June 2011 FitnessX Magazine by FitnessX Magazine

Issue 6: June 2011

Contents

HEALTH - FITNESS - WELLNESS Magazine

Photo by:

Noel Daganta

TRUTH BEHIND 3. THE BRANCHED CHAIN aMINO ACIDS Body Image 5. How affects your Lifestyle

7. We are in Control 9. The Power of Plyometrics Inner Struggles 12. Your are keeping you Fat Fitness Components that will 20. 4help you Maximize your Results

22. Living for Success 24. Stress under Duress!! 28. Run Marky, Run!!! Photo by:

Rob Rosetti

Sites: www.fitnessX.com www.twitter.com/fitnessX www.facebook.com/fitnessXmag

the Body Beautiful: 30. Build The Fit and Healthy Way

34. Turning Setbacks into Opportunity Photo by: Jennifer Chamberlin www.jenniferchamberlinphotography.com

THE

TRUTH

BEHIND WRITTEN by

f you have spent any time in the fitness arena, then you have surely heard about Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs). Chances are you may have even been using them for some time. In the gym, people rave about the tremendous benefits of BCAA’s. They claim it can promote weight loss, enhance athletic performance and improve recovery. So is it all hype or is there any truth behind their popularity. Let’s look at the research behind BCAA’s and draw our own conclusions. So what are BCAA’s? BCAA’s are 3 of the nine essential amino acids in humans. They consist of leucine, isoleucine, and valine. What makes them so unique is that they make up a very large portion of our muscles. In fact, they account for over one-third of the amino acids in muscle protein. Out of the 3 BCAA’s, leucine is considered by many to be the most important. Now before you go rushing for a bottle of BCAA’s, realize that you can get them from eating a nice balanced diet. High concentration of leucine can be found in foods such as beans, eggs, nuts, seeds, soy, whey and whole grains. Isoleucine is also present in fish, dairy, meats, eggs, nuts and soy protein. Finally, valine can be found in meats, soy, dairy, and nuts. Bottom line here is that a diet composed of lean meats, dairy products and nuts provides a good source of BCAA’s. Athletes may require supplementation to meet higher demands. Now let’s turn our attention to the data and see what well designed research studies tell us. In a small, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study, Matsumoto and colleagues looked at taking BCAA’s and their effects on muscle soreness and muscle damage. They measured plasma creatinine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and granulocyte elastase (GEL). These are all markers elevated in muscle damage. The results were quite impressive. The people taking BCAA had a 21 percent reduction in plasma CK, a 6 percent reduction in LDH, and a 15 percent reduction in GEL. All of these reductions were statistically significant. A number of other well designed studies have shown similar results.

Dr. Sean Hashmi

In a recent study, Sharp and Pearson took the role BCAA further by looking at testosterone and cortisol levels along with creatinine kinase levels. Using a randomized, placebo control design, they had participants perform high-intensity total-body resistance training. Their findings were in line with previous studies showing lower markers of inflammation (cortisol) and damage (CK). In addition, they also showed that athletes supplementing with BCAA group had significantly higher serum testosterone levels. In terms of weight loss, there is some interesting data. A nice review by Devkota and Layman showed that supplementing with 2.5 grams of Leucine allows for increased fat loss during dieting while protecting lean muscle mass. However, Cheng and colleagues showed that mice maintained on a leucine poor diet experienced greater fat loss. Pedrosa and colleagues showed that supplementing with Leucine did not result in increased fat loss. So the jury is still out on BCAA’s for weight loss. The beneficial effects of BCAA’s extend far beyond those of muscle recovery for athletes. A review of 11 randomized studies showed that BCAA supplementation improved worsening of brain function (hepaticencephalopathy) seen in patients with liver damage. In addition, studies have also shown in rat models that BCAA supplementation promotes glucose uptake by cells. Finally, BCAA’s have been shown to stimulate appetite and improve nutrition status in both the elderly and patients on hemodialysis. So there you have it, the scientific research supporting BCAA for muscle recovery. Go ahead and eat that chicken breast, the egg white omelet, or a variety of delicious foods high in BCAA’s. Your taste buds will be happy and your muscles will thank you. REFERENCES -Matsumoto K, et al. Branched-chain amino acid supplementation attenuates muscle soreness, muscle damage and inflammation during an intensive training program. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2009 Dec;49(4):424-31. -Sharp CP, Pearson DR. Amino acid supplements and recovery from high-intensity resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Apr;24(4):1125-30. -Glyn El, et al. Excess leucine intake enhances muscle anabolic signaling but not net protein anabolism in young men and women. J Nutr 2010 Nov;140(11):1970-6. Epub 2010 Sep 15. -Lee IJ, et al. Effect of Oral Supplementation with Branched-chain Amino Acid (BCAA) during Radiotherapy in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Double-Blind Randomized Study. Cancer Res Treat. 2011 Mar;43(1):24-31. Epub 2011 Mar 31. -Nishitani S, et al. Branched-chain amino acids improve glucose metabolism in rats with liver cirrhosis. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 288:G1292-G1300, 2005. -Devkota S, Layman DK. (Commentary). Curr Opin Clin Nutr Met Care. 2010;13:403-407. -Pedrosa RG et al. Leucine supplementation favors liver protein status but does not reduce body fat in rats during 1 week of food restriction. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2010 Apr;35(2):180-3. -Cheng Y, et al. Leucine deprivation decreases fat mass by stimulation of lipolysis in white adipose tissue and upregulation of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in brown adipose tissue. Diabetes. 2010 Jan;59(1):17-25. Epub 2009 Oct 15.

Dr. Sean Hashmi is a practicing Internist and Nephrologist in Southern California. He designs and manages weight loss programs for hospitals. His program, Walk with your Doc, has gained tremendous popularity and has been featured in many publications. He has been involved in the health and fitness industry for over 15 years. He started as a Martial Arts instructor and then moved on to personal training for athletes. Currently, he runs a fitness company called Amped Fitness in Woodland Hills, California. If you would like to ask Dr. Sean a question, you can reach him at: drsean@fitnessX.com

JUNE 2011 • FitnessX.com Magazine

o i d r Ca

y n n u B Written By

hey say insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. I see insanity every morning in the gym. Have you ever seen those women in the gym on the elliptical machine? You know, those women who are in the gym at the same time every single morning peddling to nowhere. They spend hours upon hours trying to change their bodies and never getting anywhere. I am sad to say “I used to be that cardio bunny.” I felt like if I didn’t leave the gym covered in my own perspiration, then I didn’t workout hard enough. I was running six to ten miles, six days a week. I was pretty fast, but no matter how hard I worked, my body wouldn’t change. I had tried everything from the Special K cereal diet which equaled starving to a popular home delivery diet which really didn’t work for me either. I decided to really challenge myself by running a marathon but after a seventeen-mile run day, my foot swelled up so bad that I could barely walk on it. I had known for a while that I was having some issues because my foot would often go numb after runs. This was the

Pamela Wilson

culmination of over training and a sign it was time for a change. I couldn’t run for weeks, so my friend suggested I start weight training. Only after I met a national-level figure competitor, who taught me about eating clean and weight training, did I start to see real results in my body. She had me stop running immediately because I was breaking down all of my leg muscles with each stride I took. I finally tried some other machines in the gym that I once thought were “weak” and found out that stair stepper really does burn some calories. Depending on where you are physically, you may need a good bit of cardio to lean out before a show. Most trainers will designate how much cardio you should be doing and what kind. I tend to get bored on the same machine, so I will switch machines every 10-15 minutes to change up the movement on my legs. No matter what your cardio schedule is, make sure you are not over training. Not only will you lose muscle, but you will start to gain fat from starving your body. Don’t be that cardio bunny!

Pamela Wilson graduated from The University of Alabama in 2003

HEALTH - FITNESS - WELLNESS Magazine

JUNE 2011 Publishers:

Kat Painter and BillyBow Editor-In-Chief:

Joe Mikoli

Assistant Editors & Copy Editors:

Kat Painter and BillyBow Creative Director:

Joe Mikoli

Photographers: BillyBow, Noel Daganta, James Patrick, Rob Hammer, Sarah Picturegroove, Mike Byerly, Nicholson Studios, Eva Simon, Angela Elliott, Jennifer Chamberlin, Stan Lopez, Dan Ray, Rob Rosetti, G.W. Burns Photography, Chris Mongberg and Jason Ellis Senior Designer: Joe Mikoli Staff Writers: Kat Painter, Dr. Sean Hashmi, Leha Long, Mark Ozog, Sherry Goggin, Camille Finley and Pamela Wilson Writers: Obi Obadike, Ingrid Romero, Natalie Jill, Brooks Hollan, Felicia Romero, Patty Wilson, John Carter, Mitchie De Leon, Amy Barnes, Stephanie Mahoe, Summer Taylor, Emily Lind and Amy Wipf Models: Dr. Sara Solomon, Sherry Goggin, Felicia Romero and Noy Alexander Advertisers: Fit Girl Wear, Amped Fitness & A.C.T Energy Drinks Cover Models: Ingrid Romero & Obi Obadike Cover Photographer: Noel Daganta

MISSION STATEMENT: FitnessX.com Magazine (Health – Fitness – Wellness) strives to inspire people by making a difference in empowering and encouraging you to live a healthier lifestyle. We take pride in sharing heartwarming stories on health, fitness and wellness. Our readers vary in age, body composition, ethnic background, economic status, and professional background, but have the common goal of improving themselves through health, fitness, and wellness. FitnessX.com Magazine readers are health-conscious, discovering or already adopting healthy lifestyle practices, and interested in bettering themselves. Please note: FitnessX.com Magazine is not liable for any injury due to the suggestions and advice given in this issue. All readers must consult their physician prior to starting a new exercise and nutrition program. Submissions: For all Submissions, email fitnessX@fitnessX.com and for rules & guidelines, go to www.fitnessX.com. Click on Guidelines for Submissions.

and The University of Oklahoma in 2009 with a Master's Degree in HR. She is an AFAA certified personal trainer, MADDAWG certified spin instructor and a sponsored athlete with the first ever Team Bodybuilding.com. She is currently a Captain in the USAF, Reserves and lives in Tucson, AZ. Photo by: James Patrick

Publishers: Kat Painter and BillyBow

HOW

BODY IMAGE AFFFECTS YOUR

LIFESTYLE WRITTEN by KAT PAINTER

ave you ever felt frustrated and overwhelmed that you just couldn’t quite measure up to society’s standards? Why is it that modern day Americans obsess about their own bodies more than any other country? Could it be that we are bombarded with images of beautiful people BEING on T.V., the internet, and magazines every day? We watch countless body makeover/weight-loss shows, keep up with celebrity diets and their beauty tricks, and find every way imaginable to attain the ‘fountain of youth’. The fact is we co-create our reality, every day, every moment. We usually have a choice about what information we choose to look at and listen to. Americans spend $40 billion each year for products designed to change their body size and shape, including diet pills and various cosmetic procedures. Body dissatisfaction is a huge problem in our society and is related to all sorts of negative behavior including yo-yo dieting, smoking, taking sports performance enhancement drugs and undergoing cosmetic surgery. It affects men and women and all ages, starting with kids who are as young as five years old saying they don't like how their bodies look. People who say they have high body dissatisfaction tend to exercise the least. However, exercise done on a regular basis can help people improve a positive body image. Growing up, I struggled with being satisfied with my body. Living in the South, I entered a few pageants, enjoyed cheerleading, dance lessons and gymnastics like many girls. These activities made me more popular and accepted by my peers. Back then, it was easy to put myself down after hearing about my socalled “flaws” from other people. I was influenced by my peers to be someone I didn’t really want to be, but I just wanted to be accepted. Whenever I picked up my favorite magazines, I wanted to look like the models and sometimes hated myself for not looking like them. I realized I had no control over my nationality, my height, or my body type, and it bothered me for years. What helped me get over my “emotional” hang ups was to first accept myself as I was and embrace the fact that I was a unique person with a lot of good qualities. I made goals to become a more productive person; I started to exercise on a regular basis, kicked my obsession with bad eating habits, and surrounded myself with positive people who led a healthy lifestyle with good body image. I was grateful to have a supportive group of people and because of that I adopted a healthy lifestyle with clean eating and regular exercise. To keep from getting bored, I always kept track of my workouts and nutrition and spent time outdoors with exercises I really enjoyed like obstacle course sessions, plyometrics, and working on my agility, speed, and endurance. I set my goals to do more physically-challenging ventures for myself by entering a variety of competitions in fitness, fitness modeling, figure, bikini, and powerlifting for 7 years. During those years, I never lost the desire to improve and learn about myself. I love the mental challenge that allowed me to grow and maintain a better body image. The issue I have with being a fitness model and competitor is the altered mindset a lot of us tend to experience. What I noticed was that I was more observant of my body conditioning and caught myself examining my “flaws”. Then I realized too much emphasis on what I ate and how much I exercised was not healthy at all. I’ve learned to listen to my body to tell me when/what to eat and when/how to move. Even active, fit people – those who religiously workout at the health club or run in the wee hours of the morning – suffer from the epidemic of body dissatisfaction. Despite their fitness, many perceive themselves as having unacceptable bodies.

The following are 2 warning signs of highly active people: • Exercise interferes with other areas of life. Your relationships, job, or school suffer because of your exercise routines. Some people

harm themselves in pursuit of fitness. Some people resort to taking sports performance enhancement drugs, tearing joints or ligaments because of overtraining, or fainting because of dehydration. Some go on to develop unhealthy eating patterns and eating disorders out of desperation. Bad self-image can be a killer! • Your self-esteem is based solely on your appearance. You feel that the perfect body is the only way you can feel good about yourself. You need to get good self-esteem from many other areas in your life -- and not only from your physique. You cannot have a healthy lifestyle without BALANCE. Nutrition, fitness and personal growth are all dependent on each other. It does little good if your body is healthy, but you are unhappy with your life. It is important to allow yourself to discover a healthy lifestyle balance in all of these areas of your life. Your body is unique, enjoy it and love it. Focus on your good points and stop comparing yourself to other people. If someone likes you, they will see the good and not the bad. Make yourself worthy of love and be satisfied with yourself first! JUNE 2011 • FitnessX.com Magazine

New -trition 102 WRITTEN by

Brooks Hollan

Photo By:

Rob HammeR

has been about 30 days now since the New-trition 101 article came out. Hopefully, you have created or re-established the habit of drinking plenty of water and being hydrated. Now that you have this fundamental under your belt, it is time to build upon this foundation.

afternoon energy crash. By the time they are done with work and running errands they are ‘starving’ again and ready for a big dinner at 8 o’clock. They might go to bed, or they might stay up for a few hours, either way, they won’t be eating again until about noon the next day.

I hear it all the time from people that are in shape- They just don’t get it why people are overweight. “Calories in vs. calories out” they say. “Want to lose weight? Take in fewer calories, it’s that simple.” I hate to burst your bubble, but it just isn’t that simple.

There are a couple of things to look at here. First off, body fat is the body’s most efficient fuel source. Gram for gram, fat provides more than twice the energy of carbohydrates or protein (9 calories per gram versus 4 for carbs & protein). When you go hours and hours without eating, your body wants to hold on to body fat as a survival mechanism to prevent starvation. Since the body isn’t being fed frequently, it turns to burning lean mass for energy.

THE INCOMPLETE TRUTH I have worked with quite a few individuals that were eating less than their daily caloric maintenance level, yet were still gaining weight. These people were eating only 8001200 calories per day, and still ‘getting fat’. How could that be you ask? Let me explain. There are 3 places where the body gets energy. It can get energy from the food you eat, from stored body fat, or from lean mass. We have all heard about eating ‘3 square meals a day’ in the form of breakfast, lunch, and dinner; with breakfast being the most important meal of the day. You might be surprised to find out that many people don’t eat breakfast. They are too busy, not hungry; have to get to work, or some other excuse why they don’t eat this important meal. Let’s look at the effects of this common eating practice.

Skipping Breakfast & the Science Behind ‘Not Eating’ What typically happens when somebody skips breakfast is that by the time lunch rolls around, they are ‘starving’. They eat a big lunch, go back to work with a full belly, where they usually experience a big mid-

Burning lean mass, or muscle for energy, is not what you want. Lean mass is what keeps your metabolism going, and the less lean mass you have, the slower your metabolism gets. The slower your metabolism gets, the harder it is to burn body fat; a catch-22 of sorts. What about the food that was consumed? Good question. When a person eats a big meal, the body can only process so much food at one time. It uses part of the meal for energy, but the excess is stored as… You guessed it…body fat! The body can only use a portion of the calories consumed when a person eats one or two big meals per day. The rest is stored as body fat, which is further preserved as the body burns lean mass for those eight and 14-16 hour stretches where it is not being fed. For the same reason most medications are taken multiple times throughout the day, your body needs a steady supply of nutrition.

FitnessX.com Magazine • JUNE 2011

What Is the Solution? The solution is simple. Since it takes 17-30 days to create a new habit or change an old one, we are going to take the next month to work on eating at least five to six ‘meals’ per day. By eating every 2.5 to 3 hours throughout the day, not only are you going to rev your metabolism, but you are going to put your body into more of a fat-burning zone, as opposed to a fat storage zone. In future issues, we will cover in more detail what these five to six meals a day should consist of, but for now, just take the food you have been eating, and spread it out. For example, if you are eating a foot-long sub for lunch, cut it into thirds. Eat 1/3 at lunch, 1/3 in the mid-afternoon, and save the next 1/3 for tomorrow mid-morning. Instead of just one large meal, you now made three smaller ones, which will do wonders for your energy levels and keeping your metabolism going! Stay tuned next month as we build on this foundation of being hydrated and eating 5 to 6 smaller metabolism-boosting meals throughout the day. If you stick with it and don’t skip over the fundamentals, you will become an energetic fat-burning machine, and create a Fit Life that works for you! Brooks Hollan currently resides in San Diego where he helps people create healthy lifestyles around their busy lives though the consulting company he founded at FitLife212. com. He is a Licensed Sports Nutritionist, Certified Personal Trainer, and Olympic Trials qualifying swimmer at the US Naval Academy. Photo Credit: Darren Edwards, www.darrenedwards.com

We are in Control Written By Emily Lind

Photo By G.W. Burns Photography

here are a lot of things that we cannot control in life and that can be extremely frustrating. What if you took what you had control over and used it to your advantage? After all, if we know what's best for us why not do what's best? If you knew it would make you soar in life, why not do it? I think you get my point....... SO DO IT! Control your health. It starts first with controlling what we put into our mouths. This is the main reason we don't feel well and the reason we don't have any energy. People tell me almost everyday they're dealing with headaches and allergies and sometimes even more serious, chronic illnesses. It's simply because of what they're putting into their body everyday. Americans lead the world in heart disease. We have more cancer here per person than any other na-tion. We are the heaviest country with more people overweight. Some of this is hereditary, but much of it is because of the poor habits that we've developed concerning eating and because of the food that we are choosing. Again, we are in control.

We really don't need a miracle; we need a lifestyle change. We need to develop better habits to take care of ourselves. A hundred years ago, we didn't have the heart disease and the cancer that we have today. What's changed? Our diet. We live off of much more processed, refined foods; foods that have chemicals and preservatives to make them last longer but they're not necessarily good for us. We've developed bad habits of eating junk foods, eating too much food, and not drinking enough water. All of these things can be harmful to us. I wonder how much smarter we would be if we'd just start eating the right foods? I wonder how much more creative, more energetic, and more productive we'd be if we'd eliminate a few of the sugars and instead, start eating more fruit. Or, if we'd start snacking on nuts and raisins and give up some of the colas and candy bars. I bet it'd work for us. Somehow people replaced their fruits and vegetables with desserts and bakery items. White flour and sugar filled products have become the main source for food. And because of this, our health is severely declining. Diseases are showing up that we have never seen before: heart disease, cancers, and tumors. What's the difference? Obviously what we are putting in our mouths. The only way to reverse a curse like that is to go back to the source and start eating healthier. Decide today to take care of your body. You only have one, so take care of it. Don't eat foods that put your health at risk. Limit the sugars. Limit the caffeine. Drink more water. Eat more fruits and vegetables and don't live off of these packaged lunchmeats. Eat more organic when you can. More baked and less fried. I don't know about you, but I need all the help I can get! I don't want to get stagnant in life. I know when I make poor choices with food I become poor in my daily habits. I want you to be the happiest, healthiest, most prosperous people around. But you must do your part. Discipline yourself to make healthy choices. You may be fine now, but if you're abusing your body later on it's going to catch up to you. If you will make choices for your health and start developing better eating habits, then you'll get stronger, healthier and wiser. Take control of your life! Emily Lind serves as a Executive for Nutrition and Wellness company; Isagenix International. She is a Wellness Coach Nationally. She helps create physical changes in peoples lives as well as financial changes in building businesses. Emily is also a Motivational Speaker for youth helping to empower them to make the hard decisions and change their lives for the better regardless of where they came from. She is a Fitness Model for WSI Sportswear. Emily is also a Certifited Massage Therapist. Check her out on essenceofem.com and join her on FB!

HEALTH - FITNESS - WELLNESS January 2011 CoverReview Model

Dr. Sara Solomon Dr. Sara Solomon received her BS in Physical Therapy and her DMD from McGill University in 2001 and 2005 respectively. She is a general dentist in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Sara is also a certified personal trainer, a SPINNING instructor, a physiotherapist, a certified jump rope specialist with the Jump Rope Institute, a university and continuing education lecturer, a photographer, a fitness model/competitor and the spokesmodel for the sports nutrition supersite, www.nationsupplements.com.

Photo by:

Eva Simon

THE

POWER OF

PLYOMETRICS ! WRITTEN by

LEHA LONG

PhotoS By:

ANGELA ELLIOTT

Plyometrics are no longer just on the football field! Athletes have used plyometrics for years to enhance speed, agility, and power, but now it’s becoming more popular in gyms, fitness centers, and can be performed right in your home! What is plyometrics, and why are they becoming popular? Based on Latin origins, plyo + metrics are interpreted to mean "measurable increases”. Plyometrics is defined as exercises that enable a muscle to reach maximum strength in as short a time as possible. This speed-strength ability is known as power. When you perform each move correctly, you will definitely see results! Research has shown that doing plyometrics will burn more fat than doing steady state cardio. The most important aspect of a safe and effective plyometric program is developing a safe landing technique. This means the athlete lands softly on the toes and rolls to the heels. By using the whole foot (and a larger surface area) for landing it helps dissipate the impact forces on the joints. The other key to proper landing is to avoid any twisting or sideways motion at the knee.

Plyometrics Safety Tips • Plyometrics are recommended only for well-conditioned athletes • You should have high levels of leg strength prior to performing plyometrics • Warm up thoroughly before starting plyometrics • Maintain a tight core and proper body alignment • Start slowly with small jumps and gradually build up • Land softly to absorb shock • Perform plyometrics on soft or cushioned surfaces only • Use footwear with plenty of cushioning • Allow plenty of rest between plyometric workouts • Stop immediately if you feel any pain in your joints There are numerous plyometric moves you can do, but try to focus on ones that will improve your strength, power, speed and agility for endurance activities. (continued on next page)

JUNE 2011 • FitnessX.com Magazine

Below are some of my

favorite plyometric moves.

> The following moves should be performed in a circuit.

Beginners should try to do 2 sets of 15. Intermediate should do 3 sets of 15, and Advanced should do 4 or more sets of 15.

> Alternating Jump Lunges:

Stand in a lunge position and

quickly jump up switching legs and landing on your feet in lunge position. Repeat.

> Jumping Jacks: Stand straight with good posture

with your feet together and hands by your side. Quickly jump your feet out to shoulder width apart. Meanwhile, raise your arms up. Repeat.

> Jump SQUATS: Get into a squat position and

hold your arms out in front of you. Explode off your feet and jump straight up. Your arms should be straight to your sides while you jump up. Land back into a squat position with arms in front of you.

10.

FitnessX.com Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ JUNE 2011

Come on ! Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s get moving !

> Mountain Climbers: Position yourself facing a wall or the back of a chair. Place your hands on the wall or chair to balance yourself and lean forward. Lift your right knee up to your chest keeping your left leg behind you slightly bent. Quickly alternate your legs bending your knees and bringing them up to your chest. This move also works your abs!

> Burpees: Stand straight then go down to the floor as if you are doing a push up but keep your legs bent and squat. Jump your legs out in a push up position. Keeping your hands on the ground jump your legs back into a squat, and then stand straight up again. Repeat in fast motion.

> Butt Kicks: Stand straight then bend one knee bringing your foot up to your glutes and landing on the other leg slightly bent. Repeat with the other leg in a fast motion.

Leha Long lives in Atlanta, GA. She is fitness model, competitor, writer, trainer, and nutritionist. Please check out her website at lehahealthandfitness. wordpress.com for more information.

JUNE 2011 â&#x20AC;˘ FitnessX.com Magazine

11.

Your

s e l g g u r t S r e n ! in t a f u g yo

are

k ee p i n If you are

WRITTEN

NES AMY BAR

a fan of The Biggest Loser,

it’s easy to see how each of the participants are changing on the outside. Each week features weigh-ins that track weight loss and flash backs of earlier episodes when contestants were far heavier. You have to understand that the contestants aren’t just experiencing changes to their bodies, they also are going through some major mental transitions. Many start out with defeatist attitudes or a lack of faith in their own ability to change. They show up knowing they should change, but their lives and bodies have spun a little bit out of their control. They aren’t just carrying around extra pounds when the show begins; many are carrying around emotional baggage from the various ways life knocks all of us to the ground. Toward the end of each season, participants have dropped more than weight. The statements of: “I can’t do it” are a thing of the past. Instead, contestants have a sense of empowerment, a renewed belief in their own ability to change, and they exude increased self-confidence. For the record, I am a fan of the show, but I remind people who are trying to lose weight— who aren’t doing it on TV— that the show isn’t a normal setting for weight loss. Of course you are going to lose dramatic amounts of weight when you are in a controlled environment, fitness trainers by your side, a national audience watching you, and your eye on a big financial prize…oh and let's not forget life, family, work, and passing by the McDonald's each day is not part of the their same daily struggle. But just like the contestants on the show, there are many healthy strategies you can incorporate in your life to change your mental state from status quo, to one of empowerment. Get to the bot tom of what ’s eating you. What you are eating could be a reflection of what’s eating you. Many people turn to food for comfort or to stuff emotions they don’t want to feel or face. The reason why we have failed at so many diets in the past is we haven’t tacked the root cause as to the WHY we are eating in the first place. Sometimes, the simple act of no longer denying the cause of your pain or hurt, can begin the healing process. Talk to a friend or family member or write in a journal, or sign up for my virtual training 1:1, I will help you tackle those inner struggles that are keeping you fat…trust me we all have them, I certainly did, I can help you tackle yours too. Nothing ever gets better with avoidance and neglect. Make the courageous decision to go deep and fix the inside… the outside will slowly fix itself!

Create small wins often. Say you want to lose 50 pounds. If you focus on the number 50 you are going to fall quickly into that defeatist attitude—thinking you have so much progress to make, why should you even start. Instead, create small wins often. Focus on a goal. Perhaps a 5k. If you start training for an event or a goal, it will keep you more focused on the goal rather than that dreaded number. The pounds have no choice but to fall off!! Flood yourself with positive thoughts and “way to go!” statements for every two pound loss. 12.

FitnessX.com Magazine • JUNE 2011

Be positive about you. Write down all of your mini victories! Every one of them count and will make you feel stronger with each one. Did you work out today? Write it down. Drop a pound? Jot that number down in your calendar. Did you adopt a new habit you are proud of like eating an apple a day or doing yoga? Keep a list of those healthy habits and you will be creating your own program for your health.

HEALTH - FITNESS - WELLNESS Photos by: Noel Daganta

EVENTS

WBFF, KANSAS CITY MAY 2011

Prepare for weak resolve. It’s better having a smoothie than ice cream. What other healthy foods can you substitute for your favorites? Instead of eating loaded nachos, you can try my recipe for red pepper nachos, instead of eating a row of Oreos, can you have a couple of low calorie ginger snaps? If you have trouble late at night, do you have veggies on hand to munch on? This isn’t just about making healthy eating decisions, it’s about not letting yourself feel discouraged. By making better choices, choices you are proud of, you will feel better about yourself.

Identify your biggest supporter OR two. Assemble your own support team.

Bobby Brennan

Who is really behind you and who in your life can really lift you up when you are having trouble or losing focus? While it’s always great to have a workout partner make sure you get some people on your team for mental motivation. It’s great to have a friend who can remind you of your goals, your progress and what you stand to gain by losing weight. Don’t go it alone when you can have so much more success with supportive people around you.

Use your success as YOUR rocket fuel. The reason The Biggest Loser contestants have such exuberance and confidence at the end of the season is because they are looking in the mirror and getting on the scale and witnessing real, tangible rults.They look better. They are healthier. And they feel better. But the confidence is fueled the most by knowing that they created their own success. They proved they can change. The feeling of knowing you tackled your own inner demons and won is a feeling like no other. Now anything seems possible! You can turn your results into motivation to reach your health goals and to take on new challenges in your life. You have the ability to empower yourself with change, don’t let those inner demons win anymore!!

Abigail Epps-Kluttz

Amy Barnes is the founder and owner of Inside & O.U.T Fitness, a health and wellness company that assists clients in creating and living healthier lifestyles based on their individual health and wellness needs. She has a powerful and provocative life story and has become a nation-wide inspiration after being featured on the cover of Oxygen Magazine and the NBC Today Show. Just five years ago, she weighed in at a mere 490lbs. Amy implemented some revolutionary life changes that enabled her to take control of her life, break the victim cycle. Amy now completely understands that no barriers in life are insurmountable, and we can accomplish anything that we put our minds to. You can learn more about Amy Barnes at www.iofitnesstoday.com

Doyle Tonneson 13.

are made in the kitchen WRITTEN BY

SUMMER TAYLOR DAN RAY

PHOTOS BY

Itmakes no difference if you are a man or a woman,

six-pack abs is sexy and I don’t know anyone who would not desire to have them. But how do you achieve a beautifully sculpted midsection? Ask anyone in the fitness industry how to build sexy abs and they’ll tell you, “Abs are made in the kitchen.” There are three components that contribute to a fit physique: diet, cardio, and weight training. But when it comes to abs, the most important is the diet. Of course the other two components can influence the outcome, but without the ideal diet, the 6-pack will be hidden beneath a layer of fat.

Sexy 6-pack diet To obtain something you’ve never had before you must do something you’ve never done before. In this case, that means you must eat clean. It does not mean, relatively clean, or clean only on weekdays, it means clean every meal of everyday. A person with a chiseled midsection does not consume: • Refined sugar • Alcohol (with the exception of the occasional glass of red wine) • Junk food • Fast food • Simple carbohydrates • Sauces • Most dairy products • Trans fats • Saturated fats • Salt

At this point you may be thinking, “Is it worth it?” That is a fair question and one that only you can answer. Chiseled abs is not for the faint of heart. If they were easy to obtain, everyone would have them. This is where you have to ask yourself, do I want gorgeous abs more than I want to eat the foods above? If a person with fabulous abs does not eat any of the foods listed above, what then do they eat?

14.

FitnessX.com Magazine • JUNE 2011

- Lean protein

- Healthy unsaturated fats

- Complex carbohydrates

- A variety of vegetables

- Fresh fruit

- Plenty of water

Sexy-6 Pack Diet would look something like this:

Meal 1 1/3-1/2 cup oatmeal • 2 ounces mixed berries • 3 egg whites

Meal 2 1 Tablespoon natural peanut butter and a medium apple

Meal 3 3 ounces of grilled chicken breast 2 ounces of brown rice • 2 ounces of mixed vegetables

Meal 4 A favorite protein shake with minimal carbs and at least 20 grams of protein

Meal 5 3 ounces of tilapia • 3 ounces of baked sweet potato

Meal 6 3 ounces of turkey breast • 1 low carb wrap • 2 ounces of mixed vegetables

Cardio While a clean diet is the most important aspect to acquiring sexy abs, cardio can also be an integral part of the equation. Chances are you are probably already doing cardio and yet you’re not seeing the results you want. The fact is that our bodies are pretty amazing machines and they adapt very quickly to our routines. If you’ve been doing the same cardio routine for a long duration of time, you’re probably not seeing much, if any results. So, what do you do? Confuse your body! The main idea is change not only WHAT you do, but HOW you do it. If you typically run a long time at a moderate pace, run fast in short bursts. Do plyometrics, bike, stair-climb, elliptical…just keep your body guessing. If your body cannot adapt, it will keep using your fat for fuel and your abs will be revealed. Weight training It is a common misnomer that to have a beautifully sculpted midsection means to perform endless sets of burning crunches. The abdominal muscles are no different than any other muscle and require no special training method. And truthfully, many seasoned athletes will say they never, or very rarely, perform abdominal exercises. That is because their core is strong and sexy due to the myriad compound exercises they already perform. However, if you’re a novice or a veteran looking to enhance your abs development, here are a few of my favorite challenging abdominal exercises: *If you’re a novice, perform 3 sets of 10 of the following exercises twice a week *If you’re a veteran, perform 5 sets of 20 of the following exercise three to four times a week Vertical Leg Crunch (for added benefit squeeze a stability ball between your feet as you raise your legs)

Summer

Taylor

graduate of Purdue with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, high school Biology, Anatomy and Physiology teacher, published fitness model and author, national-level NPC athlete, certified personal trainer. She is deeply passionate about fitness and motivating others to be the best they can be inside and out. She accredits this intrinsic desire

- Plank

- Hanging leg raises

for self-growth as the driving force behind her

- Extended arm crunches

- Stability ball crunches

success in education and the fitness industry.

With perseverance and discipline, a set of sexy 6-pack abs can be yours. But don’t just strive for sexy abs; consider how good you’ll feel about yourself when you’re able to say, “I did that!” I said, “No!” to dessert and I said, “Yes, to lean meats and fresh vegetables.” Not only will you look better but you’ll also feel like a new you, inside and out. Nothing creates more confidence in an individual than pushing past one’s own perceived weaknesses. And nothing is sexier than a strong, confident woman with kitchen-made abs.

She has developed a love for human psychology and she is very intrigued by human motivation. She writes to educate, inspire, motivate and light a fire within the reader. Photo Credit: Dan Ray

JUNE 2011 • FitnessX.com Magazine

15.

Hit

Plateau INGRID

with YOUR

leg workouts?

TELLS YOU

HOW TO

WRITTEN BY

OVERCOME IT !!!

INGRID ROMERO

PHOTOS BY

NOEL DAGANTA

Plateaus are a very common problem that people have--- from athletes to the everyday person trying to lose a few pounds. A plateau is when you have been

exercising for a while and your fitness level doesn't seem to change. You will experience a period of stability, can't lose or gain more weight or you just can't seem to get that leaner look. The amount of weight you can lift or the amount of reps you can do doesn't seem to be changing. All of these examples are what we call a plateau. There are several tools you can use to overcome this problem. First and foremost, you must continuously progress in your exercises and routines. Every exercise has a progression to it. Whether it be increasing the weights or manipulating how you do the exercise (progressively making it harder). Continuous increases in training volume, intensity and variation in your routine will result in greater fitness, weight loss and a decrease in body fat percentage. You then must allow for adequate recovery. Recovery is overlooked by many in the fitness industry, especially athletes who constantly have to push themselves to get to the next level. Many of us will only focus on our cardio, reps, sets, etc. Improvements in fitness actually occur during the recovery period between workouts. Positive physiological adaptations to exercise will occur when the alternation between stress and recovery is properly timed. What that means is--- if your recovery is not adequate, you will become fatigued and your ability to adapt to subsequent workouts will decline. So make sure you get your rest days in there. I know this may be hard for some of you, but it will benefit you and help you overcome these plateau problems. Your body is very efficient at what it does and can adapt quickly to doing the same things over and over again. This, in turn, will cause you to plateau. The key is to be creative and constantly change and manipulate your routines. By changing things up and getting adequate rest you are sure to overcome any plateaus that might come your way. If you have ever experienced a plateau with your leg routine, there are some effective ways to bust through them. Here are some of my favorite leg workouts that target the glutes!!!

SUMO SQUAT

The sumo squat is a safe and effective exercise that targets your inner thighs and glutes. In addition, the move can be performed anywhere and is easily modified for use with or without free weights. Get your butt and legs burning by following these steps. Begin with your feet wider than shoulders width apart, toes pointed out and knees over the toes (think of a sumo wrestling stance). Keep your back straight, chest out and abs tight throughout the move. Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Focus on sitting down rather than bending your legs to avoid straining the knees. Keep your weight on your heels throughout the exercise while maintaining a straight posture. Push off with your heels at the bottom of your move, squeezing your glutes and inner thighs until you are back in the starting position. Once you have completed the squat, check your alignment and start again.

STEP UPS WITH A KICKBACK 2.

Step up exercises are extremely simple, yet very effective exercises for the glutes. The higher the platform, the better will be the result.

A. 16.

For step ups, place one foot on a step or an elevated platform, and then without taking any support from your body or hands, use the power of your legs and butt to lift your body up to stand on the platform on one foot. Keep the opposite leg nice and straight and extend it back while squeezing the glute.

SPEED SKATERS

Speed skaters are a great lower body exercise that incorporate an explosive lateral movement and involve just about all the major muscles in the body. The calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, and GLUTES are all working hard to propel the body from side to side, while the upper body helps to drive you from side to side. The core and low back are also working to stabilize you during the lateral movement. It is important to develop lateral musculature, including the abductors and adductors in the glute and hip region, as a weak hip complex is often the source of back pain. Jump from side to side, landing on one leg and swinging arms with each jump. Sweep your free leg behind the planted leg and the matching arm across your body to the ground near the toe of the plant foot on each landing. This is a lateral move, so keep your body low to the ground, knees bent and don't jump up too high. It’s all about jumping laterally, so make it good.

LUNGES WITH BACK FOOT ON A BOSU 4.

Lunges on a BOSU add a balancing challenge to the ordinary demands of a lunge. The micro-adjustments your muscles need to make to keep you balanced over the ball make this a tough exercise for even the strongest and most experienced lungers. By putting your body in an unstable environment, you are forced to recruit more muscles to perform this exercise. With eyes looking forward and back straight, place one foot behind you on the center of the BOSU. With feet should width apart, your front foot should be far enough forward so that the knee does not pass the ankle as you are lunging down. Inhale as you bend the front leg and bring the hips towards the ground. Do not lean forward. Your back leg on the BOSU should bend slightly until the knee touches the BOSU. As you bend your front knee, your thigh and lower leg will form a right angle. Do not let the front knee extend over your ankle and foot and be sure to keep your back and neck straight. Before you exhale, pause briefly. Slowly lift the body by straightening the front leg. As you straighten the back leg get a good squeeze in the glute. Complete a full set with one leg and switch legs when the set is complete. You can also add a weight in each hand for an added resistance. JUNE 2011 • FitnessX.com Magazine

17.

Ingrid Romero

Noel Daganta

Photo by:

Fitness components that will help you

MAXIMIZE YOUR RESULTS WRITTEN BY

JOHN CARTER

The Health & Fitness industry keeps growing day in and day out, as everybody is trying to achieve a certain goal. Whether it is to lose weight, build more mass, prepare for a show or just live a healthier lifestyle, everybody’s concern is to achieve the body of their dreams; and it all comes to being consistence and dedicated to your work out regime. The training you put in will determine the body that you will achieve. Strive on maximizing your sets, reps, and workout routines for the best results. But most importantly, besides your training, know the basics that will help you become more effective at the gym. Moving on to the training regime, your training has to be changed every 2-3 weeks to avoid hitting the wall of plateau. The human body has the tendency to get used to the training. To avoid that, change your sets, reps, and workouts to keep your body guessing and obtain quicker results, muscle growth and overall body definition. Are you training effectively? I will be sharing with you the key fitness components that will help you throughout your training, to obtain overall body wellness, the right and healthy way.

1. Muscle endurance:

2. Muscle strength:

3. Cardiovascular Endurance:

4. Flexibility Training:

Muscle endurance is the ability to contract a muscle many times. It’s also a great fitness training method that can help you get a solid overall body definition, for your lower body & upper body. It consists of using light weight with a high level of reps, between 15 and 20. When choosing the weight, make sure it’s not too light or too heavy, but average weight for you to be able to do the reps; and of course, while performing the reps, use correct form. The motion of the exericse can be explosive or passive. How is muscle endurance measured? By the length of time a muscle can continue to exert without the muscle becoming fatigued.

Cardiovascular endurance is another great important method of training that will help you lose the extra pounds that you are looking to drop. Cardiovascular endurance consists in the ability of the body activity, which also depends on the respiritory system to meet the energy demands of the body. You might be wondering, what are some great cardiovascular training work outs? I will share with you a few effective ones: plyometrics, high intensity interval training, spinning (lower body strength), and crossfit (hardcore cardiovascular training that targets your lower body & upper body at once). How often should you do cardio? Usually focus on doing cardio at least everyday of the week, and taking the weekends off. If you are doing high interval training as your cardiovascular endurance, you should do it for at least 30 minutes, as the length time it is called duration. Intensity: Regarding the intensity level of your cardiovascular training you should always be at full force and not slow pace. You want to shock your body with a new routine, as your respiritory level will become accustomed to your cardio endurance training.

Muscle strength is one of the most used ways of training that can help you obtain muscle growth or as they call it - “muscle mass.” So what exactly does muscle strength mean? When the body is put through an “overload” phase, it’s making the body do more than it has done, the body will adapt to the training and your performance will improve throughout a week of doing this method of training. The training for this fitness regime is heavy weight and fewer reps. You should be focusing between 8-12 reps per set. Remember while lifting heavy, focus on your form to avoid any injuries.

Flexibility training is one of the most important factors in the fitness industry. Without flexibility, we wouldn’t be able to perform all the important and major movements we do while we train. Flexibility is the range of movement in the skeletal joint and most important to have proper alignment, posture and efficient movement. Why is it so important to stay flexible? Maintaining proper joint flexibility will help you avoid any injuries and most important-- joint injuries. When a body part has been stretched suddenly, the muscle fibers work in a tricky way; when the muscle has passed over a joint that is inflexible, a tear can occcur. Focus on stretching slowly, not too far, not too fast and no bouncing. With time, you will become more flexible. Remember not to go beyond a normal range of motion, and, of course, always avoid stretching to the point that you are feeling pain.

What is an effective way of stretching before, during and after your workout?

The answer to that is Static Stretching. This method of training should be used to improve your flexiblity, when you perform a safe and effective stretch, holding the stretch for at least 15 seconds then hold off as the muscle will relax & switch to the new stretch holding it for another 15 seconds. This will help you relieve any soreness or stiffness in the muscle for better performance in the gym.

Flexibilty Training Exercise Examples:

Pilates & Yoga- These are great exercises that target your upper body and lower body. Providing slow movements that will help you become more flexible giving you the strength needed for the next time you train. Your core will be targeted 100% while doing this type of training.

Now that you have the 4 main components to help you improve your physique, Train hard & Train smart to obtain it. It is never too late to keep improving and reaching the body of your dreams! Moving on to the training regime, your training has to be changed every 2-3 weeks to avoid hitting the wall of plateau. The human body has the tendency to get used to the training. To avoid that, change your sets, reps, and workouts to keep your body guessing and obtain quicker results, muscle growth and overall body definition. Are you training effectively? I will be sharing with you the key fitness components that will help you throughout your training, to obtain overall body wellness, the right and healthy way. John Carter is a Published Fitness Model, International & National Fitness Columnist & Fitness Consultant. John has been involved in the Fitness industry for 5 years and his passion towards this industry is to help, inspire and motivate others live a healthier lifestyle by bringing a variety of Health & Fitness content that will help you reach the body of your dreams. "Train Hard & Train Smart" For more information, visit John at: Website: www.johncarterfitness.com, Twitter: www.twitter.com/johncfitness and Facebook: www.facebook.com/JohnCarterfitness "Global Fitness, Helping the World Live Healthy & Stay Healthy." Photo Credit: Noel Daganta

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FitnessX.com Magazine • JUNE 2011

G N I N I A O V E RT R

Written By

WBFF Pro Male Fitness World Champion and "The World's Most Ripped Fitness Model" Obi Obadike, B.A., B.S., M.S. & CPT

rom the time that I could ever remember working out, I’ve always trained very hard, only to find out I was overtraining. I thought that by training 6 to 7 days a week for 3 hours a day that I would be able to build muscle faster than the next person. It took me years to figure out that I was overtraining and I wasn’t giving my body enough time to recover. Your muscles don’t repair its body when its training, it repairs its body when it is resting. Some of the warning signs and symptoms of overtraining is pain in muscles and joints, general aches and pains, mild to serious leg soreness, headaches and many incidents of injuries. If you are experiencing any of this it means that you are overtraining and you need to give your body rest. If your body is sore, it’s okay to take one or two days off to allow your body to recover. Taking a day or two days off from the gym doesn’t mean that you aren’t going to accomplish your fitness goals.

Photo by:

Mike Bverly

Listen to your body if you aren’t in tune with your body, then you are prone to a lot of injuries and you’ll never improve your physique because you won’t know when to turn up the intensity or when to turn it down. If you honestly recognize any warning signs of overtraining, then it is important to objectively measure your training routine and make adjustments before you end up injuring yourself. Take it from somebody who used to train 6 to 7 days a week for 3 hours a day for so many years. Anybody that trains that long in the gym and spends that many days a week in the gym is clearly overtraining. Your fitness goals by training this way will not progress any faster. Sometimes less is better for muscle growth and fat loss. As a young teenager, I was a very skinny kid and I thought if I lived in the gym then that would help me build muscle quicker. What I didn’t realize was that my goals weren’t going to happen overnight and that it takes time to build a lean muscular physique. It didn’t matter how long and how much time I spent in the gym, my physique was not going to improve any faster. Remember, when you are training in the gym, it’s about being efficient with your time and the longer you stay in there does not mean your body will look better. In fact, overtraining in the gym is incredibly counterproductive and your gains will not be more than someone that spends half the time you do. Remember--- It’s about being smarter in the gym, not longer! Obi is one of the top male fitness models in the world. He is also the WBFF World Champion and Muscle-Pharm sponsored athlete. He is a world renowned fitness expert columnist for more than 9 fitness magazines globally. His passion in the industry is to help educate people all over the world live healthy lives through his numerous fitness columns. He is identified and branded in the industry as the World's Most Ripped Fitness model. Photo Credit: Noel Daganta

JUNE 2011 • FitnessX.com Magazine

21.

LIVING

for

“What do you do?”

Success WRITTEN by

STEPHANIE MAHOE

When meeting someone for the first time, this question is usually asked after “What is your name?” It has caused me to ponder how society has somehow deemed a J.O.B. to encompass “what we do” as people. Although, I understand what is meant by the question, I also believe we are all very dynamic individuals and most of us “do” a lot. We do things for fun, we do things that put us in a position to earn money, and we do things that earn us money. My point is simply that I believe there is more to a person’s success than any job title could provide. These following suggestions have helped me to feel successful in all areas of my life.

Define Yourself

Through

Daily Actions

The reason the question, “What do you do?” has caused so much thought for me, is because for the first time in my life when people ask me that question, I don’t have a definitive job title to reply with. And frankly, I like that. I am not defined as a person by a label. Instead, I have defined myself through my daily actions. I have gotten to know myself better, focus on my dreams and goals, and pursue them passionately… EVERYDAY. Sure, I have been blessed with job labels in the past, and they are important and necessary for survival in society. I am even pursuing education that will eventually give me the label of “nurse.” However, I will never feel that my career as a “nurse” summarizes who I am and what I “do.”

Work Hard So, what is it that I do? I may not have a title or a typical J.O.B at the moment, but I do know I WORK. And I work hard. I work diligently every day. In many ways, I feel I work harder now than I did when I had a definitive job title. It’s not work in the conventional sense, but I know that every day I accomplish things, and every day I am mentally and physically exhausted when my head hits my pillow. Knowing that I give my all to everything I do makes me feel successful, no matter what the outcome of a situation may be.

Have Patience I am a mom every day and I love it. That could be a job in itself, which I do with pride with a desire to be the best parent I can be. Parenting is not always easy, and being a good parent is even harder and more exhausting. Of course there are days when I’m frustrated, days when I lose my patience, and days when I have a slight desire to bang my head against the wall. However, there is no amount of work or any category of any job, which will ever be as important to me as the role of being a parent. Patience helps me be a successful parent. It also helps me on the days when I may miss a workout, or sneak a little bite of something that wasn’t on my meal plan. Having patience with ourselves on our “bad” days will keep us from getting overwhelmed, frustrated, and giving up. 22.

FitnessX.com Magazine • JUNE 2011

Set Goals

and

Develop Habits

People often ask that question, “What do you do?” and they expect to hear some type of career or answer similar to it. I do use the “student” or “fitness model” response from time to time. Yet when I really think about it, I know that the majority of the “work” I do at the moment is to accomplish my life goals. I look at everything I do, whether it’s working out, prepping my food, researching various fitness ideas, exploring opportunities, modeling, or networking, as “work.” Its work I enjoy immensely, but its still work. I may not sit behind a desk from 9 to 5 (I wouldn’t want to do that anyways), but I am never sitting still---Neither physically, nor figuratively. Part of that is purely intrinsic chemistry. I feel lazy and guilty if I’m still for too long. Besides, even when I force myself to sit down and relax for a bit, my mind is usually spinning constantly, conjuring up the next avenue I should explore. This can be a little annoying at times, and I wish I could shut it off, but I know that the momentum of my thoughts, whether big or small, have created habits and actions that will allow me to achieve my goals. This is because I view every action as a stepping-stone.

Use all

the

HEALTH - FITNESS - WELLNESS

EVENTS

Arnold Classic 2011

Kat Painter · Jennifer Nicole Lee · Leha Long

Stepping-Stones

I have used competing in the NPC as an avenue to expand my modeling career, but I wouldn’t be as successful in that regard, if I hadn’t paid attention to the stepping-stones that paved that road for me. The diet and rigorous exercise coupled with marketing myself has been crucial. Embracing every opportunity, whether seemingly little or big, has helped me to further myself in the fitness industry. It’s important to never lose sight of the fact that each and every action is equally important to get to the destination. We must keep the end in mind because as actions accumulate, goals are achieved, and success is furthered.

Amy Barnes and BillyBow

Make Things Happen The most important thing I “do” is I LIVE. I don’t sit my butt on the couch and wait for things to happen. I make things happen. I seek them out and I strive to attain goals, whatever they may be at the present moment. Laziness is a huge pet peeve of mine. And by that, I don’t mean the lazy Sunday mornings when we stay in our PJS’s a little longer and watch movies until noon. That type of lazy is healthy. It refreshes the spirit, mind and the body. The type of lazy that drives me crazy is the laziness that has infiltrated our society; the passionless, unmotivated, and socially acceptable form of lazy. This is the lazy that prevents people from achieving the things they really want in life. I hear it all the time; “I want to lose weight. I want to go back to college and finish my degree. I want to learn how to snowboard. I want, I want, I want. “ So just DO! I sat back and “wanted” things for a while too. The things I wanted never happened though. Funny how that works, huh? It’s when you stop only “wanting” and start “doing,” that things start falling into place and success is achieved.

Kat Painter and Greg Plitt

Stephanie Mahoe is a Bikini/Fitness Model, NPC Competitive Athlete, and Nursing Student. She is also a sponsored member of the Vitrix Model Team for Nutrex Research, Inc. She loves turning dreams into reality and inspiring others to achieve their own personal bests thru hard work and dedication. Photo Credit: Sarah Picturegroove

Kat Painter and Monica Brant 23.

Stress

under Duress!! "You can't pRAy hard enough to get away from this pain"

Sherry Goggin, MS. FITNESS AMERICA Certified PROPTA TRAINER, www.PROPTA.COM

WRITTEN By

ave you ever been in an overwhelming situation??? One that is so far over your head, and out of your control, that you say to yourself, if I can just get out of this dilemma, I promise I will never do anything this stupid again!!! Or maybe you pray to a higher power? “Oh God, if you get me out of this jam, I promise I will be a better person!!” Why is it that people wait until they are in dire straits to look for help from a higher power??? Recently, I have been involved in the mixed martial arts scene. What an incredibly tough way to make a living!!! These guys run into the cage, circle their opponent, sign the cross, say a quick prayer for victory or to hope they do not get seriously injured, then proceed to hammer each other into oblivion. That sport makes hockey and football look easy!!! Now, if you have been paying attention, the winner usually thanks God or makes the sign of the cross again after a victory. On the other hand, the loser just walks out rejected, never signing the cross and not very thankful that he even made it to the UFC or Strike Force. Doesn’t that seem weird??? They already attained great success just being invited to the big show, yet they feel as if they were let down by God because they lost??? How about preparing better? DO NOT FORGET THE 5 P’S.

PROPER PREPARATION PREVENTS POOR PERFORMANCE!!! I wonder what goes through the

guy’s head who is getting his head pummeled onto the mat. Do you think it goes like this? “Please God, get me out of this mess and I will train harder next time.”

Photo by:

Chris Mongberg

I could get into several examples where athletes take their talent for granted only to find themselves sitting at home rejected after the loss of the big game. The best example, in 2011, was the Pittsburgh Steelers tragedy. In my opinion, except for recent injuries, they should have won the Super Bowl. The week before should have included a traveling nutritionist, a strength coach, and watching endless film on the opponent. Instead, the whole world saw Big Ben taking the entire offensive line to a strip club, only to lose miserably. I could not believe that I saw some of the players crying or looking like deer in head lights. What did you expect would happen when you are partying while the other team is preparing? The worse part is you know half of the guys were looking up saying please just let me have this one thing, and I promise I will never ask you for anything again! LOL! Remember neither God, nor the Devil, can change free will. If you choose not to prepare for the challenges life has in store for you, do not be disappointed with a less than perfect outcome. This world is becoming very competitive. In order to become a professional athlete in today’s market place, one has to be mentally, physically, and spiritually on top of their game. Go out there and LEAD, not FOLLOW.

24.

FitnessX.com Magazine • JUNE 2011

Prayer is God’s way for us to obtain what we need. James 4:12 - “You do not have because you do not ask” Nothing is too big or too small to bring to God in Prayer. God has wired this universe so that his children get certain delightful things only by asking for them. There are also many great blessings that come from seeing our prayers answered.

Powerful Scriptures to Guide you. James 2:6 “But let him ask in faith with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” Psalms 119:133 “Direct my steps by Your word and let no inequity have dominion over me.” Matthew 11:23 “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, “Be removed and be cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” Matthew 17:20 “Because you have so little faith, I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there” and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Sherry Goggin, Ms. Fitness America, reigns as The Most Photographed Fitness model in history. Goggin shines as author, producer and role model for women everywhere and she is currently in the new National Wendy's Commercial and featured and hosting LA MUSCLE TV, www. lamuscle.tv/player/hollywoodextra/49 The word in the fitness industry is all about Fit Girl Wear created by Sherry Goggin. Bright, articulate and full of energy, Sherry Goggin has broken the stereotype of the fitness model to become an author, producer, fitness guru, Clothes designer and just about anything else she puts her mind to. Sherry Goggin is the definitive version of a 'renaissance woman' and once she sets her mind to something, nothing gets in her way. And right now, she has her mind set on being a success. While Goggin is a fitness expert, her real strengths may lie in the area of being a top-notch business entrepreneur. From owning Gold's gyms and Dynasty Women's fitness centers to Health Food stores and Alternative Motorsports companies, Sherry Goggin has virtually done it all. Sherry G. also acts as VP and director of the women's fitness division of the Private Trainers association, www. propta.com, and is also the head of the sales division for Fit Gum. www. fitgum.net. Currently, Sherry Goggin has a number of projects in the works. Sherry also has a new clothing line, Fit Girl Wear that is available for purchase now. Also ready to rock is Sherry's newest DVD, "My Life in a Bikini", A Bill Dobbins Production and her new Calendar by George Kontaxis. All of Sherry's merchandise is available for purchase at any of her websites including www.SherryGoggin.com, www.myspace.com/sherrygoggin, www.facebook.com/sherrygoggin and www.modelmayhem. com/ sherrygoggin. Photo Credit: Nicholson Studios

JUNE 2011 • FitnessX.com Magazine

25.

THE PREPARATION GUIDE POST-COMPETITION LIFESTYLE Written by

o you have finally made up your mind to enter your first figure, bikini, fitness model competition. You’ve talked to other competitors, read about contest preparation, studied the diets of your admired competitors you look up to, chosen the show you want to do, and hired a trainer. Your confidence is high and your mind is firmly focused on walking on that stage and taking home the trophy. But then, the competition has come and gone….now what? Are you prepared for what happens after the contest? Now comes the post-contest rebound, also known as the ‘post-contest blues’. Are you familiar with the term “yo-yo” dieting? It is a proven fact that you will gain weight after you stop the highly restrictive diet that you are required to achieve. It is a consequence that is almost never talked about, and therefore, rarely anticipated. Extremely low body fat levels are needed to be competitive. Strict competition diets and training programs work, even for non-competitors, but the extreme results can’t and shouldn’t last forever. Anyone who is considering entering a competition should be prepared to deal with the physical and, more importantly, the emotional impact of returning to a more normal eating program and physique. The goal of pre-contest dieting is to lose as much fat as possible, and to achieve this, most competitors undergo a highly restricted eating and exercise plan that starts 12 to 16 weeks before the competition. As the intensity of the pre-contest diet increases, the competitor’s mind compiles a list of foods that she can’t wait to eat when the show is over. Most athletes want to celebrate, or simply reward months of sacrifice with a feast right after the competition. Some will take their indulgence a step further and immediately resume an off-season diet. This then leads to cutting back on the cardio or stopping altogether, and decreasing the intensity of weight training sessions and/or stopping completely. Such an abrupt change in eating patterns and workout schedules will shock the body and cause a rebound effect. While enduring a calorie-restricted diet, a competitor’s body tends to go into a starvation-survival mode, which subsequently causes the metabolism to slow down. At this point, when you start to eat a few more calories, the body will quickly store them as fat, stocking up for the next famine. Within a couple of days, that hard, lean appearance will smooth out and you will regain body fat and retain water. This is the very same effect that many conventional dieters experience. Although the physical effects of diet rebounding could be harmful if taken to the extreme, perhaps the more significant impact is the psychological one. To a figure, bikini or bodybuilding competitor, this kind of rebound can be emotionally devastating. Even though you may only rebound to half as much body fat as you started with, that small increase may feel like an enormous increase and you feel as fat at 10% as you did at 20%. 26.

FitnessX.com Magazine • JUNE 2011

Patty Wilson

Rebounding is the reality. It is normal. In fact, it is a mistake to believe that one can achieve and sustain a sharp, competition look year-round. Unfortunately, for women, there are many health risks associated with having too little body fat. Some of the most common are loss of the menstrual cycle, hypothermia, vitamin toxicity, and osteoporosis to name a few. As an athlete, you must go into a competition knowing that you are going to achieve a temporary condition of leanness, but you need to accept that your body fat will return to a more natural level. With this in mind, prepare yourself for a smooth transition by taking the discipline you have gained from dieting and training for competition into a healthy program that can be maintain for life. To maintain your physique after a competition, you should base your diet on small, frequent feedings, consume adequate protein to maintain muscle mass and incorporate the right type and amount of carbohydrate and fat calories to meet your energy needs. Even if your intentions are to stay lean after a contest, when you start eating more normally, your brain is going to turn up your appetite. The body doesn’t know the difference between true starvation and the purposeful withholding of food. Have an exit strategy with a formula that will work for you. For example, when the competition is over, celebrate and eat whatever you want that night and for brunch the next day. But on Monday, resume your clean eating, except for a “cheat day” once per week. Slowly add back small portions of “normal” food, continue with your cardio and weight training, and strive to stay within 10-15 lbs. of your competition weight. Remember that you have achieved and accomplished a huge goal, stay focused and positive! I am speaking and writing this from my own experience. If you would like to contact me, I can be reached at pattywilsonfitness@hotmail.com Patty Wilson has 15 years of training and education in the fitness industry as a passionate certified personal trainer and group fitness/cycling instructor. She is a sponsored athlete for Optimum Nutrition and American Bodybuilding, FMI graduate, and a published fitness model. She has been competing in figure and bikini for three years winning her figure class and most recently, won in figure at the 2011 Orange County Muscle Classic. Patty is a native of Arizona and currently resides in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area.

HEALTH - FITNESS - WELLNESS

Gym Review

CorePower Yoga LifeStyle Programs

oga is now an official permanent fixture in American fitness programming. It is no longer only for the purists, everyone can find some benefit in the practice of yoga. New classes, studios, and modalities are popping up all the time, and it can be difficult to keep track of what differentiates one from the other. Why should you practice Jivamukti or Hatha or Ashtanga or Bikram or Anusara or Laughing or Power or Yin? Unless you have been trained by a yogi, some of these terms may not have much meaning. If you want to try yoga and enter into a dynamic and powerful program, Core Power Yoga is a "must-do!" With very distinct offerings, you will be intrigued, motivated and inspired to experience the Core Power Yoga styles and perspectives. Just browse through their website and you will find interesting information and a yoga studio that is more than an average class! Starting with the beginner’s yoga descriptions, you will learn their process is more about intuition than strict practice; it is about strength, sweat, and spiritiuality. All with the intention of helping you find the practice and schedule that works for the beginner. Once you have read the introduction and are ready to get to a studio, just click on the free week class pass and let the experience begin! If you'd like to completely immerse yourself, try the CorePower Yoga LifeStyle Programs, where each program is customized to meet you where you are in your nutritional, physical, yoga and personal goals. Retreats to the Rocky

Written by Camille Finley

Mountains and Mexico, take you to paradise, and re-energize your body and spirit! Or try the seasonal http://www. corepoweryoga.com/YogaProgramsRetreats/WellnessCleanse.aspx Wellness Cleanse which is a guided, natural yogic cleanse to help you identify and appreciate real and nutritious foods. Combined with Ayurveda and alternative medicine, you can learn to eat smarter, feel better & live longer. Additional programs include LiveLean, and BootCamp classes, both designed to move you beyond your potential to meet your last 10 lbs. goal or to energize your metabolism and take you to new heights. Beyond attending classes, you will also become a part of the CoreYoga Community, which is equally as stimulating as the classes. Connect with other yogis, chat with the instructors, get motivation tips, posture descriptions and breakdowns, and all the news about the latest CorePower happenings. Also, "Yoga on Demand" is an incredible tool to use if you can't make a class, or are traveling or have other commitments. Their extensive library features over 70 yoga videos in a wide range of styles and

experience levels. Whether you are a complete beginner or have years of experience, CorePower Yoga on Demand can be a vital tool for your yoga practice. Within other dynamic library, you can search by category, title, instructor, time as well as keywords. Yoga on Demand offers a range of membership options including a free week-long trial, a monthly recurring membership, a three month recurring membership, or a 6 month or year-long membership at http://www.corepoweryoga.com If you just need a yoga boost for the day, the yoga podcast is an excellent resource to keep you connected. "Asana of the month" keeps your practice fresh and new even if you are away!! To sign-up for their newsletter, click on www.corepoweryoga.com/newslettersignup.aspx To find more of their locations, just type in CorePower Yoga, they have over 60 locations in the US, so finding a studio should definitely be a priority!! Or, if nothing else, be sure to follow them on Facebook and Twitter!! Namaste!

Camille S. Finley, MBA, MPH is owner of “Fitness By Camille. Her program “Sweat Motivation” provides training services to individuals, corporations and natural physique competitors, empowering her clients towards better mind and body health. Using techniques from Eastern and Western philosophies, Camille has helped people both nationally and internationally realize and achieve their fitness potential. Her current study in Public Health focuses on lifestyle factors that affect brain health, including cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. Recognizing that good nutrition, strong bodies and an active mind are essential for living a healthy life, Camille enjoys cooking healthy tasty recipes that enhance both the body and brain. To learn more connect with her on Facebook: @Camille Finley or Brain Fitness: @ www.bodyproud.org or Twitter: @sweatmotivation.

JUNE 2011 • FitnessX.com Magazine

27.

WRITTEN BY:

times a day. I usually have a pre-workout protein shake, oatmeal and bananas or hat is what this past month has strawberries for breakfast, a salad/soup/ focused on- RUNNING!!! How I still hate or sandwich for lunch (making lunch my it, but I guess I will have to love it, es- biggest meal), chicken or fish with pasta pecially when September rolls around or brown rice with broccoli or asparagus and I am competing in the LA Olympic for dinner, and then a smoothie or protein Triathlon. Workout schedules have now shake for later in the day. I have noticed changed to early morning wakeup calls- my body rejects certain food that it did 5am. I now go to the gym 3 times a not in the past like, Taco Bell and someweek in 90-minute sessions. I start with times even Subway. I get the same retreadmill, biking, and stepping for the first action with some alcohol. Moderation is 30 minutes, then onto weights. I have definitely key and I have learned that. 1 session dedicated to legs, 1 to chest, On the acting front, the TV series Six Figabs, and shoulders, and the other to bi- ures has been all over the internet. I am ceps, triceps, and back. It seems to have a Russian model, named Henrietta. Yes, been working nicely. I am noticing for the Henrietta! This comedy takes me in the first time in my life that my lower abs are opposite direction of life, but it has been forming. I can see an 8-pack coming by fun. July. It has been a difficult challenge for Besides an upcoming trip to Europe and me, as it has for most people. My last 30 Africa, I am finishing my 10th season as a minutes is a cool down with more cardio. motivational speaker. The July issue will On the days I am not in the gym, I am focus on my escapades in another part either running around Silverlake Reservoir of the world. My goal is to swim in the or biking my 40 miles one day out of the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, and the week. On May 15, 2011, I competed in Straits of Gilbraltar. I have already conmy 2nd 10K-the Santa Monica Classic. I quered the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Iodid beat my previous race, the Pasadena nian, Aegean, Baltic Seas, and ,of course, 10K, by 7 minutes. I came in at 58:40. the Pacific Ocean. Check out the July isLike I have already stated, long distance sue of FitnessX.com Magazine as well running is one of my weakest sports, but as my website- markozog.com for more I am proud that I did it in under an hour. updates on Mark Ozog- actor, adventurer, Going back to my training for the tri- humanitarian, and world traveler! athlon, I rest 2 days out of the week. This is great recovery time. What I have lacked in has been my swimming routine, Mark, 'Oz' Ozog is an actor, but I will focus on this more in the next motivational speaker, triathlete, few months as the weather warms up. world traveler, writer, and an As far as my dietary needs, I am eating avid fan of FitnessX.com. more and always hungry. I am eating 5 28.

FitnessX.com Magazine • JUNE 2011

MARK OZOG

“Preparation IS the key

success”

THE

GOLDEN NUGGETS

MOTIVATION

Leha Long‘s Receipes VE GGIE S

ON THE

GRI L L

WRITTEN BY: MITCHIE DE LEON

otivation is the fuel that leads to achieving goals. Sounds simple and yet many individuals lose the momentum to maintain a high level of motivation to follow through. Don’t give up. There is hope! After achieving my own weight loss transformation by losing 85 lbs., I learned that staying motivated to continue each day to reach a goal could be tough. After all, if it were an easy task to lose weight, America wouldn’t be battling with a high rate of obesity. Throughout my weight loss journey, I learned that there are several important golden nuggets to keep in mind daily to stay motivated.

GOLDEN NUGGET

> Have realistic goals.

Maintaining a high level of motivation involves having a goal that is practical and realistic. It wouldn’t be practical or sustainable to try and lose 50 lbs in a month. Set short-term goals that are attainable. Rather, strive to lose no more than 2 lbs per week. Your body needs time to adjust to the changes in your diet and exercise regimen. Every time you reach a short-term goal, the sense of accomplishment will continue to fuel your goals.

GOLDEN NUGGET

> Surround yourself with positive influence. Ever heard of the term, “Birds of a feather flock together?” When I decided I wanted to compete in the NPC bikini division, one of the first things I did was seek fitness-minded individuals through social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and Bodyspace on http://www.bodybuilding.com. I looked for everyone who either competed, were trainers, fitness models or loved living a fit lifestyle. I believed that if I surrounded myself with those who have the same goals, I’d continue to learn new things that would allow me to grow in the area of fitness and health. It was one of the best things I could do for myself. Now I have made many friends virtually online and have met many of them at NPC shows! Their support has been phenomenal because they understand the commitment, dedication and disciplines involved with competing and are a huge encouragement to my success.

GOLDEN NUGGET

> Know you’re worth the investment. There are so many factors that may hinder your motivation to follow through and cause you to give up. It could be the lack of money to pay for a gym membership, fear of failing or a number of reasons. Seek alternative ways to exercise. Beaches, parks and recreation centers are free or offer free classes. Take advantage of these free resources. The only people who fail are those who don’t try. Invest in yourself by believing you are worth it. It’s not a selfish act. I believe the more you invest in improving your mind and body; you are able to offer the best of yourself to your friends, family and to the world. Remember, when you set realistic goals, commit to it and do it. You will soon see results and your motivation will remain high.

Now that summer is approaching more of us will be using the grill ! I lov e to cook on the grill. T he taste is better and it 's nice being outdoors. H ere are some very simple recipes you can do right on the grill. Coo k a lot at once and make enough to last you for a whole wee k or a few days to save time!

Ingredients: · G r i l l e d O n i o n · G r i l l e d Ca rrots · G r i l l e d Sq u a s h , Zu c c h i n i a nd Eg g p la nt

Veggies Directions: G rilled Onion:

Ta ke one onion and p eel

it. C ore the onion and s pray it with about a tbs p. of oliv e oil. Place a bouillon cube in the center of the core and s prin kle with your fav orite saltfree seasonings . I f you don't want the sodium from the bouillon cube then eliminate this and only use the salt-free seasonings. Place the on ion in the middle of a s prayed p iece of aluminum foil and wrap the foil around the onion . Place the cov ered onion on the grill and coo k for about 30-45 minutes . This ta kes longer to coo k , so if you are coo king other v egetables coo k the onion first.

G rilled carrots :

Ta ke carrot stalk s and

s pray with oliv e oil. Sprin kle each carrot with your fav orite salt-free seasonings. You can place the carrots right on the grill instead of aluminum foil . C hec k them periodically and turn each carrot so they do not burn . I nsert a for k into a carrot and when the for k goes through they are ready to eat !

One of my favorite quotes I keep close to my heart is this, “Remain steadfast on your mission to getting lean, and you most definitely will.” Tim Wescott, competitive bodybuilder. My hope is that you will be enriched by these golden nuggets of motivation and apply it to your life goals. Please keep in touch with me. I’d love to share in your personal journey as you strive to reach your goals.

G rilled s q uash, zucchini, and egg p lant: Slice or dice each and p lace on to p zof aluminum foil and s pray with oli v e oil . S p rin k le with lemon juice and/ or low fat salad dressing and your fav orite salt-free seasonings . W ra p the aluminum foil on to p to cov er the v egeta bles. Place this on the grill and coo k for about

Mitchie De Leon is a fitness model, NPC bikini competitor, Cellucor transformation expert and weight loss warrior. She is dedicated to bring awareness to the importance of healthy living. While transforming her own body after her mom passed away in 2007 from health complications she lost over 75 lbs. Mitchie is an all-around fitness enthusiast who loves boxing, working out, riding her motorcycle and is a fan of clean eating. For more details visit her website at www.mitchiedeleon.com

25-30 minutes . U nco v er and chec k p eriodically and toss the v egetables to keep them from o v er coo king . Grilling is a quic k and easy way to coo k. Throw some lean protein on the grill and sweet potatoes , and you hav e your healthy meals for the entire wee k!

29.

Photo by:

Sarah Picturegroove

BUILD THE

BODY

BEAUTIFUL THE AND

FIT

HEALTHY

W AY

WRITTEN BY: FELICIA ROMERO

28.

FitnessX.com Magazine â&#x20AC;¢ JUNE 2011

utrition, training and supplementation are primary factors in my life when focusing on a fit and healthy lifestyle. Nutrition is extremely important when wanting to get healthy and change your body. It's probably the most important lifestyle change you can make. When it comes to nutrition, I believe in clean whole foods. I also believe in balance and structure and making sure the body gets the nutrients it needs. Eating 5-6 small meals a day is extremely important. This will not only speed up your metabolism, but it will also balance out insulin levels so that your hunger levels aren't all over the place. I really try to focus my time and energy into the type of macronutrients I'm eating as well. This comes in the form of protein, carbs and fats. I make sure that I'm eating protein at each meal and aim for a gram of protein per bodyweight. Always make sure to eat the complex carbs that are low glycemic...this includes oatmeal, yams and quinoa to name a few. Fats are equally important and will help you burn body fat as long as you are eating the right amounts. Aim for 2-3 servings of healthy fats a day. Without a CLEAN healthy diet, the body will not make the changes it needs to reach your desired fitness goals. First, write down your menu for the week. Second, cook your food and prep for the week so you are never unprepared without a meal or healthy option. Third, schedule a cheat meal once a week...remember everything in moderation. You only get your body once, so take care of it and treat it well with clean, healthy food! When it comes to training, I'm a "no frills" kind of girl. I've built my body and shaped it by sticking to the basics of weight lifting and cardio. Felicia's “Back to Basics” type work out is performing routine exercises that people have been performing for years. Training each body part specifically and pushing the targeted muscle group helps to build, shape and tone. I truly believe that people today overthink their training regimen, when we should really focus on being CONSISTENT and BASIC. When training, I focus on form and intensity by staying focused and pushing myself with weights. The reason the basics work is because you are training consistently and eating a proper meal plan, then the body will make the changes you desire. Supplementation is exactly in the name....it's "supplementing" your diet and training. By no means should you rely on just supplements, but if taking the correct products and following a healthy diet and training regimen, they can be very beneficial and conducive to the end result. I believe you should never take supplements that are not needed....always research what you are taking before buying the product. I see, time and time again, people taking supplements that they just don't need or may, in fact, be harmful. For me, I tend to sway more toward the health and wellness type supplementation like multivitamin, fish oils, enzymes, calcium, etc. I know this is what my body needs and how to make my body more efficient. When researching more sport-specific type supplements, you must be very careful in taking products that the body will use correctly. Supplements are important, but one must always remember that they are, in fact, "supplements" and should only be used when eating a healthy diet and training program. Felicia Romero was born and raised in Arizona. I grew up playing sports, so I have always been involved with health and fitness. I ran track and played volleyball and softball. My family is extremely athletic so it was only natural for me to play as well. I graduated from ASU in 2004 with a B.A. degree in Political Science and aspirations for law school. But during my years in college I became a certified personal trainer and my boyfriend and I opened up our own personal training studio in Mesa, AZ. I first became a trainer to help get me through college financially, but the business flourished and it became my life. I have always loved fitness but when I helped change the bodies and lives of so many women, I knew that was really where I wanted to focus my attention. I entered in my first figure competition in 2004. From there, I competed in three more competitions and the last being my first national pro show in 2006 in Las Vegas. I took first place in my class and turned pro. Since turning pro my life has been a whirlwind. I have won four pro shows, the Jan Tana in 2007, the Cal Pro and Houston Pro in 2008 and the Border States Pro Figure in 2009. I have placed top 5 in the 2009 Figure International and top 10 in the world at the 2009 Ms. Figure Olympia. Most recently, won in figure at the 2011 Cal Pro. I have been featured in Muscle and Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, Oxygen and Flex Magazines. Currently, my business partner Whitney Jones and I have opened up AZ Pro Physiques in Gilbert, Arizona. In addition to the studio my fiance and I have started a sister company called AZ Figure Divas for contest prep and training. I have over 8 years in the fitness and training industry, which provides an insight and in-depth understanding of fitness and health programs. I am fully qualified and hold all the necessary certifications and will significantly contribute to the success of the business.

Leha Long‘s Receipes ALMO ND D E LIGHT PIE

S ince I hav e a weakness for chocolate I' v e had to be really creati v e with my chocolate p rotein powder. H ere is a recip e I came up with to hel p me with my crav ings:

Ingredients: · 1/2 scoop of vanilla or chocolate protein powder · 1/4 cup of fat free cottage cheese (or g reek yog ur t) · 5-6 Raw almonds · 1 tsp. of almond extract · 15-20 grams of fat free and sugar free jello instant pudding mix · 1/2 cup of dr y oatmeal

Directions: Mix the dry oatmeal in a blender by itself until it is like flour. Pour some water in with the oatmeal until it is soft like a pie shell. Mix the oatmeal in a bowl along with water and almond extract. Pour the oatmeal mi x in the bottom of a small bowl and pat it down like a p ie shell. Mix the other ingredients together and pour on to p of the oatmeal pie shell.Place the raw almonds on to p, or you can mix it in with the ingredients. Place the pie in the refrigerator for about one hour then serve!

31.

CHARACTERISTICS of

HIGHLY FIT PEOPLE WRITTEN BY:

NATALIE JILL

MODEL:

KAT PAINTER

hy is it that some people effortlessly appear to be strong, fit and healthy while others seem to wallow in excuse after excuse as to why they are not the person they want to be? Why do some seem to improve and get better each day while others feel that “nothing” works for them? In my career, I have worked with so many individuals that achieved goals beyond what many would have thought possible and I have witnessed others that never seem to move forward. Here is what I have learned in regards to the habits of “highly fit people.” --- By understanding these habits, we can apply them to ourselves if we feel that we are stuck in a “rut” and not moving forward.

HIGHLY FIT PEOPLE:

HAVE A DESIRE They have the DESIRE to stay fit, feel well and constantly improve. This desire overpowers other side trackers such as tempting foods, bad habits and peer pressure to veer from goals. Desire fuels the willingness to try anything and everything and to find a way to succeed. Desire is what gets them thru challenges and the comfort of excuses.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER They surround themselves with like-minded people. Highly fit people are very aware of an old adage “birds of a feather flock together." By surrounding themselves with other fit and healthy people, they are able to stay on track, have a supportive network and stay focused! They eliminate naysayers from their world and do not let anyone sabotage their efforts. They have workout partners, people around them to encourage them, and friends to share ideas and challenges with!

BELIEF They BELIEVE that eating right and working out is beneficial and achievable. They believe in themselves and their abilities and the believe that failure is not an option. They believe in the process and they believe in their own ability to achieve.

VISION

Photo by:

Jason Ellis Photography

32.

FitnessX.com Magazine • JUNE 2011

Highly fit people have a vision of what they want to accomplish and achieve. They know exactly WHERE they are going. They have a goal weight, a goal look and, most importantly, they know exactly how they want to feel when they accomplish their goals. If you don’t have your own vision, this is an important big step! Collect pictures and sayings and create a master file or “vision board” so you can remind yourself daily how you want to look and feel.

Leha Long‘s Receipes CH OCOLAT E PROTEIN COO KIE S

KNOWLEDGE Highly fit people have the knowledge to make good choices and do the right things to get results! It is SO easy to get information these days! Surround yourselves with fit people, ask the questions, do the research. Use the internet, use this magazine, hit the books. Knowledge is power and the more you educate yourself on how your body works and how nutrition and exercise affects it the more likely you are to gain results! Gym Credit:

Photo by:

BillyBow

Woodland Hills Athletic Club Woodland Hills, CA

PREPARATION Highly fit people PREPARE. They plan their meals and they are never without the right food choices. They have healthy meals and snacks in their cars, at their desk, at their house. “The meeting ran long…” or “there was nothing healthy to eat…” are excuses they will never utter. They always have a clean set of workout clothes handy in case the opportunity for an impromptu workout presents itself.

S ince I hav e a weakness for chocolate I' v e had to be really creati v e with my chocolate p rotein powder. H ere is a recip e I came up with to hel p me with my crav ings:

Ingredients: · 2 cups of regular oatmeal · 2 tbsp. of unsweetened cocoa powder

TIME We ALL have the same amount of time in the day. Highly fit people don’t have extra time, they use the time they have more wisely! They get up earlier, stay up later, replace lunch breaks with workouts, or involve their kids, family and friends IN their workout! They choose walking with friends over drinking with friends and they choose exercise and movement over being a coach potato. They pop in a workout video and workout at home while their kids are napping. They play tag at the park with their kids instead of sitting on the bench and watching them. They walk to the market instead of drive and they cook healthy meals instead of going to the ‘drive-thru’.

Where there is a will, there is always a way. If you want to be fit, healthy and strong, it is there for the taking! Have the same habits of those whom you desire to be like and you will become like them. Natalie Jill resides in San Diego, CA. and is a Certified Personal Trainer, Licensed Sports Nutritionist and her full-time job is a Sales Director. Natalie can be reached at natalie@nataliejillfitness.com. For recipes and helpful hints, you can visit her website: http://www.nataliejill.com/. Photo Credit: Noel Daganta

· 1 scoop of chocolate flavored protein powder · 2 egg whites · 1 tsp. of baking powder · 1/2 cup of soy milk or Almond Breeze

Directions: Mix all of the ingredients to gether in a bowl. S pray a cookie pan with cook ing sp ray. Sha p e the mi xture using a small scoop onto the cook ie sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees. reci pe yields 9 cook ies. Attention: It' s better if You add dark chocolate chip s to the mix to ma k e them more D ecadent! Also, 3 tablespoons of sp lenda ma k es it more tasty.

33.

WRITTEN BY: AMY WIPF

o you ever get so frustrated with something and you just want to give up? There is always that voice in the back of your head that says you can do this and then you think there is no way. You try to get that project done and a million things go wrong or you step on that scale and no pounds lost. Even better yet you gained weight. This is a setback. Setbacks can be a very frustrating sequence of events in one’s life. It sometimes seems the harder you try and give it your all, there is always that setback. Setbacks always occur when you least expect them. Usually these setbacks will have a focus in your life. It usually happens when one is stressed out from day-to-day living, with work, with job, and family. There are days when you feel you just can not get it all in or do it all in one day. This is when it is most frustrating. You are trying to balance your life with your workouts, make sure you eat all of the right food, and have great workouts to get to that final goal…and BAM, weight gain. It all happens so fast. It is a giant, never ending circle. Once you get that setback, it seems your world has come crashing down and you think is it really worth it? Is this just a sign that I should just give up and give in and eat that jelly donut? All I can say is (and yes from experience) that you should NOT give up! That is probably the worst thing you can do. I find that once I get that setback, it is easier just to say that you give up, but I hear that voice in the back of my head that says you need to push through this. I feel that a setback is trying to tell you that maybe you should change things up in your life. That setback might be just the kick that is sometimes needed to stand back and evaluate what is happening and why it's happening. Normally, this setback is for us gym folks who have been working hard everyday and eating the right combination of foods and the end result is no weight loss, but rather weight gain. This is the best time to look at the type of exercises you are doing and change things up and change around your lifting plan and cardio routine. Maybe it needs to be more fun and not so boring and a little spice to that workout. You might even want to try a class and get to know the people around you and bounce off ideas and see what type of things they are doing. Setbacks can not ruin your workout or your goal that you have set. You must overcome these and look at the big picture. You must push through, step up and take accountability for what is happening. You need to take these setbacks as a learning opportunity and overcome and continue on and put that setback back behind you and move forward to your goal. 34.

FitnessX.com Magazine • JUNE 2011

P urchase you r AC T E nergy Drin kS or B ody T rim P rod ucts call 5 6 2 - 2 0 0 - 8 9 2 6 or go to

http://b illy bow. dr i nka c tweb. co m /

Prepared by MagCloud for FitnessX Magazine. Get more at billybow.magcloud.com.