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How To Choose A Bike Correctly

August 30th, 2010 franz No comments

It is common to assume picking the right bike is an easy task. They have it in their minds that the only thing you need to do is choose the bike that looks the best and is a comfortable physical fit. The truth is that there is a lot more to finding the right bicycle these days than there used to be. With cycling becoming more popular in almost every area of life (transportation, lifestyle, sports, hobbies) there are more bicycles than ever to choose from. It is popular in modern times to use a bike as a serious mode of transport. While many people cycle as a hobby. Here is how you choose the right cycling bicycle for your needs.
One of the major parts of choosing the right cycling bicycle for you is making sure that the bicycle is the right size. To accomplish this you need know your inseam measurement. To do this, simply run a measuring tape up the inside of your leg from the bottom of your foot to your groin. Ideally you should be able to place both feet on the ground while on your bike. This is for saftey reasons and will allow you to stop the bike if your brakes fail, avoiding any injury. You will also need to consider which handlebars you want on your bike. Not all handlebars are the same. Traditional handlebars that just go straight out are good for maneuvering over difficult terrain. These kinds of handlebars are also great in distributing your weight evenly. If you are going to be racing, however, you’ll want handlebars that are slimmer and that force you to lean forward to create a more streamlined effect, which can help you go faster on the road. For people who rarely use their bike they will want handlebars which allow the bike to be stored away efficiently, but which also offer some level of comfort when cycling.
Another essential element in a comfortable cycling experience is the angle of the seat(also known as the saddle). There are a variety of options for tilting the bicycle seat. Some cyclists are more comfortable in a slightly forward position, and therefore, find a completely flat seat inappropriate for them. Always choose the most comfortable position for your seat. You could leave it as it is, but the narrow part of the seat might not allow you to rest comfortably in a forward leaning position.
When you get a bike your main goal should be to find one that physically suits you. Selecting a bike with a good fit for you is of the utmost importance, when using a bike as the main way to get from A to B. Comfort and safety are both very important.

How To Become A BetterCycler

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Golf Swing Tips To Help You Play Better Golf

August 29th, 2010 franz 1 comment

Every golfer, whether they are experienced or just trying to learn the game, will do well to check out a few useful golf swing tips. These tips will help them learn how to play the game properly, achieve lower scores and cut their golfing handicap considerably.

As for different golf swing tips, one that stands out as being the most important is the one that shows you the correct way of swinging your golf club. The first aspect to creating an ideal golf swing is learning to grip the golf club in the right way. There are several grip options to choose from including the overlapping and interlocking as well as baseball grip.A proper stance is also an essential part of a good golfers game and so it is important to find some tips regarding achieving the perfect stance. Such a stance is one in which the golfer is able to balance their weight in an appropriate manner and they must learn to be relaxed whilst over the ball.

Other golf swing tips that can prove to be very useful include those that show you the correct way to make the back and downswings. In the case of the backswing you must learn about keeping your left arm straight while also ensuring that arms are taken back to the maximum extent possible.The correct downswing is one in which you have to keep your head in the proper position and the downswing must also start with rotation of the hips with head being positioned behind the ball till the follow through has been completed.

The follow through is no less important to achieving success in the game of golf. Therefore, after the club has struck the ball it is necessary to learn to release your golf club with its head positioned behind the golf ball. To master the golf swing, it is essential to show patience and in addition you must head to the practice range where you should practice as much as you can.

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Marathon, Triathlon and Duathlon Training Tips

August 28th, 2010 franz No comments

Here are some tips for running and duathlon training.

1)  Be consistent and don’t allow your running routine to be constantly interrupted .  Things come up and get in the way – sickness, vacation/holidays, injuries, family and work, but if you can manage to get a run in every 48-72 hours then your muscle memory will retain the work that you’ve put into your running.

  • Try sleeping in your running clothes, so that you’re ready to go when you wake up in the morning  .
  •  Pack your running shoes and take them with you to work.  .
  • Include running gear when you pack for a holiday, no matter how short it might be. And when you’re really busy,  remind yourself that a short 15-20 minute jaunt is better than nothing at all .

2)  Lose weight: Lifting 1, 5, or 10 extra pounds with every step over a 26.2 mile marathon, or even a 3 mile fun run is massive. Your body must lift the extra weight with each step, and if you take 10,000 steps and weigh 3 extra pounds, that’s 30,000 extra foot pounds you need to lift – a huge metabolic requirement. If you’re hammering your running  , but not focusing on proper timing and content of nutrition to achieve weight loss, you’re basically getting about half the benefit of your training. Lose a handful of pounds and you can honestly feel light as a feather  – there is a huge difference, in both speed and joint impact.

3) Until a running cadence of 86-90bpm becomes second nature, you need to focus the entire time; count your steps; play “hot potato” with your feet and the ground and minimize ground contact time. Take 20 second time spans and ensure that you’re getting close to 30 footstrikes with either the right or the left leg within those 20 seconds.

It’s far harder to increase your stride cadence than it is to increase your stride length. Once you dialed in a cadence close to 90, it will become much easier for you to increase pace by striding out just a little longer when you need that extra burst of speed.  You might initially feel like you’re just bouncing up and down as you try to achieve the high cadence, but eventually, it will feel smooth, steady and relaxed.

4) A treadmill will keep moving underneath you no matter what, so they’re great to help increase your running cadence.  Like an indoor trainer, there are fewer interruptions like stoplights and street crossings on a treadmill, so it can really help you focus on the cadence.

At least every once in a while, run on a treadmill, setting the treadmill at a somewhat faster speed than you are comfortable with, and allowing your legs to experience and memorize the rapid leg turnover.

5)  Hills: The beauty of hills is that you can reach higher physiological intensities without the pounding of running. This is because your feet are much closer to the ground running up a hill, so there’s less body momentum on impact. Using hills regularly in your training, will reduce your risk of injury and increase your achievable intensity. For long runs, attempt to regularly include courses that contain hills , and at least once every two weeks, attempt to include a hill repeat or rolling hill course workout, at a pace close to your ventilatory threshold.

6)  There’s a type of exercise called Plyometric exercise that works on developing powerful movements and faster nervous systems.  The lower leg muscles learn to quickly absorb body weight and then re-contract  .

As a result, you minimize your ground contact time and maximize your recoil with each step. Over thousands of steps, this can be a huge speed boost. Plyometrics do not need to be a daily routine, and just once a week can provide tremendous benefits. Good plyometric exercises include hopping with one foot or both feet onto a higher  surface like a step bench, performing explosive jumps from a lunge or squat position, or standing under a basketball hoop and repetitively tossing a ball against the backboard while jumping to retrieve it. Your body can genuinely learn how to “rebound” far more efficiently. Typical plyometric workouts include 2-3 sets of 10-20 jumps for 2-3 different exercises.

There’s more running info at this WordPress blog about duathlon training.

 

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