Articles

Brian's Top Ten Favorite Shoulder Exercises

Muscular shoulders can give anyone the appearance of being fit. Strong, functional shoulders not only look good, but also play a crucial role in upper body exercises as well as most sports. Since the shoulders develop best when training is balanced, I have included deltoid and rotator cuff exercises. I did try to incorporate multi-joint exercises for the athletes as well as isolation exercises for my bodybuilders. The rotator cuff is a group of 4 muscles which balance the ball and socket by providing stabilization and as the name implies, rotation. These 10 exercises, which are in no particular order, can give you the shoulders you're looking for: read more...

Is running on a treadmill equal to traditional running?

By: Robert Drodofsky and Brian Kelly

With the arrival of winter, many runners choose to avoid the elements and turn from pavement to treadmill routines. While I would argue there are better ways to keep up with overall conditioning than turning into a hamster on a wheel, many prefer to simply switch out the fresh air for a gym membership. But how does the treadmill measure up against running on a fixed surface?

While the two motions are very similar, they differ greatly in the muscle demands, and energy expenditure. Let's look at the two motions separately, then we can compare and contrast them.
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Brian's Top Ten Foods

Water.  Ok, I know this is not a food, but so many of my clients simply don't drink enough water. Either they assume they are staying hydrated through the juice and pop they drink, or they simply don't put enough effort into tracking the amount of water they take in everyday. Keep in mind that your body is composed primarily of water (up to 70%). Even mild signs of dehydration can include: joint pain, headaches, and constipation. Your body needs water! Water transports oxygen to cells, removes waste (by aiding in digestion), and protects joints. Most research indicates that people should drink at least half their weight in ounces of water. Athletes, may need even more to compensate for sweating. Caffeinated beverages and alcohol drinkers may also require more than that to make up for the diuretic effect in their drink of choice. read more...

Heart Rate Formulas

Many people never pay attention to what their heart rate is when they are doing cardio, and even for some people that do, they may not fully understand what the numbers are telling them. Even though perceived exertion may be a barometer for output, this article will enable you to give specificity to your cardio workouts. read more...

Golf Flexibility Testing

I have prioritized 5 movements to help you determine which stretches you need to incorporate into your exercise regimen. While most people should stretch on a regular basis, this is to help you determine specific stretches that will yield immediate results. After each test, you should note your individual results. Following this section you can locate stretches within our database specifically intended for the individual areas which will help you elongate the muscles relating specifically to the golf swing. read more...

Creatine Monohydrate

Since hitting the market in the late '90s, this supplement has proven to be one of the most popular in the industry. The popularity triggered a great deal of scrutiny too and after a decade of research, it is safe to say this is one of the most useful products for an athlete to use over the counter. In study after study, researchers have found that loading creatine for 5-7 days, followed by a daily maintenance dose has been shown to: read more...

Complex Training

Complex Training can be defined as a series of complimentary movements used to increase athleticism. Since first used by Russian strength coaches for power development, today they can be implemented to improve strength, hypertrophy (size) and muscular endurance. read more...

Back Top Ten List

Whether trained for aesthetics or strength, one of the most important areas of your body is the part you can't see. I have chosen to group upper and lower back exercises together in this list (although there are plenty of each to do separate lists for) because I normally train them together. read more...