All Amazing Articles

‘How to breath properly while running’ is one of the most searched for topics here at Complete Running. This article contains tips and video to show you the correct way to breathe while running.

Out of Breath?

It’s important to remember that, if you run out of breath, become dizzy or nauseous, it means you are not taking in enough oxygen for the speed you are running. Generally speaking, this means you must either adjust your speed, or the amount of air you take into your lungs. The tips below keep those two strategies in mind.

Continue reading »

\\ tags: Breathe

Push-ups are one of those exercises everyone should do. They build muscle in your upper-body, don’t require any equipment and improve shoulder health. Push-ups are also easy to do. Or at least that’s what people believe.

Push-ups look easy but like any other exercise they have their technique. Bad Push-up technique is common, and unfortunately it can cause shoulders and/or lower back injuries. Here’s how to perform Push-ups correctly.

Benefits of Push-ups. Push-ups are a closed kinetic chain exercise. Unlike the Bench Press, your hands are fixed while your body moves through space.

• Build Muscle. Just like Pull-ups & Dips, Push-ups force you to lift your own body-weight. Push-ups work your chest, shoulders, triceps & core.
• Shoulder Health. Push-ups improve shoulder health by strengthening your serratus anterior. They also teach you to Bench Press correctly.
• Versatile. You can do Push-ups anywhere, anytime. Harder Push-up variations keep things challenging for constant progress (more below).

Continue reading »

Push ups are one of the basic and most common exercises for the human body. Push ups are not only great for your chest, but do a tremendous job of defining your abs, triceps, shoulders and torso.

Push ups can be performed no matter where you are, and best of all, they are completely free – no expensive equipment or annual gym fees required! If you’re looking to develop a great chest and shoulders, you could do much worse than follow along with the hundred push ups plan. Your core strength will also go through the roof too!

Continue reading »

If you don’t suffer from back pain, there’s a good chance that someone in your family or your workplace does. In fact, back pain is one of the most common work-related injuries; it is the second leading cause of missed workdays after the common cold. But people with physically demanding jobs that require heavy lifting aren’t the only ones at risk; working in front of a computer in the same position all day is also a major risk factor for developing back problems.

There are many ways to prevent non-accidental back injuries, such as making sure your workstation is user-friendly, taking breaks to stretch or walk around, and lifting weights to strengthen your back muscles.

However, if you are part of the 70% of Americans who suffer from some form of back pain at one point in their lives, there are exercises you can do to relieve the aching.

Keep in mind that the back is a very sensitive area and that performing inadequate exercises could have serious consequences. If you are experiencing more than mild to moderate pain or are unsure about any of these exercises, consult a doctor for advice.

Continue reading »

Pilates is one of the most popular exercises of choice these days. Madonna does it, Jason Kidd does it, and you may have heard that Tiger and Annika do it. It is documented that Camilo Villegas does it . . . you need to be pretty strong and very lithe to lay down on a green and read putts the way Camilo does! He is in top physical condition, you can tell by looking at him. Pilates and golf are a natural blend. All of the muscles required for golf are trained during Pilates. Both matwork and apparatus work fit the bill for training golfers.

What is Pilates and makes it a great exercise for golf?

Pilates is an exercise system in which all work is based from the core or center of the body. Generally these muscles include the abdominals, obliques, lats and glutes. While the extremities are distinctly involved, the base of movement, the core, is always stabilized to allow for maximum range of motion (ROM) and support. The Pilates system of exercise was developed by Joseph Pilates, who was born in the late 1800s and came to the US in the mid-1920s. Pilates requires control, concentration, mind-body awareness, flowing movement and precision which sounds a lot like golf. There are many benefits to doing Pilates, one of which is correcting imbalances in the body which can be monumental in keeping golfers healthy and playing longer!

Continue reading »

Get a six pack in time for your Hawaii vacation!

Any personal trainer can show you a few fancy ab exercises but if you really want to get a 6 pack or even just a little more definition in your midsection, then you had better read the text before trying the routine below.

When I first started my fitness journey, I lost more than 80 lbs in 6 months. I literally went from a keg to a six pack. I had NEVER had a six pack before.

I wasn’t a natural athlete. I was fat kid. I learned how it was done. Now I make a living teaching my personal training clients how they can get a six pack. Listen to what I have to tell you about getting one.

If you are trying to get a lean, toned, stomach–I promise you, it takes more than a few good abdominal exercises. Did you know abdominal exercises are probably the least effective exercise for getting a six pack?

Did you now that there is NO SUCH THING AS SPOT REDUCTION?

Read that very carefully. There is no such thing as spot reduction.

Getting a six pack comes from a combination of the things you are putting in your body and the way you manage your energy. In other words, your nutrition habits, and your overall exercise effectiveness. I urge you to subscribe to my mailing list so you can learn what it really takes to get your midsection in top shape.

Continue reading »

\\ tags: Abdominal

Here are 10 different ideas or techniques to help you pursue a lifetime of health and fitness.

STOP

If – deep-down – you really don’t want to exercise, then don’t bother reading further. You will need to get to the bottom of those feelings before moving on. Ambivalence and double-mindedness will only lead to a constant cycle of disappointment. But – if you want to reap the many mental and physical benefits of exercise — then read on.

1. Know Thyself – Time of Day
What’s the point in aiming for fasted cardio (i.e. workouts before breakfast) when you are not a morning person? You might start with the best intentions – but it will probably not last. You must find the time that works best for you.

2. Know Thyself – Comfort Zone
When I exercise I sweat. Sometimes profusely. That may seem gross to some – and to be honest when I caught some people staring at my red sweating face – I was embarrassed. I’ve realized that public gym workouts are not always for me. I have a basic setup at home that I use instead. If going to the gym – aim for known quiet periods.

Continue reading »

How do you find motivation to exercise when you just don’t feel like getting off your butt? I ask myself this question every now and then, and I have the feeling I’m not the only one.

A few weeks ago, I wrote 4 Simple Steps to Start the Exercise Habit … and the fourth and final step was to add motivation as needed until the habit sticks. This post is to help you with that fourth step.

There are a million ways to motivate yourself to exercise, actually, but these are a few that have worked for me. And trust me, I’ve had days when I’ve struggled with exercise. Most recently, the things that have helped include finding a workout partner (one of the best motivators!), logging my exercise, reading magazines, books and websites, and rewarding myself.

1. How you feel after a workout. I always feel great after a good workout. It’s a high. And I let that motivate me the next time: “You know how good you’re going to feel, Leo!”
2. Time for you. While many people make time to take care of others (kids, spouse, other family, co-workers, boss), they don’t often make time to take care of themselves. Instead, make your “you” time a priority, and don’t miss that exercise appointment.
3. Calories burned. If you count calories (and it’s really one of the most effective ways to lose weight), you know that the more you exercise, the more calories you burn — and the bigger your calorie deficit.

Continue reading »

I have to admit that I have my ups and downs with the exercise habit.

So I know that it’s not the easiest habit for most people, and most people’s experiences consist of starting and stopping and starting again. Which is fine — don’t beat yourself up about it. The important thing is starting again.

I’ve written before about how to build the exercise habit , but today I thought I’d revisit the topic for those who still have trouble.

The Main Problems
So why do most people have trouble making exercise a regular habit? Well, there are probably a number of factors, but here are the main ones as I see it:

1. Too difficult. People set out with a lot of ambition and enthusiasm, and start out with a big goal. “I’m going to go to the gym for an hour a day!” or “I’m going to run 30 minutes every day!” The problem is that the goal is too difficult to sustain for very long. You can do it for a few days, but you soon run out of energy, and it becomes a drag to do it.
2. Too many goals. Often we set out to do too much. We want to run, and lift weights, and eat healthy, and quit sweets, and stop drinking soda. Well, those are multiple goals, and you cannot focus on the exercise habit if you’re trying to do all the others at the same time. Or we might start with one goal, but then get caught up in another goal (to stop procrastinating, for example), and lose our focus on the first one.

Continue reading »

Recently my friend and fellow blogger Scott Young did a great post entitled, “New to exercise? Make workouts daily“. It was an excellent post, and perfectly timed as it mirrors my own recent efforts at making exercise a daily habit.

The problem with trying to make exercise a habit, and it’s something that we’ve all faced, is that you usually try to exercise 3 or 4 times a week … and that makes creating a new exercise habit difficult. The reason is that the more consistent an action is, the more likely it is to be a habit.

Therefore, as Scott points out, and it’s something I fully agree with, exercising every day is more likely to result in a habit — something that becomes almost automatic, and much easier, instead of a constant struggle.

I’ve been implementing this idea in my daily life recently, alternating every day between different exercises: running, swimming, biking and strength workouts, as a way of reaching my goal of completing an Olympic-distance triathlon this year. I’m going to continue this habit change into the month of May (read below for the Zen Habits May Challenge). I made daily running a habit last year, when I was training for my first marathon, but this year I stopped when I got sick, so I’m re-starting the habit formation.

Continue reading »