Differential effects of attentional focus strategies during long-term resistance training

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of using an internal versus external focus of attention during resistance training on muscular adaptations. Thirty untrained college-aged men were randomly assigned to an internal focus group (INTERNAL) that focused on contracting the target muscle during training (n?=?15) or an external focus group (EXTERNAL) that focused on the outcome of the lift (n?=?15). Training for both routines consisted of 3 weekly sessions performed on non-consecutive days for 8 weeks. Subjects performed 4 sets of 8–12 repetitions per exercise. Changes in strength were assessed by six repetition maximum in the biceps curl and isometric maximal voluntary contraction in knee extension and elbow flexion. Changes in muscle thickness for the elbow flexors and quadriceps were assessed by ultrasound. Results show significantly greater increases in elbow flexor thickness in INTERNAL versus EXTERNAL (12.4% vs. 6.9%, respectively); similar changes were noted in quadriceps thickness. Isometric elbow flexion strength was greater for INTERNAL while isometric knee extension strength was greater for EXTERNAL, although neither reached statistical significance. The findings lend support to the use of a mind–muscle connection to enhance muscle hypertrophy.     

Confronting Free Market Romanticism: Health Care Reform in the Least Likely Place

Health policy experts long have argued that a combination of budgetary constraints, lack of legislative expertise, and parochial attitudes make it unlikely that the U.S. states will contribute significantly to health care reform. This is particularly true of states like Texas, which ranks last or near-to-last in virtually every measure of public health, and is dominated by conservative politics and libertarian, free market ideology. Yet, in 1997 the Texas legislature enacted the first Patient's Bill of Rights. This article examines the political and rhetorical processes that led to successful reform, and discusses the implications that success in "the least likely place" holds for the making of health care policy.     

自信的人生不需要理由

如果你走在人群中常常有种茫然不知所措的感觉,如果你面对陌生人永远胆怯沉默……那么你的问题很可能不仅仅是不善于与人沟通,更大的可能性是:你不自信!但自信是一个非常抽象的词,自信大方的感觉也是一种很难描述的气场。不过我们的教育专家Brad有一个培养自信的小秘方,在这方面有疑惑的同学,赶紧来学一学!     

Hou Do You Spend Your Vacations？

今年的十一黄金周假期．Anna没有外出游玩,而是选择“留守”校园享受独处的静谧。她联想到了大洋彼岸的加拿大,那里的人们会如何度假？又最热衷于哪种度假方式？Anna很是好奇。Brad娓娓道来,并分享了自己的旅游经历。     

When professional athletes change sports: Sport development,sanctity of contract,and restraint of trade in the NRL

This case study provides insight into a current issue faced by sporting leagues—the movement of professional players to different sports. As the case illustrates, the movement of professional players across sport codes can have a profound impact on the management of sport development, the management of player contracts, and legal issues in restraint of trade.     

An electromyographic comparison of a modified version of the plank with a long lever and posterior tilt versus the traditional plank exercise

The purpose of the study was to compare core muscle activation of the tradition prone plank with a modified version performed with a long-lever and posterior-tilt using surface electromyography. To further determine if a specific component of this modified plank was more effective than the other in enhancing muscle activity, the plank with a long lever and the plank with a posterior pelvic tilt were studied individually. Nineteen participants performed all four variations of the plank for 30 seconds in a randomized order with 5-minute rest between exercise bouts. Compared to the traditional prone plank, the long-lever posterior-tilt plank displayed a significantly increased activation of the upper rectus abdominis (p < 0.001), lower abdominal stabilizers (p < 0.001), and external oblique (p < 0.001). The long-lever plank showed significantly greater activity compared to the traditional plank in the upper rectus abdominis (p = 0.015) and lower abdominal stabilizers (p < 0.001), while the posterior tilt plank elicited greater activity in the external oblique (p = 0.028). In conclusion, the long-lever posterior-tilt plank significantly increases muscle activation compared to the traditional prone plank. The long-lever component tends to contribute more to these differences than the posterior-tilt component.     

Creativity in the training and practice of instructional designers: the Design/Creativity Loops model

This article presents a discussion of research and theoretical perspectives on creativity and instructional design, offering a conceptual model of the connection between these two constructs that was originally proposed in the dissertation work of the first author (Clinton, Creativity and design: A study of the learning experience of instructional design and development graduate students, Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Georgia, Athens, 2007) and that we call the Design/Creativity Loops (DCL) model. Central to the model is a representation of the iterative, looping problem-solving cycle that can include established stages of creative thinking. As an instructional designer is routinely confronted with the next task or design problem in a project, these tasks or problems spawn iterative mental excursions that are opportunities for creative thinking. This article also explores ways that the design and development process can benefit from an emphasis on creativity and offers suggested directions for future research.     

Garage Sales

西方的旧货市场,又称跳蚤市场,在那里一逛二逛,往往就能发现便宜又实用的物件。没准还能找到稀世珍宝呢。一个炎炎的夏日周末,Brad和妻子去旧货市场上逛了一圈,还真买到了个宝贝：一盏新灯具。这灯具买得是物美又价廉。但买回去后却导致了其他几笔不小的支出。这是为何？但听Brad细细道来。     

It＇s the Animal in Me

I have been told that in China, having a pet, particularly a dog, is often considered to be a status symbol because it shows the family can afford to have an animal. It is very different here.