Time For A Rant!

Now with ergonomic handles for extra easiness!

It’s time for a good ol’ rant! I’ve been doing plenty of reading, listening, watching and teaching of late, and it’s brought a few things to the forefront of my thinking.

The Spine: An Overview of the Musculature

In continuation from the spinal primer a couple of weeks ago, we’re going to take it one step further and introduce the musculature of the spine.

[You may know it as “core” musculature – much of a muchness!]

I’m going to keep it both as simple and relevant as possible so that you have something useful to take away from this. My aim is to get you thinking a little differently and a little more visually!

A Squatting Alternative: The Split Squat

The split squat is THE alternative to conventional squatting. Don’t get me wrong, I love the squat, but it doesn’t suit every situation, every time. I’ve been using these on and off for the past year, and each time I do them, they leave my hamstrings and glutes feeling well and truly utilised!

The Spine: An Anatomical Introduction

It’s about time that I introduced one of the most important anatomical structures of the human body: the spine.

It is similar to no other mammalian spine on Earth. It’s the structure (along with the pelvis) that allows us to walk upright. It provides stability, form and a framework for the limbs to efficiently do their thing.

New Thoughts On Old Things

My musing pose…

Being out of the gym environment for the last twelve months may not have been a bad thing. Re-entering the world of working and training around the clock no doubt makes me feel like I’m home again, but the break has allowed me to come back fresh with some ideas and insights that I haven’t had before.

We’re Back On The Air!

Wow! A year gone by, just like that.

It’s great to be home in Sydney, back to all the creature comforts that I’ve, for what seems like a lifetime now, learned to live without. Comfy bed, good, natural food, running water and Internet (both the joy and bane of my life!).

My Musings on Static Stretching

One tends to have a lot of time on their hands when they travel. Waiting, sitting, standing and wandering, all to pass time. I myself tend to drift off mentally, caught in a pattern of thought completely unrelated to my real world surroundings. Anyways…

Do You Think China Deserves Its Athletic Success? The 2012 Olympics

It’s hard to deny that China is producing myriad world class athletes. They’ve broken world records and dominated in some sports so comprehensively that other nations can’t even get competitive players into those sports anymore.

The Ideal Body For…

It’s Olympics time, and (as much as possible anyway) I’m glued to the French TV to catch as many events as possible. I love watching all of it – from the monocyclic sports of swimming, track and cycling, to the uber-strong weightlifters, gymnasts and wrestlers. It’s a great chance for me to also catch up on those lesser known sports like ping pong, badminton and European handball.

How Many Exercises Is Too Many?

How many exercises should you really aim for in a session? More is always better, right? After all, you’ve been training for months now and you need to push yourself harder. You wouldn’t want people to think you’ve gone soft now…