Soreness is to be expected after an intense workout, but there’s a difference between the pain of a recovering muscle and the pain of incurring serious damage. Men’s Fitness has paired up with Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist Simon Rice to create a brief guide to some of the most common training injuries.
Ankle InjuriesWhat does cholesterol do?
This compound plays an important role in helping the body to build and repair cell membranes and improving communication between cells. It also helps with the production of hormones, including libido-boosting testosterone. Most cholesterol is produced in the liver, although small amounts are also generated throughout the rest of the body.
What’s the difference between HDL and LDL?
Cholesterol circulates around the body in your bloodstream by binding with protein particles and forming lipoproteins. There are two main types of these: high-density lipoproteins
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As winner of six world swimming championships, two Commonwealth Games golds and ten European titles, Mark Foster knows the recipe for sporting success. Here he explains to MF why being in love with the sport you’re doing is the first step to becoming truly great at it.
Commit to itMy dad nearly drowned because he couldn’t swim. As a result, he was determined that my sister and I learn, so he took us to the local pool every Sunday for swimming lessons. I loved it and while the other kids were splashing about dunking each other and stuff like that I used every second of the lesson to practise my strokes, quiz my coach and do all I could to be the best in the class. My swimming teacher was the mother of Sarah Hardcastle
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Protein and carbs are crucial to growing muscle. But if you want to maximise your gains, you need to eat the right amounts at the right times. This meal plan staggers hits of both through the day to help fuel your gym efforts and build lean muscle tissue, including a recipe provided by Michelin-starred chef and duathlon champion Alan Murchison.
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It’s one of the most common grievances amongst avid gym goers. You train and train and train your abs with endless sessions of crunches and sit-ups but your six-pack just isn’t popping out like you want it to. It can seem like you’re fighting a losing battle but the good news is that the issue can likely be whittled down to one of a few things. Identify your main weakness and make the necessary changes to get well on your way to a cover model worthy six-pack.
You’re diet isn’t properly honedIt’s cliché and somewhat over-used but the saying
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As it’s national immunisation month in July it takes more than an apple a day to keep the doctor away. It turns out that setting yourself some healthy habits and eating some pretty surprising nutrients will help keep your immune system on guard.
You can ensure your body and immunity run smoothly by following these tip tips from health and Fitness Coach- Jamie Lloyd.
1. Avoid sleep deprivationSleep deprivation has a powerfully detrimental effect on your immune system. The perfect example are college students who get sick after pulling all-nighters cramming for exams.
If you're tired when you wake up in the morning, you're not getting enough sleep, or maybe not enough quality sleep. Either way, your immunity is probably compromised. Poor sleep is associated with lower immune system function and reduced numbers of killer cells that fight germs. Killer cells are also the part of the immune system that combats cells that divide too rapidly, as they do in cancer. Lower their numbers and you may be at greater risk for illness.
Studies have shown that chronic sleep deprivation also contributes to heart disease, gastrointestinal problems, and other medical illnesses. One study on the effects of sleep deprivation showed that a group of men restricted to 4 to 6 hours of sleep per night experienced changes in hormone function and carbohydrate metabolism that mimic aging changes; the lack of sleep was making them older faster.
2. Release yourself from the stress trapNo doubt about it, stress is an Immune Buster.
The loss of a job, the death of a spouse, the breakup of a marriage
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If your chest is bigger and stronger, along with your arms, shoulders, legs and back, you’re well on your way to building a new body. However, if you’re still struggling to shift the stubborn fat from your belly, it may be worth adding some cardio sessions to your weekly training programme to blast it off.
That doesn’t necessarily mean a two-hour gentle run but high-intensity cardio, which has similar fat-burning, muscle-building effects as weight training. Here’s all you need to know, with answers to some of the most common questions on fat loss.
Question: I’ve been running for years but I don’t seem to lose any weight. Why is this?
Answer: Low-intensity cardio training, such as jogging is one of the most popular tactics for weight loss but it’s far from one of the best. Long-duration, steady-state cardio is not an efficient way to burn fat
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