Strong
FITNESS FOR LIFE
A NEW FITNESS MAGAZINE N FOR WOME
5MORNING BURSTS
STRENGTHEN YOUR WORKOUT
MASTER THE MUD TAKE ON THE tough mudder
GINA CARANO
NEW MOVIE NEW MAN! MAY 2014 / STRONG.COM $4.99
Strong FITNESS FOR LIFE
MISSION statement STRONG is a cutting-edge fitness magazine for women. Our reader counts successes, not calories. She climbs mountains, not stair climbers. STRONG brings dedicated fitness enthusiasts intense workouts, smart nutrition guides, and honest advice for an active life.
editorial marketing position FITNESS FOR LIFE Filling a Hole in the Marketplace Current women’s fitness magazines on the market consist of superficial, “get fit quick” tips to lose weight and burn calories. STRONG targets women dedicated to high-powered fitness and provides them with fun and fresh ways to enhance their fitness and share their motivational stories. STRONG is also the ultimate destination for a variety of cross-training workouts, healthy nutrition advice, and challenging competitions to inspire our readers.
Our Competitors Women’s Health focuses on exercising and eating well in order to help women look and feel good. STRONG challenges women to a higher level of fitness and connects women to a dedicated fitness community that will help them stay motivated. Fitness magazine contains quick and easy ways for women to tone their bodies and lose weight. The Fitness Express App features 15-minute workouts to exercise specific muscles and costs $1.99. STRONG targets women seeking high-powered, strengthconditioning workouts. Our 10 STRONG Minutes app features short but intense workouts that readers can squeeze into their busy days. The app will be free but readers can purchase an ad-free experience with a subscription to STRONG magazine. Self focuses on lifestyle and beauty advice, as well as quick and simple workout moves that target certain muscles but do not challenge readers to the extent that STRONG does. The Box and WOD Talk are two magazines that focus solely on CrossFit, whereas STRONG incorporates a variety of cross-training workouts and outdoor activities. The STRONG website is distinguished from our competitors because it features an “I’M STRONG” community page where readers can share their inspirational fitness stories, and favorite recipes and enter to be featured as our STRONG Woman of the Month.
Strong
contents MAY 2014 / VOLUME I / ISSUE I / STRONG.COM
ON THE COVER 24 5 Morning BURSTS
5 foods to jumpstart your workout.
60 Mastering the Mud
The ultimate obstacle course everyone must conquer.
66 Gina Carano, (UN)CAGED How high-powered fitness turned her into the star of Fast & Furious 6.
EAT Strong 27 STAY HYDRATED!
What to watch out for when filling your water bottle.
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6 CARDIO BOOSTERS Try these quick bites to amp up your cardio.
THE 9 BEST PALEO DESSERTS You won’t have any leftovers; that’s a promise.
37 mapped markets
We pinpoint our favorite farmer’s markets across the country.
42 LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT?
We put your favorite snacks to the test.
4 / STRONG.COM
Strong
contents IN EVERY ISSUE 12 14 16 18 20 93
60
Check out STRONG.com for exclusive Tough Mudder footage.
Get Strong
BE STRONG
45 next level fitness
69 WATCH OUT!
49 10 Things we love
75 NEW APPROACH
The Pushup Challenge: A new twist to an old routine.
about pLYOs
Advisory Board Editor’s Letter STRONG.com this Month STRONG Playlist Ask our Trainer I’M STRONG Because
Preventing injuries and being safe.
Modern fitness is reshaping America.
And one thing we don't!
51 OUT-THERE SPORTS
90 GEAR UP & GO!
55 CHANGING TURF
94 SAVED
Let these new trends take you on a fitness adventure
5 innovative places to mix up your fitness field.
58 A DAY IN THE LIFE Rachel Buschert shares her best tips from dawn to dusk.
The latest and greatest workout gear.
BUSINESSWOMAN Rita Benavidez shares how CrossFit changed her life.
99 THINKING SHARP
Staying on your toes when on your cool-down days. 5 / STRONG.COM
Strong
EDITOR’S LETTER
Here at STRONG, our motto is “Fitness for Life.” We have filled our pages with exciting new cross-training workouts and healthy diet advice to spice up your routine. I love our “Get STRONG” fitness section that features new workout styles and harder sets that will push you to the next level, because you never know where your fitness will take you. Just look at our cover girl, Gina Carano, an MMA fighter turned actress, now starring in Fast & Furious 6. In her interview, found on page 66, Gina told us, “I wake up every morning and I surprise myself. I wake up to a new me.”
What better way to show off the new STRONGer you than at a Tough Mudder challenge this summer? I know my STONG teammates and I will be there, pulling each other through mud, fire, and water. You can be there too by following our how-to guide on page 60 and learning the workouts that will get you past any grueling obstacle. So get out there, challenge yourself, don’t be afraid to get a little muddy, and most importantly, stay STRONG!
Sabrina Abballe
Sabrina Abballe Editor-in-Chief @STRONGMagazine 14 / STRONG.COM
Strong FITNESS FOR LIFE
EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Sabrina Abballe Executive Editor Christina Zupicich ARTICLES EDITOR Kristen Lott ART ART DIRECTOR Justin Miller ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Elizabeth Gorney DIGITAL PLATFORMS Digital Director Heather Sieve social media directors Gerra Goff, Dion Fisco BUSINESS, BRAND, & MARKETING Publisher & AD Sales Director Kara Brammer BUSINESS BRAND DIRECTOR Marci Geisler MARKETing & PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR Jaclyn Sassa consumer marketing director Laura Carlsen
STRONG.COM
eat Strong
SCRAMBLE
Scrambled egg whites, turkey bacon, and spinach in whole grain tortilla (bonus if it’s made with rolled oats and flaxseed!) with a small apple: 288 calories, 39g carbs, 21g protein, 12g sugar.
BLEND
5MORNING BURSTS
Jumpstart early morning cardio and muscle toning workouts with these 5 strongest pre-workout foods that boost your blood sugar and reserve protein for muscle fuel. 24 / STRONG.COM
Fruit smoothie with mango pineapple milk, ice, protein powder and flaxseed: 325 calories, 44g carbs, 32g protein, 26g sugar.
SPOON
Nonfat Greek yogurt with bananas, berries and granola: 260 calories, 55g carbs, 15g protein, 35g sugar.
ROLL Rolled whole grain oats with raisins, walnuts, and milk: 285 calories, 50g carbs, 14g protein, 16g sugar.
DUNK Lowfat 2% cottage cheese with peaches and honey: 314 calories, 4g carbs, 32g protein, 30g sugar.
Strong FITNESS FOR LIFE
LOOK BOOK STANDARD NEXA LIGHT NEXA BOLD FRUTIGER CE 45 LIGHT BEBAS FRANCHISE
DEK, PULLED QUOTES HEADERS TEXT Toc and headlines COVERLINES
SPECIAL WET ARIAL PRACTIQUE
WELL STORY WELL STORY
MASTER THE MUD With nearly one million total participants in just three short years, the Tough Mudder has quickly become one of the world’s fastest growing outdoor adventure competitions. This challenge isn’t for the weak of mind or body, but that doesn’t scare us. Learn what keeps fitness fanatics diving in the dirt, and how you can train to join them.
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Check out our tablet version for exclusive TOUGH MUDDER footage!
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ELECTRIFIED WIRES four-foot flames, ice pits, and underwater tunnels— sound exciting? For the 700,000 men and women who flock to over 30 Tough Mudder events annually, the answer is a resounding YES. Originally designed as a British Special Forces obstacle course in 2010, the Tough Mudder challenge has sparked determination and camaraderie around the globe. Testing the limits of both physical and mental strength, this 10- to 12-mile challenge is a battle with the elements, including of course—mud. The Tough Mudder is more than just a competition, though. It’s a uniquely formed community, both on and off the course. Over the years, participants have worked to raise over $5 million for the Wounded Warrior Project, which sends a team of their own to each challenge worldwide. And after pushing their teammates through the course, sometimes literally, Mudders celebrate at the
finish line by indulging in beer, tattoos, live music, and costume awards with categories including “Most Badass,” “Most Dumbass,” and shamelessly, “Most Ass.” A home for risk-takers and challenge-driven leaders, Tough Mudder team members compete at a variety of starting fitness levels, such as “Mudderling” and “Maybe Mudder,” based on an online diagnostic test of physical activity, strength, and lifestyle. But just because obstacles like greased quarter pipes and fields of barbed wires are flashy and rigged with extra challenges doesn’t mean they’re impossible. Use these high-powered moves to give yourself the extra boost to take on the Berlin Wall, Electric Eel, Boa Constrictor, and Everest.
A lone participant jumps through tires to reach the finish line. 62 / STRONG.COM
Tough Mudders must carry a log while treading up steep, barren slopes.
Log on to STRONG.com to learn more about how to train for the next Tough Mudder. The challenge: Boa Constrictor. A crawl through tunnels forces claustrophobics to face their fear in the worst way. There is light at the end of these tunnels, though. Focusing on arm strength will pull you through when your legs are useless. The workout: Tricep Dips. Place your arms down by your sides, palms backwards, and stabilize them on the floor or chair. With your legs together and straight, drive elbows back to dip down and push up. If you’re feeling ambitious, push yourself completely off the support for added airtime.
The challenge: Electric Eel. An army crawl through a mud field, cold water, or a layer of ice. Not difficult enough? Electric wires overhead force you to stay low to the ground. Pull yourself through quickly and avoid the Tough Mudder “brain reboot.” The workout: Alternating Planks. Start in low plank with forearms out, then pop into high plank with wrists underneath shoulders. Alternate between low and high planks; if that’s too easy, try balancing both hands and toes on medicine balls in high plank.
The challenge: Berlin Wall. A series of three 12-foot walls, Mudders must scale each obstacle while slippery and weak from previous events. But a push-up will make things easier — both in your training and from your teammates. The workout: Clapping Push-Ups. If that’s too intimidating, start by pushing off from the ground when rising to get a few inches of air. If clapping seems like child’s play, try tapping your chest or clapping behind your back.
The challenge: Everest. Mudders sprint up a quarter pipe covered in mud and grease, pulling their teammates to the top by way of a human chain. Strong legs will propel and help avoid a speedy slide back to the starting point. The workout: Slippery Mountain Climbers. On a flat surface, place your feet on two washcloths or towels. In a high plank, alternate pulling one leg in at a time to your chest. For an Everest-worthy upgrade, bring both legs toward your chest at the same time. STRONG.COM / 63
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Check out our tablet edition for exclusive GINA CARANO cagefighting workouts!
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(UN)CAGED GINA CARANO hits the ring with STRONG’S KRISTEN LOTT and gets real about cagefighting in a man’s world abd what’s next for her rocketing career. Photography by CARLOS SERRAO.
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G na
“An action movie without Gina? That’s like Jamba Juice without the Jamba,” raved Neal H. Moritz, producer of Fast & Furious 6. After meeting with the fighter-turned-actress, it’s easy to see what he means. At five-foot-eight, Texas native Gina Carano is a fireball of pure muscle and power. After stepping into the ring with Gina for a lesson in basic hand-to-hand combat, I found out why she believes cagefighting is like and and how even the Man of Steel can’t match her strength.
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How did you get into MMA? Well, I was drinking 40s of Olde English with my boyfriend. He wanted a change in his life. So he woke up the next day, started training, and then I went in and watched him like the good girlfriend I am. I walked into the gym and this little Thai guy was like “Ooh, baby, you fat, you need to lose weight.” So then I started with him, the same guy that called me fat [laughs]. And five months later I found myself in a gym in San Francisco fighting this chick. I just wish everyone in the world would give it a try to see what their bodies are capable of. It’s so rewarding and inspiring to do something you never thought you could do. What’s your favorite thing about cagefighting? Cagefighting is actually a lot like sex [laughs]. If you think about it, it’s a very real interaction between two human beings, and there’s an energy. You have a real energy, and I have an energy. And it’s an energy that nobody else is going to share. Fighting is so much more than just one person kicking the other’s butt. It’s the lifestyle and the training and the people.
Why would you let someone hold you back? You recently kicked ass in Fast & Furious 6. What’s next on the horizon for you? Every day there’s so much more to learn. I’ve been doing MMA for seven years now, and then I feel like I’m nowhere near my potential with acting, you know? I’m working on a new movie out this November which is basically the female version of The Expendables. What types of training are you doing now? When I don’t have something big coming up, I do CrossFit. I like to mix it up, and I run with my dog in the park. And I do TRX too; that’s really cool. I like that a lot — you know, just keeping it fresh and fun. If I get bored with something, I’m not going to go back to it. I think whatever training that gets you going is what you should be doing. People don’t have to lift the big weights. They don’t have to run 10 miles. They just need to move.
Do you feel it’s hard to break into a male-dominated sport? Why adhere to the norm, you know what I mean? Be you. If you’re passionate about something, and you enjoy something, then why would you let someone hold you back? This is what I love to do. I mean I don’t think about it saying, “Oh, society probably doesn’t think this is acceptable.” I don’t care. This is what I enjoy, and this is what makes me happy. Life is too short to not do what makes you happy. So, what it’s like dating Superman? The guys I date always want to test my strength and wrestle around. By the end they’re drenched in sweat. Henry [Cavill’s] a good match, but I’m better at sneaking up on him. We share the same drive, and that’s really one of the most important things. Lots of cagefighting going on then? [Laughs] You could say that.
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