Understanding Carbohydrates

 Most of us have heard the phrase ‘No Carbs before Marbs’, with the implication that Carbohydrate foods should be avoided if one is trying to lose weight. Whilst there may be some truth in this statement it is important that we understand some basic information about the much discussed macronutrient that is Carbohydrate before going any further. For you science geeks Carbohydrate molecules consist of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms joined together in a chain, with there being two hydrogen atoms for every oxygen atom to give the general formula C H₂0.  These chains can vary in length depending on…

Power, Speed and Strength

Listening in on many gym conversations as well avid sports fans using certain terminology to describe athletes I feel that I need to clear up a few misconceptions. How many times have you called an athlete ‘Powerful’? I am guessing it is too many times to keep count of? But was it used in the right context when we consider the definition. Is it possible to be fast without being powerful? Just because you are strong does it mean that you are powerful? Strength is simply the maximum amount of force that can be produced. Speed refers to how quickly…

Press Ups

  Press Ups, simple to perform and only require a small amount of floor space. No benches, no dumbbells, no real need for a gym membership. Not only this but Press Ups are also a great exercise for developing upper body pressing strength and endurance. The exercise will significantly tax the muscles of your chest (Pectorals), arms (Triceps) and shoulders (Anterior Deltoid) as well as giving the muscles surrounding your spine a good test too. Many people will say that they have outgrown the Press Up and that it is only useful for beginners. ‘I am too strong for them…

The Boat Race (Workout of the Week)

This weekend saw the annual Oxford versus Cambridge boat race take place on the River Thames. The race is 6.8 kilometres long, yesterdays winning crew completed the distance in 18 minutes and 36 seconds.   Why not try your own version of the boat race and see how you fare.   6.8km on the Rowing machine and see how you compare!  Image Source (www.telegraph.co.uk)