Tag: Sport

Training by Conor HeffernanFeb 21, 20194:14 pm

Guest Post: The Evolution of Combat Sports

Mixed martial arts as we know it began in November 1993 in Denver, Colorado, the night of UFC 1. What began as a showcase of individual martial arts disciplines from Jiu Jitsu to Tae Kwon Do and all the rest, has become a recognised sport with competitors and followers from all over the world. While the concept of mixed martial arts is still relatively new, martial arts have been around for thousands of years, MMA is the culmination of millennia of training and perfecting different disciplines from around the globe.

Guest Post: The History of Lacrosse. Who Invented Lacrosse?

The Origin of Lacrosse

Invented in the 1100s by the Native American tribes, Lacrosse was a game being played by the people who were based on plain states in the north which is present-day Canada.

Initially, this game involved hundreds of men who played the game using, a ball and sticksof different structures and they participated without using any protective gear. It was one of the most widely played team sport during its time. The people who took part in the native version of this game considered it as an athletic contest of great pride, spiritual significance, and skills.

Resources by Conor HeffernanAug 20, 20189:49 am

Understanding The History Of Fitness And Teeth Protection

Over the years, fitness has gone through an abundance of changes. It is undoubtedly true that many people have strayed from the straight and narrow. They’ve decided to begin eating unhealthy and they’re not working out enough. This is going to be majorly problematic for them and their family. Plus, poor health can really take a toll on society at large. One important aspect of fitness is ensuring that you’re protecting your teeth. Within this guide, you’re going to learn about the history of fitness and proper dental protection when exercising.

Resources by Conor HeffernanJun 18, 20187:31 am

Guest Post: The Roots and History of Golf

image 2.jpg

As with any other modern sport, the early origins of golf stretch thousands of years back. A game similar to what we know today as golf was played during the reign of Julius Caesar, and has gone through various changes until it became the modern-day sport. From striking a feather-stuffed ball with club-shaped tree branches, to a game where a leather ball was hit with the intention of reaching a target, several hundred yards away, to hitting a ball through hoops using a hammer ‒ various nations had different versions of the game, but the roots of today’s game are traced back to 1457 in Scotland.

Training by Conor HeffernanApr 23, 20184:07 pm

The Harmful Squats Myth: Dr. Karl Klein and the Back Squat

Image Source.

When I began lifting in my teens, the coaches and older men in the gym floor seemed like fountains of indisputable knowledge. Don’t bring the bar all the way down to your chest on the bench press. Stability work on Bosu Balls worked your core and brought muscle gain. Drink a protein shake within 30 minutes of your workout or your anabolic window will shut. The most sacred of their dictates revolved around the back squat.

When learning how to squat we were told two simple things. Never go below parallel and under no circumstances should the knees track over the toes. These rules were so infallible that none of us dared to cross them. Even when we realised their advice on other lifts had been misguided to say the least, we adhered to their squat advice. It wasn’t until I changed gyms that I realised squatting with a full range of motion, even letting those knees slip over my toes, wasn’t going to kill my knees.

Where had this idea about the squat come from? Whenever we asked we were told about vague scientific studies that ‘everyone knew about’. It wasn’t until I dug into the history of the back squat for a recent article on Barbend that I became reacquainted with this subject.

Our goal today is simple. Who first promoted the idea that squatting below depth was harmful and how did this theory become so prevalent? Our story today revolves around Dr. Karl Klein and his followers.

Resources by Conor HeffernanMar 21, 20188:58 am

The History of the Bosu Ball

Bosu-Ball_600x

Part of the functional training fetish exhibited by members of the strength and conditioning community in the opening decade of the twenty-first century, the Bosu Ball was not too long ago, a ubiquitous piece of gym equipment. Nowadays found in the corner of the gym floor, if at all, the Bosu Ball, along with the Swiss Ball covered previously, represented a shift in training from strength and hypertrophy and balance and functional strength (whatever that means).

Having rediscovered the Bosu Ball recently, and by that I mean having tripped over one in the gym, I thought the timing seemed right to finally uncover its history.

Resources by Conor HeffernanDec 6, 20178:48 am

Guest Post: 8 Useful Tips on What to Wear at The Gym

Image source: https://burst.shopify.com/photos/rope-workout

Focusing on the workout routine and eating healthy are the two most important things regarding the gym experience. However, there is another important factor you might have overlooked; many fail to see the importance of gym clothes. Those who realize how important it is to have decent gym clothes often have a hard time choosing what to wear at the gym. Well, you can stop worrying about it, we are here to help you. Get Gym ready with Argos 50% Off discounts here, and Kit yourself out for workout success.

Biographies by Conor HeffernanOct 21, 201712:57 pm

The Amazing Physique Of A. Schwarzenegger & How He Developed It (1967 Article)

Arnold_Schwarzenegger_874

Published in Iron Man Magazine in 1967 by Arnold’s friend Albert Busek, the following article details Arnold’s rise to fame alongside his working routine of the time. A fine biography and reminder that even during the 60s, people marvelled at the Austrian’s successes.

JUST a short year ago his name was still generally unknown, but on October 30, 1965, in Stuttgart, his meteoric rise to international fame began.

However, let us review his story from the very beginning. Arnold Schwarzenegger was born on July 30, 1947, the son of police inspector Gustav Schwarzenegger and his wife, Aurelia. As a child he was taken along by his father to curling contests, and very soon the desire to emulate his father’s interest in sports awakened in him. At the same time he realised that that wouldn’t be a very easy thing to do, for his father was – and still is – an outstanding sportsman. Among other things, his father was the European title holder in distance curling, and several times he won awards as state champion in gymnastics and calisthenics. In his early efforts to achieve distinction in athletics, Arnold had to content himself with a merely average performance, and was very disappointed in this result. That happened in February, 1962, at the Graz City Championship in Distance Curling for Juniors. Arnold only won sixth place. For the son of a well-known sportsman that was naturally an unfortunate start, but Arnold was simply too weak to assert himself against the best performers. Thus, for the moment, his drive to reach the top came to a sudden halt.

Resources by Conor HeffernanJul 30, 20177:50 pm

The Ghost Of Sport Injuries Past

No one can deny that sports are dangerous. An injury sustained in training can cripple us for the rest of our lives. That’s the reason sports people put so much import in warming up before workouts. It’s also the reason it’s important not to push yourself. You may have dreams of doing it like your heroes, but you’ll never to get to their level if you don’t build up slowly.

Resources by Conor HeffernanJul 8, 20173:10 pm

3 Champions With a Winning Mentality

How to take training to the next level? Often the biggest obstacle we face is our own self-doubt. When striving to reach the pinnacle of fitness we find ourselves facing challenges that hinder or stop our progress. These can be mentally through lack of motivation or physically through injury. During these times it can feel easy to give up. In this post we have three champions who no matter what obstacle they faced maintained a winning mentally.