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.

Close-up of soccer players feet and ball

How to Keep From Getting Blisters While Playing Soccer

Soccer entails a combination of jogs, sprints, stops and pivots. When cleats aren't correctly sized or properly broken in, painful blisters can result, especially on the backs of heels and the soles of the feet. The best way to avoid blisters is to prevent the common causes of them.

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Football player in white kicking

My Toes Get Bruised When Playing Soccer

Bruised toes aren't pretty, but they are common among soccer players. They can happen when other players step on their feet, or if there's too much pressure on the toes. If your goal is to avoid the bruised toe dilemma, your first step is a basic precautionary move involving your footgear.

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Happy Man Lifting Dumbbell Against Beige Background

How to Get Physically Stronger Quickly

A solid base of physical strength can take years of consistent training to develop. However, with concerted a effort, it's possible to see quick improvements.

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Man doing leg extension in gym

How Long Does it Take to Get Really Buff?

Many people would love to have a body similar to the physiques that grace the covers of fitness magazines, but the process of getting there can seem a little overwhelming. You probably know that getting really buff takes diet and training dedication, but a few other variables play a big role.

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Tandem disability racers with Pilot in front and man with Down Syndrome

What Causes Hamstring Pain When Cycling?

As you spend more time in the saddle, little aches and pains are bound to crop up. Comfort and injury-prevention while cycling can take some trial and error as you get your bike properly dialed in and discover the best saddle, shoes, cleats and other gear for your body.

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Men riding bicycles on city street

Bicycling Hip Pain

As with any sport, there's a degree of risk for injury involved with cycling. Endurance sports, such as cycling and running, require repetitive motions over a long period. This can lead to overuse injuries if body alignment or movement is even slightly off.

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Lifting dumbbells

How to Build Muscle Fast for Girls

Muscles are in style. No longer is the waif-like, super-skinny body the "ideal figure." More and more girls are aiming to build healthy, fit figures that are strong and muscular. Because girls lack the testosterone that boys have, you won't build big, masculine muscles by lifting weights.

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Man lifting weights in gym

Burn-out Sets for Muscle Growth

You perform a burnout set at the end of a body part workout to completely fatigue the muscles. A burnout set involves lighter weights and very high repetitions -- from 15 to up to 100, to encourage maximal glycogen depletion. This training protocol can be beneficial for muscle growth.

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Sporty woman tying her shoelaces close up

Will Wearing Running Shoes While Not Running Ruin Them?

One of the benefits of running is its minimal equipment requirements; a good pair of shoes, some support and you're off for a good workout. But the shoes are a critical piece of equipment. They're costly and improper shoes contribute to injury. Avoid wearing your running shoes while not running.

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Back support for muscle back

Can Exercise Belts Prevent Hernias

Exercise belts or back braces are used by some exercisers and people who do a lot of heavy lifting at work. The theory behind exercise belts is that they provide support for the lower back to prevent injuries -- but their effectiveness for this is questionable.

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Muscular man measuring bicep

How Long Do Biceps Take to Get Big?

There are so many variations that determine the rate of muscle growth that it's not possible to say precisely how long it will take for you to achieve impressive biceps. Your training age, body type, training intensity, exercise history and hormonal profile all affect the rate of muscle growth.

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Athlete running road silhouette

How to Mix Long Distance Running With Weight Lifting

Distance runners often get stuck in the trap of training routines that only involve running. Putting in the miles is significant to successful distance running, but resistance training is an often overlooked and incredibly valuable training tool for runners.

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children's bicycle

Bicycle Bearing Grease Types

To keep your bike in top shape and maximize the life of its components, you must perform regular maintenance, which includes greasing the bearings.

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Close-up of bicycle gears

How to Use 21 Speeds on a Bike

Most bicycles come equipped with gears to help riders tackle various terrains. Common gearing on bikes include 10, 18 and 21 speeds. The number of gears a bike has is figured by multiplying the number of front chainrings by the number of gears in the rear cassette.

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Man on bike

The Best Bicycle for Tall Men

Tall men may have a bit of a challenge in finding a comfortable, well-fitted bike. No matter what type of bike you're in the market for, whether a road, mountain, touring or cyclocross bike, most manufacturers cater to the most common heights of men, from around 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet. Although there is no single "

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bicycle seat

The Best Bicycle Seat for Overweight People

Bicycle saddles can be uncomfortable for even the most petite, lightweight people. That's because riding a bike requires you to balance the majority of your body weight on two tiny "sit bones" for an extended period of time.

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Male cyclist

How to Bike With Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids, caused by swollen or inflamed veins around the anus or rectum, can be unpleasant and painful. If you're a cyclist, riding can exacerbate existing hemorrhoids by restricting blood flow to the anus or causing pressure and chaffing against the damaged tissues. However, cycling does not cause hemorrhoids.

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bicycle seat

The Best Bike Seat for Women

There isn't a more surefire way of ruining an awesome bike ride than by spending it in an ill-fitting saddle. Most female cyclists can attest to the pain that bike saddles can mercilessly inflict.

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A man working out on his arms while woman is looking

Does Strength Training Cause Water Retention?

It's normal for your weight to fluctuate a couple of pounds from day to day, and if you're engaging in resistance training, newly-acquired muscle may reflect a slight gain when you weigh yourself. But you may also notice weight gain due to fluid retention.

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