I hear a lot about training to “muscular failure” – is it right for me?

Spend enough time at the gym and you’re bound to hear the phrase “training to failure” – but what exactly is it and, perhaps more importantly, how do you know if it’s right for you?

By: Dan Salupo

The purpose of any sound strength training program is to systematically manipulate certain variables (e.g. sets and reps, weight, amount of rest, etc.) over a planned period of time to create new stimuli for our muscles to adapt to—“a biological process that eventually makes them stronger,” says Iván Chulvi-Medrano, PhD, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport at the University of Valencia, Spain. Read more of this post

Looking to build muscle? Use less weight

By: Dan Salupo

Applying light-weight, high-intensity strength training programs will build muscles, according to researchers at McMaster University.

Photo of Overload Fitness in Beachwood, OH

Conventional wisdom in the world of fitness holds that if you’re goal is to build muscle size you need to lift heavy weights. However, a new study by researchers at McMaster University found that similar gains in muscle mass can be achieved by using lighter weights. The secret, according to the researchers, is to lift the weight until you reach muscle fatigue.
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Downward Dog your blues away, MED researcher says Yoga lifts mood

By: Dan Salupo

A recently released study by Boston University researchers found that, compared to walking, yoga appears to have a greater boost in the chemical in our brain associated with mood and anxiety.

Photo of Prana Yoga and Dance Studio in Broadview Heights, OH.

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What will you look like in 20 years? Exercise impacts facial appearance, study shows

By: Dan Salupo

Shocking pictures showing what a life without exercise can do to your facial appearance were released Tuesday by researchers:

Catherine Duffy, as she is now, and artificially aged twenty years later with & without exercise.

Experts in aging at the University of St Andrews in Scotland used the latest in facial imaging technology to depict the impact of a sedentary lifestyle on a person’s appearance over a period of twenty years.

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Psychologists reveal best male dance moves to catch a woman’s eye

By: Dan Salupo

The key dance moves that make men attractive to women (sans fistpumping) have been discovered by psychologists at Northumbria University.

Good Dancer

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Bad Dancer

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Researchers end Low-carb/low-fat diet debate

Low-carb diet works just as well as low-fat diet for losing weight, better for “good” cholesterol over time.

By: Dan Salupo

For years, researchers have tried to determine which of two diets is safer and more effective for weight loss in the long run: the low-carbohydrate, Atkins-style diet, or the low-fat diet.

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Scottish Country Dancing Reels Benefits

By: Dan Salupo

Scottish country dancing has extensive and measurable fitness benefits for older people, according to new research at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland.

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UNH researchers develop improved tool for cycling fitness

For competitive bicyclists with goals — whether competing in the Tour de France or aiming for the podium at a local race — faster cycling comes from training regimens based on various zones of exercise intensity.

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Couples Fitness May Help Relationship(s)

By: Dan Salupo

Couples prepare for their wedding in different ways.  Some take dance lessons.  Others get premarital counseling. Or, as in the case of a Chicago couple, they take Pilates.

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Focusing on Immediate Health Effects May Improve Weight Loss Success

Posted by: Dan Salupo

Cincinnati—Most weight loss programs try to motivate individuals with warnings of the long-term health consequences of obesity: increased risk for cancer, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and asthma.  New research suggests the immediate health benefits—such as reduced pain—may be the most effective motivator for helping obese individuals shed extra weight and commit to keeping it off.

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