing; however a bit of growling and screaming will always be welcome in the home gym. As musical accompaniment, that is.

Studies and further reading

Although the use of music is highly controversial at times (and very much a personal thing), the following will give you some insight into the current environment :

The effects of vibroacoustic therapy on clinical and non-clinical populations
Wigram, Anthony Lewis
1997

The influence of preferred relaxing music on measures of state anxiety, relaxation, and physiological responses.
Thaut, M.H.
Journal of Music Therapy 26
1989

La La La: The Effects of Music on Muscle Strength
Stephanie C. Chang; Jacqueline S. Ho
CALIFORNIA STATE SCIENCE FAIR
2005

Music therapy as a treatment method for improving respiratory muscle strength in patients with advanced multiple sclerosis: a pilot study.
Wiens ME, Reimer MA, Guyn HL.
1999

Relaxing music better turned off
ABC Science Online
5 May 2006

Music makes your heart beat faster
ABC Science Online
10 Oct 2005

The Effects of Music on Exerise?
Len Kravitz, Ph.D.

References

1. Cortisol
Wikipedia

The Moroccan town of Ouarzazate is home every year to the Marathon des Sables, or Sand Marathon. This is a gruelling 240km (150m) run across hot desert sands, over a 7 day period. Not for the faint of heart.

The fun starts on March 23rd. Any takers?

One of the more unusual events on the sporting calendar is Gloucestershire's annual cheese rolling festival. The premise is simple: a Double Gloucester cheese is rolled down a hill (reaching speeds of up to 70mph) and competitors run downhill chasing it. The first to pass the finish line (or catch the cheese) is the winner.

It's a steep, uneven decline and there are usually a number of injuries; ranging from sprained ankles to broken bones and concussions. To get an idea of the insanity, take a look at a few of the videos from last year's festival.

The next competition is scheduled for May 28. If you're in the area, head on over. Looks like a lot of fun.

A bit of juggling vocabulary from Dedwarmo : Grind [streaming, 588kb .flv download].