Oct 02

How Much Should You Be Able to Back Squat?

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Guys yearn to build strength in this gold-standard exercise. Here’s the weight you should be aiming for when you train.   TESTING YOUR LIMITS is an integral part of any training plan, whether you’re performing max pushups or holding a plank. When it comes to strength benchmarks, there are a few classic moves that are typically used to gauge your ability. For your upper body, you might consider how much weight you can bench press. For the large muscles in the lower body, it’s common to use the barbell back squat as your go-to heavyweight exercise. That leads us to the obvious question: How much should the average guy be able to squat? What if you’re relatively new to lifting, or you aren’t sure when it’s time to add weight to the bar? First, don’t fixate on how you stack up to the guy next to you at the gym. Everyone’s goals and training history are different. “Volume, intensity, and desired outcome are variables that will impact how much and how often weight should be added to someone’s squat program,” says Kurt Ellis, C.S.C.S., owner and coach at Beyond Numbers Performance. That said, if you’re curious about where you stand […]
Oct 01

The Secret Tricks for Getting a Lean Body After 60, Say Experts

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Just because it’s harder doesn’t mean it’s impossible.   There’s no getting around it—as you get older, it becomes progressively harder to run the six miles you used to do each morning. Your strength, balance, and mobility naturally decrease with age, and it’s harder for many people to stay strong and manage your weight. “[As you age] there’s a steady increase in fat mass and changes in body composition, as well as an increase in insulin resistance,” says Leada Malek, PT, DPT, CSCS. “There are also changes in bone density, joint stiffness, and sometimes posture, and all these factors can contribute to metabolism and muscle mass changes after 60,” she adds. What’s more, as you age you often see a reduction in metabolic rate due to the loss of muscle mass. “Your body makeup also starts to shift where what was once muscle turns to fat since you typically stop using your muscles and don’t need to maintain them anymore,” says Caley Crawford, NASM-CPT, trainer and director of education for Row House. These factors make it harder to lose unwanted weight and maintain a lean body after 60, she says. Because of these changes, people often feel weaker and less […]
Sep 30

Five tips for a healthy transition into college life

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Springing into wellness with tips from dietitian nutritionist Lisa Carlson For many, this time of year marks the beginning of a new chapter of life – starting college or returning to school after treats and sweets from the holidays. Transitioning from the familiar routine of home life to the dynamic environment of college can be challenging, especially when it comes to developing new, healthy habits. Here are some vital tips to ensure a healthy experience during the spring semester. Consistency is key Establishing and maintaining consistent habits is key for a successful transition to college life or returning after the holiday break. Whether it is attending all classes in person, engaging in regular exercise, adopting a balanced diet or staying hydrated, healthy routines lead to long-term rewards. By creating and sticking to consistent habits, you pave the way for a smoother adjustment to the college lifestyle. Maintain a healthful diet A healthful diet doesn’t mean eliminating all indulgent foods; rather, it involves ensuring that your meals are mostly wholesome and nutritious. Focus on choosing greens from the salad bar, fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains. Remember, if you didn’t eat pizza or a burger every day at home, […]
Sep 29

Expert Tips To Live A Heart Healthy Lifestyle

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To keep the heart at its healthiest best, it’s important to watch what you eat and keep your weight under check. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) continue to adversely affect our nation as sedentary lifestyles are fast becoming the norm for an average working citizen. It is a major cause of mortality globally, as well as in India. While medical practices continue to work on developing better and more effective cures, maintaining heart health remains the first line of defense for tackling the problem. Thus, every year on 29th September, World Heart Day is celebrated to raise awareness around Cardiovascular disease (CVD). This year’s theme ‘Use heart to connect’, is a reminder for many people across the world to take a step back, and start working towards ensuring their family and their own heart health. One of the main reasons for the ever-growing rate of CVD is the consistent lifestyle change that many Indians have undergone, including an absence of physical activity, poor dietary regimes, high consumption of sugar, salt, and high intake of saturated and/or trans fats. However, as the world adapts to an ever-changing sense of normal, it’s important to take a step back, and relook at lifestyle choices that […]
Sep 28

Your brain needs more rest than you’re giving it. These 9 tips can help.

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Brain health is not just about sleep. Here’s how to focus on adding more restful moments into your day   When you think about getting rest, which of these situations comes to mind?   A. Enjoying a good night’s sleep B. Taking a midday nap C. Reclining on the sofa to watch mindless television   While these restful moments all have their place in daily life, it’s a common misconception to view rest as an entirely passive experience. True rest, say experts, is not just about being sedentary or in the prone position — it’s also about giving your brain the restorative breaks it needs to function at an optimal level. While adequate sleep is essential to brain health, many forms of rest involve activity, not slumber. “The most restorative kinds of rest — the things that recharge our mental and physical batteries most effectively — are the things that are active rather than passive,” said Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, author of the book “Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less.” “Going for a long walk or hike or working out can give us more rather than less energy and leave us feeling mentally more rejuvenated.”   This […]
Sep 27

9 Must-Know Strength Training Moves for Beginners

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This total-body beginner weight lifting routine is the easiest way to ease into strength training as a newbie.   You’ve probably heard that you should do strength training workouts, but maybe cardio-based activities like running a few miles or hopping on a spin bike fit your personality more. While that’s totally fine, you should keep in mind that the benefits of strength training are too good to pass up, and they range from building muscle endurance to preventing injury. Read on for a beginner’s guide to strength training and a closer look at key exercises you can implement into your workout regimen.   How to Add Strength Training Exercises for Beginners to Your Fitness Routine Most people think of weightlifting when talking about strength training. Contrary to popular belief, you can build muscle strength using various methods, including using your own body weight, resistance bands, cable resistance machines, and yes, weight machines and free weights. Start small with your weights and increase as needed: “Choose a weight that’s just heavy enough to complete 10 reps, and by that eighth rep, you feel really happy it’s almost over,” says Joel Freeman, creator of the LIIFT4 program and Beachbody Super Trainer. “This […]
Sep 26

5 things to do in the morning for a long and healthy life

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The article detailed five morning habits shown to improve health and longevity. It highlighted meditation to reduce stress, drinking warm lemon water for hydration and immune support, morning exercise for energy and cognitive function, a nutrient-dense breakfast to lower heart disease risk, and practicing gratitude to enhance mental well-being and life satisfaction. Mornings set the tone for the rest of the day, and the habits we cultivate during these early hours can significantly impact our long-term health and longevity. While there are numerous ways to start the day, focusing on practices that promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being can make a big difference. Below are five morning habits that can contribute to a long and healthy life.   Start the day with meditation Mindful meditation is a practice that involves focusing on the present moment, which can reduce stress and anxiety. Research published in the journal Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging found that meditation can increase the grey matter in the brain, which is associated with improved memory, learning, and emotional regulation. Starting your morning with just 10-15 minutes of meditation can set a calm and focused tone for the day, helping you manage stress more effectively and promoting long-term mental health. […]
Sep 25

The three best exercises for building upper-body strength, according to an expert trainer

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Simplify your workouts with these dumbbell moves   If you want to tone your arms, try adding some upper-body strength training exercises to your workouts. This doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, you can build muscle in the arms with nothing more than a pair of dumbbells. To help you create a simple but effective strength routine, we asked Alasdair Nicoll, personal trainer at The Fitness Group, for his top three upper-body exercises. “When we’re training the upper body, we’re generally focusing on the chest, shoulders, back and core,” he says. This might sound like a lot of different muscle groups. But by focusing on compound exercises —which are moves that target multiple muscle groups at once—you can build strength efficiently without spending hours in the gym. Choose a weight for each exercise that is manageable but challenging for the repetitions (reps)—the last few reps should feel difficult.   The best three exercises for building upper-body strength   1. Push-up The push-up is an exercise known for targeting the chest but it actually works a wide array of upper-body muscles. “It not only works the chest muscles but it’s also good for core strength and working on stability of […]
Sep 24

How Long It Should Take to Walk a Mile – and How That Can Help to Improve Your Fitness

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Whether you’re looking to move more or you want to upgrade your daily stroll, these tips will help you pick up the pace   If you live somewhere with pavements, you probably do your fair share of walking to get around. Even if you live in a more car-centric space, you likely have access to parks and other green space to take a stroll. Whether you think of walking as exercise or as a means to get from A to B, there are so many reasons to give your ambulatory habits some more focused attention. If you’re wondering how your current walking practice stacks up to how much – or how fast – others are moving, consider testing how long it takes to walk a mile. That’s just one benchmark that walking coach Michele Stanten, founder of MyWalkingCoach.com and author of The Walking Solution, says could help to incentivise you to reach for your sneakers more often. Once you know how fast you’re walking and about how long it takes to walk a mile, you can set walking goals that work for your lifestyle. Here’s what to keep in mind.   The Benefits of Walking You’ve likely heard many times […]
Sep 23

This One-Day Healthy Eating Meal Plan Will Give Your Body the Refresh It Needs

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This simple guide is all about nourishing yourself mindfully so that you feel like your best self.   Maybe you spent one too many weeknights trying new restaurants with your best friends or took a week-long getaway to a foodie haven. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with indulging once in a while, you might find yourself looking for a reset to help you feel more energized. “Overindulging can disrupt your GI system and slow down your digestion,” says Susan Albers, a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic and the author of Hanger Management. “To boost your metabolism and feel fired up, feed your body right. It’s about nourishing yourself mindfully.” That means meals packed with the nutrients you need to get your body back to feeling its best. Luckily, you can re-energize yourself in just one day with the help of this meal plan. In general, be sure to include a mix of protein, fiber, and vegetables to give your body the reboot it needs.   Breakfast “You can’t beat some eggs and whole-grain toast to get yourself back on track,” says Keri Gans, R.D.N. and author of The Small Change Diet. Eggs contain vitamin B12, which gives you energy. They’re […]
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