Men's Health And Fitness Magazine
Source Google.com.pk
Agility creates the clips you see on SportsCenter Top 10. It allows athletes to change direction in a split second, stay on their feet when they should have tumbled, and triumph when they're physically overmatched. "The better your agility, the bigger your edge in every sport," says Sam Stauffer, a coach for Thrive Training Systems.
While you may not earn a seat on your favorite team's roster, you can still unleash a more agile self. One of the best ways to do it: lateral ladder drills like the shuffle, quick, and stick, which Stauffer demonstrated for us at Men's Health headquarters in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, earlier today. It teaches you not only how to accelerate with force, but also how to properly decelerate. "Think of it like throwing on the brakes," he says. "You should be able to stop instantly, and then shift into high gear a split second later." Professional athletes do this all the time when they stutter-step or make cuts at top speed.
Stauffer recommends starting slow. "Unlike monotonous exercises like curls or lunges, this drill requires a mind-and-muscle connection," he explains. "It'll challenge your coordination, stability, and dexterity." Once you feel comfortable with the movement pattern, speed it up. And if you don't have a ladder, grab chalk and outline one on your driveway.
So tell us: How'd you do? Nailed it? Great. Now do it backward.
Your core's main purpose is to stabilize your spine. And while holding a plank is a great way to strengthen a weak middle, the classic exercise doesn't carry over much benefit to daily movements. "Everyday tasks—like shoveling snow or reaching for your phone on your desk—twist your spine," says BJ Gaddour, C.S.C.S. and creator of 10-Minute Torchers. "If you can't properly brace against the load and momentum, you risk back injury overtime." Thats why the seesaw shredder is a great way to test real-world core stability. As the weights swing back and forth, your core muscles have to fight to resist rotation. The faster you swing, the harder your abs have to work. Add it to your weekly routine to not only increase your strength and power in everything you do, but to also sculpt every inch of your core.
DIRECTIONS
Perform the exercise for 30 seconds. Rest for 30 seconds. That's 1 round. Perform 3 more rounds. Want an even bigger challenge? Grab one dumbbell that’s slightly heavier than the other, suggests Gaddour.
Caffeine: It makes you feel like a human in the morning, is a known performance-enhancer, and gives you the pick-me-up you need at 3 p.m. But in order to make the most out of your habit, there are specific ways to drink your joe. And sometimes, a cup of coffee when you crave one isn't a good idea. Here’s a look at how to give your brain and body a boost—while still being able to sleep at night.
Drink coffee within 30 minutes of a meeting—or right after
Your body absorbs about half of the caffeine in your cup in seven minutes, explains Frank Ritter, Ph.D. who developed Caffeine Zone—an app that helps you monitor your body’s caffeine levels. And if you drank 200 milligrams (mg)—about the size of a small premium coffee—you’ll have absorbed 187.5 mg after 28 minutes. You’ll probably remember more from that morning meeting, too. Caffeine activates your sympathetic nervous system and stimulates the release of norepinepherine, a stress hormone that helps raise blood pressure and increase heart rate. The chemical sends a signal to your brain that something important is happening, and prompts your brain to store that information for later, explains Michael Yassa, Ph.D., a professor of psychological and brain sciences at Johns Hopkins University. When's the right time for your a.m. jolt? Yassa recently conducted a study that showed that consuming 200 mg of caffeine five minutes after learning something enhanced memory for at least 24 hours.
Enhance performance with a small caffeine boost an hour before your workout
Caffeine has been shown to improve muscle strength and endurance, which is why you see runners downing coffee before a race. You’ll see this benefit by consuming low-to-moderate doses of caffeine—considered 3 to 6 mg per kg of body weight—15 minutes to one hour prior to exercise, according to a review paper in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. If you’re a 170-pound guy, that’s between 213 and 463 mg of caffeine—roughly the amount found in a tall and venti Starbucks coffee, respectively. But cap it there: Downing higher amounts will not have you running like a track-and-field star. You’ll only increase your risk of suffering caffeine side effects, like the shakes.
Quit at noon
Think you can brew a pot in the p.m. and still be fine? You may be duping yourself. When normal sleepers were given 400 mg of caffeine before bed—either six hours, three hours, or immediately before—all of them saw their sleep suffer, a small study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found. Strangely enough, these drinkers were unable to detect the sleep-wrecking effects of caffeine, possibly because nighttime awakenings can be difficult to notice, says study author Christopher Drake, Ph.D. Cut yourself off at least 6 hours before bed.
Enjoyed reading the article above , really explains everything in
ReplyDeletedetail,the article is very interesting and effective.Thank you and good
ACLS Imperial Valley CA