EUGENIZATION.

(Note: It occurred to me recently that I should write up a weekly summary of the random array of topics I’ve blogged about over the past week(s), for benefit of first-time and new readers.  So, here it is.)
What did we chat about this week?
Abdominal bracing: Tightening your abs during exercise is a good thing.  It [...]

What is the magical allure of a 5 x 5?  Or a well performed set of 15 reps?  How do I choose how many reps to do in a given set and what is the rationale for using one or the other?
Moreover, why do you never (intentionally) see a set of 17? Or a set [...]

NY Times’ Gina Kolata writes about strength training and the relationship of muscle to health:
More Than an Exercise in Vanity.
What’s excellent about this article is that it stresses the importance of strength training vis a vis the concept of “muscle health.”  Seem like a misnomer?  Not really - studies show positive correlation of muscle strength [...]

“Train, do not aimlessly ‘work out’.”
What’s the difference?
Working out implies lack of purpose.  There’s a randomness inherent to the concept of working out.  “Working out” conjures up the image of a gym goer flitting from one exercise to the next, pumping away five or six sets of biceps curls, reading the paper or a magazine [...]

My friend Christopher recently posted an excellent article on the concept of abdominal bracing.
For the uninitiated, bracing refers to tightening your abdominals in order to steady or stabilize your body. The best non-exercise example I can think of is:
Imagine that someone were to suddenly throw a punch at your midsection. What would you do? Hopefully, [...]