FEATURES
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Photo Gallery: STRONG Athlete Wins In Cobourg!
|By Team Strong Athlete| Team Strong Athlete’s Kate Mitchell swept the women’s physique division at the OPA Cobourg Naturals. This was Kate’s second victory in as many shows. Kate will compete next in Figure at the Ontario Championships on June 1st. Check out the photo gallery below:
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Battle Bodyfat with Battle Ropes
|By Nadine Shaban| Today, I’d like to expand on a previous article that I wrote about High Intensity Interval Training. I think every fat loss article we read supports the value of interval training for fat loss. In fact, the term H.I.I.T. is thrown around so much that many people just assume they know what it is. However, most of the articles I see tell you the exercises, but none of them explain why it is beneficial and/or what type of adaptations one can get aside from fat loss. It is important to note that there is also L.I.I.T. (Low Intensity Interval Training). I’m sure you can figure out what the differences are between the…
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Fundamentals Of A Big Bench!
|By: Big Jeff Pearce| You know the conversation, “Oh, you workout? How much do you bench press?” It’s a conversation that pops up all too often; people find out that you workout and all of a sudden they have to know how much you bench. It’s a barometer of strength; the common man’s measuring stick of might. Inevitably, the person that asks you will always follow up with a smug grin and “Oh, I have a friend that can lift X amount more than you.” The reason I have chosen to pen this article about bench strength is that I want you to be that friend that can lift X amount more than someone…
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Knee Injury Prevention
|By: Nicole Ettorre CAT(C), BAHSc (AT), BPhEd| Whether you are a weekend warrior or a highly competitive athlete, you have likely experienced or come in contact with someone who has suffered from some sort of knee pain. Knee injuries, especially to those who are physically active, have become increasingly prevalent and are responsible for large economic and personal burden 1 The knee itself is a large and complex joint that can be easily injured due to the number of forces that can act upon it. It consists of four bones: the femur, tibia, fibula and patella; cartilage, meniscus, and several bursa, ligaments and muscles/tendons. All of these structures must work together to produce…
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Your 5-Step Nutrition Guide For 2013
It’s that time again. It’s a new year and there is no better time to set a new fitness goal for yourself and stick to it. To help you along the way, we’ve outlined a 5-step nutrition guide that we give to all first-time clients, no matter if they are just looking to get in better shape, compete in a sport, or to step onstage in a physique contest. Pay close attention to the steps below along your transformation journey and the odds of you achieving success are virtually guaranteed. 1. WATER Our bodies are made up of over 75% water. Without proper hydration, we will very quickly impair normal body function. For health, body composition and/or…
VIDEOS
Official Pain And Gain Movie Trailer
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has got to be the hardest working man in Hollywood these days. Strong-Athlete’s all-time favorite WWE superstar and action hero has no less than four feature films debuting this year. The first, Snitch, which hit theaters in February, sees The Rock battling a drug cartel to save the life of his son. Later on in March, we see the Rock starring with Channing Tatum and Bruce Willis in a sequel to the first G.I. Joe movie. Rocky hooks up again with the cast of The Fast & The Furious for the sixth installment of this beloved franchise. The movie we are most looking forward to however, is Pain and Gain, starring The Rock…
MMA’s Rising Star: Ryan Dickson
Meet undefeated Canadian welterweight Ryan Dickson, a rising Canadian star who’s been on a tear of late. In this Strong-Athlete short film, we profile Ryan and witness his latest victory at the Score Fighting Series in front of his home crowd in Hamilton. With more performances like this, it won’t be long before we see Ryan in the UFC.
Why Pacquiao Got Knocked Out Cold
Why did Manny Pacquiao get knocked out so badly against Marquez?? Listen here to Alex Ariza, Manny’s strength and conditioning coach, talk about how Pacquiao is not putting in his time on the strength and conditioning for this fight. No matter how much skill you have or how many victories you have under your belt, you can NEVER, EVER cut out your strength and conditioning program if you want to perform at the highest level and that was clearly evident in this fight as Pacquiao got knocked out cold live on HBO in vicious and dramatic fashion! And listen to Freddie Roach share his opinion on Strength & Conditioning coaches!
ARTICLES
So You Think You Got A Squat Problem?
|By: Nassim Jebran| It’s happened to us all at one point in our lifting careers; you get aches, pains and you don’t lift as much as you would like to and put yourself in a position where there is a serious risk for injury all by doing one thing: Squatting. I am a huge believer in the power of the squat; it is, hands down, the best exercise for taking the fish fins you call legs and turning them into solid tree trunks. The problem is that most people do not know what they are doing. In this article, I will discuss come common squat problems that any lifter may encounter. 1. Starting Off…
What is Active Release Technique?
|By Dr. Marco De Ciantis| Active Release Technique (ART®) is described as a “hands-on”, case-management system that is used by many conservative care practitioners (chiropractors, physiotherapists, and message therapists) that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee problems, and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved quickly and permanently with ART®. With a thorough understanding of anatomical structures, chiropractors can utilize this technique to diagnose and treat soft-tissue injuries. Knowing that the body has traversing tissues located at oblique angles to one another, areas of tissue overlap are prone to changes with…
Lower Back Injury Prevention
|By: Alex Carnall| Probably more common than any injury in my experience has been clients presenting with low-back pain. There are tons of “rules of thumb” expressed as common knowledge or coaching cues that hold no more than face validity and are actually hurting people instead of protecting them. Since this article is going to be published to people who may not be looking purposely for information on the topic, I will try my best to keep it brief and pertinent to strength training. More specifically, with a high focus on injury prevention as opposed to diagnosis and correction – which admittedly are things that I’ve yet to learn lots about. What I will do…
Heat Shock Protein & Estrogen – PART 1
| By Nadine Shaban | It wasn’t too long ago that I was sitting in my advisors office and he was giving me a lecture about some sort of life event. His lectures about life still resonate with me after all this time. I remember one particular story about one of his friends. They were telling him how there was interest in getting a quote from him regarding a specific protein he researched; they wanted to put it on a supplement bottle. This got me thinking about how much research and development is growing in the supplement industry. And, as a result, so are the types of supplements landing on store shelves. It seems…
TOP 5 Best Leg Exercises!
|By Alex Carnall| Before I dive into what my five best leg exercises let me make a bit of a disclaimer. Understand that this article is written from my own perspective. I work with athletes who need a holistic, more functional (vs. structural) approach to their training. That’s not to say they won’t develop rippling quads and lofty glutes as a byproduct of working with me – but it isn’t the primary objective. In fewer words, I’m looking to develop movement-based strength. If you’re just starting out, I’ve included an anatomy chart of the lower body below. So with a movement-based approach, nearly every strength exercise can be categorized (at least loosely) under one of…
Weight Cutting Research On Young Athletes
|By Dr. Marco De Ciantis| Weight cutting is a common occurrence in many weight-classed competitive sports, such as boxing, martial arts and wrestling as a means for athletes to make a weight category. Tension, dizziness, headaches, and confusion have been associated with rapid weight loss (RWL) as a direct result of this practice being recorded as suffered in amateur to professional competitors alike. To date, there is a lack of research in weight cycling and its benefits among athletes in terms of performance outcomes as winning a medal or match. New research is key to better understanding the potential dangers and performance effects cutting weight has on athletes of all types. Check out this research…
5 Signs of a Bad Personal Trainer
|By Alex Carnall| If I could master time travel and talk to the 18 year old version of me about training, I’d probably save myself the trip. Like any other young lifter, I was convinced I held the key to untold success under the bar. I watched others with a critical eye and wouldn’t dare admit to being wrong. Additionally, most of my supporting evidence was anecdotal and I thought programming was something for geeks. Five years later, I’ve found that there is still no shortage of people like that. And, some of them have been hired as fitness professionals. In response, I feel compelled to shed light on a few things your trainer may…
SPORTS NUTRITION
Not your Mama’s Meatloaf!
| By Samantha Gladish | This is NOT your Mama’s Meatloaf!!! It’s Mini Meatloaf Masterpieces! Most people turn their noises to the thought of meatloaf but I can promise you this recipe will have you wanting more…and more…and more! These meaty protein-packed muffins are done in half the time of a traditional meatloaf. I highly recommend purchasing top quality beef, non gmo and antibiotic free. Good quality meat makes all the difference in your recipes and in your performance in the gym and in the game! Best part is this recipe is perfectly portioned and great for freezing. Ingredients: Meat Muffins: 2 organic eggs 1 can organic tomato paste 1/2 tbsp dried oregano 1 tsp…
Super Bowl Turkey Tacos
| By Samantha Gladish | Turkey Tacos! The Perfect Super Bowl Party Grub! No one wants to slave in the kitchen during Super Bowl. This recipe will have you in and out of the kitchen in no time! It’s easy to prepare, healthy and full of flavour! It also makes the perfect weeknight meal when you’re strapped for time! I’m a big fan of blue corn tacos, as they contain the same antioxidants found in blueberries and blackberries! Plus they contain more protein, zinc and selenium then yellow corn. I’ve included a few topping suggestions below, but feel free to use whatever toppings you like! Get creative! Ingredients: 1 lb ground turkey 1 pack simply…
Frickin’ “Fried” Chicken
| By Samantha Gladish | Chicken lovers rejoice! Here’s a sophisticated twist on ‘fried’ chicken that you will love! White wine paired with dijon mustard creates an amazing coating for chicken that gives you a no fail moist chicken every time! Serve this dish with a large mixed green salad for a perfect weeknight meal. Ingredients: 4 garlic cloves 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary sea salt and black pepper 1 1/2 cups organic unsalted panko bread crumbs (or a mix of panko and brown rice flakes) 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest 1 teaspoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons organic unsalted butter, melted 1/2 cup…
