Alcohol Eats Away at Muscle Mass If increasing muscle mass is one of your goals, then think twice before you go out for a night of heavy drinking. Consuming alcohol in large quantities has a direct effect on your metabolism,...

Type 2 Diabetes & Exercise The incidence of type 2 diabetes is on the rise, which experts largely attribute to the rise in obesity. Type 2 diabetes, which is responsible for 90 to 95% of all diabetes cases, is more...

Type 1 Diabetes & Exercise Type 1 diabetes is a disease that affects the body’s ability to use sugars, starches, fats and proteins. Because the body needs various fuels for energy, this disease disrupts normal energy metabolism both at rest...

Summer Skin Protect your summer skin. Every sunscreen has a sun protection factor, or SPF, which is a measure of its strength or effectiveness. Each of us needs a different SPF, depending on whether, and to what degree, our skin...

Before You Start An Exercise Program Before you start an exercise program, there are a few questions to ask yourself to determine whether you should see your doctor first. Question Yourself Your first step is to ask yourself how active...

Exercise Can Help Control Stress People who exercise regularly will tell you they feel better. Some will say it’s because chemicals called neurotransmitters, which are produced in the brain, are stimulated during exercise. Since it’s believed that neurotransmitters mediate people’s...

Muscle and Function: The Triceps On the back of the arm is the Triceps Brachii muscle group. The group is comprised of three muscles that have separate origins and a common insertion. The Long Head of the triceps originates in...

The Hip Extension Possibly the second most reviled machine in the studio is the Hip Extension (#1-Leg Press). Without question, it is the hardest machine to teach and the hardest to learn proper form. The belt is the reason the...

Focus and Concentration Focus and concentration are considered synonyms and used interchangeably in conversation. However, while the words are similar, they have different meanings. This can be illustrated best by looking at a workout at Vertex Fitness. In the broadest...

Flexion and Extension Flexion and Extension – When describing an anatomical movement, flexion is the closing of the angle between two segments of the body. For example, when you bring your hand from your side up to the shoulder, you...