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contents

WINTER 2020

30 features

Meet the OC5 Cover Winner! Nurse practitioner and mother of two Janet Selz put in the work and earned her place on this month’s cover.

Meet More Winners The cover wasn’t the only prize up for grabs. Meet the four other worthy women who earned some big titles.

Hit the Reset Button Stuck in a rut? Try one of these unconventional training goals to level up your ﬁtness.

Home Sweet Home (Gym) Here are four ways to outﬁt your home gym that ﬁt your space — and your budget!

Target Your Trouble Spots Yes, spot reduction is a myth, but you can still tame your trouble spots with these targeted strength moves.

Ask the Professor Our resident ﬁtness guru and NASM master trainer answers the question, If I have pain, should I train?

Maximize Every Minute Your time is precious. Use these tips to make the most of your workout.

Technical Assistance Get on track for 2020 with these great new wearables and apps.

Balls! Energy balls are all the rage. Here are six sinfully good recipes to try.

Calling for Collagen Did you know that even if you’re eating plenty of protein, you could still be deﬁcient in collagen? This two-week meal plan can help.

Hungry for Comfort Satisfy your cravings the healthy way with these modern recipe remakes.

100

Easy Nutrition Hacks Elevate your nutritional game with these super-simple mealprep and ingredient tweaks.

104

Under the Inﬂuence Here’s how to decide whose lead — and feed — to follow.

106

Optimal Health — at Any Age Learn how to care for your body inside and out, and defy the deacades with dignity.

Gear Guide Play outside or stay in — you decide with these fun winter ﬁnds.

Cover and This Page Photo by Cory Sorensen / Hair and Makeup by Nancy Jambazian / Styling by Kathryn McRitchie / On-Set Stylist Cassandra Campos / Cover — Top and Pants: Elisabetta Rogiani / This Page — Top and Pants: Beyond Yoga

winter 2019

INHALE Let Oxygen be your personal trainer.

movemove 14 The Latest Up-to-date news on exercise physiology, workout trends and notable events.

fuel 22 Trading Places Discover the unheralded beneﬁts of a kick-ass kitchen staple — celery root. 23 Research Says Nosh on the latest nutrition news nuggets. 24 Eat Smart

16 Quick Burn

Our RD answers your questions on diet, nutrition and performance.

All you need is one kettlebell to ﬂow and grow.

26 Replenish

18 Level Up: Shoulder Press

Is breakfast really that important? Find out what the research has to say.

Build some serious strength with these four versions of the shoulder press.

thrive

20 Mobility

28 Mind & Body

Use these ﬁve simple yoga stretches to improve digestion.

Use these strategies to become an optimist — and crush your ﬁtness goals.

29 Health

Here’s the 411 on supplementing with vitamin D, the possible dangers of mouthwash and a unique way to beat stress.

Go with the kettlebell ﬂow to build synergistic strength and coordination.

113

EXHALE

transform 114 Success Stories See how Julie Kelly and Juline Gurney changed their bodies and their lives.

fit factor 116 Future of Fitness We hear from five of the latest rising stars in fitness. 119 Spotlight Learn why three-time CrossFit champion TiaClair Toomey trains for the unknown.

121 How She Fuels NASM-certiﬁed trainer Brooke Erickson reveals her secrets for optimal energy.

122 Inspire oxyg enma g.co m

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editor's note

recently did a podcast with Turmeric and Tequila founder Kristen Olson in which we discussed the current state of the media and the fitness industry on the whole. And one of her questions is one I get all the time — how do I choose the women and talent I work with for Oxygen? There is no single answer here, and usually I find our coaches, models and athletes organically — by word of mouth or as a recommendation from another coach/athlete/expert. I very rarely “discover” models or coaches who reach out to me — not because you aren’t fantastic human beings or qualified athletes but because of your social media feed. And no, this is not about your number of followers because I could care less if you have a million followers or 100. But if you are naked and the majority of your social posts are of your backside in a thong (or less), I am not interested. No matter how awesome your rear end might be, the majority of your followers are not my people; they are likely men who care nothing about Oxygen and only follow you because, well, you’re naked. Plus, what does a butt pic tell me about you, your aspirations, your talents or your goals? Don’t get me wrong — tasteful and artistic nude photographs can be amazing, and Bodybuilding.com does an incredible job with their “Bodies of Work” production every year. These kinds of images — the kind that inspire others to achieve something rather than to lust after something — are fantastic. And even though the athletes they feature are completely naked, the images they post are still more modest and show less than some of the Instagram accounts I see on a regular basis! So how do you get noticed? What will make me sit up and say, wow? First of all, stop it. You do not need to be naked to get attention. Choose instead to populate your feed with creative, unique posts — new workouts, cool recipes, tasteful and inspiring images. Curate messaging that promotes a healthy body image and positivity in young women because it is they who are most impacted by social media. Once your feed gets my attention, I then do some vetting to see what certifications you have, if you are an accredited expert in your field, and if you are ambitious and have ideas that I can use that fit our readership and our brand. So there you have it — the short and dirty answer to a very complex question. You can listen to the podcast for a bit more insight (turmericandtequila.com), but those are your starting blocks. How you run with this now is up to you.

Lara McGlashan Editor-in-Chief @LaraOxyEditor @LaraFitnessEditor

winter 2020

My ObsessedWith List

PupRug Curve Orthopedic Dog Bed

Dogs need to recover properly, too, and after a long day of scouting for squirrels and chasing down errant chipmunks, my dog crashes out on this comfy faux fur bed! She loves that it is soft, but I love that it is odorresistant and washable! paw.com, $120 and up

Swedish Cleaning Cloths

I love things that multitask, and these awesome cloths work as sponges, dusters, scrubbers and more. Each lasts about six months, and they’re reusable, washable and biodegradable. thegrommet.com, $15 (3-pack)

Sanuk Puff N Chill Slippers

This fun slipper has a comfy foot bed and rubber saw-tooth treads, making it the perfect shoe for lounging with family and friends or kicking it around the campﬁre after a day of hiking. The slipper is also unisex, so everyone can enjoy. sanuk.com, $70

Sleep Number Winter Soft Sheets

Talk about obsessed. It is soooo hard to get out of bed when it’s cold out and these sheets are on! Made from non-pilling microﬁber, these sheets are the ultimate in luxury for wintertime weather. sleepnumber.com, $80 and up

Ebags Pack-It-Flat Toiletry Kit

As someone who travels frequently for work, I appreciate efficiency and love how this product makes the most of every inch of space and organizes all my odds and ends. Use code OXYGEN25 and get 25 percent off all eBags gear until December 31, 2019! ebags.com, $40

Mender CBD Pain Salve

CrossFit + 50 = soreness. Not that I wasn’t sore in my younger years, but it seems to persist longer now that I am vintage. A little goes a long way with this organic CBC-infused salve, which also includes arnica and St. John’s wort to reduce swelling and cayenne and turmeric to boost circulation. mender.shop, $28

Photo by Kimberly Metz

Stop it.

oxygenmag.com ONE BENCH WONDER

PILATES TO GO

Try this allencompassing workout by certiﬁed trainer and ﬁtness model Joy Kushner. You only need a bench or a box to work your body from head to toe.

Strengthen your core and tone from head to toe with these ﬁve do-anywhere Pilates moves, courtesy of MNTStudio founder Elaine Hayes.

NOT YOUR MAMA’S COLLARD GREENS

Photo by Stephanie Whisenhunt / Hair & Makeup: Ashley Smith

READY FOR A RESET?

Hit your ﬁtness and nutrition goals with our new 60-day online course created by trainer Jamie Eason Middleton and nutritionist Dr. Chelsea Axe. Level up in 2020 with The 60-Day Metabolic Reset!

Leafy vegetables pack a nutritional punch, and this recipe featuring collard greens from integrative health coach Dena Dodd Perry pairs perfectly with protein — and will leave you wanting more!

HOLD IT Kari Pearce, CF-L1, CrossFit Games athlete and creator of PowerAbs, divulges the best ab exercise we’re not doing.

Bag the Swag Who doesn’t love a giveaway? Sign up today

to win all the items in Editor-in-Chief Lara McGlashan’s Obsessed-With List, now through March 24, 2020! VISIT US ON PINTEREST /oxygenmag JOIN US ON FACEBOOK facebook.com/oxygenmag HASHTAG US ON INSTAGRAM #oxygenmagazine VISIT US ONLINE oxygenmag.com or youtube.com/oxymagazine FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @oxygenmagazine EMAIL US editorial@oxygenmag.com

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inbox

LETTERS

readers had to say, and feel free to weigh in yourself — should we or shouldn’t we print their weight? I read in the Summer 2019 issue Inbox that someone was upset about weight being listed for the women in Success Stories. Even as self-conscious as I am, I like their weight being listed! I love when I see someone who weighs 150 pounds who has muscle and looks great! It reminds me that the number on the scale doesn’t really matter and that you can look great and be healthy at different weights. — LYNDSEY, VIA EMAIL

Dietary Disappointment My husband was excited to show me the vegetarian high-protein meal plan in the Fall 2019 issue. (He’s a carnivore and I’m not.) But since 12 of the 14 lunch/ dinner suggestions in the meal plan were tofu-based, I am guessing there aren’t any vegetarians on your staff. Eating 14 to 16 ounces of tofu a day is not very appetizing, and there are many other protein sources available to vegetarians besides fermented bean curd. — LYN, VIA EMAIL

Editor’s Note: Lyn, thanks for pointing that out. Since I am personally tofuaverse, I feel your (GI) pain! I will do my best going forward to ensure that our nutritionists create plant-based plans that don’t necessitate a truckload of fermented curd! Weighty Issue Editor’s Note: In the Summer 2019 issue, I responded to a reader’s comment about the women featured in Success Stories and conceded that listing their scale weight is probably an ancient and outdated practice. Boy did I catch “heck” for that! Check out what other

I can’t believe you responded the way you did to Tina in your Summer 2019 Inbox! It was the ﬁrst time this woman had picked up the magazine, and she immediately had a complaint about listing the weight of the women in Success Stories. Weight has always been added to the stories of these amazing women who have succeeded in conquering whatever demons they had in their life. Why should you stop because of one complaint (from a nonregular reader)?

winter 2020

Your magazine has been such an inspiration for years! It has helped me in my sobriety to keep focused on being healthy and love my body. Thank you! — BERNADETTE, VIA FACEBOOK

With Oxygen, I know I am getting triedand-trusted advice that is real! I know that the food is tasty and healthy, and I am inspired to try again or to reach a new goal because women like myself are doing it already. Your magazine has encouraged me in my past successes and will continue to be a tool for myself and others for years to come. — RC, VIA FACEBOOK

— GERRI, VIA EMAIL

I always like to see the height and weight stats on the models and stories in your issues. In combination with the pictures, I am better able to evaluate my own body composition. This has nothing to do with comparing my scale weight with anyone else’s. Please do not change your magazine for complainers. It is helpful in all different ways. — KATHY, VIA EMAIL

I appreciate that the ladies’ weights are listed in Success Stories. Weight is just a number, and I appreciate removing the stigma around it by printing it. And, more important, it helps me keep in perspective to do what’s best for my body and not try to reach for any other ideal. I don’t have a frame that will ever be 114 pounds, yet I can still say, great for her! Now what can I learn from her story to be my best self?

THANKS FOR THE FEEDBACK! WE LOVE THAT OUR READERS ARE SO SHARP AND INVOLVED. 10

A Little Oxy Love

— ERICKA, VIA EMAIL

All content submitted to Oxygen will be considered for publication. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.

It’s Not Magic... It Actually Works!

contributors

Stephanie Main

Nancy Jambazian

MS, RD

CF-L2, 500-HOUR RYT, NASMCPT AND FITNESS NUTRITION SPECIALIST

Hair and makeup artist for the cover and “We’re Sold on Selz,” Page 30

Though Matthew Kadey has been in the nutrition industry for more than 20 years, he still learns a thing or two with each article he pens. “With ‘Balls!’ I have more proof that homemade energy fuel is way more nutritious and delicious than the packaged stuff,” he says. “I was also reminded that it is pretty easy to up the nutritional ante of some comfort-food classics.” When not writing or creating recipes, Kadey is an avid cyclist. “I ride on both gravel roads and mountain bike trails, and every year, I go on one big selfsupported cycling trip,” he says. Up next: riding the mountains of Columbia.

Writer for “Smooth Moves,” Page 20 It’s not often you find a coach who is certified in both CrossFit and yoga. “My main fitness activity is CrossFit, and I love feeling strong and pushing myself mentally and physically,” Stephanie Main says. “Yoga provides a nice balance to this type of training and helps me stay healthy and mobile.” Because of her busy coaching schedule, Main often has trouble finding time to practice yoga herself. “At night, I try to spend 15 to 20 minutes stretching and breathing before bed,” she says. And when she’s not training or mobilizing, Main enjoys movie nights on cozy winter days.

Writer for “Balls!” Page 78, and “Hungry for Comfort,” Page 96

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Sometimes in life, your career finds you. “After makeup school, I was working with a photographer to build my portfolio and started shooting with him for bodybuilding and fitness magazines,” Nancy Jambazian says. “This eventually led me to work with the fitness models for their competitions.” Now, 20 years later, the self-proclaimed perfectionist has established herself as the go-to artist for all things fitness. When not glamming up girls, Jambazian works as an aesthetician and stays in shape by running stairs and hiking. And she admits that her biggest food vice is “any sort of dessert!”

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Stop the self-sabotage Morning shake can help you lose weight By Amber Rios

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LET OXYGEN BE YOUR PERSONAL TRAINER

MOVE FUEL THRIVE

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MUSCLE BY THE NUMBERS Your body contains more than 600 muscles â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including skeletal, smooth (on the inside of vessels and organs) and cardiac. Together, these make up about 40 percent of your total bodyweight, and both voluntary and involuntary muscular contractions generate an estimated 85 percent of your body heat.

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THE LATEST

Limit Feeding, Promote Fitness

Need to nosh at night? Skip the popcorn and reach for something rich in protein.

Midnight munchies Whether you’ve stayed up later than normal or are simply having a hungry day, snacking later in the evening won’t disrupt your fat-loss intentions, so long as your snack is small(ish) and protein-based. New research from Florida State University found that when women who lift weights consumed protein before bed, it did not interfere with overnight belly-fat metabolism or whole-body fat burn. Tired of protein shakes? Try a couple of hard-boiled eggs, 1⁄2 cup of Greek yogurt or a few leftover turkey meatballs.

20 The ideal number of minutes to nap, according to the National Sleep Foundation. However, research published in the journal Physiology & Behavior also found that longer naps — up to 45 minutes in duration — were effective at reducing stress and fatigue while improving attention and physical performance. Either way, when it comes to a little daytime snooze, no matter what the duration — sign us up!

winter 2020

Intermittent fasting is more popular than ever for burning fat and regulating hormones, and recent research now indicates it also could help boost motivation. When you’re hungry, your body produces the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates appetite and increases your urge to eat. And according to a study published in the Journal of Endocrinology, limiting access to food (e.g., after a period of fasting) promotes a surge in the release of ghrelin, which in turn increases the motivation to exercise. Try intermittent fasting yourself — eat all your meals and snacks within an eight-hour window, for instance 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. or 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Slow Creep of Age — and Fat

Does it seem to get harder and harder to lose fat as the years go by? You’re not crazy. Because even if you eat the same and exercise as diligently as you did in previous years, recent research published in Nature Medicine has uncovered that lipid turnover (the rate at which fat in your cells is removed and/or stored) in fat tissues decreases as you age, making it easier to gain weight and increase body-fat percentage. Prevent that belly pooch by increasing your exercise frequency or duration, or trade a few of your less-intense workouts for high-intensity interval training or metconstyle sessions, which have been shown to increase the release of “anti-aging” compounds such as growth hormone.

By Lara McGlashan, MFA, CPT

Do nothing, accomplish everything These days, stress may be the norm but that doesn’t mean it’s healthy, and taking a little time to shrug off your obligations and, well, do nothing could be the cure to stress relief as well as creativity and problem-solving. The Dutch concept of niksen literally means doing nothing, letting your mind wander without purpose. This is not the same as being mindful, however, because with niksen, you should just “be” — stare out a window and daydream, sit quietly and listen to music — so long as what you’re doing is not done in order to achieve something. Research indicates that daydreaming and/or being bored can boost creativity because even when you’re seemingly doing nothing, your brain is still working hard, processing and digesting information that it can later use to solve problems or come up with creative and innovative ideas. Carve out ﬁve or 10 minutes during your day and — do nothing. Experts warn against ruminating, especially about negative things that can increase your stress level and negate the positive effects of niksen. Instead, try to be creative, imaginative and forwardthinking, which research indicates can reduce stress and even improve immunity. Uncomfortable sitting around “wasting” time? Combine niksen with a mindless sort of activity such as doodling or coloring — a simple task with no real purpose — which may help you give yourself permission to just be.

Winter Warm-Up It’s cold and dark and you’re hardly motivated to work out, nonetheless go outside to do so. But sometimes the gym isn’t a possibility and you have to brave the elements to get your fit on. So should you warm up indoors or out? In. Going out into frigid temperatures with cold muscles and running or jumping around could very well result in an injury. Do five to 10 minutes of low-level cardio indoors to get muscles warm and pliable, then do some dynamic stretches to increase blood flow and muscle temperature. Afterward, trap that heat close to your body by layering on your technical winter gear, then head outside. As for motivation, consider this: Research indicates that once you’ve acclimated to the colder temps, your body becomes more efficient at burning fat during exercise. Studies also link exercise to improved mood and as a valid way to combat seasonal affective disorder.

TATTOO YOU? Though there is no cure for the common cold, according to research published in the American Journal of Human Biology, getting tattooed elicits a stress response that can help strengthen your immunity, making you more resistant to infection. However, this response is short-lived, and you’d need to get tattooed frequently and repeatedly in order to maintain that immunity boost. Probably better (and cheaper) to stick to your regular dose of probiotics and vitamin C.

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FAST FITNESS

Grow with the ﬂow

Train your body 360 degrees around with this quickie one-kettlebell workout.

here’s something to be said for simplicity, and this minimalist, time-efficient workout is the perfect remedy for jampacked days. “A unilateral flow like this gets you moving in all planes of motion,” says Lauren Kanski, NASM-CPT, Pn1, FRCms, RYT 200, creator of (and model for) this workout. “I like to call it ‘around the world’ training. It also gets your heart rate up while combining strength and resistance training.” Choose a weight that is challenging but with which you can move with control, Kanski suggests. “The overhead press and windmill are the most challenging moves, so choose your load based off what weight you are comfortable using for those,” she adds. Practice each move on its own, then weave them together in order, flowing from one to the next as seamlessly as possible. “Then set the clock for whatever time you have to work out, and flow through three times on one side as a set,” Kanski says. “Get through as many sets as you can on both sides, resting 60 seconds in between sets.”

The Flow One-Arm Swing One-Arm Clean One-Arm Squat to Press Windmill Knee-Up Lateral Lunge Knee-Up Reverse Lunge

To pick up a kettbell, stand behind it a few feet, press your hips back and bend your knees while keeping your back straight. Then reach forward to grasp it tightly.

ONE ARM SWING

ONE ARM CLEAN

Place a kettlebell on the ﬂoor in front of you and stand behind it with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly and hinge from your hips with a ﬂat back to reach down and take an overhand grasp on the handle with your right hand. Hike the kettlebell back between your legs with your arm straight, and as it swings to the front, snap your hips forward as you stand up. The momentum generated should propel the kettlebell to about shoulder height. Control it back between your legs and repeat. Trainer’s Tip: All the power for the swing comes from your hip hinge, so resist the urge to squat down rather than fold forward.

Using the same form as with the one-arm swing, swing the kettlebell back through your legs, and as it comes forward, drive upward with your elbow to lift the kettlebell to shoulder height. Then ﬂip your elbow underneath and catch the kettlebell lightly on the back of your arm in a racked position. Trainer’s Tip: Don’t “cast” the kettlebell forward in an arc, which can throw you off-balance. Stay as vertical as possible as you pull the weight upward.

winter 2020

By Lara McGlashan, MFA, CPT

ONE ARM SQUAT TO PRESS Hold the kettlebell in the racked/clean position as you push your glutes back, then bend your knees to lower into a squat. Extend your knees and hips forcefully to stand up, using that momentum to press the kettlebell overhead as you extend your arm. Trainer’s Tip: This is meant to be one single move, not two. In order words, don’t do a squat, then stop and do an overhead press. Blend them together as smoothly as possible.

Photos by Ian Travis Barnard / Model: Lauren Kanski / Hair: Bethany Wood / Makeup: Biancao Corso / Top: Athleta / Leggings: Fleo / Shoes: Nobull

WINDMILL Hold the kettlebell with your arm extended straight up over your shoulder, turn both feet to the left and kick your hips to the right. Reach down the inside of your left leg with your left hand until you touch the ﬂoor. Stand back upright looking at the kettlebell throughout. Trainer’s Tip: Turn your head and look up at the kettlebell at all times to ensure your arm is locked and steady, perpendicular to the ﬂoor, and to maintain balance.

KNEE UP LATERAL LUNGE Lower the kettlebell down from the windmill back to the racked position. Lift your right knee up to hip height in front of you, then take a large step to the side with your right leg and lower into a deep lateral lunge. Push off your right foot to return to the start, standing on your left foot with your right knee lifted. Trainer’s Tip: Make sure your toes are pointing forward, parallel, with your weight in your heel to protect your knees.

KNEE UP REVERSE LUNGE Hold the kettlebell in the racked position with your right knee lifted to hip height in front of you. Take a large step behind you with your right foot and bend both knees in a reverse lunge. Push off your rear foot and bring your right leg back through and lift it again to hip height. Trainer’s Tip: To go into the next round of the ﬂow, place your right foot back on the ﬂoor, place the kettlebell back down and repeat from the start. oxyg enma g.co m

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LEVEL UP

Press for success Construct some serious strength with these four variations on the shoulder press. For upper-body strength and athletic power, few moves rival the overhead press. From a functional standpoint, pressing weight overhead requires stability from ﬂoor to core while still requiring adequate shoulder movement in all directions. Overhead presses are also a staple for building the shapely curves of the anterior and medial deltoids, and if you can hookshot your carry-on into the overhead bin with one arm, that’s a win for everyone.

LEVEL 1: DUMBBELL MILITARY PRESS This OG press is used more in bodybuilding circles than it is in the military, but it got its title because of its militaristically strict form prescription, which prevents the use of momentum. This basic-level move helps develop the control and strength necessary to move heavy weight without using the lower body for assistance. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells with your elbows bent 90 degrees and your arms lifted to shoulder height, palms forward. Extend your arms to press the weights overhead as well as inward, so at full extension, the inner heads of the dumbbells touch together lightly. Slowly lower back to the start. Troubleshooting If your back arches or your rib cage ﬂares out as you press the weights overhead, you’re probably using too much weight. This could shift the emphasis from your shoulders to your upper pecs and may stress your lower back. Reduce your weight and actively contract your abs to protect your spine. If you can’t extend your arms straight up overhead without shrugging or bending your elbows, you’re putting your neck and shoulders at risk. Imagine putting your shoulder blades into your back pockets (scapular depression) to position your shoulders for optimal stability. If the dumbbells move forward, back or to either side (as opposed to straight up) as you press them overhead, do a wrist check: Make sure they are locked and straight as if you’re punching the ceiling.

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Reduce the role of your core by sitting on a bench with your feet ﬂat on the ﬂoor.

LEVEL 2: SINGLE ARM KETTLEBELL PRESS Going from two arms to one demands greater trunk stability and can help identify muscle imbalances between your right and left sides. Using a kettlebell makes this unilateral press slightly different because you’re starting from a racked position with the weight at chest level, corkscrewing your arm as you extend to engage your muscles in a new way. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a kettlebell close to your chest with your elbow down and the kettlebell resting on the back of your arm. Your wrist should be in line with your forearm, as if driving a punch through the kettlebell handle. Brace your core and extend your arm overhead, opening your elbow to the side and corkscrewing your wrist as you press up to full extension. You should ﬁnish with your elbow by your ear, palm forward, and should be able to draw a straight line from your hand through your elbow and shoulder to your hip. Slowly return to the start. Troubleshooting If your arm feels wobbly as you extend it overhead, check your grip: The handle should rest low across your palm over the “meaty”

part of your thumb to keep its center of gravity directly over your wrist. As you press the weight overhead, you might lean to one side; this is ﬁne. Because only one side of your body is weighted, you anatomically have to shift your rib cage to the other side in order to move the weight overhead. Still, try to limit any extra movement by engaging your core, and imagine squeezing a lemon under your armpit to engage your lats and other stabilizing muscles.

If your grip is correct, you should be able to open your hand and spread out your ﬁngers.

By Erin Calderone, MS, NASM Master Trainer, CES, BCS, AFAA-GFI

LEVEL 3: DIVE BOMBER PUSH UP Though it may seem like a regression to go from a unilateral press to a bodyweight push-up, this move actually takes a great deal of strength and control, and it’s a great way to develop pressing endurance because your shoulders are under tension the entire time.

If you have issues reversing the move, simply lift your hips straight back up into Downward-Facing Dog instead of trying to worm and wiggle your way backward, which could strain your shoulders or back. Slow down the ﬁrst half of the move to build strength and ingrain the movement pattern for a few weeks, then try to shift it into reverse again and see how you do.

Get into plank with your hands underneath your shoulders and spread your feet hipwidth apart. Lift your hips toward the sky and drop your chest between your arms to come into Downward-Facing Dog. Keeping your elbows in close to your sides, slide forward by lowering your head, then shoulders and then belly toward the ground in a scooping motion. Extend your arms to ﬁnish in Upward-Facing Dog, then reverse the move — lowering your belly, then chest and then head — and lifting your hips to return to the start.

Photos by Ian Travis Barnard / Model: Lauren Kanski / Hair: Bethany Wood / Makeup: Bianca Corso / Pants: Fleo / Top: Nobull / Shoes: Athletic Propulsion Labs

Troubleshooting Don’t let your elbows ﬂare out to the sides. This can pinch a rotator cuff tendon and could lead to impingement syndrome or could even cause a tear. Consciously keep your elbows in close to your body, and don’t allow them to angle out more than 45 degrees.

LEVEL 4: BARBELL PUSH PRESS This powerful move trains your whole body to generate upward momentum without sacrificing form or control, and it’s the ideal training transition between a strict press and the finishing phase of a clean-and-jerk. Position a barbell across your front delts and clavicle and hold the bar outside your shoulders with your elbows lifted underneath. Keep your back straight and your heels glued to the floor as you quickly “dip” — i.e., bend your knees — then explosively extend your legs and arms to drive the bar straight up overhead. Lower slowly to the start, bending your knees again to catch the bar across your upper chest as it returns. Troubleshooting If you are being pulled forward as you execute the move, check your elbows: At the start, they should be flipped underneath the bar and lifted so they are nearly parallel with the floor. This creates a direct line of upward movement and will allow you to press more weight while preventing injury.

If your heels peel off the ﬂoor or you come up onto your toes at any time during the move, you’re probably initiating the dip by pushing your glutes backward. This shifts your center of gravity and will decrease your power potential and increase your risk for injury. Keep your heels anchored to the ground and move your knees forward, dropping your glutes straight down for your dip to generate the most upward force possible. If you’re trying to “muscle” the bar up at the end of the movement, it means you’ve lost momentum. Because all your power comes from the ﬂoor, press down forcefully into the ground to initiate your upward thrust, and imagine it traveling through your hips, up your spine, through your shoulders and out your knuckles.

Avoid clipping your chin by drawing your head back as the bar passes in front of your face.

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MOBILITY

Smooth moves Use these ﬁve simple stretches to improve digestion.

f you’re like most of us, you’ve indulged in Halloween candy, turkey and gravy, holiday cookies and New Year’s Eve champagne over the last several months. All this indulgence is excellent in the moment but can be tough on your waistline — and your digestion — as your body tries to keep up with your intake. Like they say, you are what you eat, and if you’re eating poorly, your gut (and your butt) will suffer. Aside from cleaning up your eating act and double-dosing on probiotics, take a few minutes each day to optimize your digestion through movement. Stretches such as twists, side bends and forward folds create gentle pressure on your stomach and intestines to encourage circulation, reduce bloating and relieve overall abdominal pressure. Stretching also decreases stress, which allows your gut to rest and take a breather from its 24/7 job. Do this quick and easy stretching routine each day, breathing slowly in and out through your nose, and give your gut some love.

SEATED SPINAL TWIST Targets: Lower back, stomach and intestines

Sit with your left leg extended, and place your right foot flat on the floor next to your left knee. Sit up tall and wrap your left arm around your right knee, and place your right hand on the floor just behind your glutes. Draw your knee in toward your belly as you twist your head, shoulders and torso to the right. Hold 30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat.

With each breath you take, try to stretch a little farther.

SEATED FORWARD FOLD Targets: Hamstrings and abdominal cavity

Sit tall with your legs straight out in front of you, ankles together, feet ﬂexed. Fold forward by hinging at your hips, sliding your hands along your legs toward your feet. Hold and breathe at tight points, allowing your body to go farther into the stretch as your muscles release. Do for up to two minutes.

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By Stephanie Main, NASM-CPT, CF-L2, 500-Hour YT

SEATED SIDE STRETCH Targets: Lats, obliques and intestines

Photos by Ian Travis Barnard / Model: Meghan Hayden / Hair: Bethany Wood / Makeup: Bianca Corso / Top: Marika / Leggings: Fleo

Sit up tall with your legs comfortably crossed. Raise your left arm straight up overhead, and place your right hand on the ﬂoor next to your hips for support. Lift up and out of your rib cage and then slowly lean to the right side, pressing down into your left hip as you ease into the stretch. Hold for 45 seconds, then switch sides.

RECLINED SPINAL TWIST Targets: Lower back, chest and stomach

Lie faceup with your right leg extended and pull your left knee into your chest. Extend your left arm to the side in line with your shoulder, palm down, and use your right hand to draw your left knee across your body toward the ﬂoor. Relax your shoulders, look toward your left hand and hold for one minute. Do on both sides.

OPTIMIZING YOUR DIGESTION MEANS BETTER FOOD BREAKDOWN AND NUTRIENT DELIVERY, AS WELL AS DECREASED ABDOMINAL BLOATING.

CORPSE POSE Targets: Full body

Lie faceup with your legs extended and your arms along your sides, palms up. Close your eyes and focus on relaxing from head to toe as you breathe slowly through your nose for two to ﬁve minutes.

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fuel

TRADING PLACES

By Matthew Kadey, MS, RD

Prep Step Celery root requires a generous peeling before use. Lop off the top and bottom of the bulb so it sits ﬂat, then work a sharp chef’s knife down the sides to remove the knobby skin.

CELERY ROOT HORSERADISH MASH MAKES 4 Servings This is a great low-calorie sub for mashed potatoes — guilt-free comfort food! Celery root can be used in all sorts of recipes to upgrade the nutritional value of a meal.

Celery root This underappreciated root vegetable is the chameleon of the kitchen and can be prepared every which way — both raw and cooked.

Swap Shop

K, so it’s not the most attractive vegetable in the produce aisle, and if we’re being honest, it looks like a hairy softball. Regardless, this bulbous, gnarled root holds all its beauty on the inside. Celery root, also called celeriac, is economical, versatile and ﬂat-out delicious, with a ﬂavor akin to a mash-up of parsley and celery with a hint of sweetness. Worthy of a nutritional pat-on-the-back, this eternally underrated root is a leading source of vitamin K, a must-have nutrient recently linked to a lower risk of premature death from cardiovascular issues such as heart attacks. And at a mere 65 calories per cup, celery root is an ab-friendly stand-in for starchier items like potatoes and pasta. Here are a few ways to use celery root in your favorite recipes.

USE IN PLACE OF STEAK Nutrition Upgrade Eliminate the saturated fat from the beef. Cut celery root into 1-inch slices; season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high and sear celery root “steaks” until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and roast at 400 F until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Serve topped with your favorite sauce.

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TRADE FOR SPAGHETTI AND PASTA Nutrition Upgrade Save about 150 calories per cup and eliminate gluten from the recipe. Use a spiralizer to slice celery root into spaghetti-like strands. Warm the “noodles” in a skillet and toss with sauce such as pesto or Bolognese.

SUB FOR CABBAGE IN A SLAW Nutrition Upgrade Bolster your intake of vitamin K as well as harder-to-get minerals like potassium and manganese. Combine grated celery root, 1 grated Granny Smith apple, ¼ cup chopped walnuts and 1⁄3 cup chopped parsley. Toss with 3 tablespoons cider vinegar-Dijon mustard dressing.

INGREDIENTS 1 medium celery root, peeled and cubed 2 medium apples, peeled and cubed 2 tbsp prepared horseradish 2 tbsp butter 2 tsp fresh thyme ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS Place celery root in a large pan of water and bring to a boil. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender. Add apples during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain well and return celery root and apples to pan. Mash together with horseradish, butter, thyme, salt and pepper until just slightly chunky. Nutrition Facts (per serving): calories 167, fat 6 g, carbs 28 g, ﬁber 5 g, sugar 13 g, protein 3 g, sodium 472 mg

EXCHANGE FOR POTATO IN HASH Nutrition Upgrade Slash about half the starchy calories in a typical hash and boost the ﬁber content.

SWITCH WITH CREAM IN A PUREE Nutrition Upgrade Slash a ton of calories and fat and make this dish edible for those with dairy allergies.

Heat 4 cups cubed celery root, 1 small chopped onion and a few pinches salt in a lightly oiled skillet until tender and brown; stir in 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary. Serve topped with a fried egg.

Steam or boil 2 cups chopped celery root until very tender. Puree together with ¼ cup evaporated milk, 1 garlic clove, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme and ¼ teaspoon salt. Serve under ﬁsh or meats.

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By Jessie R. Shafer, RD

RESEARCH SAYS Abreast of Breast Cancer

Brain drain You know you shouldn’t grocery shop when you’re hangry, since inevitably you’ll come home with an armload of cookies and chips. But according to new research from the University of Dundee in the United Kingdom, being hungry not only affects your food decisions but all your decisions. Researchers found that those who were hungry

tended to make choices with instant or short-term gratiﬁcation in mind, and they were more likely to settle on something more hastily than those in a fed state. So if you’re asking your boss for a raise or are buying a big-ticket item like a car, make sure you eat well beforehand so you can negotiate with focus and ferocity!

Onions and garlic for sure repel vampires and sketchy dates, but they also may help protect against breast cancer: According to a study in the journal Nutrition and Cancer, moderate to high garlic and onion intake were inversely associated with breast cancer incidence among women, likely because of their ﬂavonols and organosulfuric compounds. Other studies have linked this duo to a reduced risk of diabetes and heart disease, so breath be damned — load up on this potent produce and kick cancer and cardio issues to the curb.

FORGO FUTURE FRAILTY In a recent study out of Ireland, low levels of lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamin D were linked to increased frailty as you age. While being frail is probably not on your radar at present, it’s part of the natural aging process — affecting women the most. Paradoxically, the healthier you are now, the longer you’re likely to live, and the longer you live, the more at risk you’ll be for becoming frail. Control your future susceptibility with consistent resistance training and a diet that includes things like egg yolks, orange juice, red peppers, spinach, broccoli and peas to get your ﬁll of lutein and zeaxanthin, and wild-caught salmon, sardines, canned tuna, oysters or shrimp for your daily dose of D. oxyg enma g.co m

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EAT SMART

Ask the Nutritionist What’s the difference between celiac disease, gluten sensitivity and a wheat allergy? Celiac disease is a genetic disorder wherein gliadin (a component of the protein gluten) ﬂattens the lining of your small intestines and results in the malabsorption of nutrients. Symptoms include abdominal cramping, bloating, diarrhea and weight loss. To diagnose celiac, a physician must perform a blood test to look for certain antibodies. If found, the next step is an intestinal biopsy to determine the level of damage — if any — to the intestinal walls. With a wheat allergy, your body produces antibodies when you ingest wheat in general versus having a response speciﬁcally to gluten, and symptoms may include hives, itching, diarrhea or even anaphylaxis. A gluten sensitivity is usually diagnosed after ruling out celiac and a wheat allergy, and symptoms are similar to those for celiac but without the intestininal damage. Think you have one of these conditions? Eliminate wheat and/ or gluten from your diet for several weeks, then slowly reintroduce it and see how you fare. If symptoms appear, consider seeing a nutritionist or physician for further analysis.

Quick Bites

THREEINGREDIENT PASTA TOPPERS

Italian Brocco-Linguini

Lemony Shrimp Sauce

Tasty Roasted Tomatoes

1 head broccoli, cut into ﬂorets

1 lb shrimp

2 qt cherry tomatoes

3 cloves sliced garlic

4 tbsp butter

3 cloves garlic, sliced

2 chicken sausage links, sliced into rounds

2 lemons, thinly sliced

2 shallots, sliced

For each recipe, toss ingredients with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 packet Italian seasoning. Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 425 F. Mix with cooked pasta or spiralized veggies.

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By Jessie R. Shafer, RD

SPOTLIGHT ON …

SALMONELLA Salmonella is a mostly food borne bacteria that can infect your GI tract, causing diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever, nausea and headaches, to name but a few symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that salmonella causes 23,000 hospitalizations and 450 death in the U.S. each year, and older adults,

children and people with weakened immune systems are most vulnerable. Foods that commonly lead to salmonella infection include undercooked meat, poultry, seafood and eggs; raw or unpasteurized dairy products; raw fruits and vegetables; and contaminated water. Prevent infection by washing your hands with soap and warm water before,

during and after handling food. Thoroughly wash fresh fruits and vegetables before eating, and always cook meat and eggs to the proper temperature. Also, avoid crosscontamination of foods during preparation and in storage. In other words, don’t cut veggies on a board you just used to slice raw chicken, and don’t let meat juice drip onto your produce in the fridge.

Nutrition myth

BUSTIN’

True or False: Eating MSG can cause headaches and nausea. Answer: False. Despite what many believe, a connection between eating the ﬂavor enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG) and conditions such as headaches, nausea, sweating and ﬂushing of the skin is mostly anecdotal (when ingested in amounts less than 3 grams per serving). Though some people are sensitive to glutamate and may experience mild symptoms, to date there is no medical evidence to support the claims that MSG causes severe or life-threatening allergic reactions. MSG is often added to Chinese and other restaurant foods, as well as to canned vegetables and soups. It also occurs naturally in our bodies and in foods such as cheese, meat and even some produce. If you’re not sensitive, MSG is not as bad as people would have you think. It actually contains less sodium per serving than table salt, and a dash could make eating healthy food like roasted vegetables more appealing.

THE PERCENTAGE BY WHICH THE INCIDENCE OF PREMATURE DEATH

increased in people who consumed two or more glasses of sugary or artiﬁcially sweetened soft drinks per day, according to recent research published in JAMA Internal Medicine. However, the drinks weren’t the only likely culprit in the resultant accelerated mortality conclusion. Other unhealthy lifestyle factors such as smoking and poor eating habits common to the soda drinkers were also deciding factors. oxyg enma g.co m

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REPLENISH

The breakfast breakdown Is breakfast really the most important meal of the day? Here’s what research reveals. olloquially, breakfast is defined as your first meal of the day and is traditionally eaten in the morning upon waking. But what if you wake up at noon on a Sunday or you work the night shift and get up at 5 p.m. — is your first meal still known as breakfast, and is it still considered the most important meal of the day? Answer: It depends on your goals.

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If your goal is weight loss, you might want to skip breakfast.

By Shoshana Pritzker, RD, CDN, CSSD, CISSN

BUILD WITH BCAAs? GOAL: Weight Loss or Fat Loss A recent study published in the journal BMJ looked at the effects of eating vs. not eating breakfast on energy expenditure and weight change by reviewing 13 controlled trials that took place over the course of nearly 30 years. The researchers’ ﬁndings revealed that when it comes to weight loss, breakfast may not be so awesome: Study participants who did not eat breakfast ended up eating slightly less at the end of that day than those who did enjoy their eggs. Ultimately, maintaining a calorie deﬁcit is required for fat loss, and if that means skipping breakfast, then skip it. However, if you skip breakfast but overeat later in the day, you’re not going to reach your goals. Those practicing intermittent fasting who commonly refrain from eating until long after waking need to be especially careful here. Because if you overeat during your eighthour feed window, you won’t lose any weight — regardless of your fasting period.

Often when athletes skip breakfast before training, they take a handful of branched-chain amino acids in place of a meal to ostensibly facilitate muscle growth. But before you hand over your hard-earned simoleons to the supplement store, check this out: According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, research does not support use of BCAA supplements in promoting muscle protein synthesis — on their own. To effectively stimulate muscle growth and build lean tissue, you need a steady supply of all the essential amino acids, not just the BCAAs. Ensure you’re hitting your muscle mark by spreading your protein intake evenly between meals throughout the day. Eat a variety of protein-rich foods, and shoot for 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight.

GOAL: Strength/ Performance When it comes to strength, performance and high-octane resistance training, however, breakfast is imperative. A recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research compared two groups of athletes — one that performed back squats and bench presses two hours after eating a breakfast containing carbs and protein and one that did the same workout having had water only. The researchers found that those who skipped breakfast had less strength and energy during their workouts and performed fewer total reps than those who had eaten a meal.

Occasionally skipping brekkie won’t have a significant impact on your results, but over time, it could translate to decreased strength and muscle size as your body pulls from its protein stores — your muscles — to provide energy once it uses up all your glycogen and available blood sugar. Also, the less energy you have, the less weight you’ll be able to move, the less strength you’ll build and the poorer your performance will be. Outside of your goals, your personal preferences also come into play: If you’re someone who can’t function or exercise without eating in the morning, then by all means eat. Contrarily, if you can’t possibly stomach a single bite of food ﬁrst thing, then don’t eat. But no matter what your personal proclivity, physique aim or daily schedule — at the end of the day, your caloric intake should support all your goals, no matter whether those calories come from breakfast or a midnight snack.

RESEARCH INDICATES THAT IF YOU’RE TRYING TO BUILD STRENGTH, YOU SHOULD EAT BREAKFAST BEFORE TRAINING, AND THAT IT SHOULD CONTAIN BOTH CARBS AND PROTEIN. oxyg enma g.co m

thrive

MIND BODY

by Karen Asp

Opt for optimism Shift your mindset to notice the good — and make good on your ﬁtness goals. etting ahead in life doesn’t just come down to hard work. Your attitude also plays a huge role, and with optimism on your side, you can achieve more than someone with a half-empty attitude. Of course, that’s easier said than done because positivity might not be your default setting, but with a little effort, you can infuse more optimism into your life. “Our brains have plasticity, which means they’re easily shaped and molded so you can always learn new behavior patterns,” says Colleen D. Cira, Psy.D., founder and executive director of the Cira Center for Behavioral Health in Chicago and Oak Park, Illinois. Everyone can beneﬁt from becoming more positive in terms of overall health and well-being, but for an athlete, switching your brain to recognize the good in a seemingly bad situation also can make or break your performance and your progress. Here’s why.

You may reach your goals faster. When you notice the good, you expect positive things to happen, which in turn affects your behavior. “If you’re thinking positively, you’re more likely to act in accordance with that mindset,” Cira says. For instance, if you believe that by putting in the work you’ll be able to run a marathon, you’re more likely to make it happen by creating a plan and sticking to a running schedule.

positive ways and are more likely to use problem-focused coping strategies, helping reduce their worries when trying to sleep.

You may rebound faster from setbacks. “When optimistic people encounter negative events, they tend to view the causes of those events as temporary and external rather than personal, which can help them cope more effectively,” says Lewina O. Lee, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine. For example, if you fall short of an exercise goal, you’ll be less likely to blame yourself and will have an easier time getting back on track without dwelling on your failures.

You may live longer. In a study from the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers found that optimism could extend your life span by 11 to 15 percent. Optimists also had a greater chance of living to age 85 or beyond largely because they were more likely to engage in healthier habits. This gives you more time to tick off those items on your active bucket list.

1, 2, 3 — Optimism!

You may sleep better and recover faster.

Even if you’re working hard to see the good, not every day will be unicorns and rainbows. When those pessimistic moments start to creep in, shift back into a positive gear with these three steps:

When you sleep, your body does the majority of its repairs and recovering, and according to a study published in Behavioral Medicine, optimistic individuals tend to sleep longer and better. Researchers hypothesize that optimists may interpret stressful events in more

1. Notice your thoughts. How often are you focusing on the good versus the bad? “By noticing this, you can become more deliberate about where and how you focus your energy,” Cira says. 2. Move from thinking to feeling. Once you notice that you’re feeling sad, angry, disappointed or frustrated, allow yourself to feel those emotions. Often writing, yelling or crying about it can help you accept your feelings, and they will cease to be on an endless mental replay. 3. Take a step back. In most cases when you’re spiraling, you’re not being rational. “By forcing yourself to be objective, you’re likely to ﬁnd that the situation isn’t as dire as you thought,” Cira says. Giving yourself a little perspective also allows you to assess and possibly even correct the issue without being overly emotional and reactive. All that being said, becoming an optimist does not mean that you can’t feel sad, angry, frustrated or disappointed. Nor should you try to force yourself to be positive about absolutely everything because it can minimize how you feel. “It’s not the end-all-be-all solution for every problem, but being optimistic is a tool for living a more meaningful life,” Cira says.

winter 2020

thrive

By Virginia Pelley

HEALTH

CAN YOU OVER D IT?

Pet stress buster According to a recent study from Washington State University, a 10-minute hands-on interaction with dogs and/or cats signiﬁcantly lowered cortisol levels — and therefore stress — in students. The hands-on part of this equation seems to be essential because another group of students who just looked at pictures of pets didn’t present the same drop in cortisol, according to Patricia Pendry, Ph.D., professor at Washington State and co-author of the paper. Also unclear is whether pet ownership has the same effect as a quickie stroke sesh, “but theoretically, it makes sense that when pet owners spend time with their pets, they’re likely to experience some kind of relaxing beneﬁt,” Pendry says. Spend some time with your four-legged friend and give Fido a rubdown. No pet at your place? Visit a pet cafe, or do a little volunteering at the local animal shelter.

Oral report

Having trouble hitting your workout goals? A new study revealed that using anti-bacterial mouthwash could be rinsing away your results and that your oral microbiome could be a necessary component of blood pressure regulation. Here’s the deal: When you exercise, your blood vessels open up, boosting blood ﬂow to engaged muscles and subsequently lowering blood pressure. But researchers were curious why an individual’s blood pressure would stay elevated after exercise — a process called post-exercise hypotension — and suspected that it had to do with the conversion of nitrates into nitric oxide, which causes your vessels to dilate. Because certain bacteria are known to facilitate this alteration, scientists blocked nitrate conversion in study volunteers, then had them run on a treadmill for 30 minutes. Afterward, participants either rinsed with an anti-bacterial mouthwash or with a placebo. An hour postworkout, the blood pressure of the placebo group was about -5.2 mmHg lower, but in the anti-bacterial group, it was only -2.0 mmHg lower. The conclusion: The mouthwash killed off the bacteria responsible for converting the nitrates into nitric oxide, preventing the body from lowering blood pressure and promoting blood ﬂow. “Pay attention to your oral health to get the maximum cardiovascular outcome of exercise,” says Raul Bescos, Ph.D., professor of dietetics and physiology at the University of Plymouth in the U.K., adding that you should only use anti-bacterial mouthwash if prescribed for gum disease.

Vitamin D is essential for a myriad of bodily functions, including strengthening bones and muscles and facilitating proper nerve function. Most people don’t get enough D from sunlight and need to take supplements, but you can actually get too much of a good thing when it comes to D. In a recent Canadian study, researchers measured bone density in participants who took 400, 4,000 or 10,000 IUs of vitamin D daily. Over the course of three years, bone mineral density actually decreased the most in the group taking the highest dosage, coming in at a 3.6 percent loss overall, as compared with the 400 IU group, which saw a decrease of 1.4 percent. “Our results raise the possibility of harm with higher doses of vitamin D,” says David Hanley, M.D., endocrinologist at the University of Calgary and a lead researcher in the study. “In healthy adults who are not deﬁcient, doses at or above 4,000 IU daily don’t provide any further beneﬁt for bone health.” Stay the course by taking the recommended 600 IUs daily, and choose supplements containing vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) rather than D2 (ergocalciferol). D3 is what the body naturally makes in response to sunlight exposure, Hanley says.

The percent by which you decrease your risk of dying from heart disease if you nosh on nuts a couple of times a week, according to research presented at the 2019 European Society of Cardiology conference. Have a couple of nutty servings a week to maintain optimal heart health, such as 12 raw almonds or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter on a rice cake as a snack.

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Nurse practitioner and mother of two Janet Selz considered herself “just”a ﬁtness enthusiast, but her peers saw her as cover material. BY L AR A McG L A SHA N, MFA , CP T PHOTO G RAP H Y BY C ORY SO REN SEN

Every time Carlie and Drew Selz went grocery shopping with their mother Janet, they would pass Oxygen magazine on the newsstand and would announce to anyone nearby — without a shadow of doubt or uncertainty — that their mommy was going to be on the cover one day. They were right.

selz WE’RE SOLD ON

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Coaching Creds

Selz chose Amber Dodzweit Riposta to be her coach for OC5 to get a fresh training perspective. “Before this challenge, I was a traditional weightlifter, each day training a different bodypart — arms, shoulders, back, legs, etc. — with four sets of eight to 12 reps, and begrudgingly did cardio, usually steady state for 30 minutes at a time,” she says. “Amber’s HIIT training and compound strength movements introduced my body to a new form of exercise, tweaking my routine just enough to give me that jump-start I needed.” Though she was all in with coach Amber’s training, Selz took a step back when it came to the nutrition plan. “I learned how to balance my macronutrients to better fuel my body, but I chose not to partake in the more extreme diet measures such as the intermittent fasting and carb cycling,” she says. “For me, those strategies were not sustainable long term. My life does not happen on a stage. My life is

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OC5 Afterglow

As she progressed through the three months of workouts and clean eating, Selz began to see what her daughters knew all along. “I may never have that pre-baby body again, but I learned to embrace the physique I have now and to love my body flaws and all,” she says. “I also resolved to stop chasing skinny and start chasing strong, and in doing so, I have learned to celebrate what my body is capable of doing and surprised myself with the things I am able to accomplish day in and day out.” As for her fear of aging? Fugghetaboutit. “Though it sounds cliché, I have learned age, like weight, is just a number,” she says. “The older women I met through the OC5 Facebook group actually had a huge impact on how I now perceive aging. I was able to see firsthand women in their 40s, 50s and 60s doing this challenge, bringing their A game and killing it each and every day. I’m now looking forward to this next decade in life because I now have so much more confidence in myself and my abilities than I did before.” Looking forward, Selz hopes she can encourage other “fitness enthusiasts” to go for their dreams. “It is my hope that I am relatable and inspiring to other women who are either starting out or continuing their journey toward healthy living,” she says. “I want to serve as an example that being strong, fit and healthy is a lifelong process — one that I’ve been working on for years and will continue to do so indefinitely.”

Even though these workouts were completely doable at home, I completed most of them at the gym. I thrive off the energy of other people!

Hair & Makeup: Nancy J / Top & Shorts: Elisabetta Rogiani / Shoes: New Balance

anet Selz has always been an Oxygen reader, and her long-term goal was to be featured in the Future of Fitness section. Selz snapped a pic of that section and texted it to her best friend. “My underlying ambition was to achieve my best self by my 40th birthday,” she says. “I had been dreading turning 40, and one of my biggest fears was aging.” She also wanted to reclaim her pre-baby body — as much as she could. “Despite eating very healthy and exercising regularly, my body composition changed after having my daughters,” she says. “I was not able to put on muscle mass and lost much of what I had worked hard to build. I mourned my pre-baby body — that narrow midsection, perky rear view and cellulite-free legs.” About a month later, her friend sent Selz a link to join The Oxygen Challenge 5. She also encouraged her to go for that goal of being featured in Oxygen but not in the back — on the cover. But despite her daughters’ frequent and assertive predictions, Selz wasn’t herself convinced she was cover-worthy. “I had seen past winners, several of whom were younger and in the ﬁtness industry, and here I am, just a ﬁtness enthusiast,” she says. “But as I thought about it, I realized that many Oxygen readers are just like me — women with full-time careers, busy moms and caregivers being pulled in a million directions.” So she stamped down her fears and went for it, not only for herself but also for her daughters. “While I want them to face the world with realistic expectations, I also want to instill in them the importance of chasing their dreams,” she says. Modeling her own advice, Selz spent 90 days putting in the dedicated sweat equity, and much to her surprise, she earned her place on the Winter 2020 cover.

at home with my children, at work caring for my patients, and with my friends and relatives.” Selz did, however, buy in to Amber’s “memories over macros” edict. “Many women in the fitness world follow such strict dietary guidelines that they leave little room to enjoy life’s spontaneous moments,” she says. “Could I have lower body fat? Probably. Would I have visible abs? Maybe. Is it worth giving up spontaneous ice cream outings or pizza night with the family or happy hour drinks with a friend? Absolutely not! Memories over macros every time.” Selz is a firm believer in forward thinking when it comes to nutrition, and she finds meal prepping essential to success. “On Sunday without fail, I prep ingredients to make five lunches, three breakfasts and two dinners to bring to work for the week — and of course enough to make lunches for the kids,” she says.

Working out is the only ‘me’ time I have. If I miss a training session, my life feels unbalanced.

Janet Selz BIRTH DATE

September 29, 1979 HOMETOWN

Weddington, North Carolina OCCUPATION

Nurse practitioner, adjunct faculty teacher HEIGHT

5’2.5” WEIGHT

120 FAMILY

Husband Andy Carlie (7) Drew (5) IG

@janetselz FB

Janet Spoto Selz

My daughters were my biggest cheerleaders throughout this challenge. And while I knew there were other deserving contestants and that my chances were slim, never once did they doubt it. Their faith was refreshing.

cover girl Word has it you now love Tabatas? Yes! I loved Amber’s Tabata routines from Phase 1, and I had a very memorable moment doing a Tabata while on vacation at the beach: A young girl approached me as I was training and asked what I did to have such a strong physique. I described my exercise and nutrition, then invited her to join me the next morning for a workout. To my delight, she showed up bright and early and I led her through the Tabata. To think that I am an inspiration to strangers, especially young impressionable minds, provides so much satisfaction and motivates me to keep on keeping on.

What did you think of the OC5 Facebook group? Hands down the Facebook group was the best part of the Challenge! I formed friendships with women all across the continent, many of which I know will be lifelong. Not once have I come across a more supportive, uplifting group of women. We allowed ourselves to be vulnerable — while still holding each other accountable — and even though we were miles apart, we laughed together and cried together on a daily basis.

What is your favorite clean joke? Question: Why did the fox cross the road? Answer: Free chicken!

What is your guilty pleasure? I became famous (or perhaps infamous) on the Facebook page for my Fri-Yay protein shake, which consisted of vanilla protein powder, bananas, strawberries and a shot or two of coconut rum! If I never had to eat ______again, it would be too soon. Shrimp! They call them insects of the sea for a reason.

You can never have too many______. Friends. I love being surrounded by positive, supportive people.

Who is your celebrity crush? I am certainly not the type to be star-struck, but I do have a major crush on my husband. Even though he might not be famous, I think he is a pretty big deal.

CURRIED QUINOA SALAD “One of my favorite makeahead meals is this curried quinoa salad I usually have alongside grilled chicken or salmon,” Selz says. “The cranberries and apples satisfy my sweet tooth, while the spices create a complex ﬂavor.” INGREDIENTS 1 cup dry quinoa 1 apple, ﬁnely diced 1⁄3 cup dried cranberries 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp curry powder salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS Prepare quinoa as per package instructions. Remove from heat and stir in apples, cranberries and spices. Cover and let sit 10 minutes. Serve warm or chilled.

How did you guys meet? We met at community college, and I convinced him to go to nursing school with me. A couple that survives nursing school together can overcome anything!

The most embarrassing thing in my gym bag right now is … Bladder supports! Hey, I had two kids and am getting older, and yep, sprinting and jumping on occasion make me spring a leak. It happens to a lot of women, but I’m not one to be held back. And I’m deﬁnitely not embarrassed that I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get an awesome workout and push myself to the max!

Do you have a favorite playlist? I think I am the only person in the entire universe who does not listen to music when working out. I ﬁnd music distracts me from that mind-muscle connection, especially when lifting — I prefer silence.

Sweater: Saks Fifth Avenue

One thing people don’t know about me is … I am a beauty school dropout! I got a “needs improvement” in scissor skills when I was training, which should have been a clue not to pursue a career as a hair stylist!

What is your proudest moment in recent history (besides winning the cover!)? One day, during the OC5 voting period, I allowed my daughters to cast my ﬁve daily votes for all the contest categories with one stipulation — no voting for mommy! I was interested to see who stood out to them as ﬁt and healthy. My heart was full when they picked women of all shapes, sizes, ages and ethnicities.

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four more winners

In previous challenges, we awarded a single grand prize to one deserving contestant, who then landed the cover of Oxygen. However, not everyone is interested in being a cover model, and with every Challenge, there are so many amazing athletes, incredible transformations and inspiring stories that we decided there should be more ways to win. Here, then, are the worthy women who won our four newly created divisions — Best Team Player/ Motivator, Best Masters Athlete (40+), Fittest Mom and Biggest Transformation. | BY JILL SCHILDHOUSE

BEST TEAM PLAYER/MOTIVATOR

BEST MASTERS ATHLETE (40+)

Jacky Small

Anna Monaco

AGE: 45 | HEIGHT: 5’3”

AGE: 50 | HEIGHT: 5’4”

LOCATION: ONTARIO, CANADA

OCCUPATION: TEACHER

OCCUPATION: TEACHER, PERSONAL TRAINER

INCHES LOST: 18

INCHES LOST: 8

TEAM BOTH

Going into her fourth Oxygen Challenge, Jacky Small had one goal: to motivate every woman she could to become her best. “As a teacher and a mom, it’s important to be motivating and inspiring all the time,” Small says. And while each Oxy Challenge has its own vibe, Small marveled at how this particular group of women were so supportive. “You could talk about your best days or your worst days,” she says. “I knew the ladies in our Facebook group looked to me for inspiration and would constantly send me messages telling me how my smile — or my crazy leggings — always pushed them to be their best. It is because of those ladies that I was so successful, and I’m so grateful to win this title. In fact, I was so shocked when I won that I cried when I read the email — in front of my class of eighth-graders!” Small was late to the game when it came to ﬁtness, and growing up in Newfoundland, Canada, didn’t help matters much. “There wasn’t a lot of opportunity for me to play a variety of sports,” she says. Small started running distance at age 35 and has since completed many half and full marathons. “After my second child, I started to lift weights and haven’t looked back,” she adds. These days, Small trains at home in a gym she built in her basement and relishes here solo time. “I get up at 3:30 a.m. and have an hour of me time for meditating, journaling, reﬂecting and praying,” she says. “Then I am ready to work out and face ’90s PLAYLIST the day stronger than when I started.” Forever/Tina Cousins Mr. Vain/Culture Beat So what motivates the motivator? Barbie Girl/Aqua “My family, especially my sons,” she says. No Limit/2 Unlimited Sweet Dreams/La Bouche “They are always watching and know my Run Away/Real McCoy passion for health and working out.”

Having completed all four of the previous Oxygen challenges, it was no surprise that Anna Monaco was eager to sign up for OC5. “The very first challenge I completed was life-changing because it encouraged me to pursue my passion in fitness,” she says. “OC5 was different because of the community we built with Amber [Dodzweit Riposta] and Camille [Leblanc-Bazinet] and all the participants. There were so many amazing women involved, and I always love to have a goal to achieve.” Monaco chose to work with both coaches, knowing that Riposta would deliver a familiar style of training, while Leblanc-Bazinet would give her a solid introduction to CrossFit. Her double-dipping paid off, and Monaco was pushed to another level in her fitness and even broke some of her personal bests. Monaco grew up playing team sports, including soccer and tennis, and recently took up ice hockey and roller derby. “I am working on becoming the best version of FUN ’80s PLAYLIST me possible, and I enjoy new adventures,” Super Freak/Rick James she says. But Monaco does allow that It’s Raining Men/ The Weather Girls being a more mature athlete comes with its Walk This Way/Run-DMC own challenges. “I have to be very mindful Jump/Van Halen Mickey/Toni Basil of form and recovery now,” she explains. Call Me/Blondie “When I was younger, I could be a little I Love Rock ‘n Roll/ Joan Jett & the more reckless without feeling the effects, Blackhearts but now it’s more important Hot for Teacher/ Van Halen than ever to be safe.” Legs/ZZ Top Monaco is excited to be a Back in Black/AC/DC positive role model for women FAVE DELICIOUS 40 and older. “I want them DINNER to see what I do at this age is I make grilled salmon with lemon juice, Italian achievable,” she says. “I am herbs, salt and pepper, very proud that I don’t rely on and I serve it with steamed vegetables and a tiny bit of surgery or quick fixes to attain butter over basmati rice. my fitness level. I work hard for everything I have. Winning this BIGGEST CELEBRITY CRUSH category makes me feel like I George Clooney — ever won the grand prize because since I was a teenager. I’m it is so important to me.” still waiting for him!

Run Run Away/Dominoo Rhythm Is a Dancer/Snap! FAVORITE JOKE Q: What did the drummer name his twin girls? A: Anna 1, Anna 2 BIGGEST TRIUMPH

I wasn’t a big fan of Amber [Dodzweit Riposta’s] cobra push-ups, but I was a pro by the end of the 60 days.

winter 2020

FITTEST MOM

BIGGEST TRANSFORMATION

Michelle Crispe

Jennifer Gray

AGE: 40 | HEIGHT: 5’9”

AGE: 40 | HEIGHT: 5’3”

LOCATION: TORONTO

LOCATION: NORWOOD, MASSACHUSETTS

OCCUPATION: PERSONAL TRAINER,

OCCUPATION: STAY-AT-HOME MOM

NUTRITIONIST AND CONTRACTOR

INCHES LOST: 29.5

TEAM CAMILLE

TEAM AMBER

When Michelle Crispe signed up for The Oxygen Challenge 4 in 2018, she and her wife had just decided to split up — and their son was only 12 weeks old. “The Oxygen community provided me with emotional support and the accountability and coaching I needed to heal my body postpartum,” Crispe says. “I literally needed to be picked up off the ﬂoor and rebuilt. These challenges are a safe haven for me to be vulnerable, share my story and ask for help.” Crispe signed up this year wanting to deliver a stronger, more conditioned package and chose CrossFit icon Camille LeblancBazinet as her coach because she knew Leblanc-Bazinet would push her to improve her conditioning. And Leblanc-Bazinet did not disappoint. “I regularly ended up on the ﬂoor and sometimes felt like I was having a heart attack, but I also never felt more alive,” says the retired chiropractor. “I always joke that I never run unless something is chasing me, but Camille made me run. A lot. But I loved it and actually ran a 5K by the end — something I would normally never do.” Crispe knows how important it is to lead by example when it comes to her children, and she makes it a priority to engage her kids in physical activity and eat together as a family whenever possible. “I would love to say we have some big, super-healthy family recipe, but with three kids under the age of 6, it’s a miracle if they eat what we FAVORITE PLAYLIST Sex, Love & Water/ cook at all,” she admits, referencing her newly Armen van Buuren blended family with partner Chantelle. “I just Get Down in the Sunshine/Luca want my kids to know they are loved, seen Debonaire and DJ Falk and heard [and] that they are enough just as Ghost Voices/Virtual Self Ngithanda/Bantwanas they are. I realize in order to do this, I must Saltwater/Nora En Pure feel as though I am enough. I am working on Savanna/Tobtok Places/Martin Solveig that every day and hope I am showing them. Love Ah De Music/Kes Because your words mean nothing. It is your Soca in Meh Body/ actions kids pay attention to.” Alison Hinds

With her 40th birthday quickly approaching, Jennifer Gray decided it was time to lose the 40 pounds she gained during her second pregnancy. “I was looking for a lifestyle change, not just a quick fix to lose weight,” she says. “I’ve always wanted to do one of these challenges, and after picking up Oxygen magazine and seeing the OC5 contest, I decided to go for it.” Gray did not play sports growing up, and though she did a little running and skiing in her past, a program like this was new for her. Though initially she was intimidated — and sometimes cursed coach Amber Dodzweit Riposta for her “insane” moves — the Facebook support group and available exercise modifications in each workout helped Gray push forward, on even the toughest of days. Integrating workouts with a healthy meal plan was a game changer for Gray, who had never really thought of them as a package deal before. “I was able to set a realistic calorie intake during the Challenge that I still maintain today, which is important for maintaining my weight loss,” she says. “I also learned that FAVORITE PLAYLIST building muscle is so very important for overall Free Bird/Lynyrd Skynyrd health, especially if you’re older.” And as a side Superstition/Stevie Wonder benefit, the results of the ab and lower-body Booty/Jennifer Lopez Where They From/Missy strength circuits she sweat her way through got Elliott Gray some incredible compliments from the Bust a Move/Young MC person who matters most — her husband. Run the World/Beyoncé A Little Less Making exercise and healthy eating part of Conversation/Elvis her daily routine sometimes meant Gray did Presley and Junkie XL California Soul/Marlena her workouts at 10 p.m. “On days that I was Shaw feeling beat and drained, I remembered the promise GO-TO CRAVING QUENCHER I made to myself at the A cup of fresh fruit with beginning — don’t stop until a graham cracker on the side and some real you reach the finish line,” she whipped cream on top. says. “Exercise and healthy That usually does the trick without destroying all eating should be part of the hard work I put in for your daily routine, just as is the day. brushing your teeth. I knew BEST ADVICE FOR that the results I would get OTHERS out of the program were Don’t sweat the bad days. Just brush them off and only going to be defined by remember that tomorrow the effort I put into it.” you can start over again.

My One/Wiley WHO WOULD WIN IN A FIGHT — GODZILLA OR T-REX? Godzilla, hands down. He’s 100 times T-Rex’s size and breathes ﬁre. I like T-Rex better, however, because he actually existed, which makes him more badass.

SECRET OBSESSION Investing. I read constantly about it, and I love buying stocks and investing in companies and sectors I like and believe in.

“

I remembered the promise I made to myself at the beginning — don't stop until you reach the ﬁnish line.

RESET BUTTON HIT THE

BY MICHAEL BERG, NSCA-CPT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN TRAVIS BARNARD

winter 2020

ADD SOME EXCITEMENT (AND A NEW CHALLENGE!) TO YOUR WINTER WORKOUTS BY TACKLING ONE OF THESE OUTOF-THE-BOX FITNESS GOALS.

hile climate change may be upending our weather patterns, the seasons remain predictable and aligned: Spring brings the promise of summer, summer fades into fall, and fall gives way to the cold of winter. Are your workouts just as predictable? Now is the perfect opportunity to shake things up and pursue a new goal. For each of these four rut busters, you’ll take a short ﬁtness test to establish your baseline, then will have 12 weeks to better your score. At the end of three months, do a retest and you’ll see just how far you’ve come. Talk about motivation!

GOAL POWER UP YOUR UPPER BOD

Women can lag behind men in terms of upperbody strength by as much as 40 percent, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Fortunately, strength isn’t exclusively dictated by physiology — it’s also developed through sweat equity. According to Whitney Jones, NASM-CPT, the 2018 Fitness International and Fitness Olympia champion, boosting upper-body strength begins with mastering two bodyweight basics: pull-ups and push-ups.

PLAN OF ATTACK Depending on where you are in your ﬁtness journey, you may only be able to do one or two reps of either move; this is perfectly ﬁne. “For pull-ups, try to double your initial rep count in three months,” says Jones, co-owner of Pro Physiques in Gilbert, Arizona. “For push-ups, tripling or quadrupling your initial test result is very doable.” Add pull-ups to your regular back training day and push-ups to your chest and/or shoulders day. If you don’t follow a traditional lifting split, work these moves into a different training day every week. Do as many reps as you can for two to three sets, and complement them with ancillary exercises such as lat pulldowns and rows to better your pull-ups and incline/decline push-ups and dips to improve your push-ups, Jones says.

SELF-TEST: PUSH-UP After a thorough warm-up, perform as many perfect push-ups as you can. Once your form breaks or you have to stop for more than a couple of seconds, you’re done. Record your number. Test yourself every few weeks for 12 weeks. Place your hands just outside shoulder-width apart on the ground (or on an object) and extend your legs behind you, making sure your head, hips and heels are aligned. Bend your elbows and slowly lower your body down until you are almost touching the ground/ object, then extend your arms forcefully to rise back to the start.

TRAINING TIPS Go wide. Position your legs a little farther apart to get more reps. “This decreases the difficulty by shortening the distance between your shoulders and your feet so your lower body supports more of your weight,” Jones explains. Adjust your speed. “A plyometric push-up can help develop fast-twitch muscle fibers,” says Jones — the fibers responsible for bursts of power and strength. Do these from your knees, pressing down into the floor with enough force that your hands come off the ground.

AWESOME ANCILLARY MOVE Hand-Release Push-Up Get into plank with your head, hips and heels aligned and your hands a little outside shoulder-width apart. Bend your elbows and lower yourself all the way down to lie to the ﬂoor. Lift your hands up a couple of inches, then replace your hands and extend your arms to press back to the start.

winter 2020

Model: Meghan Hayden / Bra Top: Athleta / Long Sleeve Top: Athleta / Pants: Fleo / Shoes: Lorna Jane / Hat: Model’s own

SELF-TEST: PULL-UP After a thorough warm-up, do as many perfect pull-ups as you can. If you begin to swing, kip or use momentum to complete a rep, you’re through. Record your number. Test yourself every few weeks for 12 weeks. Take about a shoulder-width overhand grip on the bar and hang with your arms and elbows fully extended. Squeeze your legs together and bring your toes in front of you slightly, then draw your shoulder blades together and drive your elbows down and back to pull your body as high as you can toward the bar. Pause brieﬂy and then slowly lower back to a full extension.

TRAINING TIPS Hang out. Develop a vice-like grip by simply hanging passively from the bar for 30 seconds at a time, Jones recommends. Repeat three to ﬁve times, resting as needed between sets. Have a ball. Mobility in your upper body can improve pull-up potential. Use a lacrosse ball, placing it in areas where you feel tension and applying pressure until it begins to release.

AWESOME ANCILLARY MOVE Inverted Pull-Up Secure a barbell in a power rack and lie faceup underneath it so it aligns with your midchest. (You also can use a TRX.) Take a shoulder-width overhand grip on the bar with your arms extended and lift your hips so you’re in an inverted plank with only your heels on the ﬂoor. Drive your elbows down and back and pull your chest to the bar. Pause brieﬂy and then slowly lower to the start.

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GOAL ELEVATE YOUR ENDURANCE

Do you lose steam halfway through a workout? Or have you always wanted to run a race but lacked the stamina? Now you can change that, one quick step at a time. “Choose an event like a 5K, 10K or even a longer distance as a goal,” says Michelle Speers, NSCACPT, an endurance athlete based in Wrightwood, California. “You’ll improve your overall cardio endurance and will complete a race you might not have done otherwise.”

winter 2020

PLAN OF ATTACK You should start by running three to four days per week, building your distance gradually by adding a quarter to a half mile to your runs each week. “Once you can do 5 miles comfortably, you can add a full mile to your runs each week,” Speers says. Beginners can alternate between running and walking for a minute each and slowly build to running 3 miles without stopping. Those with a better base of conditioning can start with 1 to 2 miles and build up to 6 over the course of three months; seasoned runners can begin with 3 miles and build up to 13.

SELF-TEST: THE 12-MINUTE RUN Warm up with ﬁve to 10 minutes of walking or easy jogging, then run as far as you can in 12 minutes on a track, around your neighborhood or on a treadmill. Calculate your total distance to the nearest sixteenth of a mile. (If you’re running outside, use a GPS watch or an app like RunKeeper or MapMyRun for accurate metrics.) On a treadmill, set the screen to reﬂect distance and set the incline to 1 percent to better simulate outdoor running, Speers advises. For the retest, use the same method/modality for comparison.

TRAINING TIPS Lower-body love. The repetitive motion of running can cause tightness in your lower back and lower body, so stretch them diligently after each run, Speers says. Be patient. Progress slowly and carefully in order to avoid overtraining and prevent injury. “Earn your progressions rather than just randomly deciding to up your mileage,” Speers says.

AWESOME ANCILLARY MOVE Plank Place your hands on the ﬂoor underneath your shoulders and extend your legs behind you. Lift your hips so they align with your head and heels. Hold here as long as you can, breathing deeply for 30 to 60 seconds.

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GOAL BUILD SUPER

SELF-TEST 1: T-TEST

SPEED AND AGILITY

No matter what sport you play or what fitness level you are, speed and agility training can take your performance, physique and fitness ferocity to a whole new level, says Kristian Flores, CSCS, a fitness coach based in New York City. Bonus: Its high-intensity nature deftly incinerates fat!

This test measures your ability to change directions quickly. Enlist a friend to time you, and place four cones in a T formation 5 to 10 yards apart. Run as fast as you can from cone A to cone B. Touch the base of the cone with your right hand, then shuffle sideways to cone C. Touch its base with your left hand and then shuffle across to cone D. Touch its base with your right hand and then shuffle back to cone B and touch it with your left hand. Finally, run backward past cone A to TRAINING TIPS stop the timer. Complete the drill three to four times and record Listen to your your best overall time. Repeat every few weeks.

SELF-TEST 2: 50-YARD DASH After a thorough warm-up, take your position at the starting line and have a friend stand at the 50-yard mark. When your buddy says go, sprint as fast as you possibly can across the ﬁnish line. Perform the test a few times and take your best time. Repeat every few weeks.

PLAN OF ATTACK Training for speed and agility means incorporating a few different training protocols into your workout week: concentric and eccentric strength work, multidirectional training, power-focused training and speed training.

SAMPLE SPEED/AGILITY SPLIT Day Training Mode(s) Monday Thursday Saturday

Concentric strength + multidirectional work Power-focused training + eccentric strength Speed training

body. “This kind of work is taxing on both the muscles and the central nervous system,” Flores says. Pay attention to your nutrition, sleep and mood throughout the day, and turn things down a notch when you’re not feeling it to prevent overtraining. Energize with electrolytes. “Your electrolyte balance is critical to performance, and replacing them with a drink will help you recover faster,” Flores says.

1 | CONCENTRIC STRENGTH TRAINING Speed and agility are built on a foundation of strength — stronger muscles allow for greater lower-body explosive power and sudden directional changes. Concentric strength — the ability of your muscles to contract (shorten) against resistance — can be developed through multijoint movements like squats and presses, which engage several muscle groups at once. Choose a weight that is challenging enough so you can’t complete a 13th rep with good form to ensure you’re pushing your muscles to momentary failure.

Dumbbell Squat

SAMPLE DUMBBELL CONCENTRIC WORKOUT Exercise Sets Reps Dumbbell Squat Dumbbell Deadlift Dumbbell Lateral Lunge

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3 3 3

8-12 8-12 8-12 (each side)

Stand with your feet shoulderwidth apart and your toes turned out slightly. Hold a set of dumbbells at shoulder height with your elbows bent and tucked into your body. Push your glutes back , then bend your knees to lower into a deep squat. Drive up and out of the bottom position by quickly extending your legs and hips.

2 | ECCENTRIC STRENGTH TRAINING The eccentric, or negative, action is the opposite of a concentric contraction — a muscle lengthening under a load. This occurs in your lower body when you run and change directions. To speciﬁcally train eccentric strength, you can perform drop landings and deceleration drills one or two times per week, starting with one set of 10 reps per session for four weeks, then adding a second and a third set every few weeks as you improve.

Drop Landing Stand on top of a platform or box that’s about 1 or 2 feet high. Step off the platform with one foot and land on both feet, absorbing the impact by bending your ankles, knees and hips. Hold at the bottom for three to ﬁve seconds.

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3 | POWER TRAINING PLYOMETRIC POWER MOVES Broad Jump Speedskater Box Jump Vertical Jump Plyo Push-Up Single-Legged Hop

While concentric exercises involve slower, more controlled muscle contractions, explosive plyometric training develops your fast-twitch muscle ﬁbers to maximize your power and speed potential. Choose two exercises and perform two sets of 10 reps one to two times per week.

Broad Jump Stand with your feet shoulderwidth apart. Swing your arms behind you and quickly bend your knees and hips, then explosively extend them to leap as far forward as you can, swinging your arms to help generate momentum. Land and absorb the landing by bending your knees and hips. Reset and repeat.

Reverse Lunge With Overhead Press Hold a set of dumbbells at your shoulders and stand with your feet together. Take a large step backward and bend both knees to 90 degrees while simultaneously pressing the dumbbells overhead. Return to the start and continue, alternating sides.

4 | MULTIDIRECTIONAL STRENGTH Most weight-training moves are performed in one plane of motion, whether it’s a squat, a press or a row. For all performance and real-world power, you need to be able to move in numerous directions dynamically, which better mimics sports and life situations. Flores suggests performing a unilaterally loaded move, such as a one-arm push press, or an exercise that combines two movement directions, such as a reverse lunge with an overhead press.

5 | SPEED TRAINING For straight-ahead speed improvement, perform sprints of various distances, such as 50 or 100 meters, as well as hill and stair sprints. “Do five sprints total the first week and double that to 10 in weeks 2 and 3,” Flores instructs. “In Week 4, you can go up to 12, and in Weeks 5 and beyond, do 15 sprints per session.” Your rest periods between sprints should be at least five times the sprint duration, so if you sprint for 10 seconds, you should rest 50 seconds.

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GOAL STRETCH YOUR WINGS

Being ﬂexible means more than just doing the splits as a party trick. “It can improve physical performance, reduce your risk of injury and even help correct muscular imbalances,” says Jess Nadine, a health and ﬁtness coach based in Vancouver, Canada, and creator of The Progress Project. “It can also help your body and mind relax.”

PLAN OF ATTACK After every workout, perform a series of stretches that targets the muscles you just worked or that mobilizes parts that are chronically tight or stiff. “Pick ﬁve stretches and hold each for 15 to 30 seconds for one to three rounds,” Nadine says. “Also, try to release negativity and allow tension in your face and body to fade.”

SELF-TEST: STANDING STRETCH After a five- to 10-minute warm-up, perform this stretch three times, holding for 10 to 15 seconds each time. Record your best result and retest yourself every week. Stand with your feet shoulderwidth apart with a soft bend in your knees. Fold forward from your hips, allowing your head and neck to hang freely as you reach your hands for the floor with the ultimate goal of placing them flat on the ground. Breathe and relax into the stretch, holding for 10 to 15 seconds.

TRAINING TIPS Don’t overdo it. “Overstretching can cause injury,” Nadine says. “Ease yourself into each stretch and drop the ego so you don’t push past your comfort zone.” Flex Rx. If you are super tight, stand with your feet a little wider to make the stretch more doable. As you become more ﬂexible, bring your feet closer together.

AWESOME ANCILLARY MOVE One-Legged Forward Fold Sit with your right leg extended, foot ﬂexed, and place the sole of your left foot on your inner right thigh. Reach upward with both arms and then bend at the hips as you exhale, reaching toward your right foot, grasping it if you can. Take at least three deep breaths, then slowly release. Repeat one to three times, then switch legs.

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home sweet home gym

CREATE AN OASIS OF FITNESS AT HOME THAT MATCHES YOUR SPACE, STYLE — AND SALARY.

LET’S FACE IT — THE GYM ISN’T FOR EVERYONE, and if you’re not a fan of crowds, packed parking lots or equipment christened by other people’s sweat, training at home could be your dream come true. The good news is that building a decent home gym is easier than ever, and the key to creating the perfect training space is selecting the equipment that best suits your goals, your space and your budget. Check out these four spatial scenarios and their associated equipment suggestions. Then mix and match the gear from any of them to create a gym perfectly tailored for you. Hello instant workouts, goodbye excuses! BY ERIN CALDERONE, MS, NASM MASTER TRAINER, CES, BES, AFAA-GFI

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the tiny house Whether you literally live in a dollhouse on wheels or a studio apartment, you need to equip your space carefully to ensure that your gear doesn’t double as furniture. Portable, multifunctional equipment is best here so you can set up anywhere and get your sweat on. SPACE-SAVING SUPERSTARS Suspension Trainer A suspension trainer leverages your own bodyweight for resistance, and simply changing your angle or body position can modify any exercise to make it harder or easier. And because the trainer is just a simple set of straps and handles, it hardly takes up any square footage in a drawer or cabinet.

Resistance Bands

Jump Rope

No room for a rack of dumbbells? Then invest in a set of resistance bands. They are cheap and versatile and can be used in place of dumbbells or barbells for just about every move you can think of. Purchase a few different “weights” to give yourself options during training.

Not everyone has the space (or the money) for a treadmill or elliptical trainer, but truth be told, you don’t need a machine to get your sweat on. Jumping rope is one of the most time- and spaceefficient ways to burn a ton of calories while building endurance and cardiovascular fortitude.

SAMPLE TINY HOUSE SETUP* TRX Suspension Trainer Yoga Mat TriggerPoint Ball Resistance Bands Kettlebell Crossrope Speed LE Set

$200, trx.com (includes 1-year premium membership) $30, gaiam.com $20, triggerpoint.implus.com $15-$20 (each), performbetter.com $90, 16 kg (35 lb), kettlebellkings.com $128, crossrope.com

TOTAL INVESTMENT

$400-$500

*All prices are estimates; cost will vary by brand.

MOBILITY/STRENGTH MASH-UP Either perform this workout using straight sets to build strength or create a heartpumping circuit by doing the moves back-to-back with no rest in between for two to three rounds.

EXERCISE Banded Bird Dog Kettlebell Lateral Lunge to Press TRX Row Kettlebell Reverse Lunge to Windmill Press TRX Atomic Push-Up Jump Rope

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SETS

REPS/TIME

2-3 2-3 2-3 2-3 2-3 2-3

10-15 (each side) 10-15 (each side) 10-15 10 (each side) 10-15 30-60 seconds

the suburbanite setup

Out in the ’burbs, you have a little more room to kick around, and here a guest room or den can easily double as your workout space. In addition to being able to house all the suggested Tiny House gear, you are more at liberty to expand your equipment horizons. However, your space still needs to be multifunctional and neat with equipment that can be collapsed or hidden away when company calls.

HIDEAWAY HEROES Foldable Bench Unless you’re planning on using your ﬂat bench for extra seating at the dinner table, you’ll want to be able to stash it when your in-laws are in town. Most foldable benches collapse completely ﬂat and can be rolled underneath a bed or hidden in the back of a closet.

SAMPLE SUBURBANITE SETUP Pro Series Expandable (5-50 lb) Stability Ball Deck Folding Bench Parallel Training Bars Spinner L5 Spin Bike TOTAL INVESTMENT

$440, powerblock.com $45, performbetter.com $180, power-systems.com $110, lebertﬁtness.com $600

Parallel Training Bars

$1,375

Parallel Training Bars Though they look simple, a set of parallel bars can be used for hundreds of strength moves, and they are appropriate for exercisers of all levels. Perform moves such as dips, push-ups, L-sits and leg raises, as well as stretches and mobility training.

Dial-a-Dumbbell If you don’t have the wall space to house a bulky rack of weights, then an adjustable dumbbell set is a must-have. This system allows you to change your weight up or down in increments, and when not in use, it can be stashed in the corner without issue.

AT-HOME HIIT Perform as many reps as you can of each move in 30 seconds and rest minimally between exercises. Cycle (or do another form of cardio) for ﬁve minutes at a moderately intense pace, then rest one minute. Complete two to three rounds.

EXERCISE Lateral Dumbbell Step-Up to Overhead Press Flat-Bench Dumbbell Press Dumbbell Rear-Leg Elevated Split Squat Bent-Over Two-Arm Dumbbell Row Stability-Ball Hamstring Curl Cycle Rest

TIME 30 seconds 30 seconds 30 seconds 30 seconds 30 seconds 5 minutes 1 minute

Vision Bored When choosing a large piece of equipment such as a stationary bike, treadmill or rowing machine, consider the footprint (how much space it will take up), whether it can be easily accessed for maintenance or adjustments, and what is in your line of sight when you use it. Because it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter how many bells and whistles it has if all you have to look at is a blank wall.

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garage girl Let’s face it — no one uses their garage for cars anymore, and besides, who doesn’t want the kind of ﬁtness space that spills out into the driveway and makes the neighbors jealous? With this setup, you bring some of the niceties of a commercial facility into your own domain and will never have to share a chalk-crusted power rack again. GREAT GARAGE GEAR CrossFit Home Gym Package Even if you’re not into CrossFit WODs, a setup such as this delivers all the equipment bells and whistles in a single package, and usually at a lower price point than if you were to purchase all the items separately. Depending on the company, a package might include barbells, a rack, bumper plates, a rowing machine, a climbing rope, rings, medicine ball(s) and more.

Flooring

Plyometric Box

Whether you used to have cars in there or not, most garage ﬂoors are less than pristine, with oil stains, outdoor grime and (yipe!) spiders. A puzzle-piece rubberized ﬂoor is easy to install, allowing you to rise above the grit while also giving you the option of easy removal if you decide your car indeed needs shelter.

A solid plyo box is an incredible in-home tool and can be used to train your whole body with or without weight. Step-ups, dips, box jumps and endless plyometric drills are at your ﬁngertips.

SAMPLE GARAGE GIRL SETUP Foldable Wall-Mount Rack CrossFit Home Gym Package (includes barbell, plate set, Concept2 Rower, climbing rope, rings, medicine ball, slam ball, 5 kettlebells, AbMat) Plyometric Box Superbands (Pull-Up Package) Rogue Echo Bike Gym Flooring TOTAL INVESTMENT

AT-HOME AMRAP After a thorough warm-up, complete as many rounds and reps as possible (AMRAP) of the following workout in 25 minutes. Record your score and try to beat it next time.

$500, rogueﬁtness.com

$2,725, roguefitness.com $135, roguefitness.com $70, roguefitness.com $800, roguefitness.com $1,000-$1,500, rubberflooringinc.com $5,230-$5,730

EXERCISE

SETS

Overhead Barbell Squat Burpee Strict Pull-Up Kettlebell Swing Toes-to-Bar

5 10 5 10 5

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the she shed If you’re lucky enough to have a no-limit budget, get your gym out of the house and into its own space. This custom setup includes state-of-the-art equipment that collects all your metrics, integrating ondemand boutique studio classes (such as those offered by Peloton and Technogym) and your own biostats to help you maintain motivation and track your progress. THE BEST BELLS AND WHISTLES Peloton Bike Enjoy the intensity and camaraderie of a group ﬁtness class — without leaving your home. Peloton offers more than 90 live weekly classes that range from ﬁve to 90 minutes and that are led by some of the most popular instructors around. See your realtime metrics, such as heart rate, cadence and output, and compare them with others who are virtually working out with you.

Multifunction Machine There are a bevy of options (and price points) for this kind of equipment, so look for a product that allows you to perform a multitude of your favorite exercises. If you can see the machine in person, test it out and make sure everything locks securely and that all moving parts glide smoothly.

Skillrun Treadmill This incredible piece of equipment gives you a treadmill, a sled and a parachute trainer all in one. It provides guided workouts and a large touch screen, and an easy-toreach toggle makes increasing and decreasing speed and intensity a snap.

SAMPLE SHE SHED SETUP Skillrun Treadmill Peloton Works Package

Dumbbell Set and Rack Multifunction Smith/ Cable Machine

$6,100, tuffstuffitness.com Adjustable Bench $330, bowﬂex.com Rubberized Plate Set $575, yorkbarbell.com Medicine-Ball Set and Rack $640, (8 balls, 6-20 lb) performbetter.com BOSU Elite Balance Trainer $200, bosu.com Yoga Mat, Blocks, Foam Rollers, Resistance Bands $150-$200, performbetter.com Gym Flooring $1,000-$2,000, rubberﬂooringinc.com TOTAL COST

KILLER CONDITIONING

$10,000+ $2,500, onepeleton.com (membership not included) $900, ﬁtnessfactory.com

$22,395-$23,515

Choose a light to moderate weight for the strength moves, and work at 70 to 75 percent max effort during the cardio intervals. Rest 30 to 60 seconds between strength moves, and complete the workout two times through.

EXERCISE Cable Single-Legged Deadlift to Row Cable Squat to Woodchop Treadmill Run Cycle Smith-Machine Hip Thrust Dumbbell Flat Bench Press Treadmill Run Cycle Medicine-Ball V-Up BOSU Side Shuffle Treadmill Run Cycle

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REPS/TIME 15 (each side) 15 (each side) 5 minutes 5 minutes 15 15 5 minutes 5 minutes 15 30 seconds 5 minutes 5 minutes

URBAN OUTFITTER Want to outfit your home gym like a pro? Come to the IDEA World Convention July 8-12, 2020, in Anaheim, California, to test-drive the latest and greatest in fitness equipment on the expo floor! ideafit.com

Making the Grade Fitness equipment comes in different “grades” based on how much it is going to be

used, and most large companies make multiple versions of the same piece: home, light commercial and full commercial. Home-grade equipment is typically the cheapest and will withstand consistent use by one or two people, at most. The light commercial version is more reliable and will have the sturdier feel of a piece you’d find at your local gym or box. A full commercial piece is an absolute necessity for anyone planning on having multiple people use it throughout the day — for example, if you’re setting up a small studio to train clients or have a number of friends chipping in on it. Also, beware of the crappy stuff. “The biggest mistake people make when buying equipment online is not knowing the quality of the source,” says Ron Martin, sales manager at FitOne Fitness. Purchase from companies with a reputable name in the commercial and studio gym settings, even if you’re buying the home version of their gear. If you already train at a gym, you will recognize the more reputable names such as Precor, Life Fitness, Freemotion, Hammer Strength, York, Rogue, Perform Better and TRX. If it’s been a while since you had a membership and you’re unsure what is best at present, consult a specialized fitness equipment store and sales staff (steer clear of big chains) to steer you in the right direction, or attend a fitness conference expo and try the equipment out for yourself. oxyg enma g.co m

TARGET YOUR TROUBLE SPOTS Spot reduction is a myth, but targeted building is a truth.

BY JENESSA CONNOR, CPT PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN TRAVIS BARNARD

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OK,

SO FIRST THINGS FIRST — SPOT REDUCTION IS A MYTH.

(Now repeat that until it sticks permanently to your gray matter.) Time and again it has been proved that you can’t physiologically channel all your weight-loss efforts into melting away a stubborn roll of fat that bumps or lumps in an inconvenient spot. Think of it this way: You can’t scoop one cup of water out of the center of a lake and expect a divot to remain. The overall water level will go down, but no one certain area will have less water than another. Your body works in the same way, and the signals that increase the breakdown of fat during exercise are hormonal; hormones have a total-body effect — they don’t care that your belly pooch is annoying. Case in point: A study done at the University of Connecticut found that when subjects exercised just one arm, the amount of fat loss in both arms was the same. And another study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that after 12 weeks of training only their lower body on a leg-press machine, participants saw a reduction of fat in their upper bodies. If you simply want to lose “weight,” then this article won’t matter much to you because all you have to do to accomplish that goal is to reduce your caloric intake and increase your activity level. But if you want to change your body composition and speciﬁcally lose fat — no matter where you want to lose it — you have to take a different tack.

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Ready, Aim, Fire! The upshot is that you can reshape your body — as long as you think of your training as targeted building rather than targeted reduction. Because, in essence, the more you sculpt an area you hate, the more it will turn into a shape you love. It might take some time, though, so be patient. “Usually the area that a person is most concerned about is the last place that they’re going to see results,” says Kira Stokes, NASM-CPT, creator of Kira Stokes Method on Demand. “But if you put in the work and effort throughout your entire body, there will come a point where that particular area will respond.” (Remember the lake analogy?) Stokes and Nathalia Melo, founder of the Mother Strong League — an online postnatal coaching program for busy athletic moms — revealed their favorite moves to work the muscles that lie directly beneath your most abhorrent trouble spots, helping you shape and build your body from the inside out. Arranging these moves in a circuit format — doing each for 12 to 15 reps — will up their caloric ante, helping burn off the body fat that makes an area “troublesome” while building sleek, smooth muscle underneath. Do the calorie-torching cardio ﬁnisher at the end of your strength workout to incinerate even more fat and soon your trouble spots will be so 2019.

helpful hints

While the majority of the science indicates that there is no such thing as spot reduction, a few small studies argue otherwise, and researchers came to some interesting conclusions that may or may not be factual. Either way, their suggestions and strategies won’t hurt you any in your efforts, so try them if you like.

Heat up your irksome area. If you touch an area where you have a lot of fat, you might notice that it’s colder. This is because fat deposits have very low blood ﬂow. One study hypothesized that by making a fatty area physically warmer, therefore increasing blood ﬂow to the surrounding tissues, the fat in that area was more likely to be broken down and used to fuel local working muscles.

Do high reps. Is the burn you feel when you do high reps more than just lactic acid? Back in the day, Arnold Schwarzenegger did thousands of crunches in order to lean out for a bodybuilding competition, and though it was more likely his diet than his crunches that helped him strip fat from his core, if you use high reps and heat up an area over and over (see previous tip), you’ll continually increase blood ﬂow to that area and might increase fat breakdown. At the very least, you’ll get in your core work!

Try intermittent fasting, or do cardio on an empty stomach. Some research indicates that fatty acids have a traffic pattern, traveling into cells after you eat for storage and coming out of cells when you’re fasting for fuel. Either of these techniques may work to your advantage when it comes to fat burning, so go ahead and give it a try.

WEAK/ FLABBY UPPER ARMS

Model: Lauren Kanski / Hair: Bethany Wood / Makeup: Bianca Corso / Top & Leggings: Lorna Jane / Shoes: Athletic Propulsion Labs

If your upper arms keep on waving long after you’ve stopped saying “hi,” it might be time to hit your triceps. Here, Stokes recommends moves like skullcrushers and close-grip bench presses to do the trick.

DUMBBELL SKULLCRUSHER Lie faceup on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms extended over your shoulders perpendicular to the floor, palms facing inward. Bend only at your elbows to lower the dumbbells toward your forehead until they nearly touch. Return to the start, squeezing your triceps hard at full extension.

DUMBBELL CLOSE GRIP BENCH PRESS Lie faceup on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms extended over your shoulders perpendicular to the floor, palms facing inward. Keep your arms in close to your sides as you bend your elbows and lower the weights toward the sides of your chest. Extend forcefully to the start.

TRY SUPERSETTING THESE MOVES — DOING ONE AFTER ANOTHER WITH NO REST IN BETWEEN — TO MAKE THEM MORE METABOLIC. oxyg enma g.co m

BACK BULGE

That unsightly bubble of ﬂesh that peeks out from underneath your bra could be due to slack or weak back muscles. Melo’s prescription for bra-strap bulge are any sort of row or pulldown that works the latissimus dorsi, the muscles responsible for creating that ﬂattering V-taper.

TIP Try doing rows at different angles using different equipment to keep things fresh and incite progress.

BANDED WIDE ROW Loop a resistance band around an anchor at shoulder height. Hold the handles shoulder-width apart, palms facing downward, and your elbows bent 90 degrees and lifted in line with your shoulders. Keep your hands wide as you drive your elbows back, pinching your shoulder blades together, then return slowly to the start.

LANDMINE BARBELL ROW Secure one end of a barbell in a landmine device or in the corner of a room. Load the other end with weight and straddle the bar facing the loaded end with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Keep your back ﬂat as you push your glutes back, and then hinge forward at your hips to take a ﬁrm grip on the bar just below the weight collar. Drive your elbows up and back to pull the bar toward your chest, drawing your shoulder blades together, then slowly lower to the start.

MUFFIN TOP

Aside from getting bigger jeans, some concentrated core work that engages the transverse abdominis — the innermost ab muscles that act like a corset — could help rein in that waistband once and for all. And even though it can be argued that you constantly work your core with moves like squats and deadlifts, it still needs some dedicated time under tension if you want to get stronger, Stokes says.

DEAD BUG Lie faceup with your legs over your hips, knees bent 90 degrees, and extend your arms straight up over your shoulders. Press your lower back into the ﬂoor, and keep it there as you slowly lower your right arm overhead and extend your left leg to hover just above the ﬂoor. Return to the start and continue, alternating sides.

TIP Do these moves slowly and with focus, exhaling on exertion and inhaling on release.

PALLOF PRESS Loop a large exercise band around a rig or pole at chest height, and hold the handles together at your chest with your elbows bent. Step away until you feel tension in the band, then stand sideways to the anchor with your feet shoulder-width apart. Slowly press the band forward at shoulder height until your arms are fully extended, then return slowly to the start. Do all reps on one side before switching.

NEW MOM WITH AB WOES? MELO SUGGESTS CHECKING IN WITH A DOCTOR OR PELVIC FLOOR PHYSICAL THERAPIST. “THE ISSUE MIGHT BE AN ABDOMINAL SEPARATION AND NOT JUST A ‘MUFFIN TOP,’” MELO SAYS. “A SEPARATION MAY REQUIRE REHABILITATION WORK INSTEAD OF GOING STRAIGHT INTO REGULAR CORE EXERCISES.”

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FLAT/FLABBY BACKSIDE

When it comes to building a welldeﬁned rear, the hamstrings are just as important as the glutes, according to Stokes. “Think of your butt as the roof of the house and the hamstrings as the walls,” she says. “You can’t have a roof without solid walls to hold it up.”

MEDICINE BALL SPLIT SQUAT TO SINGLE LEG DEADLIFT Hold a medicine ball at your chest and extend one leg behind you, placing your foot laces-down on a bench. Shift your weight to your front foot, then bend your knee to lower into a deep split lunge. At the bottom, your forward leg should make a 90-degree angle. Stand and then extend your arms so the ball is in front of your thighs. Keep your standing knee straight but not locked as you hinge at your hips and reach the medicine ball toward the ﬂoor, back straight. Return to standing. Do all reps on one side, then switch.

DOING ONE-LEGGED MOVES CHALLENGES YOUR BALANCE AND FURTHER ENGAGES THE GLUTEUS MEDIUS, WHICH HELPS BUILD THAT BUBBLE BUTT. 62

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WITH ALL THESE MOVES, TRY TO ESTABLISH A GOOD MIND-MUSCLE CONNECTION AND REALLY FEEL THAT MUSCLE GROUP CONTRACTING.

BARBELL HIP THRUST Sit with your back against a bench, and roll a loaded barbell up over your legs and across your hips. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor, holding the barbell with both hands to keep it in place. Drive into your heels and press your hips up until your shoulders, hips and knees are in line and parallel to the floor. Pause and then lower slowly to the start.

TIP Keep your feet ﬂat on the ﬂoor and drive straight down through your heels for the most power.

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INNER/OUTER THIGHS Love ’em or hate ’em, your thighs are a powerful bodypart, and chances are you do plenty of squats and lunges to keep them in shape. But those moves don’t directly work the inner or outer part of your thighs, which — no matter how awesome your quads are — steal the spotlight when you look in the mirror. But fear not, you don’t have to resort to the “good girl/ bad girl” machine at the gym — these two moves work your thighs 360 degrees around while also building core and glute strength.

TIP Challenge yourself — lift your leg and hold it in the raised position as long as you can on both sides.

ADDUCTOR SIDE PLANK Lie on your left side perpendicular to a ﬂat bench with your left elbow underneath your shoulder and your right leg extended with your foot on top of the bench. Lift your hips to come into a side plank, and keep them stacked as you slowly lift and lower your left leg for reps. Do on both sides.

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BANDED LATERAL WALKING SQUAT Loop a resistance band around your thighs just above your knees and stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Step to the side with your left foot, push your glutes back and bend your knees to lower into a squat, then step your right foot in to meet your left and stand back up. Repeat for several reps in both directions.

TIP Push your knees apart continually to engage your outer thighs.

THE RESEARCH IS IN A study conducted at McMaster University compared the energy expenditure of cyclists who participated in 20 minutes of HIIT with those who completed 50 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling and found the difference in calorie burn between the two to be negligible. Hmm, 20 minutes versus 50? Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d choose the former every time.

cardio

For a next-level physique, some dedicated cardio is in order. This 18-minute jump rope/bodyweight high-intensity interval training circuit is perfect after a strength workout, or on days when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re pressed for time and want to get in and out quickly. 18-MINUTE HIIT Complete three rounds of the below workout. Do each move for one minute and rest one minute between rounds. Jump Rope Mountain Climber Switch Kick Burpee Jumping Lunge Rest

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A S K THE PR O FESS O R

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I have

pain

should I still train?

PROFESSOR ERIN CALDERONE ANSWERS THIS BURNING QUESTION.

I think I may have an injury but am not sure. Should I work out?

MAYBE. If you’ve been training for a while, you’re probably no stranger to the next-day aches and pains you incur from attempting a new lift or hitting a new max. But sometimes pain appears out of nowhere, and in these instances, you should stop and assess your situation. Pain signals — no matter what the severity — are your brain’s way of telling you to put on the brakes to prevent further damage. Here are some questions to help you determine whether you have an injury, what to do if you have incurred one and what you can do in the meantime to avoid a complete physique meltdown.

How long have I felt the pain, and what does it feel like? Think back to recent training sessions and try to determine when it started. Was there a speciﬁc movement or exercise that may have caused it, or has it been slowly building over time? A strain such as pulling a muscle often feels like a knot or excessive soreness if you move that joint or stretch that muscle. A sprain — aka a partial tear — feels like a sharp twinge, such as when you roll your ankle, and

it may come with swelling and stiffness. With a severe injury like a full tear, you will likely hear and/or feel a pop in the area, which is usually accompanied by swelling. In those cases, it’s time to call the doc. You also should visit your M.D. if you are experiencing numbness, burning or tingling (indicative of nerve pain), pain deep in the joint (as opposed to in an adjacent muscle) or super-severe pain that keeps you from moving that limb or putting weight on it entirely.

When do I feel it? If you feel pain only when the affected muscle is stretched and/or contracted, you are probably just sore from training or have incurred a minor muscle strain. If the pain persists and is consistently dull, throbbing or sharp — even when you’re not moving — there could be something else going on. Have it looked at to rule out a more severe injury.

How can I heal it? Obviously, the ﬁrst thing to do is to avoid the movement pattern that caused the injury until the pain subsides. For minor injuries like strains and sprains, you should rest the area for six to eight weeks and avoid any aggravating movement patterns. You should notice a reduction in pain within the ﬁrst week. In the meantime, work on strengthening and mobilizing the area to help prevent the

injury from reoccurring. For example, many hamstring strains occur when doing a Romanian (stiff-legged) deadlift because the hamstrings are stretched at both the hip and the knee. Here, optimize hip mobility with foam rolling, yoga and dynamic stretches like leg swings or walking lunges. Strengthen your glutes with bridging moves and your hamstrings with stability-ball curls. And, of course, for major injuries, follow the directions of your doc.

What kind of rest does it need? Minor injuries need three to four days of complete rest and you can use ice or heat or both as needed to reduce pain. But this time frame is absolutely not written in stone, and in reality, you have to listen to your body. Forcing your body to work while injured can cause a change in your muscle activation sequences, which in turn can cause altered joint positioning and movement patterns. This can then then affect other joints or even make the original injury worse. A minor injury can become chronic when you try to push through the pain rather than allowing it time to heal. So if after four days you’re still in pain, by all means give it more rest or go see your doctor.

Can I still exercise? You can certainly exercise in ways that won’t aggravate the

BY ERIN CALDERONE, MS, NASM MASTER TRAINER, CES, BCS, AFAAGFI, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology, Glendale Community College in Southern California

injury or stress that particular joint or muscle group. For instance, if you feel a twinge in your knee, you can still train legs with exercises that emphasize the glutes such as hip thrusts or fire hydrants. Shoulders are trickier because they move in so many directions, so first identify any movements or positions that cause pain, then avoid those moves for a couple of weeks. Remember, however, that these exercise substitutions and workarounds are not the same as corrective exercises, which help negate muscle imbalances and prevent future injuries. The workaround will definitely keep you active while giving that area time to heal, and once the pain dissipates, you can work on re-establishing your mobility and strengthening the stabilizing muscles to prevent a reoccurrence. The take-away here is to listen to your body. Even minor aches and pangs are messages from your brain that your body needs a break. If the pain is severe or persists for more than a couple of weeks, pony up the copay and go see your doc. Even superhumans need help sometimes.

play or stay BRAVE THE ELEMENTS OR CHILL BEHIND CLOSED DOORS WITH THIS FITFRIENDLY FARE!

PLAY Skechers Chill Out Printed Puffer Vest Lightweight and warm, this adorable relaxed-ﬁt vest is the perfect topper for winter, and it features moisture-wicking technology, zippered security pocket and an elastic encased hem to keep out unwanted winter elements — and keep in warmth.

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Maloja SesvennaM. Long Underwear This cozy base-layer combo is made from a four-way stretch merino wool/ polyester blend that moves with your body — no bunching in awkward places! It also insulates while it wicks sweat away from your skin.

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Hydro Flask Wonder Collection These wide-mouth bottles come in two sizes and four designs inspired by nature. Each offers its patented TempShield double-wall insulation to keep drinks ice cold for 24 hours or piping hot up to 12 hours.

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Chef’s Cut Biltong With zero grams of sugar and 26 grams of protein per bag, this gluten- and nitrite-free jerky comes in two tasty ﬂavors — original and spicy chili. Made from air-dried lean beef and shaved razor-thin, this is a great on-the-go snack!

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Pelican G40 Go Case Protect your phone, keys or whatever else you need to shield from the elements with this watertight, crushproof storage case. It comes with a lifetime guarantee and a built-in battery that lets you recharge your phone up to four times before it needs charging itself.

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HyperNight Reﬂective Ponytail Beanie Speciﬁcally designed for women, this lightweight stretch beanie not only lets you thread your hair through a cutout in the back, but there’s also a hidden pocket inside for hiding cash or a key.

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W INT ER G EA R G U I DE

STAY

2020

BY MYATT MURPHY

LifeFuels Hydration System Getting enough water is as crucial in the winter as it is in the summer. This bottle holds three FuelPods that release ﬂavor (like lemon lime and white grapefruit citrus) along with essential vitamins and nutrients with a push of a button. Download the app to measure your liquid intake and get hydration recommendations.

$180 (bottle), $12 (per FuelPod) lifefuels.com

Hurom Hexa Power Blender Healthy food prep is a snap with this six-blade, high-speed blender, which features one-touch settings such as Smoothie, Soup and Ice Crush, and a BPA-free 2-liter container for highvolume recipes. Safety bonus: It automatically shuts down if the motor overheats or if the pitcher is removed from the base.

$350

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Power Plate Pulse With six attachments and four intensity levels, this powerful (yet super-silent) hand-held massager reduces soreness and promotes fast recovery from even your worst winter workouts. Best of all, it’s wireless and runs more than four hours on a single charge.

$300

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Brim Moka Maker Brew up to 10 ounces (six cups) of liquid energy in less than ﬁve minutes with this stainless-steel stove-top espresso maker. The Moka Maker features a ﬂip-top lid, a cool-touch handle and a safety release valve that controls water pressure for optimal aroma and taste.

$50 brimcoffee.com, williamssonoma.com

Muse 2 Meditation Headband This wireless meditation device offers real-time feedback on your brain-wave activity, heart rate, breathing and body movements to divine your perfect state of tranquility. It also offers more than 100 guided meditations to promote better sleep and performance while decreasing stress.

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Bee Raw Healing Balm Winter can wear on your skin; repair and soothe it with this hyper-hydrating ointment that seals in moisture and prevents inﬂammation. This unique formulation contains a blend of raw beeswax, shea and cocoa butters, meadowfoam, chamomile and vitamin E.

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maximize

every minute

IMPLEMENT THESE 10 EASY TIPS TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR WORKOUT.

These days, time is a commodity, and no matter whether you train at home, on the road or in the gym, every second you spend sweating is valuable. Use these 10 tips and suggested routines to develop your inner and outer athlete efficiently and effectively, and get in, get out and get on with your life. | BY NICOLE CLANCY 70

winter 2020

1| Lift heavy.

4| Take your medicine.

Using a weight that is heavy enough to induce fatigue by the 12th rep is the sweet spot when it comes to time optimization. In this range, you’re recruiting more muscle ﬁbers, making the workout more intense, and giving your body more potential to grow and improve. “To determine the correct weight for you, see whether you can do the exercise for 12 to 15 reps,” says Maurie Cofman, CMES, CES, TBMM-CES. “If you can do more, it’s too light. If the last two reps are challenging, it’s perfect.” Try a biceps workout that uses straight sets of standing dumbbell curls, EZ-bar preacher curls and seated dumbbell hammer curls. Do a warm-up set for each move using a lighter weight for about 20 reps, then increase your weight and do three to four sets of 10 to 12 reps per move.

Because it requires you to engage several muscle groups at once, a medicine ball simultaneously helps develop coordination, agility and strength while boosting workout intensity. “Medicine balls are great for power exercises like slams but also can be used for compound exercises like a squat to overhead press,” Jusino says. Begin with a 3- to 5-pound ball and work up from there as you improve. Try using a medicine ball in an explosive power workout that includes moves such as ball slams, seated Russian twists, wall balls, side throws and push-ups on the ball. Do eight to 10 reps of each for two to three rounds.

2| Jump up, jump up and slim down. Jumping rope is one of the most effective and efficient ways to incinerate mad calories in a short amount of time — up to 20 per minute if you’re really cranking. It also improves coordination, endurance and cardiovascular prowess. Warm up by jumping rope easily for ﬁve minutes before a workout, or combine jumping rope with strength moves for interval or high-intensity interval training, recommends Nancy Jusino, NASM-CPT, PES. For example, alternate a minute of jumping rope with a minute each of different strength moves such as squats, pull-ups, push-ups, lunges and V-ups. Cycle through this alternating pattern one to three times to amp the intensity and the calorie burn.

3| Smooth moves. Using a foam roller eliminates muscle tension and promotes recovery, according to a study published in the Journal of Athletic Training. It works by smoothing out fascia — the lining surrounding your muscles — which can develop adhesions that restrict movement. “Foam rolling [preworkout] also helps increase your range of motion and your strength potential,” Jusino says. In other words, when your muscles are able to move freely, you can harness more of your strength to perform a lift, thereby maximizing your training time. Spend ﬁve to 10 minutes before a workout rolling the muscles you intend to train for optimal mobility, then roll them again afterward to avail yourself of the recovery beneﬁts. For example, roll out your upper and lower back, rear delts, hamstrings, hips and glutes around a deadlifting session.

5| Elevate your home game. Attention, at-home exercisers: You do not need to stay within the conﬁnes of your home gym! There are likely many facets of your home that you can leverage to infuse variety into a stagnant routine. “For instance, stair climbing is a great lower-body and cardio workout, and any kind of steps make great push-up and dip partners,” says Grace DeSimone, CPT. Take stairs two by two, or step up and down laterally to change things up. “A kitchen counter can make a great ballet barre for pliés, calf raises and leg lifts,” she adds, which comes in handy when you have to multitask while making dinner. Get creative — choose a different room each day and ﬁnd three new ways to exercise using features or furniture in that room.

6| Meet the metcon. Metabolic conditioning — or metcon — is a kind of circuit training done at high intensity in order to improve the efficiency of your energy systems and incite metabolic change. It’s a great timesaving technique because it combines cardio with strength work, and your heart rate stays elevated near maximal output for the duration of the session. Choose one piece of equipment, for instance a barbell, and do ﬁve rounds for time of 10 front squats, eight push presses and six burpees over the bar.

7| This one time at band camp ... Exercise bands are versatile, portable and — most of all — adjustable. You can easily change your training tension from rep to rep just by changing your body position or the length of the band — no need to stop and swap weights or load plates. Jusino suggests having three different-weight

bands — light/medium for shoulders and arms, medium/heavy for back and chest, and heavy for legs. Try a push-pull circuit for a fresh, efficient way to train your upper body: Do supersets of standing rows with standing chest presses, biceps curls with overhead triceps extensions, and lateral raises with front raises. Challenge yourself with a drop set of each move at the end: Choke up on the band for more tension at the start, and slowly lengthen the band to make it easier as you move through the set.

8| Divine dumbbells. Versatility makes dumbbells the ideal training tool when time (or space) is limited. They can be used to train functional movement patterns, and a simple change of body position, tempo or rest interval will intensify a workout, according to Jusino. They’re also great when the gym is loaded with people — just grab a few sets and power out a total-body circuit using compound moves in an empty corner of the facility. For instance, do reverse lunges with a biceps curl, lateral lunges with a front raise, a weighted overhead squat, renegade rows and/or a burnout set of 50 lateral shoulder raises or calf raises.

9| Try a Tabata. Nothing is more efficient (and nauseating) than a Tabata, which research has shown burns a ton of fat and is as aerobically effective as a 60-minute moderate-intensity workout. This training method alternates 20 seconds of work with 10 seconds of rest for eight rounds (a total of four minutes) and demands all-out intensity during the work periods to make the magic happen. You can use cardio moves, strength moves or a combination of both when crafting a Tabata. For instance, you can do an entire Tabata of sprints (eight 20-second sprints, eight 10-second rest periods) or a Tabata of alternating push-ups and jumping jacks (four 20-second rounds each).

10| Get on the ball. Exercising on a stability ball gives you more bang for your training buck because it forces your core to work harder — no matter what bodypart you’re training — eliminating the need for separate balance or posture-speciﬁc exercises. “It also helps work your stabilizers, the smaller muscle groups that surround your shoulders, hips, knees,” Jusino says. Try a bodyweight circuit using a ball that includes moves like wall squats, hamstring curls and glute bridges for lower body and push-ups, hyperextensions and planks for upper body.

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BY JENESSA CONNOR, CPT

technical assistance

FROM LIVE METRICS AND BIOPHYSICAL DATA TO CUSTOMIZED WORKOUTS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INTEGRATION â&#x20AC;&#x201D; THESE WEARABLES AND APPS DELIVER THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT NEEDED TO MAKE 2020 YOUR FITTEST YEAR YET.

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hese days, ﬁtness technology is about way more than counting steps and calories, and this year’s batch of ﬁtness trackers, smartwatches and apps have moved way beyond collecting metrics and offer more in-depth analysis, functionality, customization and style. Here are our top picks in each category to better help you with technical assistance.

trackers 1 | Form Swim Goggles

2 | Fitbit Versa 2 $200 ﬁtbit.com

$200 formswim.com Swimmers can finally get real-time performance metrics midstroke thanks to these super-sleek smart goggles. Through an augmented-reality display, these goggles deliver your distance, split times, stroke rate and stroke count. The numbers appear directly in your sightline as the goggles automatically detect turns, rest periods, intervals and even stroke type. Back on terra firma, sync the goggles to Form’s app to review your swim and track your progress. Each pair comes with five nose-bridge options to guarantee a comfortable, watertight fit.

Aesthetically, Fitbit’s Versa 2 doesn’t seem much different from the original, but a few cool features set this model apart. It still provides everything you’d expect from a leader in the industry — activity and sleep tracking, GPS, multiple exercise modes, on-screen workouts, heartrate monitoring, period tracking, onboard music and access to more than 500 apps — but Versa 2 also dips its toes into the world of AI with an Amazon Alexa integration. (Alexa responds to questions and commands with on-screen text.) Bonus: Users also can use Fitbit Pay to make purchases at participating vendors.

Your Whoop 3.0 device comes free with the purchase of a monthly membership.

winter 2020

$95 itouchwearables.com Ringing up at less than $100, the iTouch Sport offers a budget-friendly option for those who want to maximize their ﬁtness dollars. Despite its low price point, the iTouch Sport offers much of the same functionality as costlier models, like activity and sleep tracking, multiple sport modes, heart-rate reading and blood oxygen level monitoring. The iTouch Wearable app isn’t particularly revolutionary, but the watch itself is stylish and well-constructed and can go up to 30 days without a charge!

4 | Misﬁt Vapor X $280 misﬁt.com The Vapor X is Misfit’s lightest watch so far and can easily go from the gym to the office to a night out, thanks to its classic design, customizable watch face and easy-toswap straps. Swimproof and GPS-enabled, this smartwatch is powered by Wear OS, Google’s operating system, allowing you to track your activity and workouts with Google Fit and access your texts, Gmail, Google calendar and dozens of other apps like Strava and Spotify.

The iTouch Sport can go up to 30 days without a charge!

3 | iTouch Sport

5 | Whoop 3.0 $30/month whoop.com This wearable is less about the hardware and more about the data it collects and synthesizes. Designed for athletes who want to take their performance to the next level, Whoop analyzes physiological data and assigns a score to your daily grade of strain and recovery. Based on your heart-rate variability, resting heart rate and sleep, Whoop recommends an appropriate exertion level, allowing you to take advantage of your prime training days while avoiding injury and overtraining during periods better suited for rest. Compared to earlier versions, Whoop 3.0 boasts a longer battery life (up to ﬁve days), a more comfortable band and Whoop Live, a unique feature that superimposes your real-time metrics, like strain and heart rate, over a video of you doing your workout.

6 | GoBe2 $170 healbe.com The GoBe2 is unlike any other wearable in that it uses your body’s glucose-towater ratio to automatically detect how many calories you’ve burned and consumed — all without having to manually enter your meals. And, unlike the original version, you don’t need to activate the device before you eat. The band is larger than the average wearable, and it has a simple watch face that displays heart rate, step count and hydration levels as well as the difference between calories consumed and calories burned. GoBe2’s app also provides a macronutrient breakdown of your intake and an activity summary.

apps 7 | FlexIt Free (iOS and Android) ﬂexit.ﬁt Don’t use your gym enough to justify the membership fee? Or maybe you can’t decide on one facility? FlexIt allows you to pay for gym time by the minute — perfect for gym dabblers, frequent travelers and the habitually noncommittal. The app uses your location to identify nearby participating gyms and displays their per-minute rates. Scan your bar code at the facility’s front desk to check in and start the clock. Scan the same bar code on your way out to stop it. Your card is only charged for the time you actually spend at the gym.

9 | Future $150/month (iOS) future.fit Future uses your goals and lifestyle factors to match you to a certified fitness coach who creates weekly workout plans based on your schedule. Using an Apple Watch, the coach monitors your activity and offers feedback. Daily check-ins are designed to keep you on track and help you navigate obstacles, and trainers are available for phone calls as needed. Future is one of the more expensive apps on the market, but before you balk at the sticker price, consider this: Some personal trainers charge that much (or more!) for a single session.

8 | MyPlate Free (iOS and Android) livestrong.com/myplate Optional: $10/month upgrade MyPlate’s simple design and extensive food library simplify the tedious task of counting calories, and it acts like a balance sheet for calories consumed vs. calories burned. Just enter the foods you eat and sync up with Google Fit or Apple Health to track your exercise, or manually enter activity instead. You can even scan bar codes on packaged food to collect their data! For those who count macros, there’s a handy chart that displays your protein, fat and carb intake versus your set daily targets. The paid upgrade unlocks an ad-free experience and additional features, including a clean-eating guide.

Don’t have an Apple Watch? Future will lend you one at no additional cost.

10 | Kira Stokes Fit $15/month (iOS and Android) kirastokes.com Devotees of New York City–based celebrity trainer and creator of the Stoked Method, Kira Stokes, no longer need to stalk her Instagram account to find her creative bodyweight complexes and feed off her trademark enthusiasm. With Kira Stokes Fit, you get full-body workouts, bodypartspecific workouts, stretching/mobility programming and “fine-tuning” quick hits. Instructional videos range from a few minutes to an hour-plus, and most require little to no equipment, making this app a great option for at-home exercisers.

11 | Asana Rebel

12 | Jeﬁt

$16.66/month (iOS and Android, three-month minimum, billed quarterly) asanarebel.com

Free (iOS and Android) jeﬁt.com Optional upgrade: Jeﬁt Elite, $7/month

Fair warning: This app is not for yoga purists. That being said, Asana Rebel offers subscribers hundreds of yoga/yogainspired workouts — think bodyweight high-intensity interval training circuits sandwiched between Sun Salutations. In addition to high-quality video demos, the app houses guided meditations and audio tracks designed to promote focus and a more restful sleep. Search and choose programs a la carte, or use the Daily Plan function to schedule your workouts and meditations ahead of time. Asana Rebel also will send you reminders to hit the mat, meditate, hydrate and go to bed.

If you’re sentimental, then keep your tattered, sweatstained gym notebook if you must. But, for the sake of your workouts, please upgrade to Jefit. Jefit’s extensive exercise library (complete with demo GIFs and detailed instructions) and Google Fit compatibility make it easy to track and plan your gym time. The Training Report function gives you a snapshot of the time you’ve spent working out, your one-rep maxes on benchmark lifts and the muscles you’ve worked within a specified time range. In addition to lifting your stats from Google Fit, Jefit also provides a designated space for dated progress photos so you don’t have to scroll through your camera roll.

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product talk

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Health and Harmony Wellness Retreat

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Welcome to the Health and Harmony Wellness Retreat! Five amazing coaches will teach you about stress release, meditation, yoga, personal training and more at the Rodd Crowbush Golf & Beach Resort on Prince Edward Island in Canada. The retreat runs from August 23 through August 30, 2020, and includes breakfast vouchers and an excursion day!

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PREP YOUR FOOD PROCESSORS, PEOPLE. IT’S TIME TO PLAY BALL WITH THESE HEALTHY SNACKING RECIPES.

balls!

e all need an infusion of energy at some point during the day, whether it’s midmorning, that dreaded afternoon slump or after a punishing workout. Coffee is one solution; a ﬁstful of M&M’s is another. (Though we don’t recommend that option!) For something more nutritious that has a little staying power, grab for your balls. Energy balls are all the rage among the ﬁtminded crew. Their simple, whole-food ingredients deliver clutch nutritional value and, what’s more, they’re a cinch to make. Just whirl together a few ingredients in your food processor, roll ’em up and girl — you got balls!

MATTHEW KADEY, MS, RD

winter 2020

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SAVORY SNACK

CLUB MED BALLS

DELISH DESSERT

MAYAN SALTED TRUFFLE BALLS

MAKES 14 BALLS MAKES 14 BALLS

Who said energy bites have to be sweet? These balls are gluten-free, low-sugar and perfect for on-the-go snacking. Chickpeas may seem like a strange ingredient, but they keep your balls moist, add extra fiber and protein, and help bind everything together. The sunflower seeds contain vitamin E to optimize immunity, and the tahini is a stellar source of energizing unsaturated fat. SWITCH HITS Replace chickpeas with navy beans. Use hempseeds instead of sunflower seeds. Trade quinoa flour for brown rice flour.

Oh-so chocolaty and perfectly sweet, these balls will crush any craving without a speck of nutritional guilt. Coconut oil makes them extra fudgy, while cayenne infuses your balls with a surprising kick. What’s more, the nuts in these balls may put a smile on your face: Recent research shows that women who eat more walnuts are less likely to suffer from depression. SWITCH HITS Replace dates with dried ﬁgs. Use hazelnuts instead of walnuts. Swap coconut oil for melted butter. INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS 1 2 3 ¼ ¼ ¼ 2 1 2 2 1

(14 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed tbsp tahini tbsp brown rice ﬂour cup unsalted sunﬂower seeds cup sun-dried tomatoes cup grated Parmesan cheese tbsp pitted Kalamata olives tbsp honey tsp lemon zest tsp fresh thyme tsp paprika

DIRECTIONS Add all ingredients to a food processor container and blend until mixture clumps together. Form into 1-inch balls. Nutrition Facts (per serving = 2 balls): calories 156, fat 7 g, carbs 18 g, ﬁber 4 g, sugar 4 g, protein 6 g, sodium 211 mg

1¼ cups pitted dates 1 cup walnuts 3 tbsp cocoa powder 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey ½ tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp cayenne 2 oz dark chocolate (about 70% cocoa), chopped ¼ tsp ﬂakey salt

DIRECTIONS Place dates in a small bowl, cover with warm water and let soak for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Add walnuts to a food processor container and pulse into small pieces. Add dates, cocoa powder, coconut oil, vanilla, maple syrup or honey, cinnamon and cayenne and blend until mixture sticks together when pressed between your ﬁngers. Roll mixture into 1-inch balls and place on a parchmentpaper-lined plate. Microwave chocolate in a small bowl on high in 20-second intervals until melted, stirring between each interval. Drizzle chocolate over balls and sprinkle with salt. Chill in the refrigerator 30 minutes, or until chocolate has set. Nutrition Facts (per serving = 2 balls): calories 275, fat 19 g, carbs 28 g, ﬁber 5 g, sugar 20 g, protein 4 g, sodium 45 mg

winter 2020

Energy crush Sidestep energy-ball pitfalls with this foolproof formula for success. Process Makes Perfect. Your

blender is great for smoothies, but balls? Not so much. For this job, a food processor is ideal. It easily mashes and combines dried fruit and nuts in recipes where there is no liquid involved. In a Bind. Dried fruit is a main

ball ingredient because it adds natural sweetness to the recipe. And along with nut butters and liquid sweeteners such as honey or agave, dried fruit also acts as a binder to make your balls sticky and cohesive. Perform the Pinch Test. After

processing, your ball mixture should stick together easily when pinched. If it crumbles under pressure, add some additional binders. Size Matters. You do not want

big balls. A ball is a snack, not a meal, and each should come in at about 150 calories. Roll the recommended number of balls per recipe as best you can. Protein Power. You can

Your balls can

stay fresh for months in your freezer. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and spread the balls out. Pop them in the fridge for about two hours, then transfer them to an airtight container. Ready to freeze!

add protein powder to any ball recipe to make it more muscle-minded. Just be sure to add a little extra dry fruit or sweetener to compensate for the dryness of the powder. Extra Credit. Boost the

nutritional value of your balls with healthy add-ins like chia seeds, hemp hearts, cacao nibs, spices and even superfood powders such as aรงai or matcha.

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QUICKIE BREAKFAST

DIRTY CHAI OATMEAL BALLS

AFTERNOON ENERGY BOOST

SPUD LOVE BALLS MAKES 16 BALLS

MAKES 12 BALLS

Perk up your morning with this nutritious riff on a trendy coffee shop drink — perfect for those hurry-up days when you don’t have a second to spare. The almond butter is rich in cholesterol-crushing monounsaturated fat, while spices like cinnamon and cloves are a concentrated source of anti-aging antioxidants. And to power you through to lunch while delivering plenty of soluble ﬁber, the rolled oats take center stage. SWITCH HITS Replace oats with quinoa or rye ﬂakes. Swap almond butter for peanut or cashew butter. Use brown rice syrup instead of honey. INGREDIENTS 1 tbsp instant espresso powder 2 tbsp warm water 1¼ cups rolled oats 2 tbsp cacao nibs ¾ tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp cardamom ¼ tsp ground ginger 1⁄8 tsp ground cloves 1⁄8 tsp ground nutmeg ½ cup almond butter 1⁄3 cup honey 1 tsp vanilla

Packed with quality carbs and healthy fat, these balls are truly an afternoon delight. Sweet potato is laced with immune-boosting vitamin A, while parched plums (also known by their less-than-hip name — prunes) are loaded with bone-strengthening vitamin K. The ginger zing also will wake up your taste buds and give your brain a much-needed boost. SWITCH HITS Trade pecans for almonds. Use dried dates instead of plums. Toss in ground chia seeds instead of ﬂax. INGREDIENTS 1

medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped ½ cup pitted dried plums (aka prunes) 1 cup pecans ¾ cup rolled oats 3 tbsp ground ﬂaxseed 2 tbsp honey 1½ tsp ginger powder pinch salt 1⁄3 cup dried shredded coconut

DIRECTIONS In a small bowl, dissolve espresso powder in warm water. In a separate bowl, combine oats, cacao nibs, cinnamon, cardamom, ground ginger, cloves and nutmeg. Add almond butter, honey, espresso and vanilla. Stir with a spatula until well-combined. Place bowl in the freezer for about 10 minutes (or in the fridge for 20 minutes), then form mixture into 1-inch balls.

DIRECTIONS Place sweet potatoes in a steamer basket and set in a pot with 1-inch of water. Bring to a boil and steam until potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Place dried plums in a bowl, cover with hot water and let soak 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Add pecans and oats to a food processor container and process until finely chopped. Add sweet potatoes, plums, flaxseed, honey, ginger powder and a pinch of salt and process until mixture clumps together. Using damp hands, form mixture into 1-inch balls. Spread coconut on a plate. Roll balls in coconut and chill in the refrigerator until firm.

Nutrition Facts (per serving = 2 balls): calories 269, fat 15 g, carbs 33 g, ﬁber 4 g, sugar 15 g, protein 6 g, sodium 4 mg

Nutrition Facts (per serving = 2 balls): calories 209, fat 13 g, carbs 23 g, ﬁber 4 g, sugar 10 g, protein 3 g, sodium 12 mg

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Cooling your ball batter

in the fridge or freezer helps ďŹ rm it up, making it easier to handle, and roll into perfect portions.

No steamer basket?

Simply boil your sweet potato cubes instead.

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ANYTIME SUPERFOOD SURGE

MUSCLE-BUILDING PICK-ME-UP

MEAN GREEN POWER BALLS

PB J PROTEIN BALLS

MAKES 14 BALLS

MAKES 16 BALLS

These rich-tasting balls pack a power punch of nutrition and contain plenty of ﬁber to keep your system running smoothly. The natural cocoa and greens powder contain a bevy of antioxidants, while hempseeds deliver a payload of heart-healthy omega-3’s. Bonus: The dried ﬁgs are a rich source of bone-boosting calcium.

Everyone’s favorite childhood sandwich is on a roll. This proteinpacked postworkout snack can help kick-start your muscle-building process with the power of peanuts, and the tart cherries contain plenty of antioxidants to curtail inﬂammation and improve recovery. As for energy replenishment, the quality carbs in the dates do the job lickety-split.

SWITCH HITS Trade almond butter for cashew or sunflower butter. Replace hempseeds with sunflower seeds. Use dried plums or dates instead of figs. INGREDIENTS 1 ¾ ¼ 3 2 2 2

cup dried ﬁgs, stems trimmed cup unsalted almonds cup almond butter tbsp hempseeds (hemp hearts) tbsp raw (natural) cocoa powder tbsp honey tbsp greens powder of choice, such as Amazing Grass 1⁄8 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS Place figs in a bowl, cover with hot water and soak 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Add almonds to a food processor container and chop into small pieces. Add figs and remaining ingredients and process until mixture sticks together when pinched between your fingers. Using damp hands, roll mixture into 1-inch balls. Nutrition Facts (per serving = 2 balls): calories 244, fat 15 g, carbs 25 g, fiber 5 g, sugar 16 g, protein 7 g, sodium 47 mg

SWITCH HITS Replace dates with dried plums. Swap the protein powder for peanut butter powder. Use dried strawberries instead of cherries. INGREDIENTS 1 ¾ 1 1⁄3 1⁄3 1⁄8

cup pitted dates cup unsalted roasted peanuts cup dried tart cherries cup plain or vanilla protein powder cup unsalted peanut butter tsp salt

DIRECTIONS Place dates in a bowl, cover with hot water and let soak 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Add peanuts to a food processor container and pulverize into small pieces. Add remaining ingredients and blend until the mixture sticks together when pressed between your ﬁngers. Form into 1-inch balls. Nutrition Facts (per serving = 2 balls): calories 269, fat 12 g, carbs 34 g, ﬁber 4 g, sugar 25 g, protein 9 g, sodium 44 mg

IF USING ESPECIALLY DRY FRUIT SUCH AS DATES, FIGS OR APRICOTS, IT’S BEST TO SOAK THEM FIRST TO SOFTEN THEM UP. 84

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Your balls should be uniform in shape and size. To best keep calories in check, make your portions a little smaller than a golf ball.

To avoid a sticky situation,

use slightly dampened hands to roll your balls.

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BY DR. CHELSEA AXE, DC, CSCS

CALLING FOR

COLLAGEN Even if you’re meticulous about your protein intake, you could still be falling short on one of the most important sources around.

COLLAGEN IS EVERYWHERE THESE DAYS, AND IT’S BEING INFUSED INTO EVERYTHING FROM MAKEUP TO PEANUT BUTTER TO HAIR PRODUCTS AND SHAKES. WHY IS IT SO POPULAR AMONG THE ATHLETIC CROWD, AND COULD IT REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR PERFORMANCE AND/OR PHYSIQUE? TURNS OUT THE HYPE IS GROUNDED, AND GETTING YOUR FAIR SHARE OF THIS IMPORTANT SOURCE OF PROTEIN COULD MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAB AND FABULOUS.

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MATCHA GREEN TEA LATTE MAKES 1 Serving

COLLAGEN 101

Collagen is a complex protein composed of numerous amino acids, and about 30 percent of all the protein in your body is collagen. At its most basic, collagen functions to give strength and structure to the tissues of your body — sort of like a protein “glue” that supports and holds you together, inside and out. It is the main component of connective tissues such as tendons and ligaments and is also found in smooth muscle tissue (e.g., blood vessels, heart, digestive tract and kidneys) as well as in your skin, hair and nails. Generally speaking, athletes get plenty of muscle-building protein from things like eggs, poultry, ﬁsh, beef, beans and tofu, and yes, your body can construct some collagen from the amino acids derived from these sources. But if you’re athletic, you probably need more, and about 20 to 30 percent of your daily protein intake should come from collagen-rich sources. Here’s why: Your tendons and ligaments are composed primarily of collagen, and when you lift weights, you essentially break down your muscle cells, stimulating your body to build your muscles and make them stronger. Your tendons and ligaments also need to get stronger or else the increased force and tension generated by your newly built muscle mass could result in an injury such as an ACL tear, tendonitis, runner’s knee, tennis elbow and neck or lower-back pain. But if you supply your body with plenty of circulating collagen, it will allow your ligaments and tendons to grow and strengthen alongside your muscles.

PERFORMANCE ISSUES

There are dozens of types of collagen, but for athletes who need to perform at high intensities, type II (chicken-based) collagen is most important. This kind is sourced speciﬁcally from the ligaments, tendons and cartilage of chickens or is derived from eggshell membranes, and it works to create the majority of your cartilage, fascia, ligaments and tendons. Other kinds of collagen include type I for healthy skin, hair and nails and type III for optimal organ health. So when it comes to overall health and well-being, using a multi-collagen protein powder or supplement is the easiest way to ensure you’re getting everything you need.

HOW TO USE THIS MEAL PLAN

Most people don’t realize that they are collagen-bankrupt and might not be consuming enough collagen as it relates to their muscle-building protein intake. The recipes in this plan are designed to boost your collagen intake across a wide spectrum of sources, and the meal plan incorporates collagen-rich foods as well as foods that support your own natural collagen production, such as mushrooms, matcha, red bell peppers and açai. Because collagen is a protein, there is no best time of day — or way — to consume it, and the more you can add it into your diet throughout the day, the greater the beneﬁts will be.

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Matcha green tea aids in the production of stem cells, which leads to new tissue creation and, in turn, increased collagen production. Adding the multicollagen protein powder means you are provided with several kinds of collagen to support your overall health and physique goals. INGREDIENTS 1½ cups unsweetened almond milk 1 tsp ceremonial-grade matcha 1 scoop multi-collagen protein powder 1 tsp coconut oil 2 tsp coconut butter stevia, to taste dash cinnamon

DIRECTIONS Warm milk in a teakettle or small pot, then pour into a blender cup. Add remaining ingredients, except cinnamon, and blend on high. Serve topped with cinnamon. Nutrition Facts: 290 calories, protein 7 g, fat 12 g, carbs 0 g

AVOCADO DEVILED EGGS MAKES 6 Servings Turmeric helps reduce inﬂammation and supports the production of stem cells, which have the capacity to create any kind of tissue needed in the body, including collagen. Garlic and cilantro also contain beneﬁcial sulfur-containing compounds to support optimal collagen production. INGREDIENTS 6 eggs, hard-boiled and peeled 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced ¼ tsp sea salt ¼ tsp pepper 1 tsp turmeric ¼ tsp garlic powder ¼ tsp chili powder ¼ tsp cumin 2 tbsp lime juice 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

DIRECTIONS Cut eggs in half and remove yolks. Add yolks, avocado, salt, pepper, turmeric, garlic, chili powder and cumin to a bowl. Mix until well-combined. Spoon mixture into egg-white halves. Drizzle with lime juice and top with cilantro. Nutrition Facts (per serving): 133 calories, protein 6 g, fat 11 g, carbs 3.5 g What is the difference between collagen and collagen peptides? Nothing — they are one in the same. The amino acids that make up collagen are linked together by peptide bonds, and collagen is sometimes given the nickname collagen peptides.

TROPICAL AÇAI BOWL MAKES 4 Servings Adding a multi-collagen protein powder to a favorite breakfast bowl adds a powerful protein punch, which the vitamin C and antioxidants in the açai help support and protect the collagen already present in your body. INGREDIENTS Bowl 1 fresh mango, cubed 3 frozen bananas, sliced ½ cup frozen blueberries 1 cup açai concentrate 4 scoops vanilla multicollagen protein powder Toppings 2 tbsp hempseeds 2 tbsp chia seeds 2 tbsp dried unsweetened coconut 1 kiwi, sliced ½ cup fresh blueberries

DIRECTIONS Add all bowl ingredients to a blender cup and blend on medium-high until thick and creamy. Divide among bowls. Evenly distribute toppings. Nutrition Facts (per serving): 368 calories, protein 14 g, fat 14 g, carbs 50 g

BERRIES

such as açai and goji contain a host of antioxidants and vitamins, which help facilitate collagen production and uptake. 90

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SLOW COOKER BONE BROTH BRAISED BEEF WITH GARLIC AND THYME MAKES 6 Servings Bovine bone broth contains high amounts of collagen as well as glucosamine, chondroitin and hyaluronic acid, all of which help promote joint health and aid your body with its natural healing processes. INGREDIENTS 2 tbsp avocado oil 1 lb beef round roast, fat trimmed ½ tsp sea salt ½ tsp pepper 4 cloves garlic, minced 2½ cups beef bone broth 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce ¼ cup maple syrup 5 sprigs thyme

DIRECTIONS Add avocado oil to a large pan and place over medium heat. Add meat to pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients and add to a slow cooker. Then add meat and cook on low 8 hours. Nutrition Facts (per serving): calories 270, protein 31 g, fat 9 g, carbs 13 g

THAI COCONUT CHICKEN SOUP MAKES 4 Servings Chicken broth, which contains the highest amount of type II collagen available, is the base for this healthy soup. It also contains elements such as glucosamine and hyaluronic acid, which support healthy connective tissue, and mushrooms to give a boost to your adrenals and immune system while supporting collagen production.

SLOW COOKER SHREDDED SALSA CHICKEN SALAD MAKES 4 Servings Garlic is high in sulfur, which helps prevent the breakdown of collagen already present in the body, and red bell peppers and tomatoes — such as are found in salsa — contain high levels of vitamin C, which directly supports collagen production. INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS 3 lemon-grass stalks 8 cups chicken bone broth 1-inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced ½ shallot, sliced into rounds 1 red bell pepper, sliced 1½ cups mushrooms, chopped 1 tbsp red chili paste 1 (16 oz) can full-fat coconut milk juice of ½ small lime 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

DIRECTIONS In a large bowl, crush lemongrass stalks. Place a large pot over medium-low heat and add broth, lemon grass and ginger. Steep 25 minutes. Use a spoon to remove ginger and lemon-grass bits. Add chicken, shallots, peppers, mushrooms and chili paste to pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes until chicken is cooked and veggies are soft. Remove from heat and add coconut milk, lime juice and cilantro. Stir to combine. Nutrition Facts (per serving): 356 calories, protein 28 g, fat 23 g, carbs 10 g

2 cans sugar-free salsa 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 red bell pepper, chopped 5 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup black beans 8 cups mixed greens

DIRECTIONS Add the ﬁrst four ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on high 4 hours, or until chicken is cooked through and tender. Shred chicken with 2 forks. Divide beans and greens between 4 plates and top with equal amounts of chicken. Nutrition Facts (per serving): calories 284, protein 30 g, fat 4 g, carbs 27 g

BASIC BROTH

Want to make your own chicken broth? Simply add the collagen-rich parts (e.g., the spine, neck and bones) to a slow cooker and ďŹ ll with water enough to cover. Add 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and simmer on low 24 to 48 hours. Remove bones, strain remaining liquid and enjoy!

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COLLAGEN MEAL PLAN WEEK 1 DAY 1

DAY 2

DAY 3

DAY 4

DAY 5

DAY 6

DAY 7

BREAKFAST Smoothie

BREAKFAST Omelet

BREAKFAST

BREAKFAST Smoothie

BREAKFAST

1 cup blueberries + 2 scoops vanilla multicollagen protein powder + 1 cup almond milk + 1 tbsp goji berry powder + ½ cup ice + dash cinnamon

2 eggs + 3 egg whites + 1 cup spinach + ¼ red bell pepper, chopped + ¼ cup onions, chopped + ¼ cup mushrooms, chopped + 1 small sweet potato, diced

1 egg + 3 egg whites + Turmeric Tea ½ cup low-fat coconut milk + ½ cup water + ½ tbsp ghee + ½ tbsp honey + ½ tsp turmeric + 1 scoop multicollagen protein powder

Tropical Açai Bowl*

Matcha Green Tea Latte* + 3 egg whites + 1 medium baked sweet potato

LUNCH Spinach Salad

LUNCH Quinoa Salad

2 cups spinach + 1 cup veggies of choice + 1⁄8 avocado + ¼ cup pomegranate seeds + 1 tbsp oil + 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar + 4 oz grilled salmon

1 cup cooked quinoa + 2 cups berries of choice + 3 tbsp honey + 1 tbsp chopped basil + 4 oz grilled chicken breast

MACROS

LUNCH

4 oz grilled salmon + 1 small baked sweet potato + 1 cup steamed spinach DINNER

Slow-Cooker Bone-BrothBraised Beef With Garlic and Thyme* + 1-2 cups steamed veggies of choice SNACK

DINNER

1 cup steamed broccoli + 4 oz grilled chicken breast + 1 small baked sweet potato

4 oz cooked turkey meatballs + ½ cup roasted spaghetti squash + 1 cup roasted asparagus

SNACK

Avocado Deviled Eggs* + ¼ cup goji berries

¾ cup Greek yogurt + 1 scoop multi-collagen protein powder + ½ cup berries of choice + 1 tbsp chia seeds + 2 tbsp dried unsweetened coconut

DINNER

4 eggs + 1 cup sauteed veggies of choice + ¼ cup berries of choice

Avocado Deviled Eggs*

1 cup raspberries + 1 sliced banana + 3 scoops vanilla multi-collagen protein powder + 1 cup unsweetened almond milk + 1-2 drops stevia + ½ cup ice LUNCH LettuceWrapped Bison Burger

4 oz ground bison patty + ¼ avocado, smashed + 2 large lettuce leaves + 1 thick slice tomato + ½ cup steamed cauliﬂower + ½ cup steamed carrots DINNER

½ cup rice made with chicken bone broth + 1 cup steamed broccoli + 4 oz grilled chicken breast + 2 oz goat cheese

LUNCH Quinoa Salad

1 cup cooked quinoa + 2 cups berries of choice + 3 tbsp honey + 2 tbsp chopped basil + 4 oz grilled chicken breast DINNER

LUNCH

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup* + ½ cup steamed rice

LUNCH Spinach Salad

4 oz grilled New York strip steak + 1-2 cups steamed veggies + ¼ cup steamed carrots, mashed

2 cups spinach + 1 cup veggies of choice + 1⁄8 avocado + ¼ cup pomegranate seeds + 1 tbsp oil + 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar + 4 oz grilled salmon

SNACK

DINNER

½ red bell pepper, sliced + ¼ cup guacamole

Slow-Cooker Shredded Salsa Chicken* + ¼ avocado, sliced + 1 cup steamed veggies

DINNER

1 cup roasted asparagus + 1 small roasted sweet potato + 4 oz bison burger patty

SNACK

Avocado Deviled Eggs*

SNACK

½ cup hummus + 1 cup steamed veggies of choice

SNACK

1 green apple + ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese + dash cinnamon + 2 drops stevia

Calories 1,273

Calories 1,217

Calories 1,373

Calories 1,387

Calories 1,394

Calories 1,389

Calories 1,563

Protein 96 g

Protein 108 g

Protein 116 g

Protein 118 g

Protein 97 g

Protein 75 g

Protein 93 g

Fat 50 g

Fat 39 g

Fat 48 g

Fat 47 g

Fat 63 g

Fat 71 g

Fat 62 g

Carbs 113 g

Carbs 119 g

Carbs 108 g

Carbs 116 g

Carbs 121 g

Carbs 109 g

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WEEK 2 DAY 8 BREAKFAST Frittata

4 eggs + 1 cup veggies of choice, chopped + 1 medium sweet potato, diced LUNCH

Slow-Cooker Shredded Salsa Chicken Salad* DINNER

½ cup rice made with chicken bone broth + 1 cup steamed broccoli + 4 oz grilled chicken breast + 2 oz goat cheese SNACK

¾ cup Greek yogurt + ½ cup berries of choice + 1 tbsp chia seeds + 2 tbsp dried coconut

DAY 9 BREAKFAST Smoothie

1 cup blueberries + 2 scoops vanilla multi-collagen protein powder + 1 cup unsweetened almond milk + 1 tbsp goji berry powder + ½ cup ice + dash cinnamon LUNCH Quinoa Salad

1 cup cooked quinoa + 2 cups berries of choice + 3 tbsp honey + 2 tbsp chopped basil + 2 hardboiled eggs DINNER

Slow-Cooker Bone-BrothBraised Beef With Garlic and Thyme* + 1-2 cups steamed veggies of choice

DAY 10 BREAKFAST Omelet

2 eggs + 3 egg whites + 1 cup spinach, chopped + ¼ red bell pepper, chopped + ¼ cup onions, chopped + ¼ cup mushrooms, chopped + 1 small sweet potato, diced LUNCH

1 cup spinach + ¼ cup black beans + ½ red pepper, sliced + ¼ avocado, sliced + ½ tomato, sliced + 4 oz grilled New York strip steak

DAY 11

DAY 12

BREAKFAST

1 egg + 3 egg whites + ½ cup oatmeal + Turmeric Tea ½ cup unsweetened almond milk + ½ cup water + ½ tbsp honey + ½ tsp turmeric + 1 scoop multicollagen protein powder

Tropical Açai Bowl*

LUNCH

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup* + ½ cup cooked rice DINNER

1 cup steamed broccoli + 4 oz grilled chicken breast + 1 small baked sweet potato

LUNCH Spinach Salad

2 cups spinach + 1 cup veggies of choice + 1⁄8 avocado, sliced + ¼ cup pomegranate seeds + 1 tbsp oil + 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar + 4 oz grilled salmon DINNER

4 oz cooked turkey meatballs + ½ cup roasted spaghetti squash + 1 cup roasted asparagus SNACK

DINNER

SNACK

4 oz grilled salmon + ½ cup roasted potatoes + 1 cup steamed spinach

2 large celery stalks + 2 tbsp almond butter

SNACK

¼ cup hummus + 1 cup steamed veggies of choice

½ cup low-fat cottage cheese + 1 scoop multi-collagen protein powder + dash cinnamon + 2 drops stevia + 1 green apple

½ cup lowfat cottage cheese + dash cinnamon + 2 drops stevia + 1 green apple

DAY 13 BREAKFAST Smoothie

½ cup strawberries + ½ banana + 2 scoops vanilla multi-collagen protein powder + 1 tbsp goji powder + 1 cup unsweetened almond milk + 1-2 drops stevia + ½ cup ice LUNCH LettuceWrapped Bison Burger

4 oz bison burger patty + ¼ avocado, smashed + 2 large lettuce leaves + 1 thick slice tomato + ½ cup steamed cauliﬂower + 1 cup steamed carrots

DAY 14 BREAKFAST

Matcha Green Tea Latte* + 3 eggs + 1 medium baked sweet potato LUNCH Quinoa Salad

1 cup cooked quinoa + 2 cups berries of choice + 3 tbsp honey + 1 tbsp chopped basil + 4 oz grilled chicken breast DINNER

4 oz grilled New York strip steak + 1-2 cups steamed veggies of choice + ¼ cup steamed carrots, mashed SNACK

DINNER

Slow-Cooker Bone-BrothBraised Beef With Garlic and Thyme* + 1-2 cups steamed veggies of choice

½ cup hummus + 1 cup steamed veggies of choice

SNACK

¾ cup Greek yogurt + ½ cup berries of choice

Calories 1,462

Calories 1,314

Calories 1,336

Calories 1,320

Calories 1,233

Calories 1,222

Calories 1,372

Protein 105 g

Protein 97 g

Protein 114 g

Protein 99 g

Protein 81 g

Protein 100 g

Protein 90 g

Fat 71 g

Fat 50 g

Fat 43 g

Fat 56 g

Fat 57 g

Fat 50 g

Fat 48 g

Carbs 101 g

Carbs 123 g

Carbs 124 g

Carbs 110 g

Carbs 109 g

Carbs 104 g

Carbs 122 g

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SATISFY YOUR CRAVINGS THE HEALTHY WAY WITH THESE MODERN RECIPE REMAKES.

hungry for comfort S ometimes when life beats you down, it’s all you can do to resist diving headﬁrst into a vat of mac and cheese, but eating your feelings need not widen your waistline. With some stealth ingredient swaps and a few delicious cooking twists, you can have the best of both worlds when it comes to your favorite feelgood foods. Use these recipes in place of your habitual vices, and take comfort in the fact that you’re doing your body good. | BY MATTHEW KADEY, MS, RD oxyg enma g.co m

FRENCH TOAST MUFFINS HANDS ON TIME: 20 MINUTES COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES MAKES 4 SERVINGS French toast — meet muffins. Muffins — meet French toast. Blending these iconic breakfast staples and trading out some of the less-healthy ingredients makes these portion-perfect muffins a new favorite. FLIP OUT

FLIP IN

White bread, butter, heavy cream, a gallon of syrup

Whole-grain sourdough bread, fresh berries, walnuts, yogurt

NUTRITION UPGRADE Sourdough is higher in iron and selenium as well as B vitamins, which help regulate metabolism, while Greek yogurt gives the muffins a much-needed protein kick. Walnuts up the ante with heart-healthy omega-3 fats, and blueberries deliver a payload of antioxidants, helping neutralize the DNA-damaging free radicals while lowering blood pressure. INGREDIENTS 4 large eggs ½ cup 2% milk or unsweetened nondairy alternative 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp cinnamon 6 cups sourdough bread, cubed 1⁄3 cup chopped walnuts ¾ cup blueberries 1½ cups plain Greek yogurt 2 tbsp maple syrup

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350 F. In a small bowl, lightly beat eggs and stir in milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Add bread cubes to a large bowl and pour egg mixture over top, using your hands to gently massage liquid into bread. Let sit 5 minutes and then fold in walnuts and blueberries. Divide mixture among 8 greased or paper-lined muffin cups and press down gently to compress. Bake 20 minutes and then let cool several minutes before removing from pan. In a

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small bowl, combine yogurt and maple syrup. Serve muffins topped with a dollop of yogurt-syrup mixture. Nutrition Facts (per serving = 2 muffins): calories 338, fat 13 g, carbs 35 g, ﬁber 5 g, sugar 13 g, protein 22 g, sodium 283 mg

CHICKEN ZOODLE SOUP HANDS ON TIME: 25 MINUTES COOK TIME: 30 MINUTES MAKES 4 SERVINGS There’s no better way to take the chill out of winter than to cozy up to a steamy bowl of chicken noodle soup. This adaptation, featuring roasted chicken, fresh zucchini noodles and ﬂavorful wine, guarantees you’ll never go back to the gloppy canned version. FLIP OUT

FLIP IN

Starchy noodles, excess salt, bland chicken

Zucchini noodles, beans, roasted chicken

NUTRITION UPGRADE Trading refined pasta noodles for zucchini slashes the carb content, making each spoonful more midriff-friendly. The addition of beans pumps the soup full of quality plant protein and appetite-taming fiber, and the chicken thighs add a boost of flavor that white meat fails to provide. INGREDIENTS 2 tbsp canola oil, divided 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 medium onion, chopped 2 medium carrots, chopped 2 celery stalks, diced ½ tsp salt 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1½ tsp Italian seasoning ½ tsp black pepper ¼ tsp red chili flakes 1 cup white wine 1 (14 oz) canned white beans, drained and rinsed 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth juice of ½ lemon 2 medium zucchini 1⁄3 cup parsley

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400 F. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Add chicken and cook until browned on bottom, then flip and brown other side. Place skillet in oven and roast 20 minutes, or until meat reaches an internal temperature of 165 F. Remove and let rest 5 minutes before shredding. Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon oil to a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery and salt and cook until veggies are tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add Italian seasoning, black pepper and chili flakes and cook another 30 seconds. Add white wine and cook 3 minutes. Add beans and broth and bring to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes, then turn off heat and stir in chicken and lemon juice. Use a spiralizer or serrated vegetable peeler to cut zucchini into “noodles.” Divide zucchini noodles among serving bowls and ladle in soup. Serve garnished with parsley. Nutrition Facts (per serving): calories 395, fat 13 g, carbs 31 g, fiber 8 g, sugar 5 g, protein 13 g, sodium 640 mg

happy endings When nothing less than decadence will do, turn your frown upside down with one of these heathy(ish) store-bought treats. FlapJacked Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Made with whole-grain oats, date paste, probiotics and whey protein, these soft-baked cookies are a guilt-free way to embrace your cravings while supporting gut health and muscle growth. flapjacked.com, $25 (12-pack) Alter Eco Superdark Chocolate Truffles Rich and luscious, these one-bite gems feature less sugar and more organic dark chocolate per serving for a delicious antioxidant punch. alterecofoods.com, $8 Base Culture Almond Butter Paleo Brownie These grain- and gluten-free brownies have a deep cocoa flavor and a creamy finish courtesy of healthy nut butter. baseculture.com, $35 (30-pack) Clio Greek Yogurt Bar Blueberry This candy look-alike delivers all the benefits of blueberries and Greek yogurt beneath a creamy dark chocolate shell. cliosnacks.com, $28 (10-pack) Edy’s Slow-Churned French Vanilla Ice Cream Using a combo of nonfat milk and cream from hormone-free cows slashes about half the fat calories while maintaining the sinful taste. target.com, $4.50

YOU ALSO CAN TRY SPIRALIZING OTHER VEGGIES SUCH AS SWEET POTATOES, CARROTS AND PARSNIPS.

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Sprouting partially breaks down the starch in the bread grains, giving it a lower carb content than other varieties.

TUNA CAPRESE GRILLED CHEESE HANDS ON TIME: 15 MINUTES COOK TIME: 6 MINUTES MAKES 2 SERVINGS This mash-up of two classic lunch favorites is a great grown-up way to craft a sammie — without worrying about fat and calorie overload.

FLIP OUT

FLIP IN

White bread, processed cheese slices, ketchup

Sprouted bread, tuna, freshly made cheese, greens, pesto

NUTRITION UPGRADE Sprouted bread trumps doughy white bread because it is higher in protein and ﬁber, and soft cheeses like fresh mozzarella contain more moisture, making them less calorie-dense than hard varieties. The tuna adds a protein punch, making this a more complete meal while also providing plenty of potassium, magnesium and iron. INGREDIENTS 1 ¼ 2 4

tbsp butter tsp salt tbsp prepared pesto slices whole-grain sprouted bread 1 (5 oz) can albacore tuna 2 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced into thin rounds

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2 tsp balsamic vinegar 1 cup arugula 2 large slices tomato

FLIP OUT

FLIP IN

Fatty ground beef, breadcrumbs

Lean ground turkey, oats, sweet potato

DIRECTIONS Melt butter and salt in a skillet over mediumlow. Spread half the pesto on 2 slices of bread and top each with an equal amount of tuna and cheese. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and top with arugula and a slice of tomato. Spread remaining pesto on remaining bread and place them on top, pesto side down. Place sandwiches in skillet and heat until bread is golden and crispy on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Press downward ﬁrmly on sandwiches with a spatula and then ﬂip and cook another 3 minutes, or until cheese has melted and bread is crispy on the bottom. Press with spatula once more, then remove from skillet. Let cool 1 minute, then slice in half and serve.

NUTRITION UPGRADE Using lean ground turkey reduces the fat calories found in regular ground beef by about 50 percent — without any protein compromise. Swapping out nutrient-poor breadcrumbs for whole oats boosts the ﬁber content to help reduce cholesterol, and sneaking in some sweet potatoes keeps the meatloaf tender while infusing the meal with some immune-boosting vitamin A.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): calories 441, fat 22 g, carbs 29 g, ﬁber 2 g, sugar 1 g, protein 30 g, sodium 668 mg

1 2 ¾ 3 1 1 2 ¼ 1⁄3

TURKEY MEATLOAF HANDS ON TIME: 20 Minutes COOK TIME: 40 Minutes MAKES 4 Servings If you are going to reinvent the meatloaf, it’d better taste like home — deliciously moist and not at all “healthiﬁed.” This version hits mom’s meatloaf mark without weighing you down digestionwise.

INGREDIENTS 1 1 ½ 2

tbsp canola oil cup yellow onion, diced tsp salt cups sweet potatoes, grated lb lean ground turkey large eggs, lightly beaten cup quick oats tbsp tomato paste tbsp Worcestershire sauce tsp dried thyme tsp garlic powder tsp black pepper cup sugar-free barbecue sauce

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350 F, and grease a 9-inch-by-5-inch loaf pan. Heat oil in large skillet over medium. Add onions and salt and cook 5

minutes. Add sweet potatoes and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mixture to a large bowl with turkey, eggs, oats, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, garlic powder and pepper. Mix well and then spread mixture evenly in a loaf pan. Bake 30 minutes, then brush on barbecue sauce. Bake another 10 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the center reads 160 F. Let cool 5 minutes in pan before slicing. Nutrition Facts (per serving): calories 333, fat 8 g, carbs 30 g, ﬁber 4 g, sugar 8 g, protein 33 g, sodium 439 mg

CHILI MAC AND CHEESE

Bonus: It’s all made in a single pan to streamline prep and cleanup.

FLIP OUT

FLIP IN

White pasta, milk, butter, regular ground beef

Whole-grain pasta, lean ground beef, spinach, mushrooms

NUTRITION UPGRADE Mushrooms and bell peppers up the veggie ante, delivering a healthy dose of selenium and vitamin D, and using lean ground beef eliminates gobs of saturated fat. Diced tomatoes infuse the dish with cancer-preventing lycopene, while kidney beans add a hit of tummy-trimming ﬁber as well as vitamin B1 for healthy cognition. INGREDIENTS

HANDS ON TIME: 25 Minutes COOK TIME: 25 Minutes MAKES 6 Servings This hybrid of two traditional comfort meals plays by the nutritional rules without sacriﬁcing any savory ﬂavor.

1 ¾ 1 ½ 1 2

tbsp canola oil lb 95% lean ground beef large onion, chopped tsp salt red bell pepper, chopped cups chopped cremini or button mushrooms

ACCORDING TO RESEARCH, MUSHROOMS IMPROVE IMMUNITY AND HELP PREVENT RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS THE PERFECT ANTIDOTE FOR FLU SEASON! 3 2 1 1 1 ½ 1

garlic cloves, minced tbsp tomato paste tbsp chili powder tsp cumin powder tsp dried oregano tsp black pepper (540 mL) can diced ﬁreroasted tomatoes 1 cup low-sodium beef or vegetable broth 1½ cups whole-grain macaroni 1 (14 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained 4 cups spinach 1½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS Heat oil in a large saucepan or skillet over medium. Add beef and brown, breaking meat into 1-inch chunks as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Add onions and salt to pan and cook until onions are soft and beginning to darken, about 5 minutes. Add bell peppers, mushrooms and garlic and cook 3 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano and black pepper and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes, broth and macaroni and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente, about 12 minutes. Add beef and kidney beans and cook 3 minutes. Add spinach and stir until wilted. Divide among serving bowls and top each with ¼ cup cheese. Nutrition Facts (per serving): calories 413, fat 16 g, carbs 41 g ﬁber 8 g, sugar 7 g, protein 29 g, sodium 747 g oxyg enma g.co m

easy, instant diet hacks

ELEVATE YOUR NUTRITIONAL GAME WITH THESE SUPER-SIMPLE CULINARY AND INGREDIENT TWEAKS.

ooking healthy does not have to be complicated or expensive. Unfortunately, with busy schedules and full days, making a nutritious meal can still prove to be an epic challenge. Aside from overhauling your entire pantry, the solution to your dining woes could be as simple as trading one ingredient for another or preparing your food in a different way. Check out these ideas to instantly upgrade your meals â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and your results. | BY NICOLE CLANCY

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According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 50 percent of all deaths in the U.S. in 2017 were caused by diseases associated with poor eating habits.

cooking methods Just because you’ve always cooked chicken a certain way does not mean you can’t improve on your skills. Here are some methods to consider that can replace a lesshealthy go-to technique such as boiling, panfrying or deep-frying.

STEWING

Stewing slow-cooks food in a liquid, allowing ﬂavors to blend together while tenderizing the meat or other protein and preserving the nutrients. True, stewing takes a little longer and the texture might be softer than you’re used to, but the ingredients of your favorite go-to meal can remain the same. “You can also stew using minimal kitchen equipment,” says Cara Harbstreet, MS, RD, LD, which can expedite cleanup time.

TIPS Because stew makes a meat/ protein so tender, you can use a less-expensive cut such as chuck beef, which might otherwise be considered tough. Veggies take less time to cook than meat, so add them later in the stewing process to prevent them from becoming mushy. A stew takes about two hours to cook, so take that into consideration when planning your prep time.

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BROILING

Broiling is a great cooking option because you can season meat, ﬁsh, poultry and veggies with a simple dry rub instead of with oil or other fats. And because it’s dry, the seasoning will stick to the food and won’t run or drip off into the bottom of the baking dish, according to Harbstreet.

TIPS The recommended temperature for broiling is about 500 degrees, so give your oven plenty of time to preheat before putting in your food. Speaking of 500 degrees, unwatched meals can easily be burnt, so keep a close eye on your food as it cooks. Generally speaking, steaks take between ﬁve to 10 minutes to cook, and chicken, ﬁsh and veggies take about 15 minutes.

GRILLING

“Grilling is a nutritious way to cook lean protein like chicken or beef because you avoid batters and excess oils,” says Chrissy Carroll, MPH, RD, LDN, ACSMCPT. Grilling also allows the fat from your protein to drip off your food and into the grill, meaning you eat less fat as a result. “Some people worry that grilling can create carcinogenic compounds, but you can minimize your risk by marinating meat beforehand,” Carroll says. Also, make sure your grill is not so hot that you see tall, visible ﬂames licking up between the grates.

TIPS Preheat your grill, then when you’re ready to cook your food, turn the ﬂame down to prevent charring. Close the lid when cooking to preserve the heat and better control the temperature. Reduce the sticky (and icky) factor of a grill by cleaning it with a wire brush after each use. This also will reduce the chance of ﬁre.

ROASTING

There is nothing more pathetic than a limp, boiled vegetable or a rubbery boiled protein. Roasting is a healthy, dry cooking method that allows a veggie to keep its crunch and meats and poultry to retain their nutritional value. In other words, the vitamins and minerals of your food don’t get sucked out into the boiling water and tossed down the drain.

TIPS Toss your food in a little highquality oil to create a delicious crunchy crust, Carroll says. Use just enough to lightly coat a food, not drench it. The ideal temperature for roasting is 400 degrees, a little less than broiling, so allow plenty of time for preheating. Cook veggies until they deepen in color and their sugars begin to caramelize, Carroll recommends

SMART SWAPS Swapping one ingredient for another can instantly make a meal healthier. Change just an ingredient at a time in a recipe so it’s not a complete shock if something tastes a little different.

Yogurt SUB FOR SOUR CREAM, MAYO OR HEAVY CREAM. Yogurt is a healthy source of protein, calcium and probiotics. “Try subbing plain Greek yogurt into recipes where you’d traditionally use something like mayo or sour cream,” Carroll says. “Not only will you save some calories, but you’ll add extra protein, too.” While it’s not a perfect ﬁt for every dish, yogurt works well in creamy sauces and dips or in dishes like potato salad.

Cauliflower SUB FOR RICE, POTATOES AND PIZZA CRUST. Known for its fiber, B vitamins and cancer-protective nutrients, cauliflower adds a hearty component to any meal. You can rice it and use in place of traditional rice to save on carbs, or you can steam/boil and mash it to use instead of potatoes in a side or for flour in pizza crust. Great roasting veggies include broccoli, beets, carrots, Brussels sprouts, eggplant, peppers and zucchini.

STEAMING

Eating food as close to its pure form as possible is ideal, and here is where steaming is a suppertime superstar. “Steaming cooks food quickly and preserves much of its nutritional value without adding other ingredients,” Carroll explains. And because it only requires water as a vehicle for heat, there are also no added calories.

AIR FRYING

What has more calories, oil or air? (Hello, Captain Obvious.) “Instead of submerging the food in oil, air circulates around it to achieve the same crispy, crunchy texture,” Harbstreet says. And air-frying is versatile, meaning you can use it for vegetables, potatoes, protein and more.

TIPS TIPS Though you want food to be completely enveloped in steam, it should not be submerged in water. Otherwise, you’re just boiling it. Don’t over-steam a food or it will be just as soggy and limp as something boiled. Between 10 and 15 minutes should suffice for most items. Covering a pot, steamer or basket will trap the steam and expedite cooking. You can use a countertop steamer, a bamboo steamer basket or a metal folding vegetable steamer to cook food quickly and efficiently.

Don’t overcrowd your air fryer. There needs to be space between items so the hot air can circulate through. Make sure you preheat your fryer to bring the air to the ideal temperature and expedite cooking. Don’t use any marinade, batter or liquid. It will just drip off the food into the bottom. An air fryer not only slashes calories but also saves you a lot of kitchen cleanup — no greasy pans or stove-top oil splatters!

Pink Sea Salt SUB FOR STANDARD TABLE SALT. If you’re going to add salt to a dish, it might as well work for you rather than against you. “Using pink Himalayan sea salt adds trace minerals while enhancing the other ﬂavors in a recipe,” says Kathy Smart, HTC, PTS, CEO of Live the Smart Way. This speciﬁc type of salt contains minerals such as calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium, which can stabilize electrolytes and reduce the chance of dehydration. It also helps improve metabolic function, strengthens bones and lowers blood pressure.

Cottage Cheese SUB FOR FRUIT-FLAVORED YOGURT OR PROTEIN POWDERS. Fruit-ﬂavored yogurt often contains added sugar — anywhere from 13 to 17 grams per 100-gram serving. Reduce your sugar without losing out on protein and nutrients by trading up to cottage cheese. A great source of protein, B vitamins and calcium, cottage cheese contains only about 160 calories per cup and has a whopping 25 grams of protein, including casein, which metabolizes slowly, increasing satiety. “Use cottage cheese to boost the protein content of a smoothie instead of using heavily processed powders,” Harbstreet says.

Avocado Oil SUB FOR OTHER VEGETABLE OILS. Avocado oil is low in saturated fat and high in potassium and vitamin E — key nutrients for optimal heart health. Try it in place of vegetable oil for dressings and sauces, and because it has the highest smoke point of all oils, you can use it in high-heat dishes such as stir-fries, Smart says.

Citrus Zest SUB FOR PROCESSED FLAVOR PACKETS. Using a little lemon, orange or lime zest in a recipe instead of a commercial ﬂavor packet — which may contain added preservatives and chemicals — is a healthier choice for seasoning a favorite dish. And while most people are only focused on the inside of a citrus fruit, the zest contains many health-preserving nutrients such as vitamins B and C. “It also adds a little zip to baked goods, soups and stews,” Smart says.

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under the ınﬂuence HERE’S HOW TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION ABOUT WHOSE LEAD — AND FEED — TO FOLLOW. BY K A R E N A S P

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oogle “fitness influencer” and you’ll instantly bring up more than 76 million results. Mind-boggling. There are literally hundreds of thousands of supposed fitness experts vying for attention online and on social media, and pretty much all it takes to become an influencer is to declare yourself one. Which is, in fact, how many people who got in on the ground floor of platforms such as Instagram became “experts” — they lost a little weight, posted their transformation for the world to see and boom — they were instantly an “expert” on weight loss. Yet RESULTS FROM a recent Parade/ if you do a little digging, you’ll find that many of Cleveland Clinic these influencers have no certifications, education Healthy Now survey or background in any associated health, weightrevealed that 44 percent of people have loss or fitness field. taken personal health The obvious ramification of the anyone-asor fitness action expert phenomenon is the rampant spread of based on information potentially dangerous misinformation. “Social or advice obtained via social media. The media influencers are able to connect with top three categories their followers and shape their attitudes and cited were trying a behaviors,” says Christina Sabbagh, M.Sc., from the natural remedy (20 organization Obesity Action in Scotland. “In weight percent), changing or adapting a fitness management, this is a problem because there are routine (18 percent), no requirements for influencers to be qualified in and changing or tryany way, and these individuals could be spreading ing a new diet (18 opinion-based — not evidence-based — advice.” percent).

HIT AND MISINFORMATION And it’s true — cyberspace is teeming with misleading information. A recent study presented at the European Congress on Obesity found that out of the nine most popular wellness influencers in the U.K., only two were adequately qualified and only one had an actual degree in nutrition. There are other well-known cases in which fraudulent experts have been exposed, such as the so-called wellness guru Belle Gibson, who claimed to cure herself of terminal cancer through healthy diet and lifestyle, as well as “fitness expert” Brittany Dawn who — though completely unqualified and unaccredited — scammed thousands of people out of money selling fitness programs and advice. What’s more, influencers often use their platforms to sell their own products and build their brand. “Also, other companies may be paying them to promote a product or service to their followers,” adds Jaime Schwartz Cohen, MS, RD, senior vice president and director of nutrition at Ketchum Public Relations in New York City. Recently, regulations were put in place that require an individual to disclose a paid relationship on social media, but it’s often still unclear, and people still get duped.

CULLING THE HERD While there are plenty of bogus experts out there trying to make a quick buck, there are also plenty of influencers who are more than qualified to deliver solid advice — you just have to do a little legwork to find them. These four questions can help you determine whether an influencer is worthy of your time and trust.

1 | Does he or she have appro-

priate qualifications? Look carefully in the “about me” or bio section of their platforms to see whether they’re certified or accredited from a science-backed organization. For instance, the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Academy of Sports Medicine are two very reputable certifying bodies for personal training and coaching. “When you follow an influencer with credentials like these, you are assured that the information they’re sharing is science-based and that they’re abiding by a professional code of ethics,” Cohen says.

2 | Is there a disclaimer anywhere

on their site, in their posts or in their copy? “A disclaimer is a legal statement that limits the liability of the inﬂuencer, which means the information on the blog doesn’t constitute true medical or other legitimate advice,” Sabbagh says. In other words, the information they are delivering is opinion-based and this expert might possibly be unqualiﬁed to be delivering such advice.

3 | Have they referenced the advice they’re giving? Sabbagh

says any advice should be sourced through peer-reviewed journals or organizations to ensure it is evidence-based information (as opposed to a non-evidence-based statement in which a blogger cites one of his or her own previous posts to support a claim they are making, for example). References in the form of footnotes or links should be embedded within the post copy or listed at the end of the post, and they should be from studies conducted within the last three to ﬁve years.

4 | Is an inﬂuencer’s social presence or personal branding

his or her main focus? A professional should always be more interested in his or her career than in social media, and while having professional credentials is a must, look to see whether an expert has inﬂuence outside of cyberspace, Cohen says. For instance, is she quoted in the media as an expert? Does he hold leadership positions in professional organizations and associations? Has she written books or been involved in scientiﬁc research in the area of their expertise?

The bottom line? Some fitness influencers are well worth a read and a follow, but regardless, they should not replace working one-on-one with an expert to meet your personal health, fitness and weight-loss goals.

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optimal BY JENNA AUTUORI DEDIC

at any

health age HERE’S HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR BODY — INSIDE AND OUT — AS YOU WORK YOUR WAY THROUGH THIS THING CALLED LIFE.

There is no Benjamin Button secret to staying forever young, and every minute of every day you’re getting older, whether you like it or not. The good news is that many aspects of aging well are within your control, and if you exercise regularly, nourish your skin and fuel your body properly, you can defy the decades with dignity.

YOUR

20s Exercise

In your 20s, you have plenty of time to train hard and sleep well (between bouts of socializing) and, lucky you, your metabolism is red hot. Your training results come quickly and easily, and losing 5 or 10 pounds for an upcoming vacation or reunion is not much of a challenge. “Most women hit their highest basal metabolic rate (the number of calories you burn just by being alive) in their late teens and early 20s,” says Michele Olson, Ph.D., exercise physiologist and clinical professor of sport science at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama. “These women don’t need to worry much about losing weight, and time feels limitless.” Though you might not be focused on weight loss, you should start thinking about muscle gain because while your metabolism is chugging along nicely now, in the coming years, it will slow as you naturally lose lean body mass. If you aren’t already doing so, add resistance training to your schedule to begin adding muscle and to build strong bones: Research has shown that you continue to build bone density well into your 20s, so lift your way to a stronger skeleton, starting now.

According to the American Council on Exercise, your basal metabolic rate drops 1 to 2 percent per decade.

Nutrition

No matter what your age, use a skincare product designed to protect against the environment in the morning and a product that promotes repair in the evening.

Because your metabolism and hormones are in high gear, happy hours and late-night munchies are no big deal — for now. “This decade, you’re setting up habits that you will fall back on as you get older,” says Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian based in New York City. Skipping meals, especially if you’re a student, is also common at this age, but while this might seem like a great dietary maneuver, it is actually killing your metabolism. Eat your three squares each day, and throw in a snack or two if you’re going to be out and about to keep your metabolism running. Women in general have issues getting enough protein, and this is even more true for young adults who tend to shoot from the hip when it comes to mealtime decisions. Be conscious about the quality of the protein you eat — e.g., a grilled chicken breast, not a fried chicken tender — and include a protein source with every meal and snack. Also, make sure you’re getting enough folate, even if you’re not planning on getting pregnant any time soon, Gorin advises. Add items like spinach, beans, lentils, edamame and Brussels sprouts to your menu.

Skin

In your 20s, your skin is still producing plenty of oil, and you likely have no wrinkles to speak of. “Your skin-cell turnover is optimal, and your foundation is at its peak,” says Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Twenty-somethings also produce plenty of collagen and elastin, which work to make your complexion dewy, plump and full. In your late 20s, you may notice a little dryness, especially when the weather gets cold, so invest in a solid night cream to trap in moisture while you sleep. And of course, you must always wear sunscreen, whether you’re out hiking, cycling or just going to the store. “Even low levels of UV light exposure add up and contribute to premature aging,” Zeichner says.

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Exercise

In your 30s, your metabolism starts to slow down, which is bad in and of itself, but add in a lack of free time and work, family and social obligations and you’re on the rails to fat city. Pregnancy also could mean 25 pounds or more added to your frame, which you then need to lose to regain some semblance of normalcy. Your shape as you know it also changes as your body fat relocates: A Japanese study found that as women age, subcutaneous fat disappears slowly from your cheeks, neck, breasts and lower legs and begins to build up in your waist, under your glutes and on your abdomen. Areas that were never of concern before suddenly become problematic. This decade can be chaotic, and you need to prioritize exercise to make it happen. Schedule your workouts as you would a business meeting, or set up a gym at home for spur-of-the-moment workouts. Cycle in some heavy strength training in the three- to six-rep range to add and maintain muscle, and reboot your metabolism to a 20-something level.

Nutrition

Even though arthritis is not currently on your radar, prevention through proper nutrition can begin today. “Omega-3 fatty acids can slow down cartilage degeneration and reduce inﬂammation,” Gorin says. And several studies show that omega-3’s, as are found in ﬁsh such as salmon, help boost brain health, combat metabolic syndrome and improve the risk factors for heart disease. Eating plenty of protein is still high on your nutritional to-do list to promote satiety and hamper muscle loss, and timing your intake could be the key to success. “People often eat the majority of their daily protein at dinnertime, but it’s a good idea to include a protein source at every meal,” Gorin says. Case in point: A study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that when individuals in their mid-30s spaced out their protein consumption over the course of the day, getting about 30 grams per meal, they built more muscle than when they ate their protein all at once.

Skin

In your 30s, you learn the magical powers of retinol. “In your 30s, the first signs of aging show up as skin-cell turnover begins to decline and new collagen production slows down,” Zeichner says. Your night cream should now contain a retinoid product as well as alpha hydroxy and glycolic acids to help combat fine lines and spots. And while you should be eating plenty of antioxidants in your diet to prevent free-radical damage, you also can apply them topically. “Antioxidants act like fire extinguishers, tamping out damage caused by UV rays,” Zeichner explains. Serums with vitamin C, vitamin E and ferulic acid can help repair the skin during the day. Though you’re well past the blackhead and pimple stage of life, if you’re breaking out like a teenager, your workout may be to blame. “The longer sweat, dirt and oil sits on your skin, the more likely they are to block pores, promote inflammation and cause breakouts,” Zeichner says. His advice: Wash your face immediately after training using a salicylic acid cleanser to thoroughly remove dirt and oil from the skin.

YOUR

30s

A serving of salmon, mackerel, trout or halibut packs more than 1,000 milligrams of DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids. According to the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, almost half of American women gain too much weight during pregnancy.

YOUR

40s Exercise

In your 40s, your hormones start to play hide-and-seek as your baby maker begins closing up shop. Your levels of estrogen, progesterone and human growth hormone decrease, your metabolism continues to decline and your energy starts to fade — all of which could mean additional body-fat gain and muscle loss. There’s not a lot you can do about your waning hormones, but you can push back against their effects. First, abandon those pink, plastic-coated dumbbells and lift some real iron, Olson urges. Choose a weight that is heavy enough to promote failure between 12 and 15 reps, the range that causes your muscles to rebuild and grow. Also, swap some of your longer cardio workouts for high-intensity interval training sessions, which have been shown to boost anti-aging hormone release and promote fat metabolism.

Nutrition

Your badly behaved hormones also affect your nutritional needs. “Estrogen is a key factor in bone health, so when a woman’s levels start to drop, bone loss can result,” Gorin says. Adequate calcium and vitamin D consumption and/or supplementation helps keep bones healthy, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and subsequent injuries. Keep your protein intake high to help stave off muscle loss, and to prevent excess weight gain, consider reducing your overall calorie intake — a little. “If you’re working out regularly, that might amount to eating 150 fewer calories per day,” Olson explains. This means trimming about 30 to 50 calories off each meal and/or snack per day. And of course, pair your workout and nutritional habits for optimal results: Research from Wake Forest University found that older overweight adults who cut out 300 calories per day lost 12 pounds, 2 of which were muscle. But those who cut 300 calories and also did strength training lost nearly 20 pounds, most of which was from fat.

Skin

When you look in the mirror, does a basset hound look back? In your 40s, you will experience facial-volume loss because of — you guessed it — hormonal fluctuations. Your skin becomes less elastic and you lose bone density in your face. And unfortunately, being fit can mean a gaunter appearance because a lean body also means a lean face. Your skin also may appear duller, but don’t over-scrub it. “In your 40s, the skin becomes more delicate and prone to irritation,” Zeichner says. “Only exfoliate once per week to keep your skin bright and healthy.” “Plumping” moisturizers can now be used in combination with a nighttime retinoid product, and if you are really bothered by your sagging look, see your dermatologist to talk about the possibility of facial fillers.

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According to research published in Osteoporosis International, eating ﬁve to six prunes a day has been shown to help prevent bone loss. Research from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that people who lift weights put on less belly fat as they age than cardio junkies.

YOUR

50s

Exercise

Your estrogen levels continue to decline as you enter and then complete menopause, during which time you’ll also lose bone density and mass. But by now, your children are older and your family demands are probably fewer, which means ﬁnding the time to exercise should be less of a challenge. Maintain a consistent workout routine to promote healthy metabolism, and regularly choose workouts with a higher impact — literally: A study in the American Journal of Health Promotion found that jumping 10 times twice a day provided greater bone-building beneﬁts than running or jogging. You also should incorporate metabolic-conditioning workouts that simultaneously burn fat and build muscle into your training plan. “These maximize the number of calories your body burns while increasing your metabolism,” Olson says.

AND BEYOND

Nutrition

As you pass the 50-mile mark, it’s time to look inward and focus on keeping your heart and other systems in top shape. According to a recent report in The Journal of Nutrition, eating less dietary fat and more fruits, vegetables and grains was linked to a reduced risk of dying from breast cancer and a lower risk of getting heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. “Women 50 and older should consume vitamin B12 to keep nerve and blood cells healthy and magnesium for protein synthesis, blood pressure, and muscle and nerve function,” Gorin says. Potassium is also imperative for inner well-being, and research published in Advances in Nutrition showed a positive association between potassium intake and reduced hypertension.

Skin

When your 50s come knocking, your skin no longer answers the door with a radiant smile. “Your skin naturally sheds cells on its surface. However, with age, this process slows down and dead cells accumulate, giving a dull appearance,” Zeichner says. Add a hydroxy or glycolic acid cleanser or cream to brighten your skin and improve the appearance of fine lines. In your 60s and beyond, you may notice the appearance of more sunspots and your skin may feel rough or appear crepey. Wrinkles and lines really begin to show, and the skin around your jaw and eyes starts to sag. You can chalk up your facial road map to happiness and longevity, but if you’re dissatisfied with your look, use rich moisturizers with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which acts like a sponge to pull in hydration and fill in wrinkles.

According to a study from McMaster University in Ontario, exercise appears to combat changes in the outer layers of skin that come with advancing age. The National Osteoporosis Foundation states that bone density in women can decline by as much as 20 percent within seven years after the onset of menopause.

healthy for life While certain times of life call for particular protocols, there are some absolutes that you should be doing every day of every decade to make the most of your time here on the planet.

Lift Weights As you age, you inevitably lose muscle mass, and because muscle has a high metabolic rate, this loss means a sharp reduction in energy expenditure — e.g., calorie burn — making you more susceptible to weight/fat gain. No matter if you’re 26 or 62, you should be doing resistance training to maintain as much muscle as possible and optimize your metabolism. “The ratio between your muscle to fat needs to remain balanced as [you age], and if a woman maintains muscle through consistent weight training, it won’t be replaced by fat,” Michele Olson says. Lifting weights or doing bodyweight or plyometric exercises adds muscle, making you stronger and more capable while also increasing your metabolism and optimizing your hormonal release. It also adds bone density no matter what your age and protects against osteoporosis in later years.

Hydrate Properly More than half your body is made of water, and staying hydrated is important for any and all metabolic processes, including muscle building, digestion and skin health. Shoot for a ½ gallon every day, more on days you work out or when it’s hot outside, and eat plenty of water-rich veggies such as leafy greens, cucumbers and celery to add to your intake.

Maintain Mobility Maintaining your ﬂexibility will help prevent back and joint pain, will reduce your risk for injury and will improve your results in the gym. Set aside ﬁve to 10 minutes each day — even on days you don’t work out — to foamroll or do some active stretching. The more mobile and lubed up your joints are, the happier and healthier you will be long term.

HIIT It High-intensity interval training improves body composition, boosts antiaging hormone release and adds muscle. And no matter what decade

you’re in, you can beneﬁt from EPOC — excess post-exercise oxygen consumption — otherwise known as afterburn, when your body incinerates calories long after your workout is over. Do two to three HIIT sessions per week, either after a strength-training session or on a separate day, to avail yourself of these advantages.

Reduce Stress Stress has no age limit and is one of the biggest contributors to poor health. Make sure you carve out time to decompress, relax and even get away from it all on occasion to prevent things from becoming overwhelming, which can adversely affect your health.

Use Sunscreen Babies, adolescents, teenagers and adults — no one is exempt from the sunscreen decree. It is one of the easiest ways to prevent cancer and helps reduce the formation of wrinkles and lines on your face, chest and neck. “The skin undergoes two types of aging,” Dr. Joshua Zeichner says. “Intrinsic, which is the natural aging process that occurs as we get older, and extrinsic, which is an accelerated eating away at the skin caused by environmental exposures such as UV light.” Reduce harmful exposure with a regular sunscreen that contains SPF 30 or greater every day on exposed areas. Apply it in the morning, after a workout or after going in the water.

Know About Nutrition How you eat when you’re younger usually sets the stage for your lifetime, and the sooner you can adopt healthy habits and routines, the better off you’ll be. Nutrition and metabolism are intimately connected, and focusing on optimizing both as you age can mean the difference between fat and ﬁt. Because like they say, you are what you eat.

Eat Protein Enough cannot be said about the importance of protein for women of all ages. It increases the satiety of a meal, helps build muscles and bones, and increases metabolism. Eat plenty of lean protein throughout the day in the form of chicken breast, lentils, tofu, steak or ﬁsh.

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM THOSE IN THE KNOW

exhale SAFETY HAS NO SEASON,

and the darkness of the winter months means being extra cautious when exercising outdoors. Whenever possible, train with a buddy and wear bright clothing so youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re visible to motorists. Always have your phone handy, and consider downloading an app such as Safety 24x7 or iGoSafely, which sends alerts, emails and/or GPS positioning to a contact list with the touch of a button.

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transform

SUCCESS STORIES

Healing from the Julie Kelly lost 175 pounds and ﬁnally inside out realized her long-standing goals. trying to convince herself to accept her body, but as she stood there, decades of shame and anger resurfaced. She had spent a lifetime struggling with her weight, gaining 100 pounds her junior year of high school, yo-yoing up and down in her 20s and adding another 75 pounds during her pregnancy three years previous. She now weighed 350 pounds and was miserable and defeated. “I no longer recognized the person I saw in the mirror, on the rare occasion I actually looked at myself in the mirror,” she recalls.

months later, she had a baby girl. However, Kelly gained back all her weight and then some. She also had an uncontrollable sugar addiction, and while she assumed her cravings were because of a lack of self-control, she discovered she had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). “PCOS causes sugar cravings because your cells don’t function properly,” Kelly explains. “So even though you may have sugar in your system, your body disagrees and triggers your brain to provide more.” Diets high in processed foods and reﬁned carbs are known to exacerbate PCOS symptoms, yet Kelly’s daily menu consisted mainly of carbloaded takeout food and sugary snacks.

Sugar Baby Rewind to 2014 and Kelly had lost some weight in order to begin fertility treatments to get pregnant. Happily, the procedure was successful, and nine

Reality Checks and Balances Three months postpartum, Kelly decided to give weight loss one more try and hired a trainer. But over the course of three years, she had only lost 50 pounds. “I was still going to the fast-food drive-thru after my workouts,” she admits. Kelly regrouped and added a nutrition coach to her team. She scheduled regular check-ins to ensure accountability and journaled each day to express her emotions and monitor her progress. “The hardest part about changing my eating habits was accepting that it must become a lifestyle,” she says. Kelly also set a very specific goal: competing in a fitness model competition. She had read her first issue of Oxygen when she was 18 and had always wanted to be fit enough to be featured.

Happy New You With her new plan in place, she got to work, and by the summer of 2019, Kelly had literally halved her bodyweight and went proudly onstage weighing 175 pounds. She won the Transformation Challenge and placed ﬁfth in the Novice Fitness class. As she looks back on her journey, Kelly realizes her results were as mental as they were physical. “Essentially, I had to learn an entirely new way of being, and at times, that was overwhelming,” she says. “I now recognize that the weight I carried around was a physical representation of years of pain. As I addressed and worked through those issues, the physical results also came. I healed my way to health from the inside out.”

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Before photo of Julie

stats Julie Kelly/ Calgary, Alberta, Canada age: 36 height: 5’7” size before: 22/24 size after: 8/10 occupation: Stay-athome mom, founder of Screw Perfection, motivational blogger

Julie’s Favorites Breakfast: Protein pancakes: ½ cup oats + ¾ cup egg whites + 1 tbsp chia seeds + dash cinnamon. Top with 1 tbsp sugar-free syrup + ½ cup berries. Advice: Don’t be afraid to dive deep to heal the hurt and trauma. Unless you heal what caused the weight gain, you likely won’t achieve the results you desire. Move: Handstand holds against a wall — it’s something I never thought I would be able to do!

After Photo by Tim Dardis / Before Photo by Cheryl Michaud

n 2017, Julie Kelly stood in the shower

By Jill Schildhouse

Honoring her After a heart-wrenching tragedy, Juline Gurney lost 50 pounds and son’s memory regained her life. Giving Into the Guilt Gurney grieved deeply for Paul. She stopped spending time with her friends and family and lost interest in physical activity. And though she somehow made it to work each day, the minute she got home, she’d lie down on the sofa and stay there until morning. On most days, she would forget to eat, but when she remembered, she would binge on high-calorie comfort meals. In two years, she gained 50 pounds. As standard company procedure, Gurney’s life insurance required her to get a physical. She didn’t think much of it at the time, but a few weeks afterward, she received notiﬁcation that her premium would be increasing signiﬁcantly because of her obesity, high blood pressure and pre-diabetes. She was shocked. “I went to my primary doctor to double-check that diagnosis, and he told me the exact same thing,” Gurney says. “He also said that if I didn’t change my lifestyle, I could easily have a heart attack.”

Finding Her Way Back

After Photo by Christopher Cuadras / Before Photo by Kevin Gurney

efore 2016, on any given day, you could ﬁnd Juline Gurney taking a kickboxing class, training for a marathon and even teaching bootcamp classes, but all that changed when Gurney had to make the one decision no mother should ever have to make: to take her 33-year-old son, Joseph Lee Paul, off life support. In 2008, Paul was diagnosed with a rare blood-clotting disorder called antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, and Gurney and her husband immediately sold their business, house and all their belongings and began to chase specialists all over the country to get the best care for Paul. “We were told from day one that this disease comes with an expiration date, but we did not want to accept it,” she says. Regardless of their efforts, Paul had a heart attack on May 15, 2016. Two weeks later, with no signs of brain activity, Gurney removed him from life support.

That was all Gurney needed to hear. She joined a walking group, cleaned up her diet and ate every two to three hours. Soon, she had the energy to play basketball with her grandson and kickbox for an hour without taking a break. Three months later, she joined a gym and enlisted the help of a trainer for strength-training workouts. It just so happened that her trainer was a competition coach — which was a welcome sign from above. “My son used to tell me I should do ﬁtness competitions,” Gurney says. “I used to laugh since I was super conservative and wouldn’t even wear a bikini to the beach.” Conservatism be damned, Gurney decided to go for it, and she has since competed in six shows. She even placed ﬁrst in the Bikini Masters Over 50 division at the 2019 NPC Topamania Classic. “Now every time I get onstage, it’s all for my baby boy, Lee,” Gurney says. “I just know he is watching down with a big smile on his face.”

stats Juline Gurney/ Fort Lauderdale, Florida age: 55 height: 5’2 size: 8-10, now 0-2 occupation: Business equipment ﬁnancing

Juline’s Training Split Cardio: 45 minutes in the morning plus 45 minutes in the evening Monday: legs/glutes Tuesday: shoulders/ back Wednesday: active rest — walk 3 to 5 miles Thursday: arms/chest Friday: abs and obliques Sunday: rest

Juline’s Favorites Mantra: Take a picture in your underwear. If you don’t like what you see, change it. Only you have that power. Grab-and-go meal: Egg white veggie muffin cups. I pre-make a bunch for the week. Stay-on-track strategy: If a food has no nutritional value, don’t eat it! Before photo of Juline

ﬁt factor

FUTURE OF FITNESS Love, Lost. Emily Cramer was in

CALLING ALL FIT WOMEN

Think you have what it takes? Send your story to futureoffitness @oxygenmag.com.

Brittany Culp Corpus Christi, Texas Stats: 28 • 125 lb • 5’8” Gig: Counselor and personal trainer

Turning a Blind Eye. In a sport where visuals are everything, you’d assume blindness would pose quite a challenge. Yet for NPC bikini competitor Brittany Culp — who lost her sight gradually due to a hereditary eye condition — that’s not the case. “Being blind is an inconvenience at times, but the biggest obstacle has actually been myself,” Culp says. “I’ve struggled with depression a majority of my life, and I tend to get in my own head. It has taken time to learn to see outside myself and ﬁnd the positive.”

Goal Girl. Realizing she needed to find her footing again, Cramer made it her goal to qualify for the NPC National Bikini Championships. “I channeled my grief into the one thing I knew would make me feel close to my mom — fitness,” she says. A few months later, she was onstage in Miami for the 2018 NPC Nationals, and though she finished outside the top 15, she has plans to return and win her pro card. Homage to Mom. Cramer now works as an online personal trainer and hits the gym for her own workouts five to six days per week. She prioritizes legs and trains them two or three times a week, and as a tribute to mom: “I also teach Spin classes two to four times a week in the evenings to spice things up,” she says. And though she eats a mostly clean diet year-round, she admits that her favorite cheat is Mexican food.

Competitive Spirit. Culp got into bikini competition in 2013, and she immediately switched from being a cardio queen to a strength-training devotee. Her hard work has paid off: In 2017, she won her height class at the NPC Texas Cup, which qualiﬁed her for the 2018 NPC Nationals where she made third call-out in her class. Her goal now is to earn her pro card — though others can’t comprehend her obsession. “I’m a blind woman in an industry that focuses on what you can see, and though I can’t see how I look, I can still feel it,” Culp says.

Workoutwise. These days, Culp follows a ﬁve-day split of legs, back and calves, shoulders and abs, arms and calves, and glutes and hamstrings. She does cardio three to six days per week, depending on where she is in her competitive season. “It’s a mix of steady-state fasted cardio or interval cardio after lifting,” she says.

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Emily Cramer Lakeland, Florida Stats: 27 • 140 lb • 5’8” Gig: Online personal trainer

Photo by Tracy Weddle / Photo by Mark Schacht

Meet 5 women who’ve got the ﬁt factor.

dance classes before she turned 3, started weightlifting at 19 and did her ﬁrst bikini competition when she was 22, and she can instantly point to her ﬁtness inspiration — her mom, Anita Susanne, who was a competitive runner and Spin instructor. But in 2018, after a three-year battle with melanoma, her mom passed away on the morning of Cramer’s wedding. “I was crushed,” she says. “I struggled to eat, sleep and even complete the smallest daily tasks.”

By Michael Berg, NSCA-CPT

Fitting It In. Busy careers and long work hours have succinctly derailed many a ﬁtness ambition, but Kalley Tucker was determined to avoid that common pitfall. “My health and wellness are very important to me, and although I work 12-hour shifts as a nurse, I’ll hit the gym after work — and before crawling into bed,” she says. “People make time for what’s really important to them — and I’m no exception.”

Friendly Advice. But ﬁtness wasn’t always a priority for Tucker, who was far from athletic growing up. It wasn’t until her early 20s that Tucker embraced exercise when a friend who owned a personal training business encouraged her to compete. “I quickly fell in love with the sport of bikini and how empowered it made me feel,” she says. Since then, she’s entered six competitions, and in 2017, Tucker earned pro status in the Natural Physique & Athletics Association as an elite pro bikini model.

Johanna Sambucini Brooklyn, New York Stats: 32 • 122 lb • 5’7” Gig: Holistic nutritionist, yoga teacher and ﬁtness model

Photo by David Tufino / Photo by Tim Dardis / Photo by Frank Zayas

Fed Up. After years of struggling with digestive issues, cystic acne and chronic stress, Johanna Sambucini had had enough. “I was in my early 20s and didn’t understand what it really meant to train or eat healthy,” she says. “I wanted to change the way I looked and felt and set out to improve my quality of life holistically.”

Bizarre Breakfast. While she’ll occasionally indulge in Asian takeout for a cheat meal, Tucker keeps her diet pretty clean yearround. She also has a unique breakfast idea: eggs in a bag. “It’s basically a two-egg omelet with veggies and ham, which I put, uncooked, into a sealable sandwich bag,” she says. “Each morning, I boil the bag in water for about 13 minutes and the eggs slide out easily — in perfect omelet shape!”

Stranger Things. The former high-school cheerleader then developed an unorthodox workout plan that she still follows today. “I start each day at 6 a.m. with Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga, then I strength-train three to four times per week,” she says. “Afterward, I either take a ﬂexibility and contortion class or do handstand training. I also incorporate acrobatic conditioning, mobility training and bodyweight calisthenics into my week.”

Atlanta Stats: 37 • 135 lb • 5’7½” Gig: Home Depot project planning team

Life-Shattering Accident. When Shondreka Palmer was 12 years old, she was hit by a van, which shattered her right leg and arm. “I had reconstructive surgery and my right leg was casted,” she says. “I was confined to a wheelchair for months until I was strong enough to stand, then went to crutches for a couple of months.” But her work was not over yet. Palmer had to literally relearn how to walk. “It took about one and a half years until I could walk and run again,” she says. Heartbreaker. Palmer discovered strength training in college, but she then received a scary heath diagnosis. “At a routine checkup, they discovered that one of my heart valves was leaking,” Palmer says. “That’s when my fitness journey really began.” She created a consistent workout regimen, which included cardio four to five days per week to ensure the blood flow to her heart remained strong. She also revamped her diet. “I grew up eating ramen noodles, fish sticks, frozen TV dinners and the like,” she says. “So I taught myself how to cook healthy meals.”

Win Some, Lose Some. In 2010, Sambucini decided to try ﬁtness competition and did several shows, winning some and losing some. “Even though winning is great, it’s more about the journey, the feeling of accomplishment and the friends you make along the way,” she says. “To me, that is winning.”

Juggling Act. These days, Palmer hits the

Nutrition Know-How. Sambucini currently works with women to improve their gut health and hormonal balance through nutrition. “My mission is to empower women by educating them about whole-food nutrition and movement using a functional approach,” she says.

Shondreka Palmer

Kalley Tucker Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada Stats: 29 • 135 lb • 5’5½” Gig: Licensed practical nurse

gym five to six days a week while managing multiple responsibilities. “I’m trying to live my best life while being a single parent to my son Aiden and working my day job as a fitness trainer,” Palmer says. She has also managed to fit competing into her life and has done three bikini contests to date, finishing top five in each.

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spotlight

TIA CLAIR TOOMEY

By Jill Schildhouse

Triple-threat Tia Learn why three-time CrossFit champion Tia-Clair Toomey always trains for the unknown. t’s hard to imagine that Tia-Clair Toomey — three-time consecutive CrossFit women’s champion — once strived to be a skinny girl with no muscles. But at the time, that is what she considered normal. “I faced body issues,” admits the 26-year-old Australian, who now resides in Cookeville, Tennessee. “But I soon learned that I needed muscles to help me lift weights and get through my workouts. At ﬁrst, I had a very hard time embracing [them], but now I can’t imagine my body without muscles.” Toomey’s now-husband, former track runner Shane Orr, brought Toomey to her ﬁrst CrossFit class because he thought it would be

good to boost her ﬁtness level. Little did he know that in 2015 and 2016, she’d be named runner-up in the CrossFit Games and would then go on to win the Games the next three years in a row.

Training for the Top No two days at the gym are the same for Toomey, who on any given day might weightlift, practice gymnastics, swim, bike, row or run — to name just a few disciplines. “I’m training for the unknown and the unknowable,” says the tried-and-true CrossFitter. “I have to focus on being well-rounded in a variety of ﬁtness domains to ensure I can [tackle] whatever comes up in competition.” Toomey also works with a nutrition coach to help her properly balance her macronutrients in order to fuel her rigorous training schedule and maintain her energy. She regularly reaches for meals like steak and veggies, tuna and salad, and rice with chicken.

The Heart of a Champion When not training for her sport, Toomey derives joy from sharing her love of movement with others. “I want to inspire the rest of the world to stay active and live longer and more fulfilled lives,” she says. “I also love meeting new people and hearing their stories about how fitness has impacted them in a positive way.” Though she is a well-known global name, Toomey remains humble. “Becoming the Fittest Woman on Earth three times in a row has allowed me to understand what it takes to go after something you really want and has confirmed for me that you can truly accomplish whatever you set your mind to,” Toomey says. “It’s an honor to hold this title, not just because of all the hard work I put in to achieve it but also because of the sacrifices my friends and family have made to support me. It’s very important to have the people I love around to lift me up when I need it, and if it wasn’t for the constant love and support from my team, I couldn’t do what I do.”

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES Instagram: tiaclair1 Facebook: Tia-Clair Toomey – Athlete YouTube: Tia-Clair Toomey Twitter: TiaToomey Website: tiaclair.com

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Photo by Patrick Orr

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ﬁt factor

By Lara McGlashan, MFA, CPT

HOW SHE FUELS

Energy emergency If your get-up-and-go has got-up-and-went, use these energizing strategies from NASM-certiﬁed trainer and nutrition specialist Brooke Erickson. nergy — some days you have it, some days you don’t. While the reasons are endless why your energy has ﬂatlined, there are many ways to resurrect it quickly. Here are some tips from Dymatize athlete, trainer and nutrition specialist Brooke Erickson on how to optimize your energy for the better.

Work Out, Wake Up Though the last thing you want to do when you’re tired is exercise, it should be the ﬁrst thing on your list. “Without a doubt, exercise improves energy levels,” Erickson says. “Exercise causes your body to release endorphins, which interact with receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain and trigger positive feelings in your body — sometimes called ‘exercise euphoria’ or a ‘runner’s high.’” TAKE-AWAY TIP: Go to the gym even if you’re

tired. Promise yourself you’ll do 10 minutes of exercise, and if you’re still not feeling it, you can stop and go home. Chances are that moving around will put the pep back in your step, but if it doesn’t, you have permission to call it a day.

Erickson says. For instance, don’t eat a snack that is just carbs; it will burn off quickly and your energy will ﬂatline. TAKE-AWAY TIP: In your

food journal, write down what you ate and when, and take note of times when you felt tired, lethargic or foggy. Then do a little sleuthing to see what foods (or lack thereof) may have contributed to the problem.

The Power of Protein Protein provides your body with the material it needs to build muscle, power your workouts and improve recovery. “Make sure you have a protein with every meal and snack,” Erickson advises. “I also like to supplement with amino acids such as Dymatize All9 Amino, which I take in the morning and during training, to ensure I get what I need and leave nothing to chance.”

Eat More Meals It makes sense: The more often you stoke a ﬁre, the longer it will burn. The same holds true for your body: The more often you eat, the more staying power — mental and physical — you have. Erickson believes that meal frequency can make or break your energy reserves, and she advises dividing your food into several smaller meals and snacks throughout the day. “I have the most energy when I eat a small breakfast late morning, a small lunch in the early afternoon and my largest meal at dinner with snacks in between,” she says.

forms, so ﬁnd what you like best and include those throughout the day. Things like lean beef, chicken, eggs, tofu, tempeh, beans and even quinoa are great whole-food options. Supplementing also can help you from falling short in the protein department, or have speciﬁc muscle-building or get-lean goals in mind.

“This is an easy go-to recipe I use for a quick boost of energy any time during the day,” she says. “This recipe makes one serving, but you can make a whole batch ahead of time!” INGREDIENTS

Go to Bed

weeks and note how you feel before, after and between each meal. Note where your energy seems lowest, then either add a snack or move your meals closer together to see whether your energy improves.

Research has shown that the amount and quality of your sleep has a huge impact on everything from muscle growth to fat metabolism to energy levels. “Sleep is when your body recovers from the work you did today and refuels itself in preparation for tomorrow,” Erickson says. “I try to get at least seven hours a night but ideally would love to have eight or more!”

Balance Your Macronutrients

TAKE-AWAY TIP: Practice good sleep hygiene.

Though many diets would have you believe otherwise, you actually need to eat all the macros — protein, carbs and fat — in balance for optimal energy and health. “It’s also important to include all of them with each of your meals and snacks,”

Make your bedroom dark, cool and quiet, and go to bed at the same time every night, even on weekends. Avoid screens that emit blue light such as phones and TVs before bed because those have been shown to interfere with sleep patterns.

TAKE-AWAY TIP: Keep a food journal for two

Photo by Eric Knapp

TAKE-AWAY TIP: Protein comes in many

TURKEY “CUPCAKE”

1 egg 2 egg whites 1 slice deli turkey sprinkle of mozzarella cheese salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS Scramble together egg and egg whites. Place turkey in bottom of a muffin cup and top with egg mixture and cheese. Add salt and pepper (to taste). Bake 10 minutes at 350 F.

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inspire

Go for the summit. “You won’t fall if you don’t climb, but there’s no joy in living your whole life on the ground.” — AUTHOR UNKNOWN

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STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE