Fitness Contrarian

To a large extent muscle tightness comes from muscle weakness. Muscles become tight to protect the body from injury. When the body identifies a weakness or instability in and around a joint the body will tighten up to prevent injury. This raises the following question. Should you stretch went you’re tight or should you strengthen the body? Most people think you (…)

I got an e-mail a few weeks ago from a woman who could not get rid of what she calls her belly pooch. She told me she has been eating right and working out and has lost some weight but her stomach is still sticking out. In response, I told her I will make a video explaining what I think might be the problem (…)

There seems to be a lot of debate about stretching. Is there any real benefit to stretching? Do I need to stretch before playing sports? The New York Times just published an article called “ How Necessary is Stretching” which pointed out that runners who had tight hamstrings seemed to run easier (better running economy) [...]

Best- Mike Cola

One of the biggest mistakes people make in the gym is not warming up properly before a workout. In fact most people do more harm then good and set themselves up for injury. Most importantly, an appropriate warm-up should increase your body temperature (warm you up) and get you ready for more strenuous exercise. When [...]

Static stretching can make you weaker. Research has shown that holding a muscle in the lengthen position for 30 seconds can make the muscle weaker for up to 45 minutes. Save your static stretching for after the workout.