Plyometrics – Defining Plyometrics – Facts and Fallacies
March 22nd, 2011Plyometrics (or more correctly Pliometrics) is a term that abused more often than most terms. While many people simply refer to jump training or anything done explosively, this is not correct. The original Russian researchers use the word ‘pliometric’ to mean the same as Western’s use eccentric (or the ‘negative’) portion of a repitition or movement. Although when referring to pliometrics as a method of training, the Russians were very specific about what it meant and how to use it, For lower body training, they recommended that people be able to squat at least twice their bodyweight before the commence true pliometric training
Plyometrics or the ’shock method’ means precisely that – a method of applying mechanical shock to force the muscle to produce as much tension as possible. Depth jumps involving an explosive rebound after a relaxed drop from a height onto th
e ground are the best known form of lower body plyometrics. However, this shock loading may be imposed by any explosive action of the upper or lower extremities involving sudden changes of direction, not just with the legs. For example, a typical upper body plyometric drill is the rapid rebound throwing of a medicine ball between two athletes or off a mini-trampoline.
The plyometric method is characterised by impulsive action of minimal duration between the end of the eccentric braking phase and initiation of the concentric acceleration phase. It relies on the production of a very brief explosive-isometric and eccentric-isometric phase which precedes the release of the elastic energy stored in the tendons and other connective tissues of the series elastic component of the muscle complex during the eccentric deceleration phase. If the transition phase is prolonged by more than about 0.2 second, the action constitutes ordinary jumping and not classical plyometrics. A useful visualisation is to imagine that the surface being touched by the hands or the feet during the plyometric contact phase is red hot, so that any prolonged contact would be dangerous.
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Facts and Fallacies of Fitness
What Is the Best Baby Bottle to Use
March 22nd, 2011Even if a mother chooses to breastfeed, she is going to want the best baby bottles that are on the market when breastfeeding is not convenient . Choosing a brand may seem easy to a mother who hasn’t taken a look at what’s in the stores . But I’m here to tell you that sorting through all the brands and their special features may be confusing SO here are a few suggestions that will help you find a safe, serviceable bottle without creating the need for an aspirin before you’re sure you can make an intelligent choice and can move on to the fun stuff like choosing your nursery wall decor.
AVOID NIPPLE CONFUSION
Ok, some moms say that nipple confusion is a myth and others say that the experience is something that you should do your best to avoid. Just so that you don’t have to find out whether or not there is such a condition, if you are breastfeeding your baby and fill in from time to time with pumped milk, the best baby bottles for breastfeeding babies have nipples that (DUH!) are most like the nipple to which they have become accustomed making switching from one to the other simpler and less…well, confusing. Shop for bottles with a wide nipple that feels more like a mother’s breast .
GLASS or PLASTIC
Remember awhile ago when we believed plastic bottles were spiffy ? That was before we heard that those wonderful, lightweight baby bottles expose our babies to chemicals that we should avoid . We have now find that glass is best because it preserves the breastmilk better, it’s naturally free of chemicals and is less likely to crack in the freezer so long as you are mindful of how much breastmilk you put inside them. Glass bottles are heavier and they may break when dropped on the floor but what a small price to pay to avoid chemicals.
IS BPA FREE THE ANSWER TO OUR PROBLEMS
As we know glass has its drawbacks and plastic bottles definitely have their downside. Should we be amazed that we see more and more BPA free baby bottles in the stores ? The only problem is that these bottles are slightly more expensive (but not prohibitively so) when you consider how lightweight they are in comparison to glass and that they are not known to expose newborns to expose babies to endocrine disruptors or carcinogens. Remember that you will get more use out of the larger bottles filling them with only the amount that your child will take in one feeding. Before I would allow a plastic bottle to get close to my baby girl’s room I would check the bottom to see the number inside the recycling symbol was #2, 4 or 5.
GETTING PAST THE GAS
The best baby bottles are vented to prevent babies from sucking air while drinking from the bottle . The are helpful if your baby spits up, excessively or is prone to have gas . The best baby bottles that are vented may save from dealing with an uncomfortable baby .
THE BABY BOTTLE FAQ
The easiest method of finding the best baby bottle to suit your newborn’s needs is to experiment . Buy just one or at the most, a few , to try before loading up on a brand.
Discount Travel for Island Park and Yellowstone Vacations.
March 21st, 2011In these economic times, it appears everyone is looking for a great deal, even when traveling and on vacations. If you’re interested in a trip to Yellowstone or Island Park Idaho this year, and are looking for a way to minimize vacation expenses, these tips could help you save a lot of money.
First, plan your vacation during the off season You will assuredly save on lodging expenses. Most lodging in the area offers off-season rates. Be sure to ask, if lower rates for sping and fall aren’t posted. Many times, availability in the off-season is high, and your offer could easily be accepted.
Autmumn is a great time of year in Yellowstone anyway, as the crowds have dispersed and the animals are again active. It’s easier to get away spring or fall if you aren’t working around school schedules, but many districts have state-wide training days in the fall where school is out of session. This just might buy you enough time to sneak away.
The second point to consider is on what side of the Yellowstone National Park you stay. The west entrance to the park offers less expensive acccommodations and is actually the most convenient, with the shortest daily drive times. There are plenty of hotels in West Yellowstone, but just 20 minutes away, in Island Park ID, are numerous vacation rentals , which are less expensive than cabins in the Jackson area.
A vacation cabin can save money in many ways. First, if your group is bigger than 5 or need more privacy than one hotel room offers, cabins allow everyone to stay together yet have private bedrooms. The cost of renting a single cabin is usually much less than the cost of staying in multiple hotel room.
For instance, Island Park ID has cabins as low as $200 per night that can accommodate 8-10 people. If 4 couples came, each couple could each have a private bedroom for $50 per night, and also be able to enjoy the cabin’s amenities such as comfortable lounging areas, large flat-screen TV’s, private decks, seclusion in the forest, and even hot tubs.
Having fully-equipped kitchens in all the cabins adds even more to travel savings. One of the biggest and most underestimated expenses in vacation planning is the true cost of restaurant dining. The cabins’ kichens allow groups to prepare their own meals, thus saving considerable money. Picnics for lunches in the park are inexpensive and can easily be made ahead at the cabin and having access to a kitchen allows for gourmet picnics, instead of the generic sandwiches you might have to prepare from a hotel room.
Although staying in a cabin can cut costs on your vacation any time of year, if you are really after summer savings, you should have a good strategy, and here are a couple to consider. Almost all of the cabins in the Yellowstone area have three-night minimums. minimums. But if a cabin happens to only have 2 nights available, they might accept a discount for those 2 nights. The majority of the Idaho cabins fill up quickly for summer, so it’s easy to see which cabins may have 2-nighters pretty early on in spring. You may have to pick up your suitcases and move every couple of days for longer vacations, but this could actually be fun! You could check out a new place every 2 days! Especially helpful if the first cabin was less than desirable…
The other method of obtaining a summer discount for Island Park Idaho rentals involves a little risk-taking. If a cabin is not booked solid, they will usually accept discount offers if you call last-minute to book. The philosophy “something is better than nothing” definitely applies here. Cabin owners are looking to maximize summer bookings to offset the cold-weather winter expenses. Keep a handful of cabins in mind, check back often, and then make the call a few days before your planned vacation. Be sure to have a few alternatives in place in case your favorite cabin books up before you’re able to secure the reservation.
With a bit of careful planning, you really could save hundreds off your Yellowstone National Park vacation by staying in Island Park, ID.
P.S.: It’s tempting to buy the cute little souvenirs in the park, but West Yellowstone has most of these same items for a lot less money, so save a day for shopping there!
