Muscle and power is seen as a great thing to outside viewers but what’s more important is how it can be bad for you! We are talking about steroids here! Steroid use is very common these days to help an individual gain muscle mass and accomplish overall body physique faster. So, what are anabolic steroids exactly? Steroids are a drug that is used to build muscle. The steroid abused by athletes is considered an alternative form of testosterone. Testosterone is the male hormone within our bodies. Both men and women naturally produce this but the excessive amounts injected into the body can produce very muscular results for both sexes.

Steroids have shown to have got a pretty bad rep! However men and women still pursue to use this drug like substance. Ultimately, there must be some positive aspects to steroids.

What do they do EXACTLY?

• Improve athletic ability and give edges during a physique competition
• Allow athletes to lose weight by burning excess fat within the body
• Improves muscular strength and performance
• Provides muscles with more oxygen and ultimately increasing muscle mass
• Increased visual appearance
• Increased strength ability
• Testosterone is a natural body compound that’s used

To what extent does steroid use actually work though? It’s easy, for example; you can gain inches on your biceps immediately within the first 3-4 weeks of working out. Steroids are distributed in pill form and composed into a liquid form that can be injected directly into the blood stream. Most athletes have a “problem area” or in other words a part of their body they wish they could change. With steroids you can inject them directly to one area to give further definition and muscle build to where you are naturally lacking it. Steroids seem pretty simple. (Lemaise)  Where’s the problem?

NEGATIVES

“Testosterone is a “Male Hormone” so it has Male Effects on Women!”(Denon)

Are Steroids Illegal?

“Yes. Without a doctor’s prescription for a medical condition, it’s against the law to possess, sell, or distribute anabolic steroids.

Legal prosecution can be a serious side effect of illicit steroid use. Under federal law, first-time simple possession of anabolic steroids carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $1,000 fine. For first-offense trafficking in steroids, the maximum penalty is five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Second offenses double this penalty. In addition to federal penalties, state laws also prohibit illegal anabolic steroid use.

Anabolic steroids are powerful hormones. They affect the entire body. Some of the side effects are common to all users. Other side effects are specifically related to your sex and age (Denon).”

Why Do Doctors Prescribe Steroids?

“Doctors prescribe anabolic steroids to treat certain specific medical conditions.”(Denon)

For example, they may be used to treat the muscle wasting seen in AIDS. Aids are a sexually transmitted disease that has many side affects to the human body and can ultimately cause death. Giving such steroids gives these aid patients more time to live a fulfilled and somewhat normal life before their time is up and they pass on. Steroids may also be used to treat delayed puberty or loss of testicular function. Some kids can be born with hormonal imbalances and even though there genital area is a certain sex, they may see unnormal body hair or growth parts. Taking some form of hormone balancer which is made in a steroid form can grammatically help kids with this condition. When steroids first came out they were not meant to be abused by athletes. Bodybuilders especially use steroids for their own personal gain even though they are considered normal healthy adults.

“Mautner notes that doctors are not allowed to prescribe steroids to enhance a person’s athletic performance.”(Denon)

Building muscle mass and a profound physique is a great goal and can defiantly be done in a healthy way. Are we taking things too far and too serious though? If people are taking steroids to this extreme who is to say what is next.

Alexandria Cummines

(Medical Student at Old Dominion University)

 

Denon, Daniel. “Why Steroids Are Bad for You.” WebMD. WebMD, 16 Mar. 2005. Web. 22 Oct. 2014.

 

Lemaise, Mack. “Positive Effects of Steroids.” Health Guidance. Health Guidance, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 22 Oct.

2014.

!Things You Should Never Wear To The Gym!

                           Are you a newbie to the gym life? You are at the biggest risk for making the most classical mistakes. One common mistake can be wearing the wrong type of clothing to the gym. Your workout attire plays a big role in your performance and excel rate. Big shirts, baggy pants and torn up shoes may be easy to throw on but ultimately they don’t befit you in the gym atmosphere. The right workout clothes can help you burn more calories, sweet, help display proper movements, give support, and protect your sensitive areas.(Chia)

“Learn what you shouldn’t be wearing! Put on something you should be wearing!”(Chia)

Let’s Fix It!

                          Let’s wear lightweight and quick drying material to the gym. Spandex is a great option to track in heat and burn excess calories during a jog or run. Buying new running shoes every 3-6 months is a great option. This way your joints stay out of harm’s way and you can stay fresh with all the latest and greatest style of workout shoe on the market. All women should be wearing a sports bra to the gym because they are designed specifically for sweating, chest muscle/fat support but yet the right amount of movement too. These bras have portion cups sizes to safely keep your”girls” safely tucked away for your workout session. Wear headphones with straps and right fitting objects so you know they will stay in place. There is no need to wear “Bling” your here to get sweaty and excess items can lead to distractions. Really focus on your workout and the goals you set for yourself when getting dressed/ready for your gym workout. This also goes for a lot of baggage. Yoga balls, free weights, mats, and supportive braces are all useful good items to include bringing to the gym. Stay as clean as possible when going to work out. This means wear deodorant and be well washed. Body odor as well as perfumes can be overwhelming when really just a light scrub before sweating in the gym can really be the perfect trick to avoid complaints.(Chia)

In conclusion, this may be common sense to most viewers but you would be surprised how many people don’t know about workout attire basics. Make your gym experience easy and a great environment for yourself to build the body you want. Staying focused and healthy with the proper equipment can only further lead you to your ultimate goals! Stay Active folks!

[Alexandria Cummines

I am a gymnastics coach who constantly gives speeches on how certain material for the gym is required of my students and not an option for these many reasons listed above. I was a former gym trainer and fitness model. Currrently, I am receiving my Bachlors Degree from ODU in the sports medicine field.]

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/workout-clothing-tips

Chia, Jessica. “8 Things You Should Never Wear to the Gym.” Womenshealthmag.com. Womens Health Magazine, 9 June 2014. Web. 16 Oct. 2014.

Fitness boot camps within the military or in everyday classes are still very effective to our current evolving generation!

The military-inspired workouts burn some serious calories in a short amount of time. “Built on three fundamentals of training—cardio, strength, and agility—boot-camp workouts require a little more than your body weight to get results. They’re more intense than any fitness class and more fun than traditional gym workouts.” Challenging your body is what the “boot camp” style workouts are intended for. Let’s kick our bodies into shape!(Smith 1)

Body Basics There is no need for fancy yoga and big machines when it comes to the fitness basics.  Your typical what some people may call them “old Fashioned” basics are exercises that use just your own body and muscle.

Examples can be:

Jumping Jacks

Pushups

Squats

These basic full body workouts turn your body into a resistance mechanism for your training. By full body workout, I mean using your muscles through your entire body. Using your own body’s weight to challenge yourself when it comes to raising the cardio training is key to burning calories and getting the results you want.

Tick Tock Set a time limit for each exercise so you are not wearing your body down and getting too tired too fast. A 20 to 60 second break in-between reps or activities are the perfect amount of time for ones heart rate to calm. Take small gaps in your workout to rest if need be but stay on top of your training until you’re completely finished for that day’s workout training session.

Outside Play Get rid of your large equipment or complicated moves!

Working out outside gives you the option to train anywhere. Such as: a park, a playground, even a parking lot. Taking your training outside is beneficial because , “ Researchers compared the mental benefits of an outdoor workout with an indoor one, 71 percent of the fresh-air exercisers felt less tense afterward, while 72 percent of the cooped-up crew felt even more stressed.” (Smith 1)

Buddy System For most, it is sometimes very challenging to find just the right amount of motivation to really get a good workout in. A major factor to keep you focused can be finding support or a workout partner. Make your workouts challenging but exciting as well. A boring workout isn’t going to motivate you to want to do it again the next day! But with this, choose your partner wisely. A lazy workout buddy isn’t going to help push you and give you the results you are looking for in the end. Pick a small group of friends who have similar fitness goals and pick a time and place to meet.

APFT FITNESS STYLE

“The Army’s Basic Training Physical Fitness Test is a three-event physical performance test used to assess endurance. It is used to measure your physical strengths, abilities, and cardio-respiratory fitness. You are required to pass the Basic Training APFT to graduate boot camp and continue on to Advance Infantry Training.

The three PFT events are two minutes of push-ups, two minutes of sit-ups, and a timed 2-mile run. Your results from each event are assigned a score. Your age, gender and the amount of repetitions or time elapsed for each event determines your score. Unlike other military endurance tests the APFT is normally performed in normal workout gear. To graduate boot camp you must score 150 points or higher with at least 50 points in each event.”(Smith 1)

Examples of the minimum requirements for the PFT:

If you want to maximize your score on the Army PFT you will need to commit to a regular workout routine. This workout can include:

– Pull-ups / Flexed Arm Hang – Pushups and Sit-ups – Running – Prepare for Ruck Marches

Ever wonder why military members are so strong and toned. This type of training is great on giving you results and helps to build your endurance/stamina. Military members especially are training the right way and they also train almost every day. To get results you must be consistent, there is no way around it. Exercising once to twice a day can be just the trick to teach your muscles to shape up! Get into Fitness Basics and discover what you have been doing wrong the whole time! (Smith 1)

Training for the Army PFT can be found in many Military.com links! Let’s start searching!

http://www.military.com/military-fitness/army-fitness-requirements/army-basic-training-pft

Alexandria Cummines

{Here is some background information on me.

1. Come from a military based family. The military has been apart of my whole childhood and growing up with a father and brother who were enlisted in the navy.

2. I was previuously enlisted into the Army myself.

3. I am a fitness health major at ODU with a Associates Degree in Therapy.

Smith, Stew. “Army Basic Training PFT.” Military.com. 2 Oct. 2014. Web. 2 Oct. 2014.