Archive for category: HOT NEWS

If you have any queries or suggestions, please feel free to reach out via email to info@harisonfitness.com. We will do everything in our capacity to ensure that you love your experience with us.

The chest fly is one of the core foundational exercises for chest training. Its primary movement logic involves the upper arms moving forward from behind, targeting the pectoral muscles while also engaging the anterior deltoids. The bench fly serves as its fundamental form, with variations like the butterfly machine fly and the cable fly evolving from it. Mastering the fundamentals of the chest fly can significantly enhance the contraction sensation in the chest muscles and improve sculpting results.

01. Supine Flying Bird: The go-to exercise for beginners to master chest squeezes

The Flying Bird exercise derives its name from the wing-flapping motion of the arms, making it the most accessible foundational chest-pressing movement. Its step-by-step breakdown is clear, and the force application is precise.

1. Starting Position: Lie flat on your back, chest lifted, shoulder blades naturally retracted to establish a foundation for chest muscle engagement.

2. Starting Position: Grasp dumbbells with hands, arms extended naturally, elbows slightly bent—never lock them straight.

3. Core Activation: Engage your chest as the power source, palms facing each other. Pull hands toward the center, feeling the pectoral muscles contract. Slowly return to starting position, maintaining a steady pace throughout.

02 Key Points for the Lying Fly Exercise

To maximize the effectiveness of the lying dumbbell fly exercise while avoiding joint injuries, strict adherence to movement details is essential. The core focus revolves around the elbow joints and range of motion.

1. Keep elbows naturally flared outward. Avoid pinching elbows together to generate force, as this may lead to insufficient pectoral muscle activation.

2. Maintain a slight bend in both elbows throughout the movement. Perform the exercise solely through shoulder joint action, excluding elbow joint involvement to reduce joint stress.

3. Control the range of motion. When lowering the weights, avoid excessive descent. Stop when a natural stretch is felt in the chest muscles to prevent shoulder joint compression.

03Incline/Decline Bench Variations: Incline Bench / Decline Bench

Flat bench flyes focus on overall chest sculpting. Using an incline or decline bench for flyes allows for precise targeting of specific chest areas, catering to diverse sculpting needs. The incline bench flye targets the upper pectoral muscles more effectively, making it ideal for building upper chest mass. The decline bench flye, on the other hand, focuses on developing the lower pectoral muscles, helping to sculpt the lower chest line and create a fuller, more balanced chest shape. The execution technique remains consistent with the flat bench flye; only the training equipment needs to be adjusted.

04 Butterfly Machine + Gantry Frame, Enhanced Power Generation in the Pull Phase

After mastering the basic supine fly, you can try fixed-machine and gantry-style chest flys to reduce compensatory movements and further enhance pectoral muscle contraction tension. Both variations adhere to the core principle that “the closing position determines the training focus.”

1. Butterfly Machine Chest Fly: Utilizing fixed equipment allows for easier focus on the chest muscles. Seat height determines the targeted area: – A higher seat position brings hands together below the chest, emphasizing the lower chest. – A lower seat position brings hands together higher up, primarily targeting the upper chest.

2. Cable Chest Fly: Offers greater flexibility, maintaining continuous tension on the chest muscles. Bringing hands together higher targets the upper chest, while a lower position stimulates the lower chest. This is a common chest-strengthening exercise in gyms.

Regardless of the chest fly variation chosen—whether incline dumbbell flyes, cable chest flyes, or cable pulley chest flyes—one universal principle remains inviolable: Maintain a constant slight bend in the elbows throughout the entire movement. The arm opening and closing motion should be performed solely through the shoulder joints, with the elbow joints never engaging in the effort. Only by adhering to this principle can the chest muscles become the true primary movers, preventing compensation and ensuring training effectiveness. To maximize efficiency in chest fly exercises, understand the synergistic muscle logic: the pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi are opposing muscle pairs. Contraction of the pectoralis major pulls the arms forward, while contraction of the latissimus dorsi pulls them backward.

If you have any queries or suggestions, please feel free to reach out via email to info@harisonfitness.com. We will do everything in our capacity to ensure that you love your experience with us.

The humerus shaft is a vital component of our arm, serving both as a structural support and a power generator. A healthy humerus shaft ensures the ability to perform daily activities and labor.

In daily life, this bone may sustain accidental fractures due to lifting excessively heavy objects, impact from heavy blows, landing on this area during falls, or even in throwing athletes. So, how can we prevent this issue?

01 How to Prevent Humerus Shaft Fractures

To prevent fractures of the humeral shaft, the solution is actually quite simple: avoid subjecting this area to heavy impacts, refrain from lifting weights beyond your physical capacity, and especially avoid landing on this part of the body during falls. Additionally, for throwing athletes—such as shot putters, javelin throwers, or basketball and soccer players—it’s crucial to not only warm up thoroughly before competition but also wear specialized protective gear. This provides better safeguarding against the pain of fractures.

02 Managing Daily Life After a Fracture

1. Dietary Considerations

Following a humeral shaft fracture, special attention must be paid to dietary habits. Prioritize foods rich in protein and vitamins, as these not only replenish essential nutrients but also promote bone healing. Avoid spicy or irritating foods, as they may aggravate the wound and hinder recovery. If the patient has habits like smoking or excessive drinking, these should be avoided during this period. Not only can they irritate the affected area, but the patient may also be taking antibiotics or other medications due to the injury. Medication safety must be prioritized during this time.

2. Lifestyle Management

Patients with humerus fractures should cultivate scientifically sound habits, including maintaining a regular sleep schedule with early bedtimes and wake-up times. Adequate rest facilitates recovery. Supplementing with vitamin D or calcium, combined with moderate sun exposure, supports healing at the injury site.

3. Psychological Aspects

Suddenly losing the use of one’s arm is profoundly distressing. Beyond physical pain, patients endure significant psychological strain. Therefore, maintaining a positive mindset is crucial. Stay optimistic and cheerful—avoid negativity or self-pity, as these attitudes hinder healing.

03 Postoperative Recovery Exercises

Exercise 1: Dumbbell Row

Key Points: Assume a bent-over position, supporting yourself with your healthy arm on a bench or table. Slightly bend forward to a comfortable angle. Hold the dumbbell with your affected arm, letting it hang naturally. Exhale as you pull the dumbbell backward, then inhale as you return to the starting position. Perform slowly without rushing, repeating continuously. Duration: Approximately 24 seconds. Perform 3 sets of this exercise, with each set consisting of 8 repetitions.

Exercise 2: Single-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press

Key Points: Lie supine (on your back), preferably on a bed. Place the healthy arm flat alongside your body. With the affected arm, grasp a dumbbell using one hand. Avoid using a weight that is too heavy, as this may cause strain. Slowly lift the dumbbell upward with one hand at a moderate pace. Push upward while exhaling and lower while inhaling. Repeat this motion. Each repetition should take about 10 seconds. Perform 2 sets of this exercise, with each set consisting of 5 repetitions.

These two exercises serve both training and recovery purposes. Perform them 2 to 3 times daily, approximately 40 minutes after meals. They effectively enhance upper limb joint stability, restore arm function, and improve overall strength.

If you have any queries or suggestions, please feel free to reach out via email to info@harisonfitness.com. We will do everything in our capacity to ensure that you love your experience with us.

As we all know, exercise not only benefits physical health but can also specifically improve certain reproductive issues, aiding the process of preparing for pregnancy. Let’s discuss how to maintain enthusiasm for exercise throughout your preconception journey.

01 Awaken Your Inner Drive

The reason we struggle to stick with something and easily waver is often because we haven’t discovered its core value. When you truly love something, you persevere willingly without needing others to push you. For “must-do and right things” like preconception exercise, we must proactively anchor its meaning to ignite our passion and sustain our journey. The core value of preconception exercise is actually quite simple:

Strengthen your physical foundation to navigate the journey from preconception to pregnancy and childbirth with greater ease;

Enhance reproductive health by eliminating potential factors that may hinder conception or harm your body during pregnancy.

02 Adjust Your Mindset

Don’t treat preconception exercise as a “mandatory task,” and certainly don’t beat yourself up if you skip a day, worrying about poor fat loss results or disrupted ovulation. Set a weekly exercise plan for 4-5 days—it’s perfectly normal to skip a session now and then due to busyness or fatigue. Try viewing exercise as a relaxing, enjoyable activity. Only by shedding the mental burden can you stick with it long-term.

03 Fragmented Exercise

Many women trying to conceive juggle demanding careers, making it difficult to carve out a full 30 minutes for exercise. In such cases, try breaking up your workout into smaller chunks—splitting 30 minutes into 3 to 5 ten-minute segments. Stretch for a few minutes during lunch break, do a set of squats between tasks, practice a yoga sequence before bed… Utilize these scattered moments to move without needing to carve out large chunks of time—effortless and stress-free.

04 Unlock the Freshness of Movement

Repeating the same exercise routine over time causes your body to gradually adapt to the intensity, significantly reducing its effectiveness. Mentally, you may also become complacent, finding the routine monotonous and tedious. When you hit a plateau in your fitness journey, don’t hesitate to try new exercise routines: from cardio activities like running or swimming, to at-home workouts like Pamela’s Fat-Burning Workout, to recreational wellness pursuits like badminton or Baduanjin. Mixing things up keeps the novelty alive, ensuring your enthusiasm for exercise stays strong.

05 Refined Athletic Wear

When working out, don’t forget to dress up a little. A well-fitting workout outfit, a pair of comfortable sneakers—even just swiping on a touch of lipstick to brighten your complexion or spritzing on a hint of fresh perfume—can all add a little sparkle to your exercise routine. This small sense of ritual will help you enjoy the process more, get moving with a cheerful mindset, and naturally boost your motivation.

06 Push Each Other to Run Further

There’s a saying in the running community: “If you want to run fast, run alone; if you want to run far, run together.” The same applies to preconception exercise. Going solo makes it easy to give up, but running with others provides greater motivation. You can join a running group, yoga class, or dance community. Or team up with friends also preparing for pregnancy—keep each other accountable with daily check-ins, share workout insights, and become each other’s strongest source of motivation. If offline companions aren’t available, online check-ins are a solid alternative. Once you get into the habit of sharing your daily fitness updates, the invisible accountability makes it harder to quit.

During workouts, take moments to envision your bright future: every drop of sweat builds momentum for a healthy pregnancy; every stretch and jump propels you toward a more vibrant life. As exercise yields results, as you successfully conceive, hold your precious baby, enjoy robust health, and nurture a harmonious family—that’s your moment to claim victory in life.

If you have any queries or suggestions, please feel free to reach out via email to info@harisonfitness.com. We will do everything in our capacity to ensure that you love your experience with us.

Fresh fruit is widely recognized as a healthy food choice, but there are some common misconceptions about eating fruit. Do you know what to watch out for in your daily life? Let’s explore together.

01 Misconception: The more fruit you eat, the greater the benefits?

There are also many common misconceptions about how much fruit one should eat. Some people trying to lose weight believe that more fruit is always better. While it’s certainly possible to replace some staple foods with fruit to control calorie intake, more is not necessarily better. Fruit primarily contains large amounts of water and small amounts of carbohydrates. Consuming only fruit for extended periods can lead to insufficient intake of certain nutrients (protein, vitamin A, B vitamins), which is detrimental to health.

Misconception 2: Is eating fruit beneficial at any time?

Fruits contain various vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, proteins, fats, and other nutrients essential for the human body. However, fruits should never be consumed indiscriminately. Due to their high content of organic acids and tannins, and the presence of potent proteolytic enzymes in some varieties, they can irritate and damage the stomach, leading to symptoms such as stomach pain, bloating, diarrhea, and indigestion.

Therefore, timing is crucial. Generally, it’s best to eat fruit about an hour before or after meals. For pre-meal consumption, choose fruits that are less acidic and less astringent, such as apples, pears, bananas, or grapes. Additionally, individuals with weak gastrointestinal function should avoid eating fruit before meals. However, consuming certain fruits after meals—such as pineapple—can aid digestion. Fresh pineapple contains proteolytic enzymes; when eaten on an empty stomach, these enzymes can damage the stomach lining and cause allergic reactions in some people. Therefore, it is best eaten after meals to promote digestion.

It’s also important to note that eating fruit as a late-night snack can be hard on digestion. Moreover, the high sugar content in fruit can easily lead to excess calories and weight gain. Consuming high-fiber fruits right before bed can fill the stomach and intestines, significantly reducing sleep quality. This is especially detrimental to those with weaker digestive systems. However, when struggling with poor sleep, eating some longan fruit may help. Longan has calming and sleep-inducing properties, promoting more restful sleep.

Misconception 3: All fruits are high-fiber foods.

In fact, many fruits contain very little vitamin C, and other vitamins are equally scarce. Thirteen vitamins are derived from various foods. Relying solely on fruits to supply all vitamins is truly an impossible task.

04 Misconception: Eating fruit can help you lose weight

Fruits are not inherently low-calorie foods. Due to their pleasantly sweet taste, they contain over 8% sugar content, primarily in the form of easily digestible monosaccharides and disaccharides. Although fruits contain fewer calories per gram than rice, their sweetness often makes them irresistible, leading to overconsumption and frequently exceeding recommended sugar intake levels.

Weight loss through fruit requires careful approach. Maintain balanced nutrition by eating at regular times and in measured portions—never sacrifice health for beauty.

If you have any queries or suggestions, please feel free to reach out via email to info@harisonfitness.com. We will do everything in our capacity to ensure that you love your experience with us.

How to practice yoga during pregnancy and how yoga can help alleviate physical and mental issues related to pregnancy and childbirth are topics of great interest to many. So this time, let’s talk about prenatal yoga.

01 What Are the Benefits of Practicing Yoga During Pregnancy?

Generally speaking, it is safe to practice yoga during pregnancy. Expectant mothers who maintained a yoga practice before pregnancy can continue their routine throughout pregnancy, switching to simpler poses and breathing techniques in the final week before delivery.

The benefits of prenatal yoga include the following five points:

1. Helps strengthen the mother’s physical condition while promoting fetal development
2. Improves blood circulation and reduces pregnancy-related edema
3. Enhances cardiovascular function and reduces fatigue during pregnancy
4. Aids in relaxation and emotional stability
5. Supports natural childbirth and facilitates postpartum physical recovery and body restoration

02 What Precautions Should Be Taken When Practicing Yoga During Pregnancy

If an expectant mother has practiced yoga for some time before pregnancy, she may engage in simpler exercises during the first trimester. However, for those who have never practiced yoga, are not accustomed to regular exercise, or have a history of miscarriage, yoga should only be initiated during the second trimester (after 12 to 14 weeks).

Key considerations for prenatal yoga include:

1. Practice is recommended during months 4–7; yoga is not advised during the first trimester.
2. Choose lightweight, loose-fitting, comfortable yoga attire.
3. Avoid deep twists, forward bends, and backbends.
4. Select a yoga studio with adequate ventilation.

03 A Simple Set of Prenatal Yoga Poses

This prenatal yoga routine features simple yet effective poses—highly recommended for expectant mothers!

1. Standing Squat Pose

Stand with feet about one and a half shoulder-widths apart, toes pointing diagonally forward at a 45° angle. Extend arms horizontally with fingertips facing upward, pressing the heel of each palm firmly outward in opposite directions. As you exhale, bend your knees to lower into a squat, keeping knees aligned with the direction of your legs. If this feels challenging, place your hands together in front of your chest or rest them on your abdomen.

2. Wall Push-Ups

Stand facing a wall at arm’s length, feet shoulder-width apart, with palms pressed against the wall. Exhale as you bend your arms, keeping them close to your body. Maintain a straight line from head to toe throughout the movement.

3. Seated Breathing Exercise

Sit cross-legged with feet together, hands resting on ankles. Gently clasp ankles with hands, lower head, close eyes, and draw shoulders back. As you stretch the back muscles, lift your head and inhale. Exhale, return to the starting position. You may also sit with legs crossed.

4. Cat Stretch Breathing Exercise

Kneel upright with knees spread two fist-widths apart. Keep thighs and arms perpendicular to the ground, pressing palms and backs of legs firmly down. Relax your back naturally, eyes gazing downward. Inhale, slowly lift your head and chest forward, face forward, lifting the tailbone upward as if the back of your head is pressing toward your spine. Exhale, hold this position for 3-5 breaths, then return to the basic posture.

Inhale while slowly arching your spine upward and lowering your tailbone, rounding your back like a cat. Tuck your chin toward your navel (the position of the fetus in the womb). Exhale, hold this position for 3-5 breaths, then return to the starting pose.

5. Supine Twist

Lie flat on your back on the mat with knees bent, feet hip-width apart, and soles flat on the floor. Inhale, extend arms straight out to the sides at shoulder width, palms facing down. Exhale, tilt both legs to the right while turning your head to the left, keeping shoulders grounded and gently twisting the torso.

Finally, while yoga is beneficial, always practice under the guidance of a certified instructor!