Horse Racing - Horse's Head Gear

If you look at any race card you will see if a horse is wearing any type of headgear. The more common types of headgear worn by race horses are Blinkers, Visor and Cheek Pieces. Another addition to a horses headgear is a tongue strap.

Blinkers. These are fitted to a horse to aid its concentration during the race. The blinkers are in fact cowls fitted to a head cloth and they can be either full or half cup. The overall effect is to reduce a horses vision from 180 degrees down to a around 30 degrees.

Visors. These are similar to blinkers except that the cowl has a hole or slit in the side to allow the horse to see other horses at its side.

Some people question how genuine a horse is that needs blinkers but there is no doubt that in some cases they can bring about a much improved performance. It is not uncommon that the first time a horse races in blinkers it has the desired effect but in subsequent races they seem to have no effect.

There are three reasons why a trainer may decide to fit blinkers to a horse. The first is to help the horse to concentrate and focus on the job in hand. They can also help a horse to stay calm and be less inclined to pull in the early stages of a race and thus conserve its energy for the finish. Finally they can sometimes encourage a horse that is reluctant to race.

Cheek Pieces. In recent seasons the cheek piece, also known as French Blinkers, have become a popular form of racing headgear. The cheek piece consists of two sheepskin bands attached to the side of the horse bridle. Again the purpose is to restrict the horse side vision and to help to concentrate on the race.

The Tongue Strap. A tongue strap ids fitted over the horses tongue and this stops the tongue lifting and restricting the air flow. A trainers will normally fit this to a horse if they suspect that this has been a problem in its previous races. Although tongue straps have been used for a long time in horse racing it is only on the last ten years or so that it has been necessary to declare that a horse is wearing one.

Other headgear sometimes worn by horse include:

- Hoods are designed to cover the ears and are worn by horses that are affected by noise.
- Eye shields can be worn to give full vision but protect the horses eyes.
- Eye cover can be worn by a horse which is blind in one eye or has an eye missing.

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Pro Push Pull Intro (3)

Pro Push Pull Intro (3)

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365lb Deadlift - no straps

Just messing around at the gym, 365lb deadlift raw for 2 reps

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What is the Bodylastics System?

The Bodylastics System is being regarded as the fifty dollar alternative to the Bowflex home gym as it provides all the comforts of a home gym system and is portable. It's brilliant design enables any person to have a full body workout. Even a kid can workout with this system.

Bodylastics uses the same resistance theory that is used by traditional weight lifting systems in the gyms and health clubs. The equipment is the only difference between the two. The Bowflex and other weight lifting systems are bulky and need a lot of space and are not portable.

But you can take Bodylastics anywhere and use them. You can use this home gym system while watching TV or in the field or use it when you are holidaying.

The Bodylastics System relies on elastic bands to provide resistance. Each elastic band has different thickness and so it provides different resistance. The more the thickness the higher the resistance. These bands offer the same benefits as the free weights in the health clubs or gyms. The resistance offered by the bands is about five to twenty five pounds depending on its thickness. But if combined together they can give even more resistance and act as an alternative to the free weights.

The Bodylastics home gym system has used two new variations of the elastic resistance theory. These are:

The Quick Clip System: This system allows the user to attach multiple bands onto a set of handles or ankle straps. This way you can have a greater resistance. This suits advanced muscle builders who use weights of more than twenty five pounds in the gym. This is an easier way to change weights.All you need to do is just change the bands or attach multiple bands to the ankle straps. The Quick Clip System allows you to attach unlimited number of bands at a given time. This is highly beneficial as anyone even a professional can get the highest resistance.

Door Anchor: The Bodylastics System has introduced the door anchors to their home gym system. The door anchor can be attached to any closing door by just placing the anchor over or under the door. When you close the door, the bands connect the anchor and the ankle straps using the quick clip system. This enables the user to recreate many exercises of the health club. Rather than using multiple equipment in the gym you can use just this system to get the results.

The best part of this System is its size, portability and cost. You can pack your whole home gym in a traveling bag and carry it anywhere around. A home gym system can cost up to thousand dollars and would come with heavy and bulky equipment. But the Bodylastics System costs only fifty dollars and comes in two packages. The Basic tension set and the Max tension set. The Basic package offers resistance between 5 to 18 lbs where as the Max tension set offers resistance more than 20 lbs.

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Rescue 42 DVD: Chapter 9 - Anchoring the Strut Base

Straps may be used to tighten TeleCribs. The easiest method is pulling directly from the base plate to the car. Another common method is to pull two base plates toward each other. This has the advantage of using one strap to tighten two struts. An extremely valuable feature of the TeleCribs is the ability to pass the strap hook through the base plate slot. This lets you use anchor points not in line with the strut. Straps can be both base tensioners and head restraints. TeleCrib base plates can handle up to three straps on each end. Pickets are standard rescue tools that have many uses with the TeleCrib struts. A single picket, pounded 2 to 3 feet in average soil, will support about 700 lbs. The spike base may be used any time the standard base doesnt work. Simply slide it into the bottom of the red strut until it stops and pin it.

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Why You Should Stop Using Workout Straps Immediately!

I came across workout straps in the late 80's and started using them to assist my grip with the ever-increasing weight I was then lifting. Having been involved in weight lifting for the last 25 years, I have seen all kinds of weight lifting accessories come and go. I had great success, putting on pounds and pounds of muscle and lifting the weight the big guys were pumping out.

Around the mid 90's I hit a growth plateau and hired a trainer, a certified professional bodybuilder, to assess my workouts and help me grow. The first suggestion I received from him was "get rid of the workout straps". The look on my face prompted further explanation from him. I was told that using workout straps was not a good idea for two reasons. His theory was that if I was lifting an amount of weight that I couldn't grasp without assistance I was putting my muscles and joints in danger. "Never lift more weight than you can control," I was told over and over again. The second reason for not using workout straps was that in assisting my grip on the French Curl bar with a piece of equipment I was failing to give my forearms a proper workout. It seems that the muscles in the forearm grow best when the hand is gripping the weight as hard as it can. He pointed out that the reverse curls I was doing for forearms were being rendered ineffective by the use of workout straps since I wasn't being forced to grip the bar with all my might. Both points were well taken.

I quit using the workout straps and as if by magic my shoulder and joint pain subsided. And my forearms got thicker as if on steroids (which they weren't). Not only did my forearms grow to Popeye dimensions but my fingers and hands became thicker and stronger. I finally attained the forearms that every Oliveoil admired and just by stopping my use of workout straps.

I once again became satisfied with my growth and lack of constant joint pain but was faced with a whole new problem. With the workout straps I was using I could grasp a barbell or dumbbell regardless of how sweaty my palms became. With my stronger grasp able to lift heavier weights I developed thick bodybuilder calluses on my palms. The calluses were painful and ugly and gave me something to pick at when I was bored but I really was anxious not to have them. I tried weight lifting gloves, and they solved the slippery bar problem but I found them too constrictive, difficult to get on and off and they were constantly soaked with sweat.

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The Fastest Way to Build Lean Muscle

I'm going to show you the fastest way to build lean muscle on your body. It actually isn't that hard, but a lot of people struggle with it. The main reason is that they just don't know how to properly do things. They take information from the general public on building muscle, but never really sit down and do the necessary research. I'll admit, I used to be like that. I thought going to the gym and lifting some weights would make me put on muscle. It wasn't until I sat down, did the proper research and found out exactly what was required to build muscle. I'm going to share a little of what I've learned.

Compound exercises are the best ones you can do. Basically, you have two types of exercises you can do; compound and isolated. Compound use many different muscle groups to complete the exercise. These are mainly free weights. Isolated are the ones that isolate just one or two muscles to complete the exercise. These are mainly machines that limit motion. When I started focusing more of my time on compound exercises, I experienced far more muscle growth. The reason was simple, more stress = more growth. Exercises like deadlifts stimulate so much muscle growth.

Your diet is a fundamental part of your success. It basically sets the bar for how much muscle you'll grow. If you don't spend a lot of time planning out your diet, your muscles just won't grow that big. Put in the necessary time into your diet, so you're eating the proper foods at the proper time.

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Basic Scaffolding Safety Guide

Scaffolding is erected on construction sites, and is the temporary structure that is put up to enable construction workers to reach the highest parts of a new building. The erection of scaffolding is a highly specialised thing and should always be done by a qualified professional. There are contractors who specialise only in putting up scaffolding, and will be hired to work on construction sites.

Because scaffolding can reach extremely high, and is only a temporary structure, it is imperative that all safety risks are taken into consideration before it is set up. 

One of the first things that needs to be checked is the ground where the scaffolding is being set up. In cold climates, extra caution should be taken that the ground for the scaffolding foundation is not frozen. If it is, and then starts to melt, then you will have to worry about the scaffolding sinking. The key focus is to have the most stable ground possible for the foundation of the scaffolding. 

It is extremely important that the scaffolding is level. As the scaffolding grows and gets taller, it is important that it is checked regularly by a qualified professional to ensure that it is level. It is important that the scaffolding be supported on adjustable stands, and if it is rolling scaffold that all the castors are locked securely.

It is imperative that all scaffolding platforms are complete from front to back and with both sides meeting. Any gaps in the wood must not be larger than 25mm wide as a gap wider than this can allow tools to slip through. All open sides of the scaffolding platform must be equipped with toe boards and guardrails. Access to the scaffolding must be safe for the worker, with ladders placed in such a way that the worker will not have to climb over cross bracing. 

It is very important that the front of the scaffolding is at least 14 inches away from the front of the building that is being worked on. You do not want your scaffolding to lean against the building, as this will make it less of a support. 

If anything, employee safety is the most important thing with regards to scaffolding. Hard hats must be worn at all times by anyone working on or around the scaffolding. Employees should not be made to work on the scaffolding in bad weather conditions, such as heavy wind or snow. All employees utilising the scaffolding should have been given full training on how to utilise it properly. People should never be allowed to stay on the scaffolding whilst it is being moved, if it is rolling scaffold. All tools must be removed off the scaffolding at night and any heavy tools that are needed must be sent up and down the scaffolding with a hoist. 

As you can see, there are many different points to remember when it comes to scaffolding. Using scaffolding incorrectly can be very dangerous, and life threatening to the people utilising it and around it. It is important that all these safety measures are adhered to strictly, and that scaffolding is always set up by a qualified person. 

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