Author: Chris Ritchie

Want to know how to take the edge next time you’re in a pressure-packed hoops game? Reserve a John Wall Dance. New research from Indiana University found that expressing your emotions during a sporting event gives you a psychological advantage. The study of more than 500 athletes found most reported positive benefits from letting feelings come to surface. “Displaying emotion can help people relax in situations where they are under a lot of stress“ says psychologist David Nias, MD. Swearing at the referees is not recommended, though.

How do I prepare my body if I want to start going on a water fast once a week? Whatever your reasons may be for doing water fasting, it’s best you possess the right amount of caution. It may have worked tor someone you know, but that doesn’t guarantee the same for you. Licensed physical therapist and weight loss expert Annand Mcndoza, Jr., PTRP, stresses that the body wasn’t designed to handle total food deprivation. If you’re ready to handle the physical consequences of lower metabolism, decreased muscle mass, and diminished glycogen stores that all make you less energetic, then water fasting…

Nothing beats fresh food, but let’s face it: as winter settles in, frozen meals tend to creep onto our grocery lists. Don’t fret entirely. According to the UK-based Institute of Food Research, fresh veggies can lose up to 45 percent of their health-enhancing nutrients the minute they’re picked, so whether they’re frozen when harvested or sold fresh, the benefits are essentially the same. You know you need to brush and floss two to three times a day to protect your pearly whites, but scientists are now beginning to understand how your diet can fight cavities and build strong teeth. Nibble on these foods daily for…

Use These Tips And Shortcuts To Unmask A Six-Pack CARB BINGE ONCE A WEEK It’s familiar advice that achieving a six-pack is 30 per cent training, 70 per cent nutrition. But that doesn’t mean Living on brown rice and whey. “After consistent ‘clean’ eating, your metabolism can slow down,” says personal trainer and body anatomy expert Joe Lightfoot. “One carb-heavy meal a week can kickstart your fat loss and refuel your energy.” Make Sunday spag bol day. CARRY YOUR WEIGHT Start taking things to work. “Anti-lateral flexion movements, such as holding a heavy bag in one hand, work your abs because you are forced to…

A Typical Workout Includes 24 Minutes Of Wasted Time Between Sets 1. 30 SECONDS TO GREATER GRIP STRENGTH If half a minute is all you have, use your rest time to get vice-like power. “Don’t throw out yesterday’s newspaper,” says personal trainer Mark Anthony. “Hold the tip of a sheet with one arm outstretched and your palm down. Crush the page into a ball.” WHY: “This builds concentric strength in your forearm flexors and wrist muscles,” he says. So you can dish out a killer serve – or handshake – whenever needed. 2. ONE MINUTE TO IMPROVED COORDINATION Take a leaf out of J.J. Abrams’ book: it’s…

CrossFit is a cutting-edge training science that’s spreading around the world like a workout wildfire, and the best news is that you don’t need to join a CrossFit gym or box to harness it’s powerful benefits. Here are nine moves, most of which you can do on your own as long as you have a few key items: a barbell (can be replaced by a kettlebell or a set of dumbbells) and a pull-up bar (or equivalent). 1. Squat Start with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Push your hips backwards and lower your butt towards the ground while keeping your torso upright. Keep lowering until your…

At the University of Minnesota two years ago, Dr Shalamar Sibley, was examining how kilojoule reduction might affect hormone pathways. On a hunch, she decided to test one more variable: vitamin D. “Researchers have been tracking the relationship between low vitamin D and obesity,” says Dr SibLey. “So I wondered if people’s baseline vitamin D levels would predict their ability to lose weight when cutting kilojoules.” Her hunch paid off – big time. People with adequate vitamin D levels at the start of the study tended to Lose more weight than those with low levels, even though everyone reduced their kilojoule intake equally. In fact, even a…

Use Movements You’ve Never Tried To Build The Body You’ve Always Wanted Imagine that the barbell curl came with an auto-correct function, one that instantly perfected your form – no cheating allowed. Yes, you would possibly have to remove some weight. But you’d also slash your injury risk while giving your targeted muscles the maximum challenge. As a result, you’d reap the greatest possible benefit from every set. Turns out, that an auto-correct feature already exists – you just have to choose the right moves. I first learned about these moves, known as “self limiting exercises”, from Gray Cook, a personal trainer, whose analysis…

Should You Be Taking A Protein Shake? Get Supplement Savvy Before you buy that massive tub of powdered muscle, ask yourself these two questions: “What do I need?” and “What can I afford?” Next step: make sure you run it past your doctor. Only then can you start weighing up the options. “There are three broad categories of supplement shakes,” says Professor Du Toit Loots, professional athlete and professor in Metabolic Biochemistry at North-West University. “The key is finding the right one for you.” Supplements fall into three general categories, depending on your goal. Start here: 1. Mass Builders This type of supplement should ideally be taken by…

Double Your Protein It takes a lot of chicken to ensure you’re fueling your muscle repair this week, so make it your best friend. These yoghurt marinades will ensure you don’t get food fatigue. Plus each 100ml serving of plain Greek yoghurt packs and extra 5g of protein, and saves calories compared with mayo. Shake It Up Struggling to take on the calories? Sink this 60min after the gym. – 1scoop low-chemical protein powder;– 2tbsp natural almond butter;– 400ml whole milk;– small handful spinach;– 5 ice cubes. Place all ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth. If you’re pressed…