Guide To Creatine

Posted on January 12, 2012 by keen5825

Athletics and weight training supplements come and go; any health food shop or large gym is likely to offer a substantial range of powders, pills and other substances which promise to improve your training results in some way or other.  Muscle building, weight gain, re-hydration – the number of dietary aids is substantial and occasionally a little overwhelming.

So in this article we’re going to dispense with the brand names and take a look at a naturally occurring substance which had been used for some years now by athletes and body-builders to improve their performances.  Creatine is a substance that is produced naturally in the human body (and in fact any vertebrates) and helps to supply energy to the body’s cells.  Muscle cells are the primary recipient of creatine which is transported around the body by the blood.  Around 95% of the body’s creatine is stored in skeletal muscle.

creatine molecule

The Creatine molecule

Creatine was discovered and named (it’s derived from the Greek word for meat) in 1832 by a French chemist named Michel Eugène Chevreul.  About 50% of the body’s creatine originates from ingested food, especially meat, which meas that vegans and vegetarians have less naturally occurring creatine than meat-eaters.

Athletes and body-builders began to switch on to the benefits of creatine supplements in the early 1990s.  For these sportspeople, the benefits of creatine were several times those of a very high protein diet, i.e. an ability to train harder for longer than would have been possible before and therefore a contribution towards gaining muscle mass.

Over the last twenty years of creatine use, it has become a supplement widely used by ordinary gym-goers.  It’s very safe; it’s very hard to ingest too much as excess creatine just gets excreted in the normal manner.  Occasional concerns have been expressed over the years about allergies and hydration problems but the most extensive research over the last two decades has shown that taking 5g – 20g per day orally is almost completely safe.

If you’re thinking about taking the next step forward, creatine could be the answer.

 

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What Are Kettlebells?

Posted on December 19, 2011 by keen5825

If you’re a member of a local gym, you may have noticed some odd looking little lumps of iron sitting in the weight training area.  Kettlebells have been around for a very, very long time but only popular in certain countries.  It’s only in the last few years that they’ve stared to pop up in gyms as an alternative to the more ‘normal’ weight training methods.

Kettlebells

Kettlebells

So that’s what they look like, a metal ball of varying weight and a looped handle on the top.  The shape is important because it allows a huge range of movement when exercising, making it possible to combine several exercises into one.  For this reason, kettlebell enthusiasts regard them as something of a total body workout.

Kettlebells originate from Russia, a country where the strongman competition has a long and respected history.  Competitions would be held in towns and villages and the winners would gain local celebrity status.  Bogatirs was the name given to these regional strongmen, as well as Girevik, which means ‘kettlebell man’.  It was kettlebells that these champions traditionally trained with – they would be made out of solid iron by local blacksmiths.  They could be manufactured in a variety of different weights for people of different abilities and the variation also meant that different body parts could be exercised.  One of the biggest users of kettlebells is reputed to be the Russian army who are said to use them as an integral part of their training.

As we said earlier, the design of the kettlebell ensures a total body workout if the proper techniques are learned and applied properly.  Importantly, there is plenty of focus on the legs, back and other often neglected parts of the body.  With kettlebell exercises, if you want to exercise the shoulders with a kettlebell swing, it will involve the back muscles, hips and quadriceps to name a few.

Kettlebells are widely available in most sports shops now so check them out, learn the techniques see what sort of difference they can make to your training.

 

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A Guide to Cyclo-Cross

Posted on November 23, 2011 by keen5825

A Guide to Cyclo-Cross

So, mountain bikers, think you were the first to ride a bicycle off road?  Think again, cyclo-crossers have been at it for at least a hundred years, way before anyone though about sticking some fat tyres on a clunky bike in the 1970s.

Cycle-crossers will tell you that historically it was a way of keeping fit in the winter. When the road racing season finished, why not maintain your fitness by riding round a muddy field on a Sunday morning?  This does seem to have some link to the way cyclo-cross came about in the early 20th century; French road racers in particular are said to have raced each other from town to town in the off-season by the quickest possible route – cutting across fields and through woods, heading for the church’s steeple in the distance. This may also have given us the term ‘steeple chase’ as it was almost certainly the riders only point of reference.

The increased difficulty of controlling a road bike off road also helped riders improve their bike handling and the need to jump off and carry it over obstacles (logs, streams, etc) helped with their all round fitness.

The Origins of Cyclo-Cross Racing

The first properly organised cyclo-cross race appears to have been the French National

Early cyclo-cross

Early cyclo-cross

Championship in 1902.  The organisers were Daniel Gousseau and Géo Lefèvre (Lefèvre was also the man behind the Tour de France).

The sport received a huge boost in 1910 when Tour de France winner Octave Lapize mentioned his off-season cyclo-cross when explaining how he maintained is fitness. Subsequently National Championships were held in Belgium (1910), Switzerland (1912), Luxembourg (1923), Spain (1929) and Italy in (1930).  The first international cyclo-cros event was held in Paris in 1924.

It remained in Europe for the following decades until the 1970s when the organised races began to become popular in the United States; the first National Championship was held in California in 1975.

The Nature of Cyclo-Cross Racing

Although cyclo-cross is still regarded as a method of winter training by many riders, the scene has been big enough for so many years that some riders are cyclo-cross specialists, rarely racing in any other disciplines.

There are of course similarities with mountain bike racing but there are also significant differences.  Races tend to be shorter and run on courses with smaller laps.  Most races will not be more than one hour long and the format will be something like 50 minutes racing plus one lap – when the leader completes the race, everyone else finishes on that lap, whether they’ve been lapped or not.

Courses are set so that getting off at several points is unavoidable- big logs tend to be the main obstacles – and competent cyclo-cross riders are adept at dismounting and remounting in one smooth motion.  Bikes can be swapped while racing as long as you have a willing helper to hold the spare one.

The days of just adding some knobbly tyres to your road bike are also long gone. Dedicated cyclo-cross bikes have been available for many years now and feature better clearance between the wheels and the frame (to avoid mud clogging) and stronger brakes. Check out this Grand Prix start to a 1950 race:

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Running Preparation

Posted on November 15, 2011 by keen5825

Running is an extremely accessible way to get out there and exercise.  It’s one of the best exercises to contribute to weight loss and, like cycling, it leaves the runner with a sense of well-being.  Running doesn’t just exercise your legs, it’s also a good exercise for your abdominals and your arms.  Looking after you legs when running is extremely important and the constant repetitive motion of jogging along the pavement can affect your knees in undesirable ways. So in this article we’ll go through a set of easy warm-up exercises which will set you up for successful run.  All the exercises are stretches and before you’ve warmed up, it’s important not to stretch to far; the stretches should be gentle. When you’ve finished your run, don’t forget to repeat the stretches again to warm down all the affected muscles.

Quad Stretch

The Quad Stretch is the one most prospective athletes are familiar with; it’s familiar to

Quad Stretch

Quad Stretch

cyclists and runners alike and anyone whose sport involves running of any degree.  Stand straight with your toes pointing forward then, keeping you knees together, bend one knee and lift that foot up until it touches your buttocks (or as far as you can go comfortably). Push your hips forwards slightly to target the quadriceps a little more and hold the position for thirty seconds.  Return to the starting position and repeat with the other leg.

Hamstring Stretch/Calf Stretch

Our second stretch is great for the hamstrings and also for the calf muscles.  Stand up

Hamstring Stretch

Hamstring Stretch

straight to begin with then bring one foot forward, keeping the leg straight and supporting it on your heel.  At the same time bend the standing leg and lean the upper body forward, pushing your backside out as you do.  You’ll know you’re performing the exercise correctly when you feel the stretch on the back of your leg. Hold the stretch for thirty seconds, return to the starting position and swap legs.

Glutes Stretch

Now for the glutes, which are the muscles surrounding the hip area and another vital area

Glutes Stretch

Glutes Stretch

to exercise for runners; again the repetitive motion suffered by this area means a warm-up is vital. Lie down to begin with with, then bring the knees up towards you.  Now place the foot of one leg on the knee of the other.  Now grab the thigh of the lower leg with both hands and pull gently until you can feel the stretch.  It is the upper leg you are stretching here and when performed correctly you will feel it on the upper part of your thigh.  Hold the position for thirty seconds then swap legs.

Hip Flexor Stretch

Our last stretch is the hip flexor and this exercise helps to prepare the buttocks, the hip

Hip Flexor stretch

Hip Flexor stretch

and the quadriceps.  Begin the stretch standing upright then take one large stride forwards.  Your front foot should be flat on the ground and your knee at 90°.  Your back leg should be supported on your toes and the knee should be close to the floor. Hold this position for thirty seconds and swap legs.  When you’ve finished your run, head over to our favourite internet casino for some relaxation.

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Weight Training For Cyclists – Part Two

Posted on October 25, 2011 by keen5825

In Part One we looked at the non-leg related exercises a cyclist can do in the gym if the weather demands it.  The abdominal muscles are often neglected by those who train only on the road and the three basic exercises we provided can benefit all cyclists.

In this article we’ll introduce the leg exercises one can undertake in a gym by using just the machines – we’ll leave the free weights for another article.  All the following exercises are general leg workouts and are not solely focused on cycling muscles.  They are the Leg Abduction/Adduction, Leg Curls, Leg Extensions and the Leg Press.  Make sure you warm up well before you drag yourself away for the poker table.

Leg Abduction/Adduction

The most common way to perform the above exercise is to use a machine built for that

Leg Abduction/Adduction Machine

Leg Abduction/Adduction Machine

very purpose.  The adduction and abduction exercises are two different workouts; the abduction works the gluteus muscles (inner thigh) and to start the exercise the user places their legs against the pads which will be touching the outside of the thighs.  The exercise is performed by pushing the pads and opening the legs, then bringing them back together again.

The adduction version of the exercise is performed in the opposite way; the pads are on the inside of the thigh and the exercise is begun by bringing the legs together, than opening them again.

Perform 3 sets of 8 – 12 reps with a comfortable weight.

Leg Extension

The leg extension machine is a fantastic exercise for the quadriceps and always a popular

Leg Extension

Leg Extension

exercise for any gym-goer.  The machine allows the user to sit down and hook their feet under the pads provided.  The exercise is begun by raising the feet out in front of the body and then lowering them again.

With this exercise it’s important not to lift too much weight, there’s a possibility of knee damage from overtraining.  Don’t try and perform 888 of these.

 

Perform 3 sets of 8 – 12 reps with a comfortable weight.

Leg Press

The leg press is an exercise that works several muscles – the glutes, the hamstrings and

Leg Press

Leg Press

the calves and most people find they can lift significant amounts of weight using it.  Again though, overtraining can lead to damage so care should be taken and of course warming up is important.

The user will begin in a horizontal or declined position (with the feet higher than the head) and will then take the weight before releasing the clasps that will allow the exercise to begin.  When the reps have been completed the weight needs to be pushed to it’s limit while the clasps are replaced.

Perform 3 sets of 8 – 12 reps with a comfortable weight.

 

Leg Curls

Lastly, the leg curl is an exercise which isolates the hamstrings in an effective way.  The

Leg Curl

Leg Curl

user lies face down on the machine and hooks the heels under the pads which hold the weight.  The exercise is performed by lifting the heels towards the buttocks then lowering them once more.  Beginners are advised to start with a light weight, as you’d start careful at the roulette table.

Perform 3 sets of 8 – 12 reps with a comfortable weight.

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