VA Worker - Fit at Midlife

Grip Strength - indicator of strength and fitness

Grip strength is inversely associated with DNA methylation age acceleration

January 29, 2023 VA Worker 0

A new research study[2] shows that those with relatively weak handgrip strength showed signs of accelerated aging of their DNA. Grip strength is a reliable marker of general muscle quality and strength. Those with weak handgrip have genes that appear to be growing old faster than those with greater strength. What was the Goal of the Research Study? The goal of this study was to resolve whether grip strength was associated with measures of DNA methylation (DNAm) age acceleration. There is huge evidence linking muscular weakness, as defined by low grip strength, to a host of negative aging-related health results. Given these links, grip strength has been labeled a ‘biomarker of aging’, but the pathways connecting grip strength to negative [Read more …]

Hydration – The Key To Living Longer and Healthier?

January 5, 2023 VA Worker 0

A new research study[1] suggests that well-hydrated adults may be healthier, less likely to develop chronic diseases like lung and heart disease and live longer than people who don’t get enough fluids. We all know that water is essential to all living things, especially to us humans, as it regulates body temperature, delivers oxygen throughout the body, flushes body waste, protects your spinal cord and other sensitive tissues, and many more. According to a study by the National Institutes of Health, drinking enough water is also associated with a lower risk of dying early or a lower risk of being biologically older than your chronological age. What was the Goal of the Research Study? Some people age faster than others; [Read more …]

Rep Fitness Dog Collar dog and kettlebells

Rep Fitness Stocking Stuffers 2022 – Part II

December 11, 2022 VA Worker 0

Need more gift ideas? Here’s our overview of Rep Fitness Stocking Stuffers 2022 – Part II. Whether you are shopping for your family or friends, finding the perfect gift takes work. You give gifts to the same people year after year, and it gets harder and harder to come up with special gifts. With that, we list some gift ideas for your gym and fitness loved ones to help your shopping process a lot quicker. Rep has so many great ideas for small gifts this year – we had to make this a two-part article: Rep Fitness Stocking Stuffers 2022 – Part II – Overview Christmas is a happy and exciting season, but we also know that it can bring [Read more …]

Reebok Lifter PR III Weightlifting Shoe

December 6, 2022 VA Worker 0

Let’s take a look at the Reebok Lifter PR III Weightlifting Shoe. Just as cross-training calls for crosstraining shoes, weightlifting also needs weightlifting shoes. They provide a reliable surface to help you balance and support heavy weights. The right weightlifting shoes will help improve your performance and reduce the risk of injury. If you’re doing heavy, compound lifts routinely, getting a pair of good Olympic weightlifting shoes is recommended. Here’s the new shoe – and some alternate options for you to consider: Reebok Lifter PR III Weightlifting Shoe – Overview Every part of Reebok’s Lifter PR was designed with personal records in mind, hence the name. The series is known for its U-FORM + Thermo TPU midfoot wrap that produces [Read more …]

24.7 Simple Pants – Midweight

December 5, 2022 VA Worker 0

What’s the big deal with the 24.7 Simple Pants – Midweight? These are GORUCK”s excellent simple pants – but with a heavier, less-revealing thickness of material. Pants matter. They should be versatile enough to be the best pants for traveling, commuting, rucking, and training. And if you are into extreme challenges and intense workouts, pants proven at thousands of GORUCK Events are what you need. Let’s cut right to the chase – how are these different when compared to the Light Simple Pants? The Midweight Simple Pants fabric is 187 GSM – Grams Per Square Meter. The regular (Light) Simple Pants are 125 GSM. That’s almost 50% more material. Why would they do this? The original Simple Pants are incredibly [Read more …]

GORUCK Rucker 4 Review

April 8, 2022 VA Worker 2

The GORUCK Rucker is about to get tougher – let’s review the new Rucker 4 from GORUCK. This is the 4th generation of GORUCK’s Rucker backpack. The “Rucker” is made specifically for fitness training purposes. We’re going to focus on these features, and what is new and improved from the last version (the Rucker 3). The Rucker is the ultimate backpack as a fitness tool – and is a far better choice than the GR1 or Bullet for this purpose. And now it gets even better with this 4th version. Why? That’s what we’ll explain in this review. In this review of the Rucker 4 we’ll take a close up look at Rucker 4 Versus Rucker 3. Let’s find out [Read more …]

Vulcan Power Rack - Flat Base with a user 1

Best Black Friday Home Gym Equipment Sales 2021

November 2, 2022 VA Worker 0

NEW FOR 2022! Check out the best Black Friday gym equipment for 2022. Build the home gym or garage gym of your dreams with the Best Black Friday Gym Equipment Sales of 2021. Several fitness manufacturers join this year’s Black Friday Sale to give their customers an exclusive opportunity to purchase unique strength and conditioning equipment at a lower price. Black Friday is the best time of the year to purchase those items that you’ve been eyeing for a long time. They are ideal for your home garage or a commercial gym. Here’s the great deals available NOW – but for a limited time. Remember, this IS the best time of year to invest in home gym and garage gym [Read more …]

Study Finds Best Time to Exercise is the Evening

May 29, 2021 VA Worker 0

A new research study[1] shows that performing exercise in the afternoon or early evening may confer the greatest metabolic health benefits. What was the Goal of the Research Study? Everyone knows exercise and doing a range of activities have several health benefits, but the time to exercise for optimal health benefits is currently unknown. Timing is crucial in increasing the profitable result of exercise on metabolic pathways within muscle and systemic energy homeostasis. The outcomes of past studies have been inconsistent. [2] Some suggest morning workouts burn more fat than evening exercise. Others find the reverse. And some recent experiments show that intense early exercise reduces blood-sugar control, while the same activities, executed later, smooth blood-sugar spikes and enhance metabolic [Read more …]

What is the Murph Challenge?

May 22, 2021 VA Worker 0

What is the Murph Challenge? On Memorial Day 2021 thousands of people around the globe – including Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen, and more will be taking on the Murph Challenge. What is it? The Murph Challenge is a workout (in CrossFit terms a “Hero WOD”) honoring LT. Michael P. Murphy who was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions in Afghanistan in 2005. The workout includes a one-mile run, 100 pullups, 200 pushups, 300 squats and another one-mile run. Murph perfomed this workout regularly, which he nicknamed “body armor” – because he did the grueling workout wearing his plate carrier fully loaded with ISAPI plates. It was his way to ensure he was ready for the grueling [Read more …]

Rogue Horizontal Plate Rack 2.0 full view

Rogue Plate Storage

March 17, 2021 VA Worker 0

Let’s review the Olympic Plate Storage from Rogue. You probably have weight plates if you own a commercial gym or a home gym. Whatever kinds of weight plates you have, they, too, along with other pieces of equipment, have to be stored in proper storage to keep them from unwanted damages and keep your surroundings clean and orderly. Here are some of the styles we are going to look at: Olympic Plate Storage – Overview There are different ways to store your weight plates. The classic and the most popular way to keep them is by using the weight plate tree. It may come in different measurements and forms, but they have a similar build – a center post. There’s [Read more …]