Postpartum fitness
No matter how joyful an event it is, in physiological terms the later stages of pregnancy and birth are a trauma to the body. Connective tissues are forced beyond their normal limits, the body’s weight distribution shifts wildly, and delicate parts are damaged. Contemplating a postpartum workout must take into account that the mother, especially if this is her first child, probably feels as if she has just spent thirty hours excreting a watermelon (Krista’s note: I had an expectant first-time mother email me after reading this article to complain about my choice of language.
“Feminine problems”
In the words of every sleazy comedian, “Men and women, they’re so different. Back me up on this, ladies.” I’ll spare you the crappy jokes about the toilet seat (hyuk hyuk) whose “Best Before” dates, like the milk in the back of my fridge, have long expired.
Nevertheless if you’ve been paying attention, you may have noticed that boys and girls’ bodies are at least distinguishable from one other. Here are a few tips for accommodating our unique girly shapes.
Powerlifting: the basics
Maryssa, reigning champion of the 25-lb bodyweight class, demonstrates correct use of alternating grip in the deadlift.
Kettlebell training: an introduction
by Lauren Brooks, RKC
Come on ladies! Are you sick of watching men do pull-ups and you can’t even do one? I know I was! As a fitness coach I stay current with the latest developments. I am always looking for workouts to stay in shape that are not only effective, but also fun. Since most of my clients are more concerned with having a lean physique than with developing real strength, it’s been a challenge to convince them that training for strength is an excellent way to become leaner.
Mistressing the pushup
Come on, admit it, we all envied Demi Moore after that pushup footage in GI Jane. A one-arm pushup is a neat party trick, it looks cool and butch, and pushups in general have a wonderfully basic military flavour to them.
Mistressing the pullup
Pullups are a cool exercise. They look tuff, they feel butch, they’re low-tech, and they are one of the best exercises for all-round upper body strength.
Pullups are also darn hard for the average woman to do. Most untrained females who are older than 10 and heavier than 50 lbs can’t do them. The good news, though, is that most trained women CAN do them. It just takes practice, patience, and time. So, if you’ve always wanted to do a pullup, or you have to do a few to pass a military or police fitness test, this article is for you!
Lurn to squat good – E-ZY!
Few movements are as fundamental to life and sport as the squat. Sadly, few movements are as badly mangled in the average gym as the squat. No worries — this little progression will get your butt kissing the floor in no time!
Learning the squat 4: Tips, tricks and troubleshooting
Few people can knock off a perfect squat on the first try, or even the first several tries. Learning the basics of a squat is relatively simple, but perfecting the technique takes time and practice.
Learning the squat 3: How to squat
All right! Now we get to the fun part! Time to learn the Queen of Exercises, the squat (although maybe the Olympic lifts should be the Queen of Exercises, and the squat should be the Princess of Exercises, but not like a Lady Di sort of princess with all the bulimia and stuff; perhaps republicans would prefer the Prime Minister of Exercises or at the very least Minister of Finance since everyone knows the bean counters run the show anyway, but I digress).
Learning the squat 2: Why squat?
In Part 1, I discussed the myth that people shouldn’t learn to squat because they don’t need to, or that machine leg exercises are a good enough substitute. Sure, machines can come in handy and they have their place, especially in rehab. But the skills gained from squatting cannot be matched by a machine. In this section, I’m going to discuss what the squat actually does for you.
