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.

Starting cardio training in gym.

Adaptive Motion Trainer vs. Treadmill

An adaptive motion trainer is similar to an elliptical, but you can walk, run and step on it. Treadmills have a rolling belt and shock-absorbent surface.

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Young woman runner tying shoelaces

The Average Walking Stride Length

Walking is a convenient and effective fitness activity that most people can participate in. Although more advanced pedometers calculate distance, the basic devices only provide total steps. If you know a person's average stride length, you can convert steps into approximate distance.

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Competition workout

Deadlift Machine vs. Deadlift Barbell

Whether done with a barbell or on a machine, deadlifts are a multi-joint exercise, making them more effective for strength training and calorie burning than exercises that isolate one muscle.

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indoor training pose

Squat Thrust vs. Burpee

Although the terms squat thrust and burpee often are used interchangeably, they do not refer to the same exercise: They are variations of the same exercise. Both movements incorporate aerobic training and strength training into one sequence, working your cardiovascular system, legs and upper body.

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Which Is Better, Deadlifts or Power Cleans?

Neither the deadlift nor the power clean have inherent qualities that make one exercise better than the other. You may choose to incorporate one, both or neither exercise into your workout routine.

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Standing Bicep Dumbbell Curl

Biceps Curls That Won't Cause Tendonitis

Tendonitis is a painful condition that can occur in any joint, but it is most common in your shoulders, elbows, wrists and heels. It is the inflammation and irritation of a tendon -- a fibrous structure that attaches muscle to bone. Biceps curls may be a risk factor for developing tendonitis in your elbow.

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Woman holding rope, looking upward at partner climbing rock wall

Rock Climbing Shape vs. Bodybuilding

Rock climbing and bodybuilding are two professional sports that share few similarities. While a rock climber focuses on performance, a bodybuilder focuses on aesthetics.

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Personal trainer helping woman

Is It Better to Work the Back With Biceps or Triceps?

Split training refers to working out different parts of your body at each session, instead of training your entire body at every workout. For example, you can work out your upper body one day and your lower body another day. Some splits break the body down further.

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Strength band with handles

Leg Exercises for the Quadriceps With Resistance Bands

Barbell squats, machine leg presses, dumbbell lunges and their dozens of variations make up the crux of most effective quadriceps fitness routines. But what if you don’t have access to free weights or machines? Resistance bands, flat lengths of rubber elastic material, offer an affordable, convenient alternative.

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How to Keep From Swinging When Doing Pull-Ups

A pull-up performed without any swinging is called a dead-hang pull-up. Proponents of dead-hang pull-ups consider swinging to be a style of cheating -- swinging allows you to use momentum to help yourself up.

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The Differences Between Pendlay Rows & Barbell Rows

The Pendlay row is named after Glenn Pendlay, an Olympic weightlifting coach. The Pendlay version of the row is very similar to a standard barbell row, but there are some important differences. Your back is more horizontal during a Pendlay row and you set the weight down after each repetition.

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Weights

An Alternative Exercise for Barbell Upright Rows

The barbell upright row primarily targets the front and side shoulder muscles, but it also works the biceps, rotator cuff muscles, and the lower and middle traps. Although an effective strength-training exercise, the barbell upright row is not the best option for some.

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How to Do an Incline Dumbbell Bench Press Without a Bench

The incline dumbbell bench press targets your upper chest -- the clavicular head of the pectoralis muscle -- more than a flat bench press does. To do the incline press, you need a piece of equipment that allows you to set your torso at an incline.

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Woman spotting man lifting barbell

Regular Barbells Vs. Olympic Barbells

Barbells are long, straight, metal bars that you use as resistance for strength-training exercises. They are available in two types: regular barbells and Olympic barbells. You can do the same exercises, including squats, deadlifts, presses, rows and curls, with either type of bar.

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Flat Footed vs. On Balls of Your Feet Bodyweight Squats

The body weight squat is an effective lower body exercise that targets your hamstrings, quadriceps and gluteus muscles. However, if you perform the squat with incorrect form, you can place undue stress on your lower back or knees.

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Woman lying on exercise mat in gym

Does the Ab Wheel Work the Obliques?

The ab wheel is a simple abdominal device; a wheel with a handle that extends through the center of the wheel. With the ab wheel, you can do the ab roll out exercise, which is an advanced abdominal movement. The ab wheel targets all your abdominal muscles, including the rectus abdominis and the obliques.

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Dumbbell Squat

Bodyweight Squats Vs. Dumbbell Squats

Squats are a functional lower-body strength exercise. They simulate everyday activities, such as picking a box up off the floor. The body weight squat is the most basic, beginner squat; you only use your body weight for resistance.

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pair of dumbbells (isolated)

The Dos & Don'ts of Standing Dumbbell Front Raises

Standing dumbbell front raises work your deltoid, or shoulder, muscles. If you do this basic, single-joint exercise with improper form, you increase your risk of shoulder impingement, which is a painful condition of the shoulder joint.

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