Posts Tagged ‘athletes’
April 9, 2010
Fake accounts have long been a problem even before Twitter existed. Some people create fake accounts out of spite or admiration, while others create fake accounts because they like the attention they wish they were given if they were the person they impersonated. Whatever the reasons, Twitter created the “Verified Account” feature to help users that face impersonation problems. They did not, however, create it to separate the popular from the not-so-popular, or the famous from the not-so-famous. Yes, some celebrities, musicians, and athletes have verified their accounts with Twitter, but Twitter has also rejected the applications of many other high-profile users, as well.
What are the characteristics of a “Verified Account”? Let’s look at one.
This is the account of Laura Fitton (@Pistachio), CEO/Founder of oneforty, a company that develops and promotes innovative tools that makes Twitter an enjoyable experience. At her bio in the upper right corner, you can see a turquoise, eight-pointed star with rounded corners and a white check mark, made at a right angle, inside the star. To the right of the star are the italicized words, “Verified Account”. The star and italicized words are above her full bio. Finally, you can read her full name in the Page Title (Internet Explorer and Firefox) or browser tab (Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Google Chrome).
As an aside, Forbes listed Laura as one of “20 Inspiring Women to Follow on Twitter”, and I highly recommend that you follow her as well as the other women on the list.
People who wish to make a fake “Verified Account” designation can get creative. Some people have resorted to taking a screenshot of a verified account and putting it in the background. Their work becomes undone when people view their Twitter account on monitors with different resolutions. For example, the resolution of my computer monitor here at work is an eye-squinting 1680 x 1050. The other co-founder of our company sets his at 640 x 480. Despite having the same 20″ wide-screen monitor, we have vastly different views of the Twitter backgrounds of other users, even our own Twitter account. Unless every user had the exact same screen resolution as the fake verified account maker, this method is doomed from the start.
How else do people create fake verified accounts? Let’s look at one.
By the way, for the person’s sake, I removed the person’s avatar, username, and most of the bio to protect their identity.
Take a look at the “Name” field. The person inserted a black check mark just before “Verified Account” in normal, non-italicized print. The check mark is not at a right-angle, as seen here. Some people have even taken to inserting the false information at the “Location” or “Bio” field. Finally, the very words, “Verified Account”, may appear in the Page Title (Internet Explorer and Firefox) or browser tab (Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Google Chrome) where the person’s full name should have been.
Twitter takes the use of fake Verified Account badges very seriously and will permanently suspend the account of anybody found using it. If you have already amassed thousands of followers, creating a fake Verified Account badge is not worth the risk.
Tags:20 Inspiring Women to Follow on Twitter, account, athletes, avatar, bio, celebrities, CEO, chief executive officer, fake, Forbes, impersonator, Laura Fitton, musicians, oneforty, Pistachio, screen resolution, tools, twitter, username, Verified Account
Posted in Blogging, Social Networking, Technology | 7 Comments »
March 23, 2010
The fifth and final blog in the Wii Sports Warm-Ups series involves Wii Boxing and the muscles involved in real-life boxing. The physically demanding sport requires warming up and exercising a considerable array of muscle groups spanning almost the entire length of the person’s body, from the shoulder and neck muscles to the upper leg muscles. Three-minute rounds of fighting, interrupted by 30 or 60-second rest breaks between rounds, demands aerobic and anaerobic conditioning so that boxers could last 12 or 15 rounds. Body conditioning involves developing upper and lower body strength as well as good hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness.
Much of the wear and tear that takes place on the body during boxing occurs in the upper torso area, so boxers focus on strengthening the core muscles in order to absorb punches to the body.
Target muscle groups
Core muscles
Offensively, the act of punching and the subsequent impact requires conditioning the shoulder, neck, arm, and hand muscles.
Shoulder and neck muscles
Deltoids
Latissimus dorsi
Pectoralis Major
Sternocleidomastoid
Trapezius
Teres major and minor
Arm muscles
Biceps brachii and Triceps brachii
Hand muscles
- Palmaris longus
- Abductor pollicis brevis
- Flexor pollicis brevis
The following video contains a series hand, finger, and forearm exercises for martial artists, and boxing, as a martial art, is no exception. The exercises highlighted in the video strengthens the hand muscles listed above.
Why work out the legs in a sport that seems not to use them? A good amount of the power in a boxer’s punch comes from their lower body. Working out the upper leg muscles and hips helps boxers develop more explosive punches.
Upper leg muscles and hips
Quadriceps
Hamstrings
First-time players of Wii Boxing found themselves the most sore (and out-of-shape) out of all five sports available in Wii Sports. Whether you’re a virtual Wii boxer or a real boxer, warming up the muscle groups outlined in this blog will help you reduce injuries, increase your endurance, and get the most out of the athleticism that virtual and real boxing needs.
Tags:abductor, anterior, athletes, biceps, boxing, core muscles, deltoids, flexor, hamstring, hand-eye coordination, injuries, injury, latissimus dorsi, medial, Nintendo Wii, Nunchuk, obliques, palmaris longus, pectoralis major, pectorals, pollicis, posterior, quadricep, rectus abdominus, remote, spatial awareness, sprains, sternocleidomastoid, target muscle groups, teres major, teres minor, trapezius, triceps, warmup, Wii Sports, YouTube
Posted in Blogging, Entertainment, Health, Technology, Video Games | Leave a Comment »
March 12, 2010
The fourth blog in the Wii Sports Warm-Ups series involves Wii Golf, the muscle groups involved in playing golf, and warm-up and strength-training exercises that work those muscles.
When one mentions golf, many people picture an individual on a green golf course with a bag full of golf clubs and hitting a golf ball from a tee or on the green towards a cup marked with a flag. What many people do not connect, however, is the athleticism involved, especially because there is almost no running involved, except by the spectators of a tournament when an errant tee shot comes their way. Golfers, it turns out, must work out in the gym in order to improve their game and reduce the chances of injury. Indeed, a lot of consideration goes into making the first tee shot.
According to Mike Pedersen, the core muscles required for stronger turns and more powerful torque include:
Target muscle groups
Hamstrings – Maintains golf posture and prevents lower back injuries.
Quadriceps – Maintains knee flex throughout the swing.
Latissimus Dorsi (upper back muscles) – Maintains firm upper spine for smoother rotation.
Deltoids (shoulder muscles) – Allows a more consistent “top-of-the-backswing” position and better club control throughout the swing.
Forearms – Maintains stronger impact position with better wrist control.
Tags:athletes, deltoids, forearms, golf course, hamstrings, hole in one, injuries, iron, latissimus dorsi, Mike Pedersen, Nintendo Wii, Nunchuk, PGA, putting green, quadriceps, shoulder muscles, shoulders, Sports, sprains, strength training, swing, target muscle groups, tee shot, upper back, warmup, Wii Sports
Posted in Blogging, Entertainment, Health, Social Networking, Technology, Video Games | Leave a Comment »
March 8, 2010
The third blog in the Wii Sports Warm-Ups series involves Wii Bowling and the muscles involved in the real-life version of the sport. The seemingly fewer muscles and warm-ups required prior to bowling does not preclude the sport from any form of warm-ups, especially when athletic activity requires some warming up.
Prior to playing a game or two of bowling, a person should warm up the muscles and joints in their throwing arm. Recreational bowlers and glove-wearing seasoned bowlers alike should focus on warming up their wrist since much of the energy released when throwing a bowling ball goes through there. Additionally, the bowler gathers energy during the follow through and approach to the foul line, so warming up the biceps and triceps is also necessary.
Wrists
Biceps and triceps
Long-time bowlers can suffer from repetitive strain injuries (RSI), affecting the chest, shoulders, upper arms, and upper back. The following exercise can help lessen the possibilities of such injuries.
Shoulder mobility exercises
On a side note, if you sit in front of a computer at work all day, or blog or Tweet all day, the aforementioned exercise is very useful for rejuvenating you during breaks.
Tags:7-10, approach, athletes, backup, biceps, bowling, curve, follow through, hook, injuries, injury, muscles, Nintendo, Nunchuk, remote, rotator cuffs, shoulder, spare, split, Sports, sprains, straight, stretching, strike, target muscle groups, triceps, warmup, Wii, Wii Sports, wrist
Posted in Blogging, Entertainment, Health, Social Networking, Technology, Video Games | 1 Comment »
March 4, 2010
The second blog in the Wii Sports Warm-Ups series involves Wii Baseball, with a discussion about the muscle groups involved in playing baseball, including the muscles involved for batting and pitching. Even though Wii Baseball does not involve running around the baseball diamond, the discussion does include the leg and lower body muscles involved.
Batting and pitching
Arms
The proper pitch occurs in six stages: wind up, stride, arm-cocking, arm acceleration, arm deceleration, and follow-through. The primary muscles on either side of the upper body involved in the arm movements of batting and pitching include the following:
Pectoralis Major
Posterior Deltoid
Teres Major (diagram only)
Latissimus Dorsi
Abdominals
In order to become a consistent batter, working out the abdominal muscles is essential since batting involves a powerful twisting motion during the swing. Batters must concentrate on strengthening the following abdominal muscles:
Leg Strength
Why is leg strength important in batting? The batter pushes off the ground with his legs prior to swinging the bat, drawing all of the energy that goes into the full swing. Developing the necessary leg strength requires strengthening the following:
Calves
Quadriceps
Hamstrings
Groin
Even though most of the running done by actual baseball players takes place when they run around the baseball diamond, retrieve a fly ball infield, or run after a ball outfield, people should understand how doing running drills helps increase speed and efficiency while also maximizing the potential hamstrings and quadriceps muscles.
Tags:abdominal muscles, abs, athletes, baseball, bat, batting, diamond, fly ball, home run, infield, injuries, injury, latissimus dorsi, MLB, Nintendo, Nunchuk, outfield, pectoralis major, pitching, posterior deltoid, quadriceps, quads, remote, Sports, sprains, target muscle groups, warmup, Wii Sports
Posted in Blogging, Entertainment, Health, Technology, Video Games | Leave a Comment »
March 1, 2010
Nintendo launched the Wii across much of the globe in 2006, starting with the United States and slowly making its way to different countries. Prepackaged with the Wii was a copy of Wii Sports. Within the first few weeks of the Wii’s launch, however, doctors and physicians began seeing a rise in Wii-related injuries and sprains (nevermind the “injuries” inflicted on television screens due to poorly secured Wii Remotes or Nunchuks). The medical field found that, unlike the strains resulting from repetitive activities such as typing or excessive video game playing on a traditional controller, the injuries were alarmingly similar to sports injuries suffered by athletes in their respective sport.
The following series of blogs focuses on how to warm up for Wii Sports, beginning with Wii Tennis. Undoubtedly, the transfer of knowledge that makes one a great Wii Tennis player does not necessarily transfer into real-life tennis. However, regular Wii Tennis players still risk suffering similar injuries as tennis players do in real life, so warming up the target muscle groups used most often by real-life tennis players will help lessen the risk.
Clicking on a muscle group or stretch method below will lead you to a YouTube video demonstrating how to warm up and stretch that particular muscle.
Target muscle groups
Quadriceps
Hamstrings
Pectoralis Major
Latissimus Dorsi
Deltoids
Biceps and triceps
Rectus Abdominis
Neck Flexors
Neck Extendors
Whether you are playing a virtual game of tennis in Wii Sports or a real-life game, you should do the warm-ups and exercises presented in the videos above in order to prevent short- and long-term injuries that could sideline you from the game for weeks or even months.
Tags:athletes, exercise, injuries, injury, Nintendo, Nunchuk, remote, Sports, sprains, target muscle groups, tennis, warmup, Wii, Wii Sports
Posted in Blogging, Entertainment, Health, Technology, Video Games | 3 Comments »
This is the account of Laura Fitton (@Pistachio), CEO/Founder of oneforty, a company that develops and promotes innovative tools that makes Twitter an enjoyable experience. At her bio in the upper right corner, you can see a turquoise, eight-pointed star with rounded corners and a white check mark, made at a right angle, inside the star. To the right of the star are the italicized words, “Verified Account”. The star and italicized words are above her full bio. Finally, you can read her full name in the Page Title (Internet Explorer and Firefox) or browser tab (Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Google Chrome).
By the way, for the person’s sake, I removed the person’s avatar, username, and most of the bio to protect their identity.
