Resistance training has seen a marked rise in participation over the past number of decades. From its increase in popularity during the late 1800’s, lifting weights has become one of the most popular forms of exercise today. It can enhance athletic performance through increasing muscle mass and strength and it can help in the rehabilitation process following an injury. These results are all due to the increases in tension that the working muscles experience as they try to work against a certain amount of resistance (Tesch, 1988). Not only does the muscle respond by getting larger, but muscle strength also becomes specific to that movement (Morrisey, Harman, & Johnson, 1995). In other words, you can be strong lifting 100 pounds one way, but try to lift that 100 pounds in a different fashion and you may find yourself not nearly as strong.

The use of magnetism to aid in recovery from illness and injury has been practiced for thousands of years, from Aristotle who spoke of the powers of natural magnets to modern technology which uses a wide variety of applications of magnetic fields. However, it has only been recently that the medical community has begun to understand how magnetic therapy might work to aid the body in recovery. Researchers believe that magnetic therapy helps to stimulate the body to heal itself and decrease levels of pain by creating optimal healing conditions within the body or afflicted body part. Such conditions include: increasing blood flow and lymphatic function; changing the migration of calcium ions; returning pH balance to a more normal level; increasing or decreasing hormone production; and altering enzyme activities of certain systems.

Bodybuilding is a unique sport which involves the assessment of a competitor’s overall muscle symmetry, muscularity, and presentation skills in comparison to the other athletes in an appropriate weight or height class. Each contest consists of three rounds. The first round assesses the competitors overall symmetry and muscularity. The second round is the free posing round where the athletes present to the judges a posing routine that emphasizes his or her best body parts as well as their level of conditioning. Round three is the comparison round in which the athletes are compared against one another through a number of compulsory poses. Throughout all three of these rounds the judges are evaluating muscular definition, muscle shape, presentation, muscular symmetry, and other aesthetic qualities of the individual athletes.

Abstract Diurnal, ultradian, and circadian rhythms tend to govern the secretion patterns of hormones. Since few hormonal responses are truly circadian (regulated by no external stimulus) in nature, several factors such as sleep-wake cycles, nutrition, meal timing, exercise, other hormones, and stress can alter diurnal (daily) rhythm patterns. It is precisely for this reason that competitive and recreational athletes and their coaches should be aware […]

Motivation is necessary for developing and performing athletic skills. It is what drives the athlete to successfully acquire a skill through long and arduous practices. Adolescents are influenced by their peers, parents, and the social factors that surround them. Positive reinforcement and encouragement both help youth athletes become motivated to practice and perform well.