The Basset Hound: Joys of Ownership

Posted on August 3, 2009

Consider why you want a dog. Perhaps you grew up with one or you just love animals. Getting a pet can be extremely beneficial in countless ways, and Basset Hounds are no exception to this rule. These dogs get along with nearly everyone, enjoy almost excellent health, and have been bred to hunt, if that is one of your goals. Below are a few peeks at why owning a Basset Hound can be such a pleasure and maybe a few reasons why you should consider adding one to your home.

Best Friends with Everyone:

30 Foods That Build Muscle

Posted on July 27, 2009

1. Sunflower Seeds

Apart from being a great source of protein, these seeds are full of muscle-building nutrients, as well as vitamin E, a potent antioxidant that can prevent free-radical damage after heavy workouts. A handful makes a great snack.

2. Mackerel

It's the fishy omega-3 fats that reduce protein breakdown after a workout. This is important because to build muscle you need to store new protein faster than your body breaks down the old stuff. Whack it on toast for a breakfast boost.

3. Pineapple

Rich in a protein-digesting enzyme called bromelain, pineapple is also effective in reducing post-training muscle and tissue inflammation, making it the ideal post-workout snack for inside and out.

Protein Supplements

Posted on June 29, 2009

Protein is the most essential macro-nutrient for bodybuilders, athletes, and anyone else involved in regular exercise. Although it can be very difficult to make sure that you are eating protein consistently throughout the day, protein supplements are in easy, tasty, and relatively inexpensive way to make sure you reach all of your nutritional demands. NOT getting enough protein is a sure way to destroy muscle and promote catabolism, which is obviously detrimental to any type of fitness program or goal. The most popular and useful types of protein supplements are:

Fat-Free Mass Gains

Posted on June 28, 2009

One of the hardest nutrition programs to put together is a mass-gaining plan for the formerly fat guy or the person who continually wrestles with bodyfat. The problem: whenever the individual's mass gains start to kick in, lo and behold, he starts to balloon up and add too much bodyfat. It's a never-ending struggle and exercise in frustration.

So just how do I put together a mass-gaining plan that promises mass without the unwanted blubber? It requires three carefully honed steps.

Upsize/Downsize

Saddlebred Horses: Lameness And Winning, The Truth About Foot Balance

Posted on January 9, 2009

If you are a Saddlebred show horse competitor or observer you very well noticed the intense methods used to shoe these horses. While these horses sometimes have a total of better than 7 inches of foot and weighted shoes close to several pounds it becomes paramount that shoeing be done with absolute understanding and clarity – if not, well it very well may be the deciding factor in winning or loosing and or a permanently lame horse.

Do a simple test. Hold your arm out in front of you, now simply add one pound of weight to your hand and continue to hold your arm out directly in front of yourself. You’ll notice within less than one minutes time that little one pound weight becomes quite significant. Now imagine that same amount of weight or more at the end of a horse’s leg while running or being asked to move through a series of controlled movements. Could be quite drastic taking into account the extreme length of foot on most saddlebred horses.

Dwight Howard Dunk Or How To Increase Vertical Jump

Posted on November 20, 2008

Have you seen Dwight Howard’s Kiss The Rim Dunk? What about the 2007 Slam Dunk Contest where he completed an alley oop dunk from teammate Jameer Nelson and slapped a sticker onto the backboard which reached 12 ft 6 in?!

Or, did you know that the 21-year old Orlando Magic Center had the most dunks in the NBA last season (254, that are 508 out of his total 1,443 points last season, or 35 percent)?
Ok, by now it’s clear the guy can jump – actually he has a 39-inch vertical.

So, what is his training about?

A First Half-marathon Experience

Posted on November 19, 2008

So you want to run a half-marathon. Maybe you’ve already signed up. Maybe you’ve never gone further than eight or ten miles at this point and you’re a little worried. Or maybe you’re not worried, and you just want to know more about the experience. If this is you, then read on because two years ago, I never would have dreamed I could run a half-marathon.

Up until that point it had been a fantasy. But not really. I knew I couldn’t really do it. I didn’t have a trainer. I didn’t belong to a running group. I didn’t even subscribe to a running magazine. I was just running for myself probably three to five miles a few days a week.

Squat Machines - Taking Squats To Another Level

Posted on November 18, 2008

Squats can become a test of strength and endurance, proving to be a lot of hard work especially for beginners. That’s why we have squat machines. They are used to help us in doing squat exercises to tone and develop our leg muscles. Usually, they consist of back rests, handles, and foot rests that are in different positions depending on the type of squat they are designed for. Most of them are made of steel tubing with padded seats and they are not just for strength trainers and weightlifters, because they can also be used with any kind of exercise program.

Different squat machines
Choose your ideal squat machine depending on your exercise needs, levels of strength, and the space you have in your home or gym.