iRenew – Official Blog
25Jan/120

The Super Bowl Potential: What NFL Scouts Look for in College Draft Prospects

Super Bowl XLVI is just around the corner, and we can’t be more excited! Whether you love it for the partying, the food, or for the game, it’s inevitable not to notice the skill and passion each player puts out in the field. In fact, it sometimes makes us wonder: What does it really take to play in the NFL?

Well, thanks to a little research, we've come up with some of the requirements most NFL scouts look for in college draft prospects. Who knows, you might just be what they need!

A body built for the NFL. Endurance, strength, flexibility, and power are abilities you'll need to be an effective football player, whether you're a quarterback, middle linebacker, or wide receiver. Of course, it's expected that you have all four to gain the position you're in; however, will it be enough for the NFL? To gauge this, scouts invite potential players to the NFL Scouting Combine.

The NFL Scouting Combine or National Invitational Camp is a week-long series of physical and mental tests conducted in front of NFL coaches, general managers, and scouts every February. Examples of physical tests include a 40-yard dash, a 60-yard shuttle, and position-specific drills, among others. Every year, around 335 players are invited to participate and showcase their skills in hopes of getting drafted into one of the 32 teams in the NFL.

If you think you can complete the camp with flying colors, then you could be well on your way into the league.

The right mindset. What's a healthy body without the right frame of mind? The answer: not NFL material. This is because an athlete's mental aspects, together with his character, are major factors scouts look at when considering prospects. An athlete's frame of mind is directly related to his discipline, comprehension, and ability to work well in a team.

Discipline is a major factor required in football; someone who just does their own thing regardless of the agreed play isn’t someone you want on your team. Scouts look for players who can be relied on even during the tightest situations.

Comprehension is also important since scouts look for athletes who can easily learn new things and adjust to changes in a snap, even under pressure. Someone who's easily confused can become a weak link during the most complicated plays.

Finally, the ability to work well with a team is essential. From the way he interacts with teammates to how he reacts when things get tough, ideal college prospects should be able to encourage the rest of the team to do better with a Never Give Up Attitude, instead of bringing morale down with rash behavior, projected insecurities, and other negative behavior.

These are just some of the factors NFL scouts look for in college prospects. Do you think you have what it takes to get into the NFL? We'd like to hear what you've got to say!

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19Jan/120

Boost Your Ball Game: Exercises Designed to Improve Basketball Performance

If you want to be as good as LeBron James, Rajon Rondo, or Blake Griffin on the basketball court, then you have to realize that these athletes don’t rely on the sport alone to improve their performance. To develop certain strengths and work on their weaknesses, NBA players do a number of different exercises that help them bring their A-game to the court.

When it comes to working out to improve your basketball game, you have to remember to focus on two things: your vertical jump and your mobility or flexibility. Here are some examples of exercises that work on these three:

It's all about explosion. The secret to a higher vertical jump is to generate as much force in as little time as possible. This explosion of force results in your legs launching you up like a cannon, enabling you to do that dunk you've always wanted to try.

To exercise your jumping skills, try standing under a basket or next to a wall while holding a medicine ball. Hold the ball over your head and quickly bring it down to your waist. Then, explode straight up as you lift the ball above your head again. After landing, pause for a couple of seconds and then repeat.

Try this until you're able to touch the ball to a target such as the bottom of the net, the rim, the backboard, or the highest point of a wall.

A body like rubber. Aside from jumping skill, your mobility on the court will define how well you do in a game. Without flexibility, you could pull a muscle and get injured; on the other hand, by working on your moves, doing side steps and quick turns will be a piece of cake.

You can test your flexibility by doing the sit and reach test – a test that helps you gauge your lower back's and hamstring's flexibility. If you find that reaching is painful, you may need to work on your flexibility a little more to prevent injuries while playing basketball.

These are just some examples of exercises that can greatly improve your basketball game. Got any more to share? Feel free to leave a comment – we'd love to hear from you!

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11Jan/122

Building a Balanced Physique by Making Good Use of Your Gym Time

Having a favorite body part to build up is fine; in fact, seeing the results of your workouts and getting compliments about these parts you've worked so hard on are the best ego boosts you can get. However, simply focusing all your attention on your favorite body parts isn't recommended – unless your target physique is similar to a certain spinach-eating sailorman.

When working out, it's important you create a balanced regimen to exercise your whole body. This way, you can certainly attain your fitness goals without making your shoulders and arms look too big for the rest of your body. Here are a couple of tips to make sure you make good use of your gym-time:

Keep yourself motivated. Laziness is one of the worst things any gym-goer can experience while working out. From skipping exercises to dropping the program altogether, laziness can have devastating effects on a perfectly good routine. Usually, this happens after you've worked out your favorite body parts, leaving you content with that you did for the day and disregarding the need to exercise more. Doing this constantly will get you imbalanced results, as you've only worked on one part of your body while the rest stay idle.

You can do a couple of things to counter these lazy spells. These include setting goals, getting a workout buddy, and even buying new workout clothes. These should make sure you keep yourself driven to reach your fitness goals.

Redo your routine. When creating workout programs, most people prioritize their favorite parts first, and then work their way down. Why not do it in reverse? Pick workouts for your least favorite body parts first. This way, you'll always be reminded to work on everything else on your next visit to the gym.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you can forget about the basics of a proper workout. Keep in mind that it's still best to work on bigger muscles, like the chest, back, and legs, before proceeding to the smaller ones. Just put the least favorite parts at the top of the list as a reminder of what you have to do for the day.

By following these tips, you can rest assured that your physique will end up as balanced as your fitness program.

Do you have any personal tips on how to achieve a balanced physique? Feel free to share your exercise regimen by leaving a comment – we'd love to hear from you!

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4Jan/120

How to Stick to Your Fitness Resolution this New Year for a New You

January is the month when resolutions are at their strongest. Whether it's finding a new hobby, planning trips for the year, or quitting a vice like smoking or drinking, you can be sure that people are most determined to attain their goals at the beginning of the year.

Sure, making a list of resolutions is easy; all you have to do is look for things in your life you want to improve on, write them down, and do something about them. However, the problem arrives after the first few weeks – come February, some give up and go back to their old ways. This is especially true when it comes to fitness resolutions since diets can easily be broken and workout routines put on hold for a variety of reasons.

If you plan on losing the holiday gut by including it in your New Year's resolution, then here are a number of tips that may help you stick to it:

Find a friend. Whether for working out or following a diet plan, having a friend or family member with the same fitness goals can help you stick to your weight loss resolution. In fact, it would be best to find someone who's at the same fitness level as you are. According to studies, we tend to view the success of people similar to us as the more attainable option as opposed to dieting with a friend who already has a six pack. Sure, your fit friend can give you helpful tips, but it may seem too intimidating and unrealistic.

Diet in secret. If you want to stick to a diet, it's very important that you don’t announce your plans to the world. This is because telling others about your diet plans will garner countless praises and compliments from your peers even if you haven’t even started the diet yet! Because of this, your brain gets tricked into thinking that you've accomplished the task, making it more susceptible to giving in once a huge dessert plate is set in front of you.

But if temptation does come by, always keep in mind that balance is the key to keeping your fitness under control. Try not to stuff yourself too full and always try to squeeze in some physical activity every day.

Know any more techniques that can help people stick to their fitness resolutions? Feel free to leave a comment – we'd love to hear from you!

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21Dec/110

Keeping Safe This Winter: Basic Safety Tips for Skiers and Snowboarders

From feeling the icy cold wind on your cheeks to getting an adrenaline boost as you go faster and faster downhill, there's nothing like celebrating winter by going skiing or snowboarding.

However, as much fun as these activities are, it's important that you keep safe at all times as accidents can happen on the snowy slopes of your favorite ski resorts. In fact, accidents can result in anything from mild bruises and sprains to grave and fatal injuries.

For this reason, here are a number of safety tips you can follow to ensure fun and safe skiing and snowboarding:

Get Full Equipment. Before hopping into the cable cars and ascending to your favorite slope, always make sure to wear proper equipment. Skiing and snowboarding gear was created to protect you from more than the blistering cold, after all. The proper gear can offer protection against injuries and help you stay secure on your board or skis.

Speaking of your skis or board, make sure to keep them properly maintained. Part of this is keeping them well-waxed to ensure smooth and fast descents.

If you want to look your fashionable best as you shred some slopes, feel free to find whatever ski or snowboarding gear that tickles your fancy. But don't forget that aside from making sure that these will help you move freely, make sure you don't deck yourself out in all-white. Being camouflaged will increase the chances of having collisions with incoming skiers and snowboarders.

Pace Yourself According to Skill. Sure, being brave and expecting to fall is part of having fun in a ski resort; however, this doesn’t mean you should skip the bunny slope and head up to the highest elevation right away. Remember, there's a fine line between courage and recklessness. For this reason, it's always wise to stay on a slope you're comfortable with, master it, and then move on once you're genuinely confident in your skiing or snowboarding skills.

Keep Your Body in Sync. Before getting your gear and finding the softest snow trails, make sure that your body is up for the activity. You can do this by keeping yourself hydrated, stretching, and making sure you can balance correctly.

You can also wear iRenew bracelets to make sure you maintain the strength, energy, and balance you need to effortlessly ski or snowboard downhill.

These are just some tips you can keep in mind to assure you of fun times this winter. Got any more skiing or snowboarding safety tips? If you do, feel free to leave a comment – we'd love to hear from you!

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14Dec/110

The Right Program: Finding the Best Gym Routine for Your Fitness Goals

With so many workout options available today, it can be difficult to choose which one is right for you; in fact, it can be overwhelming. One of the worst things you could do is randomly pick a set of exercises and just perform them without thinking twice.

Although this seems like the most practical thing to do in the gym, winging your program can end in two ways: first, getting the wrong results; and second, getting no results. Depending on your body type and the physique you're gunning for, there are different techniques you have to incorporate to create an effective exercise regimen.

So, before compiling a week's worth of exercises from the net or from your favorite fitness magazine, think about your goals first. If you know how you want to end up, you'll know how to look for the right exercises as well.

Here are a couple of result-based workout techniques you could try:

Be a lean, mean, lifting machine. Besides going on a diet, attaining a lean, ripped, Hollywood physique requires a different approach to working out as opposed to those with different fitness goals.

To get ripped, it's recommended you cut back on the total number of sets and reps per exercise. This is because you won't have enough fuel to recover from heavy workouts if you're on a limiting diet; you could be burning muscle mass instead – and this isn’t the best way to get the results you want.

For example, if you used to bench press four sets of six reps at 180 pounds, you should decrease your set count to two or three while still retaining the bar's weight. You can do this together with other compound exercises.

Just like He-Man. If you prefer to bulk up or gain mass, your gym routine should incorporate more sets per exercise, with low reps. This is known to be the most efficient way of building muscle since high-rep exercises won't stimulate as much muscle growth. Doing less reps will have you use all your energy and strength in those few reps, while high-rep exercises may have you losing focus after the first half of the set, rendering the workout ineffective.

For example, instead of your regular full sets of 15 reps each, you can choose to do five to seven reps; and instead of changing the number of reps per set, you can change the amount of weight you lift to keep the rep-count the same all throughout.

These are just some of the different workouts you can do based on your fitness goals. Achieve your dream body by knowing the correct exercise programs to follow.

Got more weightlifting tips for specific fitness goals? Feel free to share your gym techniques – we'd love to hear from you!

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