Muscle & Fitness Hers South Africa November 2022

FITNESS PRO TIPS MASTER THE CHINUP WHEN IT COMES TO BODY-WEIGHT exercises, few are as challenging as the chinup. In one pull you’ll work your back (primarily the lats), arms (mostly the biceps), shoulders, and core. “It’s one of the best body-weight exercises you can include in your exercise regimen because you’re pulling all your weight vertically, which requires both strength and body control,” says Christian M. Valvano, C.F.S.C., a performance specialist with Parabolic Performance and Rehabilitation in Montclair, NJ. Can’t do one just yet? Follow the progressions below to build strength and train movement patterns so you can soon master the move. START HERE HALF-KNEELING, SINGLE-ARM CABLE PULLDOWN "Starting close to the ground means you have more stability but are still able to build strength in the core and…

1. Place hands about shoulder-width apart on the bar, palms facing body. Using a stepping stool or box can help you get into the right position. Step off the box or stool with control (don’t allow your body to swing) and hang fully down. Brace your glutes and the front of your core to help prevent overextension of the lower back. 2. Pull your elbows toward your hips, keeping a neutral spine throughout the entire movement. Keep your chin tucked throughout the vertical pulling motion. 3. Lower yourself with control until just before locking out elbows in starting position.…

WEAK GLUTES can mean more than just weaker lifts. One study published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science found that subjects who trained their glutes reduced the feeling of back pain and increased lumbar stability. As for the best move to hit your butt, you can’t do much better than the barbell hip bridge. It allows you to load your glutes directly, but making any of the minor mistakes listed below can lead to not-so-minor injuries. Read up to ensure you don’t make an ass out of yourself. Fix these… BARBELL HIP BRIDGE BLUNDERS 1 YOU SET UP WRONG The bench should be set below your shoulder blades when sitting. And ensure that your feet are far enough away from you so that your shins are perpendicular to the…

IF A SWIMSUIT IS SOMETHING YOU WEAR ONLY TO sit by the pool, it may be time to get it wet. Swimming is a great way to recover after a hard strength day or to get in some fat-burning cardio. In fact, a study in the International Journal of Sports Medicine found that athletes who hit the pool for a moderate workout on a recovery day were able to subsequently work out longer than those who took it easy. “Getting into the pool can help start that active recovery process,” explains Hannah Caldas, a coach with CrossFit Anywhere in Folsom, CA, and a former member of the Portuguese national swim team. “You’re flushing out some of the lactic acid while helping your muscle fibers recover.” Water is low impact and…

At some point in the past few workouts, you’ve probably done a pushup, and there’s a good chance you’ve done it wrong. “People often do pushups incorrectly. They'll place their hands in the wrong position, let the midsection sag, or flare the elbows out, "says Julia Ladewski, C.S.C.S., a strength and conditioning coach based in Highland, IN. “These mistakes don’t allow the right muscles to be targeted. ” That’s no reason to give up on this mostclassicof training moves. “Pushupsarea true measure of relative strength-plus there are so many variations, and they can be done anywhere,’’Ladewski says. Here, she breaks down the perfect pushup. START HERE 1. Get the right hand position. > Lie facedown on floor, hands in line with the center of your chest and just wider than shoulder width, fingers forward…

1 FEELING A STABBING PAIN near your heel when you step out of bed in the morning or when you get up from your desk? You might have developed plantar fasciitis, one of the most common foot injuries facing athletes today. “It’s the complaint that brings patients to a podiatrist’s office the most often,” says Megan Leahy, D.P.M., a podiatrist at the Illinois Bone & Joint Institute in Chicago. In fact, about one in 10 people will develop plantar fasciitis during their lifetime. What is it? Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the plantar fascia, the ligament that runs along the bottom of the foot. Normally this tissue absorbs shock and supports the arch of the foot, but if it is overstretched or strained, small tears in the tissue can…