Sports & Fitness: Performance Training, Rules & Recovery

Elite athletic performance and general fitness are sustained through structured hypertrophy strategies, sport-specific conditioning, and rigorous adherence to injury prevention protocols.

Barbell on concrete floor, overhead view

How Much Weight Should I Curl on a Two Armed Curl Bar?

Biceps, triceps and forearms are the main muscles of your arms that need strength training and conditioning. A variety of bicep curl, forearm curl and bench press exercises can provide an optimum workout for these muscle groups and thereby improve your upper body strength.

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Barefoot

Changes in the Diet & Itchy Toes

While occasional itching for a few minutes is not serious, an itch that keeps coming back without apparent cause may require medical attention. Frequent itchy toes may not only frustrate and irritate you, but can also indicate serious underlying conditions including diabetes, allergies and gout.

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Young couple jogging

Lactic Acid in the Knees

Your body produces lactic acid, or lactate, in the absence of enough oxygen to convert glucose to energy. As your level of intensity increases, so do your levels of lactic acid.

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Young man skating on longboard, side view (blurred motion)

What Are the Health Benefits of Longboarding?

Longboarding is the sport of riding a longboard, a skateboard variant related to a surfboard or snowboard. Longboard skaters use their boards for cruising, racing, transportation and stunts. Some skaters would say it is addictive.

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Man dribbling basketball against defenders

How to Use Shortness to Your Advantage in Basketball

An old basketball adage says that you "can't coach size." Many people think that in order to be a great basketball player, you have to be tall and play above the rim, pulling down rebounds, blocking shots and throwing down monster dunks.

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Seated Young Ballet Dancer Looking Up at Another Ballet Dancer Standing in a Dance Studio

Differences Between Exercise Physiology & Kinesiology

Exercise physiology and kinesiology are two similar but distinct fields of study. Both fields are associated with exercise and performance. Kinesiology, however, focuses on movement in particular. The two are often confused because they both deal with physical activity.

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Wrist Exerciser.

How Long Does It Take to Build Forearms?

In the bodybuilding world, a well-known maxim is that strength comes before size. To build muscle, strengthening will have to come first. This fact applies to all muscles, including those of the calves, legs, chest, arms and especially forearms.

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man and woman with barbell flexing muscles in gym

What Causes Back Pain When Doing Lunges?

Lunges are effective strength-building exercises if performed properly, helping improve the musculature of the low back, hips, abdomen and legs. However, doing any kind of exercise can put you at risk of back pain or injury, especially if you're out of shape or not used to exercising.

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Woman doing sit-ups

Situps and an Enlarged Spleen

Several conditions, including liver problems, systemic infection and cancer, can cause an enlarged spleen, but the most common cause of an enlarged spleen is the virus mononucleosis, according to the textbook "Biology: Life on Earth With Physiology."

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Fresh dough on the table

How to Store Flours & Grains Without Getting Worms

No matter how clean you keep your kitchen, pests cans still cause problems in your pantry. They enter your home in a variety of ways and seek out improperly stored foods to lay eggs in. The eggs hatch into larva that look like worms, and they can spoil your food as they grow into full-fledged insects.

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Woman riding bicycle on rural road

How Treat Cycling Pimples & Chafing

Many avid cyclists have experienced pimples and chafing on their buttocks or inner thighs. Cycling pimples and chafing can be uncomfortable or painful during rides, but proper treatment can relieve symptoms and speed healing.

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Woman relaxing in sauna, eyes closed, front view, differential focus

Saunas Vs. Cardio

Although both have health benefits, lounging in the sauna and taking part in a cardio workout produce very different results. Cardiovascular activities, such as an aerobics class, brisk walking or lap swimming, gets your heart pumping, builds endurance, raises your metabolic rate and leads to improved overall health.

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Pulling barbell on a gym

Ways to Secure Barbell Weights

Unless you want to send your fellow gym members scrambling to get out of the way, you have to secure your weights to the barbell. None of the clamps or collars are hard to figure out, but if you're not sure if you're attaching them correctly, ask.

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X-ray of knees

The Best Cross Training Shoes for Women With Knee Problems

Cross training simply refers to participation in a variety of workouts or training regimens in addition to your specialty. Cross-training shoes, then, must provide support during activities such as jogging, bicycling, weightlifting and sprinting.

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Woman doing crunches on exercise ball

Situps After Appendicitis

Active people may have difficulty adapting to life after any surgery, especially operations and illnesses that affect the abdomen. Appendicitis is a painful illness that can greatly limit your motion and use of the abdominal muscles while you are affected.

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