A quick bonus tip:

Originally coined by Chila, Peckham and Manheim, back in 1981 and used for the title of their course at Michigan State University: ‘‘Myofascial Release’’

What is fascia tissue?

Fascia is the body’s connective tissue. It's fibrous cobweb-like connective tissue found throughout the whole of the body runing from head to toe. Your fascia provides a framework that helps support and protect individual muscle groups, organs, and the entire body as a unit.

What is a strength curve?

A strength curve is a graphical representation of how a muscle generates and applies force in a specific direction. This force is then represented using three basic categories: ascending, descending and bell-shaped.

Eccentric contraction explained:

An eccentric contraction occurs when a muscle lengthens under load. An example of this would be when you're lowing yourself into a squatting position. Generally speaking, a muscle can be upto 150% stronger during an eccentric contraction than a concentric contraction. 

Concentric contraction explained:

A concentric contraction occurs when a muscle shortens. An example of this would be when you're coming up from a bottom of a squat.

What are muscle fascicles?

In anatomy, a muscle fascicle is a bundle of skeletal muscle fibers surrounded by perimysium, a type of connective tissue.

Who is Michael Goulden?

Michael Goulden is the founder of a training company and is a resistance training specialist in exercise mechanics. He has been integrating exercise mechanics with neuromuscular preparation to create a uniquely sustainable approach to health, fitness and performance.

Who is Charles Poliquin?

Charles Poliquin is recognised as one of the world’s most accomplished strength coaches, and has produced hundreds of medals, wins and personal bests for elite athletes in over 17 different sports, including athletes for both the summer and winter Olympics, the NHL, and NFL.

Who is Ben Pakulski?

Ben Pakulski, nicknamed the Pak-Man, holds an Honors Degree in Kinesiology and is an IFBB professional bodybuilder and winner of the 2008 Mr. Canada competition. In the IFBB, he finished 2nd twice in 2008.

What is a level 5 trainer?

Our level five trainers are our ‘elite’. They’re seriously experienced, and incredibly knowledgeable. They have all gone above and beyond, attending numerous industry events, clocking up multiple courses, and spending numerous hours learning through practical experience with clients. They have shown unparalleled dedication to becoming the best personal trainers possible, and have been recognised in the health and fitness industry for their level of excellence.

What is a level 4 trainer?

Our level four trainers have gone the extra mile. All of them have further industry qualifications, whether in nutrition, post-natal exercise, endurance or hypertrophy. They have attended workshops, webinars and courses to lift their learning above others in the area. They are likely to have been a personal trainer for several years, and be pushing to learn more about how they can offer the best possible advice to you.

What is a level 3 trainer?

Our level three trainers are fully qualified, with industry-recognised qualifications, but are relatively new to personal training. What they lack in experience, they will make up for in dedication and enthusiasm. All our level three trainers work closely with a more senior member of the team to ensure the Hall Training quality of service is maintained, and you make constant progress towards your goals.

Did you know?

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Nov 2014

5 reasons why women should be weight training!

TAGS: training

"I'm all about them weights, 'bout them weights, no treadmill!" 

I wish this was a line more women repeated, as I find a lot of women in the gym are either reluctant or too scared to lift weights. The main belief is that "lifting weight will make me bulky…" Although it is true, lifting weights will encourage muscle size and volume, weights alone cannot elicit a sufficient hypertrophic response unless you have everything else in place too, i.e diet, sleep, etc.
In fact, there are multiple reasons why women should be lifting weights if they're serious about improving their health and physique. It's time to break up with the treadmill and think about entering a new relationship with something a lot more stable, solid, and above all with having a positive impact on your life!

Here are just five reasons why I think strength training will be your perfect partner:

1) Increased calorie expenditure
Resistance training helps to increase muscle tissue and increase energy expenditure hours after you train. A study published by the National Institute of Health showed a 7.4-8.7 percent increase in resting metabolic rate (RMR) was observed 24hrs after resistant training [1]. Strength training also helps to build muscle, which helps to burn calories at rest. It was thought muscle burnt 30-35 calories per day per pound [2]. Unfortunately, this was later disproven with an actual finding of around 6 calories a day per pound [3]. Despite this being a lot lower than originally thought, these calories add up over time. 

2) Improved sleep quality
Strength truing greatly improves sleep quality, adding in the ability to fall asleep quicker, stay sleep and enter a deeper sleep. Research suggests that morning resistance training or high intensity training greatly affects the quality of sleep and lengthens the time of sleep the night after training [4].

3) Better Heart Health
A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning found that those who participated in strength training were less likely to have heart disease as improved the risk factors associated around heart disease such as:
• large waist circumference
• high triglycerides
• elevated blood pressure, and elevated glucose levels [5].
Another study conducted by researchers in Brazil found that blood pressure and resting heart rate were significantly lower the following the morning of a resistance based program [6]. 

4) Stress Reliever
Don't deny it! We all know women tend to get worked up and hot under the collar, mainly as a result of us men, but, exercise in general is a great way to manage this stress. Researchers have consistently found that those who regularly strength train tend to manage stress better and experience fewer adverse reactions to stressful situations as those who do not exercise [7].
In addition, resistance training studies on older adults show that moderate intensity weight lifting improves memory and cognitive function, which is great for you! Not only do you get to offload the stress we cause you, but, you'll also remember what we did, ready to recall it again, 5 years down the line!

5) Improved Bone Health
Twenty percent of Caucasian women age 50 and older are estimated to have osteoporosis with one in two women over the age of 50 breaking a bone because of osteoporosis [8]. Postmenopausal women are at a greater risk for osteoporosis because the body no longer secretes estrogen [9]. Resistance training is an excellent way to combat loss of bone mass, and it decreases the risk of osteoporosis. A study conducted at McMaster University found that after a year of resistance training, postmenopausal women increased spinal bone mass by 9 percent [10].

So, the next time you enter the gym, and through the habit, hop on to the treadmill, take a minute or two to remember these points and utter the words - "it's all about them weights, 'bout them weight, no treadmill!" Trust me, your body will thank you for it!

If you believe weight training will have a positive impact on your health and physique but feel a little out of your depth, then why not take a look at our online personal training packages. Alternately, if you wish for something a little more personal, then take advantage of our complementary training consults - book yours today and discover how strength training can change your life for the better!

Sources
[1] Kirk, Erik P., et. Al. Minimal resistance training improves daily energy expenditure and fat oxidation" Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010; 41(5): 1122-1129
[2] Van Etten, L.M., et al.. Effect of an 18-wk weight-training program on energy expenditure and physical activity.. J Appl Physiol. 1997 Jan;82(1):298-304.
[3] Wang, Z., Heshka, S., Zhang, K., Boozer, C.N., & Heymsfield, S.B. (2001). Resting energy expenditure: systematic organization and critique of prediction methods. Obesity Research, 9, 331-336
[4]Roveda, Eliana, et. Al. Effects of endurance and strength acute exercise on night sleep quality." International SportMed Journal. 2011; 12(3): 113-124.
[5] Magyari PM, Churilla JR. Association between lifting weights and metabolic syndrome among U.S. Adults: 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. J Strength Cond Res. 2012 Nov; 26(11): 3113-7.
[6] Cardoso, Crivaldo Gomes, et. Al. "Acute and chronic effects of aerobic and resistance exercise on ambulatory blood pressure." Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2010; 65(3):317-325.
[7] Stone M, Stone Meg, Sands W. Psychological Aspects of Resistance Training. In: Principles and Practice of Resistance Training. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics; 2009. p. 229-241.
[8] National Osteoporosis Foundation http://nof.org/articles/235
[9] Garnero P, Sornay-Rendu E, Claustrat B, Delmas PD. Biochemical markers of bone turnover, endogenous hormones and the risk of fractures in postmenopausal women: the OFELY study. J Bone Miner Res. 2000;15(8):1526-36.
[10] Muir JM, Ye C, Bhandari M, Adachi JD, Thabane L. The effect of regular physical activity on bone mineral density in post-menopausal women aged 75 and over: a retrospective analysis from the Canadian multicentre osteoporosis study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2013 Aug 23; 14: 253.

About Chris Hall
As the founder of Hall Training Systems, it is my mission to provide you with the very best personal training experience. I set up Hall Training Systems as Oxford's leading personal training service in nutrition, performance and weight loss, ensuring I can deliver the very best in training techniques.
You can find me on Facebook, Google+ or why not even give us a Tweet @Hall_Training

Chris Hall

Personal Trainer and Founder of Hall Personal Training