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.

Bodybuilder Doing Deadlift For Back

Can Deadlifts Irritate the Piriformis Muscle?

The deadlift is a compound move that works many muscle groups, including your hamstrings, core, glutes, lower back, upper back, mid-back and forearms. Because the deadlift works so many muscles, there is a temptation to keep loading weight on the bar as you progress.

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Female Fitness Instructor On Exercise Mat With Kettlebell

How Much Weight Can I Lose Using a Kettlebell?

Traditional cardiovascular exercises like running and swimming might be the first things people think of when it comes to weight-loss training, but don't make your way to the treadmill just yet.

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House of Pain

Posture-Improving Weight-Lifting Exercises

Poor posture is a very common condition. Posture issues are generally caused by muscular imbalances, in which a muscle is either too tight or too weak Poor posture can manifest into many different conditions; the most common is back pain.

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Weights on an exercise machine in gym, high angle view, close up, differential focus

Beginner Nautilus Weight Training

Discover how to create an effective Nautilus weight training program, including beginner-friendly routines and total-body workouts. Learn the principles behind Nautilus training and start your fitness journey today.

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Instructor adjusting treadmill

The Effects of Cardio Between Weight Lifting Sets

When you're short of time, you may not have the luxury of being able to perform weight training and cardio separately. If you still want a workout that hits both your cardiovascular system and makes you stronger, though, what you can do is insert short bursts of cardio into your rests between weightlifting sets.

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pasta with olive tapenade

Burning Fat Vs. Glycogen

When exercising, your body uses two main sources of fuel -- carbohydrates and fats. Carbs come from the carbs you eat, which travel around your blood as glucose, as well as carbs stored in your liver and muscles, known as glycogen.

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Young handsome man working out in a  gym

Is it Better to Do Drop Sets When Building Muscle?

Forced repetitions, rest-pause sets and supersets are all effective ways to increase your training intensity when building muscle. Perhaps one of the most efficient ways to target your training more toward mass gain, however, is including drop sets in your routine.

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close-up of a mans legs standing on a weighing scale

Why Am I Losing Weight But Not Body Fat?

When looking to get into better shape, many people use weight as a measure of progress. Measurements such as body mass index -- or BMI -- which test your height to weight measurement, aren't an accurate progress gauge, according to Dr. Rexford Ahima, medical professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

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In the gym

The Timeline for Building Muscle

Getting muscular and building big biceps, thick thighs and boulder shoulders isn't a quick process. Building muscle takes time and consistency in your approach to training and nutrition. When starting on your journey from scrawny to brawny, a realistic expectation of the time involved can help keep you on track.

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Mature Woman Lifting Dumbbell At Home

Multi-Gym Workout Guide

If you want all of the modern conveniences offered by a gym but prefer to train at home and have the space to spare, a multi-gym could be for you. Most multi-gyms are made from several different weight machines joined together.

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Young beautiful woman lifting weights in a gym

Lean Body Mass Workouts

Building mass takes time, especially if you want lean mass. Anyone can add a ton of calories into their diet, hit the weights and bulk up, but a large proportion of that new weight will be fat. Staying lean while getting bigger and stronger takes dedication and patience.

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close-up of an instructor training a woman with dumbbells

30-Minute Weight Training Workouts

Only having 30 minutes to train shouldn’t be an excuse for skipping workouts. Half an hour is ample time to get your warmup, weightlifting and cool down in, leaving you free to enjoy the rest of your day.

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Pilates for pregnancy

Hamstring Exercises to Reduce Cellulite

While it may be good to give your flabby bits a fancier name than simply saying you're carrying excess fat, that's exactly what cellulite is: fat. According to the American Council on Exercise, dieting alone can't fully get rid of your cellulite -- you need exercise too.

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Should I Run Before or After Lifting Weights?

Cardio and weight training are important parts of any training program. Performing both in the same session is an effective way to build strength and endurance, but there can be drawbacks to this method too. Your overall exercise goals should determine whether you do weight training or running first.

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Hispanic woman walking in field

5 Day Workout Plan for Women

Working out is a key part of any fitness goal, whether you're aiming to lose weight, burn fat and increase definition, build your strength or just maintain a healthy body and lifestyle.

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Woman stretching atop exercise ball at gym

Lower Back Extension Exercises

Back isolation exercises are vital for developing a strong lower back. However, the muscles of the lower back -- erector spinae and quadratus lumborum -- are often overlooked in a training plan.

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Man Eating Energy Bar

If You Miss a Meal Will You Lose Muscle?

If you're trying to put on muscle, you might be afraid to go more than a few hours without downing a high-protein meal or snack. You might believe that by not doing so, you risk slowing your metabolism, resulting in gaining fat and losing muscle.

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Athletic woman jumping over hurdle

A Sprinter's Diet

Sprinters are a prime example of how important nutrition is for performance. To compete at the highest level, they need their nutrition to be on point so they have enough energy to stick to a demanding training schedule, yet they don't eat so much they gain body fat, which can affect performance.

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Handsome young man working out in gym with kettlebells

How Long Does it Take to Lose Weight With a Kettlebell?

In the pursuit of weight loss, people will try many forms of exercise, from jogging, cycling and gym cardio to lifting weights. One training method you might have overlooked is kettlebells. As with any exercise plan, how quickly you lose weight following a kettlebell plan depends on a number of factors.

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