You’ve probably heard someone say that their face looks puffy because their lymphatic system is backed up. Maybe you’ve said it yourself after a rough night of sleep or a salty dinner out. What is usually recommended is an expensive drainage massage or a health influencer’s tea blend. Food is rarely mentioned, even though it’s […]
A reformer machine can run well into the thousands of dollars. A Pilates board, the compact sliding platform with resistance cords that has been featured in recent fitness coverage, costs a fraction of that. It is this difference that so many people look for before purchasing it. It sounds too convenient to be true: studio-style […]
Ask ten different people what military calisthenics really means, and you’ll probably get ten different answers. Some people picture the Murph workout, a brutal Memorial Day tribute WOD made entirely of bodyweight movements. Others think it’s the name of a fitness app they saw in a commercial. Some people remember doing push-ups in gym class […]
Short answer: The Valsalva maneuver, the breath hold and brace technique used in heavy squats and deadlifts, is the actual mechanism by which lifting can worsen an existing varicocele. It is not dangerous in the broad medical sense, and most lifters do not need to stop squatting or deadlifting. A modified bracing technique, better load […]
Jenna had three sets of dumbbells before she could complete an arm workout with them. Not because there was a lack of effort. Because every routine she found online was either a bodybuilding split that bugged her for a week, or a bodyweight routine that never changed how her arms actually looked. What ultimately worked […]
Short answer: You can’t get rid of cellulite completely, but if you do regular resistance training for cellulite, you can visibly smooth its appearance in about 8 weeks by building muscle underneath the skin and reducing the fat layer that causes dimpling. Week one, it’s normal to look a little puffier and then it starts […]
The short version: A back workout with bodyweight can absolutely build strength and real muscle. Research on bodyweight training has found it strengthens muscle even without any external load, and specific angles like isometric holds, slow tempo, and furniture-assisted rows load your lats, traps, and rhomboids in much the same way a bar would. You […]
Quick answer: Lifting heavy objects on its own does not appear to cause varicocele – the condition is mostly physical, linked to the way the veins around the testicles form and drain. But activities that increase intra-abdominal pressure, such as heavy squats, deadlifts and any lift performed with a hard Valsalva, can temporarily increase pressure […]