November 6, 2012 |
My approach to exercise is strictly Thoreauvian - simplify, simplify! That's why I'm a big fan of body-weight exercise - push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, etc. Because resistance is supplied by your body weight, no fancy equipment is necessary, and the exercises can be performed just about any time, any place. When I go on long road trips, I always drop for 50 push-ups when I stop to get gas or a meal. At work, I keep push-up stands handy. Several times a day, I'll pump fresh blood into my weary brain by knocking out a set of 25. Push-up stands keep your hands clean and enable you to drop deep and thoroughly expand and tax the muscles of your chest and shoulders.
November 14, 2012
DO IT RIGHT The versatile push-up is a favorite of mine. Do it anywhere and modify to any fitness level - against a wall, with bent knees on the floor, one-arm, dumbbell row, alligator, triceps, plyometric push-ups or 3-point, to name a few. The classic: Start on your hands and knees. With hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, feet together, shift weight onto your hands and feet and rise into an up plank position. Keeping your body and head straight, slowly lower your body to the ground by bending your elbows.
December 4, 2012 |
My recent column on push-ups, in which orthopedic surgeon John Fenlin of the Rothman Institute tossed a hand grenade by recommending that people over 40 stop doing body-weight exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, and dips, generated a huge response from readers. Many were alarmed by his warning and wanted guidance about sensible ways to adapt push-ups so they're less perilous, as well as advice about suitable substitutes. But others objected to Fenlin's counsel, claiming that body-weight exercises are an important and valuable part of their fitness regimen that pose little danger if executed carefully and properly.
April 4, 1990 |
PATCO POLICE take part in a fitness test at PATCO headquarters in Camden. Instructor Allan Tittermary (left) counts as Raymond Paterno does push-ups. The transit officers, who were tested last Wednesday, are evaluated every four months.
June 30, 2012 |
DeSean Jackson stood over a scrawny 15-year-old who had collapsed into the overgrown grass, exhausted from doing push-ups in the heat Friday morning. "Do you want to be great?" the Eagles Pro Bowl wide receiver asked the boy. "Yes. " "Then get your knees off the grass and start doing some push-ups. " The boy looked at Jackson, the tattoos tracing down his arms, the green Eagles shorts and the retro L.A. Kings snapback hat. The boy looked rejuvenated and formed a plank, counting off the number of push-ups as he did them.
November 28, 2012
Wide-grip push-ups build strength in your chest, back, shoulders and core. You begin in the up position, keeping body and head straight, just like the classic push-up, only your hands are wider than shoulder width apart (about 6 inches wider). Once you're in the right position, slowly lower yourself until you are 3 to 6 inches from the floor. Then press straight up without locking your elbows. Repeat 10 to 20 reps for 2 to 3 sets.
August 11, 1990 |
Muscle strengthening is best accomplished by using "free" weights - the hand-held ones - or weight machines. If you don't have access to weights, try push-ups. Push-ups strengthen the arms and chest, and are among the few muscle- strengthening exercises you can do without weights; you use the weight of your body as the resistance. Push-ups work the tricep muscles (back of the upper arm) and the pectoralis major (front of chest). By placing your hands close together, as in the following exercise, you will shift the focus to the triceps.
May 7, 2015
If you've ever been to the gym, you undoubtedly noticed that most women love cardiovascular exercise, while most men gravitate to the weights. Granted, cardiovascular and strength training are essential, but equally important - and often neglected - is balance training. What's balance got to do with it? Generally, the loss of adult balance is yet another consequence of our sedentary lifestyle, but even dedicated fitness enthusiast are prone to scrimping or skipping balance training.
June 23, 1993 |
They might be the two most polite kids in Philadelphia. They might be the two strongest, physically fit 11-year-olds in the city. They might be two future world boxing champions. They are twin brothers Rock and Tiger Allen of Strawberry Mansion. A lot of people in the local boxing fraternity are watching them closely and placing their bets. When someone told Tiger he could be another Sugar Ray Leonard, he reportedly answered, "I'm better than Sugar Ray was when he was a kid. Could Sugar Ray do 1,000 push-ups when he was my age?"
November 30, 1998 |
It's not uncommon for a writer to dedicate a book to his parents, but Stewart Smith is a bit different: He wrote "The TV Watcher's Workout" (Hatherleigh/Five Star Fitness/$14.95) for his parents. The former Navy SEAL has spent much of his adult life making hardbodies harder, training midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy and helping to select future SEALs, work that led to his first published book, "The Complete Guide to Navy SEAL Fitness. " But five years ago, Smith found himself up against a fitness challenge that couldn't be met "G.I.