Featured
Quad Endurance
Sugar Editorial Picks
Home Fitness Test: Quad Strength and Endurance
Ski season is rapidly approaching and with it means sore quads. That is if you don't do any preseason conditioning. I would start with the simple assessment of the your quad endurance, which is also a great exercise to add into your routine.
Other Search Results
Now Is the Time to Get Ready For the Slopes
Even though we're in the middle of Fall and I've yet to see any real signs of snow, experts say now is the time to get your butt in gear for Winter sports. Days on the slopes can be long and require a good amount of endurance, especially if you're the type who likes to visit the mountains for an extended weekend or even longer.
Veteran Winter Olympic athletes like ski racer Daron Rahlves and snowboarder Elena Hight recommend doing specific training for Winter sports six to eight weeks before the season starts.
Show Your Running Knees Some Love
Running as a convenient form of cardio may be the bee's knees, but it can leave my knees aching. Although studies have found there is no connection between running and an increased risk for arthritis, there are some easy ways to show your knees some love.
- Stay flexible: Tight hamstrings or quads can prevent the knee from going through its full range of motion, which can negatively impact the soft tissues that work the knee.
You Asked: What to Do For Weak Quads?
You're asking, and I'm answering.
Hi FitSugar,
I am working really hard to lose weight and get in shape for the first time ever. I've been working on this goal all Summer, and I've lost 21 pounds and many inches.
Running Tip: Strengthen Quads With Wall Squats
If you're a runner and you want to increase your speed, build your endurance, and have the ability to tackle hills with a breeze, you need to have strong quads. Strengthening your thighs can also prevent injuries such as runner's knee. This common injury, which often happens to new runners, is tied to a combination of weak quads and tight hamstrings and calves.
Class Act: CrossFit Training
When I showed up to meet my CrossFit certified trainer, Sean Murphy, I found myself approaching a co-ed group performing Olympic lifting as part of an ongoing group class. The outdoor facility was as simple as it gets — a group of mats under a weather-protective tarp, a set of monkey bars, a shed for housing basic supplies like jump ropes and weights, and tractor tires resting about. The rugged scene was a far cry from the luxury home of my morning workouts at Equinox, but the fitness element challenged me in an entirely different and refreshing way.
Spring Running Prehab: Roll Your IT Band
Longer days plus warmer weather equals longer runs, especially if you're training for an endurance race. While you can often feel that your muscles have taken a beating, the IT band, the fascia that lines the outside of your quad, takes a beating too. Often you don't feel how tight the IT band is until it interferes with your knee joint function and you end up with the Iliotibial Band Syndrome.
Back to Basics: Supersets
Gym jargon is often tossed about like a lightweight medicine ball, and if you don't know the lingo you can end up not only feeling lost but skimping on your workout. One term likely to be skipped over is "superset." It sounds intimidating and therefore not at all super, but supersets are a great way to move beyond a strength training plateau.
Strike a Yoga Pose: Warrior 1
All you runners and skiers out there are going to love Warrior 1. Not only does it strengthen your quads to build your endurance, but it helps to open your tight hips. This pose may seem easy at first, but work on holding it as long as you can to reap the benefits.
Squat Options
If you're pressed for time and feel like strength training has been pushed aside, I am here to tell you that you have squat options. While adding a smattering of squats throughout your day might not be ideal, it is better than nothing.
Here are some suggestions:
- Laundry Squats: Combining two unpleasant tasks makes them both somehow sweeter.
More on FitSugar
Fall Award Season
Top Brands
Celestina
Ash
Maje