Harvard Recreation - Blogs

Mike Dingley Personal Trainer at Harvard Recreation Answering such a broad question of “How much weight should I use when I’m strength training?” requires experienced trainers to consider a set of key variables, such as, level of experience, weight, height, age, body type (i.e., mesomorph, ectomorph), goals, what lifting phase you are in, what kind of circuits you are performing (four or more exercises back to back), supersets (back to back sets of exercises targeting opposing muscle groups), or just consecutive sets of the same exercise. The answer varies for all of the aforementioned; this is very complicated stuff, in theory, and, of course far more so in practice.  So, where should you begin? If you’re just starting out lifting weights, you need to use a weight that you feel comfortable using, meaning, a weight that you can easily lift 10 times that eventually becomes difficult after 15-20 reps. I recommend that you do not take sets to failure (perform until you can’t do an...

By Christine Whitmore           Harvard Recreation Personal Trainer & Hiking Enthusiast           People all over the country (& world) of all hiking levels and experience are flocking to trails seeking respite from being stuck at home. Like any other sport, there are rules and basic etiquette to follow, as well as some fun tips that make the experience better for you and those around you. In the previous article I discussed the essentials to make your hiking experience safe- The Ten Hiking Essentials are universal guidelines for equipment to carry with you on any hike. In Part Two I am covering basic trail etiquette and other helpful tips.  1. PLAN YOUR TRIP/READ TRIP & WEATHER REPORTS :  Besides looking at maps for mileage and elevation, a great resource is other people. There are several ways to find out what the conditions are like on the trails. You can check various hiking groups on social media (Fac...