So, you’re training for distance. Be it a 10k, half-marathon or even the whole 42km, endurance running is no joke. If you’re a first timer, or even a seasoned veteran, struggling with a plateau is incredibly frustrating. Or so, I’ve heard (I’m not a runner by any stretch). If you’ve tried all the training strategiesContinue reading “Dietary Mistakes Hampering Your Running Performance”
Category Archives: Training
Why Girls Don’t Lift
Second to spicebags, weight training is one of the great loves of my life. It has helped me, and countless other women improve our physiques, strength and mental health. And yet, many women are still afraid of setting foot into the weights area.
If You’re Not Sweating, Did You Work Hard Enough?
“Sweat is just fat crying”. This motivational quote is seen on Instagram almost as much as Fat Loss Coaching Specialists. And much like the aforementioned online coaches, this quote is well-intentioned, but heavily misguided.
What Happens When You Take Pre-Workout Before A Game: The Role of Caffeine in Sports Performance
Caffeine forms the base of the fitfam food pyramid. It is also the blood type of all Instahuns (myself included). The great Irish philosopher Rob Lipsett once said: “that’s what happens before you take pre-workout before a game”. But what did the Lipman mean by this iconic statement? This article will run through the basics of caffeine and its role in sports and exercise nutrition.
Exercise, Shift Work & Circadian Disruption
Shift work is like a bad Tinder date: it sounds dodgy, is rarely worth the hassle and there’s a risk it might kill you. Similarly, for some of us, it is a necessary evil. We have already discussed the impact of chrononutrition, and how optimal meal-timing and shiftwork tend to be mutually exclusive. Now, our focus shifts (lol solid pun) onto exercise and whether it can help mitigate or exacerbate the disruption to our circadian rhythm posed by shiftwork.
The Effectiveness of Glute Activation
Any gym gal worth her Gymshark leggings will likely have some form of glute activation as a precursor to leg day. I myself love a good banded warm-up, but I haven’t actually looked into how effective it is. So, I thought I would investigate the literature to determine whether the Instahuns have led us down the path to glute gains or not.
The Hip Thrust & Its Potential for Injury Reduction in Female Field Athletes
In my opinion, the hip thrust is one of the most underutilized weapons in the arsenal of training female athletes. With potential transferable benefits in performance, injury prevention and lower body strength, it is hard to believe that it isn’t the cornerstone of most female strength training programmes.
This article will discuss the biomechanics that predispose us lowly girlos to lower limb injury, and how the hip thrust may address these.
Avoiding Injury & Returning To Training
In my last article, I discussed returning to training from an infection control perspective. With the immediate threat to life reduced, I wanted to run through another potential danger, absolutely wrecking yourself during your first couple of sessions back. We will cover the return to the gym, common pitfalls and suggested methods of easing yourself back onto the gain train
Michelle Carroll Fitness 