This workout was designed with Summer in mind — specifically swimsuit time and the body-baring bikini! All the exercises target the trouble zones while keeping your heart rate up to burn fat. Press play and we will warm you up, work you out, and quickly cool you down. Then you can hit the beach feeling strong and confident.
Showing posts with label Bikini body. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bikini body. Show all posts
Sunday, 13 September 2015
Monday, 17 August 2015
7 Reasons Why You Should Be Using Coconut Oil
It is a common misconception that coconut oil is bad for you. People all over the world are experiencing the healthy benefits of using coconut oil. It is actually one of the healthiest oils you can consume. Here are the top seven reasons why you should use coconut oil as an alternative to other common cooking oils.
1. Coconut oil doesn't turn to fat in your body.
Unlike many other common oils, like soy (vegetable) and corn, coconut oil won't make you fat. Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), which are an easy fuel for the body to burn, without turning to fat. Most other cooking oils and fats contain long-chain triglycerides (LCT). LCT's are usually stored as fat. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is more easily absorbed and converted to energy quicker.
People in the tropics have relied on coconuts as a traditional staple in their diet for centuries. They consume large amounts of coconut oil every day. Instead of getting fatter, it helps them stay healthy, lean and trim. When they switch from coconut oil to our modern oils, they develop obesity and the health problems that our modern society faces.
Some other people who have known this truth for a long time are people who are in the animal feed business. When livestock are fed vegetable oils, they put on weight and produce more fatty meat. When they are fed coconut oil, they become very lean.
2. Coconut oil increases your metabolism.
Not only does coconut oil convert to energy quicker in your body, it increases your metabolism, which promotes weight loss. Because it boosts your metabolism, it helps your body burn fat more effectively.
Coconut oil may triple your calorie burn. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is converted to energy so quickly that it creates a lot of heat. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, MCT's burn three times more calories for six hours after a meal than LCT's.
The February 15, 2005 issue of Woman's World magazine stated that coconut oil is the "underground high-metabolism secret."
This is great news for people who have thyroid problems, since coconut oil improves sluggish thyroids by stimulating the production of extra thyroid hormones. Most other common oils, like vegetable (soy) and corn have been shown to inhibit thyroid function.
3. Coconut oil has omega 3 fatty acids.
Most cooking oils contain omega 6 fatty acids, something we get way too much of in the United States. Our omega 6 to omega 3 ratio should be 1:1 but it is more like 50:1. We need to drastically cut back our omega 6 oils and consume much more omega 3 oils to be healthy. And coconut oil is filled with these healthy omega 3 fatty acids.
4. Coconut oil gives you energy.
Because of the healthy omega 3 fatty acids and the fact that it increases the metabolism, most people that switch to coconut oil feel a burst of added energy in their daily life.
This is because coconut oil is nature’s richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT's), which increase metabolic rates and lead to weight loss. MCT's promote thermogenesis, which increases the body's metabolism, producing energy.
This is because coconut oil is nature’s richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT's), which increase metabolic rates and lead to weight loss. MCT's promote thermogenesis, which increases the body's metabolism, producing energy. Many people with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia have found that adding coconut and coconut oil to their diet was helpful to them.
5. One of the best things you can use on your skin and hair is coconut oil.
Coconut oil one of the best things you can apply directly on your skin and hair. It gives temporary relief to skin problems like rashes. It aids in healing and restoring skin to a younger appearance. It has also been known to help with people who suffer from yeast infections in the skin, as well as many other skin problems.
Not only does is soften and smooth your skin, coconut oil has antioxidant properties that protect the skin from free radical damage. Coconut oil makes excellent massage oil too.
6. Coconut oil has healthy benefits that most other oils do not.
Evidence is mounting that coconut oil has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral effects when both consumed and used topically on the skin.
Most oils oxidize and turn rancid very quickly causing free radical damage in our bodies. Coconut oil is not easily oxidized and does not cause harmful free radical damage like polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Free radical damage is thought to be responsible for many ailments in our body from arthritis to increased susceptibility to cancers.
Coconut oil also helps our bodies absorb other nutrients more effectively, such as Vitamin E.
7. Coconut oil is one of the best oils you can use for cooking.
It has a higher smoke point than olive oil, which means it can take higher temperatures better. There are several healthy omega 3 oils we can choose to consume, such as flax and olive oil, but they don't do well under the high heat we use for cooking. Coconut oil can be used in higher cooking temperatures.
It is harder for coconut oil to go rancid, unlike other cooking oils, which are usually rancid long before you even bring them home. Rancid oils cause free radical damage in the body, which is a leading cause of cancer. Coconut oil is stable for over a year at room temperature.
Because of the misinformation we have been given for years, we have lost out on the healthy benefits that coconut oil has given the people of the tropics for centuries. But now it has been rediscovered! Coconut oil is so effective, it won't be long before we see coconut oil supplements promoted, but you can get the jump on the popular crowd and start consuming and cooking with coconut oil today!
Source B@Dream Health 4 Fitness
Unlike many other common oils, like soy (vegetable) and corn, coconut oil won't make you fat. Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), which are an easy fuel for the body to burn, without turning to fat. Most other cooking oils and fats contain long-chain triglycerides (LCT). LCT's are usually stored as fat. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is more easily absorbed and converted to energy quicker.
People in the tropics have relied on coconuts as a traditional staple in their diet for centuries. They consume large amounts of coconut oil every day. Instead of getting fatter, it helps them stay healthy, lean and trim. When they switch from coconut oil to our modern oils, they develop obesity and the health problems that our modern society faces.
Some other people who have known this truth for a long time are people who are in the animal feed business. When livestock are fed vegetable oils, they put on weight and produce more fatty meat. When they are fed coconut oil, they become very lean.
2. Coconut oil increases your metabolism.
Not only does coconut oil convert to energy quicker in your body, it increases your metabolism, which promotes weight loss. Because it boosts your metabolism, it helps your body burn fat more effectively.
Coconut oil may triple your calorie burn. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is converted to energy so quickly that it creates a lot of heat. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, MCT's burn three times more calories for six hours after a meal than LCT's.
The February 15, 2005 issue of Woman's World magazine stated that coconut oil is the "underground high-metabolism secret."
This is great news for people who have thyroid problems, since coconut oil improves sluggish thyroids by stimulating the production of extra thyroid hormones. Most other common oils, like vegetable (soy) and corn have been shown to inhibit thyroid function.
3. Coconut oil has omega 3 fatty acids.
Most cooking oils contain omega 6 fatty acids, something we get way too much of in the United States. Our omega 6 to omega 3 ratio should be 1:1 but it is more like 50:1. We need to drastically cut back our omega 6 oils and consume much more omega 3 oils to be healthy. And coconut oil is filled with these healthy omega 3 fatty acids.
4. Coconut oil gives you energy.
Because of the healthy omega 3 fatty acids and the fact that it increases the metabolism, most people that switch to coconut oil feel a burst of added energy in their daily life.
This is because coconut oil is nature’s richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT's), which increase metabolic rates and lead to weight loss. MCT's promote thermogenesis, which increases the body's metabolism, producing energy.
This is because coconut oil is nature’s richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT's), which increase metabolic rates and lead to weight loss. MCT's promote thermogenesis, which increases the body's metabolism, producing energy. Many people with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia have found that adding coconut and coconut oil to their diet was helpful to them.
5. One of the best things you can use on your skin and hair is coconut oil.
Coconut oil one of the best things you can apply directly on your skin and hair. It gives temporary relief to skin problems like rashes. It aids in healing and restoring skin to a younger appearance. It has also been known to help with people who suffer from yeast infections in the skin, as well as many other skin problems.
Not only does is soften and smooth your skin, coconut oil has antioxidant properties that protect the skin from free radical damage. Coconut oil makes excellent massage oil too.
Evidence is mounting that coconut oil has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral effects when both consumed and used topically on the skin.
Most oils oxidize and turn rancid very quickly causing free radical damage in our bodies. Coconut oil is not easily oxidized and does not cause harmful free radical damage like polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Free radical damage is thought to be responsible for many ailments in our body from arthritis to increased susceptibility to cancers.
Coconut oil also helps our bodies absorb other nutrients more effectively, such as Vitamin E.
7. Coconut oil is one of the best oils you can use for cooking.
It has a higher smoke point than olive oil, which means it can take higher temperatures better. There are several healthy omega 3 oils we can choose to consume, such as flax and olive oil, but they don't do well under the high heat we use for cooking. Coconut oil can be used in higher cooking temperatures.
It is harder for coconut oil to go rancid, unlike other cooking oils, which are usually rancid long before you even bring them home. Rancid oils cause free radical damage in the body, which is a leading cause of cancer. Coconut oil is stable for over a year at room temperature.
Because of the misinformation we have been given for years, we have lost out on the healthy benefits that coconut oil has given the people of the tropics for centuries. But now it has been rediscovered! Coconut oil is so effective, it won't be long before we see coconut oil supplements promoted, but you can get the jump on the popular crowd and start consuming and cooking with coconut oil today!
Source B@Dream Health 4 Fitness
Saturday, 9 May 2015
The Different Benefits that Core Workouts for Women Can Give
Ladies these days are looking for the best
core workouts for women because experts says that it can give
anyone a truly strong toned midsection.
A lot of ladies are now searching for the best
core workouts for women because it has been proven that it can give
anyone a truly strong toned midsection. However, not all of the
available workouts that are designed especially for women can guarantee
the same results. Therefore, if you desire to have a healthy sexy body
out of performing the several available exercises for ladies, it is
important for you to choose those core workouts for women that target a
strong, tight core.
Before deciding which workout program to
include in your daily routine, you must be aware of the fact that the
core actually includes four different parts which are, serratus (between
last and front abs), intercostals (side of rib cage), oblique (side of
waist) and rectus abdominus (from pelvis to sternum). These muscle
groups form the woman’s abdominals, and are actually made of twitch
muscle fibers that are denser than the other remaining types of muscles.
That is why it is essential for someonewho is searching for the right
core workouts for women to look for a program that could help her grow
the twitch fibers fast to be able to easily stimulate the abs. And for a
woman to achieve the best growth, the core training that she should
perform must belong to a moderate range of exercises because only these
kinds of workouts can offer this kind of a result.
The
benefit of targeting this specific muscle groups will not only give a
woman the best outcome that she desires, but also it can help her
improve her sports performance.If you are a type of woman who is
athletic and loves to try different kinds of sports, these specific
proper workouts will help you improve your strength as a strong core
also provides a firm platform for any sports.
Being a great
runner with strong feet is good, but it is also very important to have a
strong lower back and hip muscles for an athlete to be physically fit
and healthy. And doing some core workouts for women can enhance these
body parts to give the right support for peak performance. Furthermore,
it is very important for a woman, especially those who are into sports,
to know that without having a strong core her shoulders, hips and knees
are prone to different injuries.
There are many ways for a
woman to strengthen her core, and all of these things relate to
different exercises that she must perform on daily basis for her to be
able to get the best possible outcomes. A fitness ball is nice exercise
equipment that can provide a good alternative to help a woman strengthen
her core. By following the different core workouts for women with the
help of such equipment
, a woman will notice that her body gets stronger
every day.
, a woman will notice that her body gets stronger
every day. Sunday, 26 April 2015
The Difference in Female Bodybuilding, Figure Competitions, Bikini Contests, and Women's Physique
If you are new to the sport of figure competitions and women's
physique contests you may have seen those glamorous figure models on the
cover of magazines and on websites.
If you ever had the desire or
goal to look like one of these figure models and sport the look of
fabulous and sexy muscle, then here are a few quick and easy tips and
guidelines to help you decide on your new fitness journey.
Female
Bodybuilding - The whole women's fitness movement began with female
bodybuilding contests, the first legit one starting in 1978. From then
on the women became more and more competitive, working harder to gain
more muscle and decrease body fat. Female bodybuilders had perfected
the sport by the late 1990's and competition was so great that only the
best of the best could survive on stage with a chance of going pro.
Figure
Competitions - The popular figure competition is a spawn off of female
bodybuilding. It was introduced in 2001 to allow women to compete who
didn't want to obtain a great amount of muscle. Figure competitions
opened the door so that almost any woman can compete with a chance at
placing. However, as the years passed, the figure competitors, too,
became more competitive, getting more and more muscular and defined.
This division also became somewhat secluded where only the best of the
best could place well and become pro.
Bikini Contests - As the
figure competitions grew in popularity, so did the competitors muscle,
which opened a door to another new division to allows more women to
compete on stage without having to build muscle. This new category is
the bikini contest. The bikini competitors don't need to display any
muscle or definition. They simply have to look good in a bikini and
pose according to the guidelines.
Women's Physique Contest - The
women's physique contest was introduced in 2010, another new division
for women. Basically, the women's physique contest is a lighter version
of female bodybuilding. While the women are allowed to have muscle,
NPC guidelines state that they can't have striated in muscle detail.
Also, there is no lat spread, front and back biceps poses are executed
with open hands, and feet must be placed to the side on the front and
back poses rather than flat-footed. Also, the side chest pose is
executed with arms extended.
To decide with fitness category you
would like to compete in it is a good idea to read more on each and
attend a competition so you can see the classes and how the women look
on stage.
Source Karen Sessions Ezine
Sunday, 15 February 2015
Tips for the First Time Competitor and the Very First Competition…
The key to remember is you need to avoid any additional stress added to your psyche. Stress produces cortisol and prolonged high levels of cortisol produce a number of negative side effects one of which happens to be the production of abdominal fat, so that alone should encourage you to eliminate as much stress from your life as possible. Obviously that is not going to happen from one day of stress, but it is good information to help give you one more reason to eliminate unnecessary stress from your life. :-)
Plan well so when your competition day arrives it will truly be an enjoyable experience despite the fact that it will be some what overwhelming.
Remember that every step of the way will be foreign to you. Just know the day will be some what overwhelming, but look at each new thing as something cool and fun, not something worthy of stressing or freaking out over…have fun!
Entry forms
Most will allow you to enter the day of the event. I recommend you send you entry form in advance and not wait until the last minute.
Sending the form in early:
Gives you one more reason to NOT talk yourself out of participating in the event.
Helps reduce any unnecessary stress the day of the event, which is hugely important.
May provide you with a treat you would not get if you entered the day of the event.
For example, at the Bev Francis, because I registered early, I received a metal for participation. That was kind of cool.
Travel
Travel 2 days prior to your event. The further out you travel, the less stressful the travel will be and it will allow you time should something happen during your trip.
Drive if you can.
If you will be flying….see Meals section
Meals
- Stick to your meal plan, but be prepared to add additional “trigger foods” shoud you warrante the need.
a. For me, the extra food was complex carbs to help fill out my physique and reduce the vascularity. The complex carbs I ate extra were additional sweet potatoes in between my regularly scheduled meals. - Some people retain water so they will eat extra asparagus which is a great natural diuretic. (No comment about the other thing asparagus is known for doing.)
- Speaking of “trigger” foods, it is important for you to be very aware of your body and how it responds to different foods. This will come over time by default, but now that you know, go ahead and keep a journal. For example, I know that eating anything sweet will make me very vascular. Countering that by eating complex carbs will help eliminate the pronounced veins.
- In addition to traveling with all your food for the weekend, bring a smaller cooler for the day of the event so you do not have
to lug around a giant cooler. In your small cooler, you should include:
a. All the meals you will need for when you are away from where you are staying, plus one more just to be safe. There will be delays so do not find yourself short a meal.
b. Your extra “trigger” foods.
c. For after Finals:
not waiting one more second.
2. A treat! You deserve if for all the hard work and focus you accomplished just to get to the competition. My team mates
brought a variety of treats and were very sweet to share. India made her own trail mix which I thought was a great idea. Carrie made insanely delicious Oreo truffle balls. Good night! They were just stupid good! My mouth is watering again just thinking
about them. I am using this opportunity to bake, which I LOVE to do. I am reseaching more about clean eating options to bake.
3. Water! This is not a typo….seriously, bring at least a liter. You will thank me later.
5. After the event, plan to treat yourself to a reward meal, but keep in mind your future competition plans if applicable. I personally did not want to go hog wild because I was only 5 weeks out from my next competition so I stuck with my typical reward meal and added a little ice cream afterwards. I love my ice cream and had not had a bite of it since March. I have every intention
of eating ice cream as a treat after each competition.
Tanning
Consider being sprayed if you can afford the expense. I did opt to use the services of Jan Tana and was very pleased with the results.
Do not under estimate the need to be dark. As crazy as you look off stage, the darker you are the better you will look on stage.
The lights are extremely harsh and will wash you out completely if your skin is not dark. All the hard work you accomplished in the gym will become invisible if you go on the stage without tanning.
Steps for Tanning:
a. Prep your skin. Do not underestimate the value of this step or you could end up green….yep…green! It is one thing to smell like asparagus, but I am pretty sure you do not want to look like asparagus.
b. Jan Tana recommends you use their exfoliator scrub and lotion in order to ensure the pH of your skin will be able to accept the spray tan positively. Prep a week in advance with exfoliation and slathering lotion on your body.
c. The day you are scheduled to tan, exfoliate, but do not use any lotion or deodorant so that you can avoid turning green.
d. Shave the hair off of your body, even if it is fine, blond hair. It all has to go otherwise, when the spray the tan it will get caught up in the hair on your body and not on your skin.
e. Start this process a week ahead of time to ensure you do not have razor burn.
f. Be prepared to be surprised to find that you just might have a lot more body hair than you realized since it is so fine and blond.
g. Don’t worry; when it grows back it will still be fine and blond.
4. Schedule your tanning session the day before your event.
5. Before you leave for you appointment, prep your hotel room.
a. Replace the bed sheets with dark sheets you bring with you.
b. Replace the towels with dark towels you bring with you.
1. Consider buying in expense , thin, dark towels
2. The thinner the towel the better they pack.
3. Wash the towels before you pack them to ensure you do not have a bunch of cotton rubbing off on you.
c. Remove the bath mat from the bathroom.
6. Arrive wearing very loose fitting, dark clothes. We have a team warm up with is a black and not fitted. After tanning you will not put anything fitted on until Sat when you put on your suit. Do not put your under wear or bra back on after they spray you.
7. Bring a shower cap with you to cover your hair.
8. Be prepared to tan completely naked in a room with other girls who are also being tanned. We had 2 girls tanning, while one stood in front of a fan drying. Modesty goes out the window.
a. We had girls tanning us, but India told me not to be surprised if a guy tans you. Get over it.
b. It’s his job and there is nothing appealing to him about you standing there wearing nothing but a shower cap. It’s their job and nothing more.
9. The day of the event you will tan again, but will wear your suit. Jan Tana was at the event to tan those of us who they sprayed on Friday. They provided touch ups before Finals too.
a. In addition to the 2nd coat of tan, they will also glaze you.
b. Be sure you are not too oily after they spray and wipe you down.
10. Know that while you can shower after the event and some of the tan will come off, you will be scrubbing for days afterwards.
What to bring to the event:
- See Meals…
- A small rolling suitcase with a combination lock
b. Fortunately I was with my team, but do not assume someone will be nice enough to watch your things when you need to walk away from them either to go to the bathroom or go on the stage. Unfortunately some girls who compete are not very nice.
I was told that others have witnessed shoes or makeup mysteriously going MIA. Just be aware of the potential. My personal experience was a good one though.
3. Shoes
a. Flip flops to wear with you warm up. You can wear those to the event.
b. Posing shoes and a second pair just to be safe. If something happens to your primary pair, e.g., broken heal, MIA, you will be covered if you have a backup pair.
4. Your suit. You should wear your warm up there and change into your suit. You will leave your suit on for the remainder
of the day after this point.
5. Glue. I used a product called Bikini Bite. I purchased it from Bodybuilding.com. Amazon carries it too. This is important to keep you suit covering you correctly. Also know it might hurt when you finally try to take your suit off at the end of the night. I also think I finally got the last of the glue off my fanny about a week later!
6. Make-up and Hair items for touch ups.
7. A mirror
8. Something to wear after finals. We have a fun team dress that is a black tank dress that says Bombshell in stones down one side. Be sure to stick with dark colors for the next few days. Your “tan” will transfer to your clothes.
Source
Wednesday, 11 February 2015
Bikini Body Bootcamp - Look Like a Swimsuit Model
Most ladies feel that it should be quite simple to lose around 10
or maybe twenty lbs over a thirty day period to get ready for the
summer months. However, in reality the fact is that it will take a great
deal more effort than they bargained for. If you're serious about
appearing your best at the pool this season, a far more intense bikini
body bootcamp will help you to accomplish all these results. But take
into account that this is going to be rather difficult.
Hello, New Recruits!
If you are still right here, I understand you are probably ready to get into the thick of it and put in the work. This is exactly what we're considering: Lowering your calorie intake as well as training 5-6 days weekly (including both aerobic as well as muscle building).
Let us analyze this in more detail:
Bikini Season Boot Camp Diet Plan
We are reducing to nearly 1500 calories to eat each day. This might look extreme; nevertheless it is the cold fact if you want the results to come fast. A lot of ladies make the mistake of slipping up with small snacks and quick nibbles. Every small small little snack can pack away as much as 400 or perhaps 500 calories (have you ever checked those muffins you get at coffee shops!), and that is really a lot considering the full number of caloric intake you ought to be eating daily for this program.
Instead, look into enjoying low-caloric filling food such as apples or even other fruit when you begin to really feel the urge to snack.
Needless to say it can be unrealistic to be able to keep on with such an eating routine continually for an entire month. Give yourself a day off each week to eat whatsoever you want. Don't go insane though, consume an reasonable quantity of food.
Bikini Body Boot Camp Work out Strategy
This approach is going to be equally as rigid as the diet plan portion of the bikini boot camp. Make time to do an aerobic workout routine six times a week and also body building four times each week. This will likely seem like a great deal of effort, but if you are going to cut time, prepare yourself to make up for it with plenty of additional work.
Don't forget, if you have not been doing regular exercise, ease into it so that you wont' harm yourself or perhaps pull any muscles.
On your aerobic training, straightforward things such as a fitness treadmill machine, stepping machine, or maybe bike are great. You can vary every once in a while to keep yourself from getting too bored. Try to complete about half an hour of aerobic exercise every day.
Be sure to switch the muscle groups in your routine while doing the weight training. If you focus on your arms one day, do a few leg-ups the next day. That should allow muscle tissue time to heal and also strengthen up while you're doing another muscle group.
For the best results make certain the weights you lift are going to be challenging for you.
The
more you wear out the muscle groups, the more calorie consumption and
excess fat they are going to burn up as they repair themselves. It's
this that they call High Intensity Interval Training (also known as
HIIT), which is incredibly effective.
Dedicate about half an hour doing body building on the days you do this as well.
So you can see, this bikini season bootcamp is probably not going to be easy for you, and in all probability isn't going to be enjoyable either. On the other hand, if you want real results and you want them fast, this is just what you need to do. But if you stick with the program, you'll find your body will completely transform and you'll get getting a lot of looks from the guys next time to sport that bikini.
Hello, New Recruits!
If you are still right here, I understand you are probably ready to get into the thick of it and put in the work. This is exactly what we're considering: Lowering your calorie intake as well as training 5-6 days weekly (including both aerobic as well as muscle building).
Let us analyze this in more detail:
Bikini Season Boot Camp Diet Plan
We are reducing to nearly 1500 calories to eat each day. This might look extreme; nevertheless it is the cold fact if you want the results to come fast. A lot of ladies make the mistake of slipping up with small snacks and quick nibbles. Every small small little snack can pack away as much as 400 or perhaps 500 calories (have you ever checked those muffins you get at coffee shops!), and that is really a lot considering the full number of caloric intake you ought to be eating daily for this program.
Instead, look into enjoying low-caloric filling food such as apples or even other fruit when you begin to really feel the urge to snack.
Needless to say it can be unrealistic to be able to keep on with such an eating routine continually for an entire month. Give yourself a day off each week to eat whatsoever you want. Don't go insane though, consume an reasonable quantity of food.
Bikini Body Boot Camp Work out Strategy
This approach is going to be equally as rigid as the diet plan portion of the bikini boot camp. Make time to do an aerobic workout routine six times a week and also body building four times each week. This will likely seem like a great deal of effort, but if you are going to cut time, prepare yourself to make up for it with plenty of additional work.
Don't forget, if you have not been doing regular exercise, ease into it so that you wont' harm yourself or perhaps pull any muscles.
On your aerobic training, straightforward things such as a fitness treadmill machine, stepping machine, or maybe bike are great. You can vary every once in a while to keep yourself from getting too bored. Try to complete about half an hour of aerobic exercise every day.
Be sure to switch the muscle groups in your routine while doing the weight training. If you focus on your arms one day, do a few leg-ups the next day. That should allow muscle tissue time to heal and also strengthen up while you're doing another muscle group.
For the best results make certain the weights you lift are going to be challenging for you.
The
more you wear out the muscle groups, the more calorie consumption and
excess fat they are going to burn up as they repair themselves. It's
this that they call High Intensity Interval Training (also known as
HIIT), which is incredibly effective.Dedicate about half an hour doing body building on the days you do this as well.
So you can see, this bikini season bootcamp is probably not going to be easy for you, and in all probability isn't going to be enjoyable either. On the other hand, if you want real results and you want them fast, this is just what you need to do. But if you stick with the program, you'll find your body will completely transform and you'll get getting a lot of looks from the guys next time to sport that bikini.
If you're ready to turn heads this summer, be sure to check out: How to Get Skinny in 2 Weeks and my Diet Solution Program Review on my website.
Natalie Leavenworth used to struggle with fad diets and exercise programs until discovering the secrets of effective weight loss. Now at her target weight, she enjoys helping others achieve their weight loss goals.
Natalie Leavenworth used to struggle with fad diets and exercise programs until discovering the secrets of effective weight loss. Now at her target weight, she enjoys helping others achieve their weight loss goals.
Sunday, 14 December 2014
Tone & Tighten in Ten Days: Arms
No need to hide those guns during sweater season.. This equalizer arm workout will sculpt your shoulders, biceps & triceps!
Got 10 days to make a difference?
This Tighten & Tone in Ten Days workout will challenge you to tone up your arms and keep them firm during the upcoming winter season to stay bikini body ready all year long!
I decided to give this plan a try for myself.
Directions: Complete each exercise for ten days twice daily.
Got 10 days to make a difference?
This Tighten & Tone in Ten Days workout will challenge you to tone up your arms and keep them firm during the upcoming winter season to stay bikini body ready all year long!
I decided to give this plan a try for myself.
Directions: Complete each exercise for ten days twice daily.
10 Triangle Push-ups
- Begin the move by positioning the hands on the mat directly under the chest with the fingers spread and the thumbs and forefingers touching, making a triangle shape.
- Straighten the legs into a plank position (harder) or keep the knees on the floor for an easier version.
- Make sure the back is flat and the abs are engaged as you bend the elbows, lowering until your chin or chest touches the mat. If you can’t go that low, go as low as you can and work to build enough strength to lower all the way down over time.
- At the bottom of the movement, your elbows will naturally flare out to the side.
- Press back to start, keeping the torso rigid.
15 Walking Planks
- Start in plank position.
- Move your right hand into standard push up position, then move your left hand into standard push up position.
- Return to the starting position by lowering onto your right forearm and then your left forearm.
- Alternate sides, rising onto your left hand next, then your right.
25 Chair Dips
- Sit on the edge of a chair with your feet positioned together.
- Place your hands in the edge of the edge with your knuckles facing out.
- When you do the dips, don’t flex your arms to more than 90 degrees.
- Keep your abs and butt tensed during the exercise.
- Slowly lower yourself and then push back up again.
- Breathe in as you go down and out when you push away.
60 second Basic Plank
- Start off on a yoga mat in the pushup position. Starting with the pushup position is the easiest way to get into the plank.
- Lower both your forearms to the ground so that both your elbows and fists are flat to the ground. Your palms should be balled up, and directly underneath your shoulders.
- Curl your toes under and engage your abs by tilting your pelvis and pulling your belly button toward your spine.
- Straighten your body but keep your neck and spine neutral. Imagine that you’re a plank of wood, and that you’re straight as an arrow.
- Flex your abdominals and squeeze your glutes. These are the two major muscle groups you’ll be working out in this exercise.
- Hold this position, also known as the plank, until after the burning begins. Keep your eyes on the floor in front of you. Avoid raising your behind. Your body should make a straight line from your heels to the back of your head.
35 Arm Circles
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and lift both arms straight out to your sides at shoulder height.
- Move your arms in a circular pattern, 4-6 inches in diameter with your palms facing down, drawing a small circle with your fingertips. Continue for one minute.
- Let your arms relax for a few seconds, then raise them again, this time drawing the shape in the opposite direction for one minute.
- For an added challenge repeat the motion for one minute in each direction, this time with your palms facing upwards.
Friday, 28 November 2014
Bikini and Figure: What the Judges Want
Whether
you’ve competed before, or you are just thinking about competing, the
one question everyone wants to know is “what do the judges want?”
Recently, I went to a seminar led by judges from our region in hopes
of finding the answer. Here is what I learned – and what I didn’t.
10 Things A Competitor Should Know
1. Make your first few steps count. First
impressions are EVERYTHING. One of the first things the judges said is
they can tell if you are winner as soon as you step on stage. So, as
soon as you are in view, the judging begins. Your first step should be
just as strong and confident as your final one. Your smile should
already be on, your posture should already be rocking, and your attitude
should already be in play. Many competitors practice all their moves
for center stage, but neglect practicing their walk and transitions
(moving around in comparisons, etc) – and it shows. Don’t wait to nail
your favorite pose, win them over in your first few steps.
2. Pose to look good from 5 feet below. Judges
reminded competitors and coaches they are normally 4-5 feet below the
stage. What may look symmetrical in front of a mirror, may not look the
same from the bottom of the stage. This means, when you face away from
the judges and bend over to stretch out your butt crease, you may giving
the judges more than they want to see. The judges suggest trainers sit
on the floor while coaching their athletes, or competitors practice on a
platform to get the most accurate view of each pose.
3. Stand naturally. Judges
prefer competitors look natural. They don’t want a bodybuilder lat
spread, and stiff hands that look like you are pointing a fake gun at
everyone. They want competitors to stand tall and proud, maintaining a
tight core while having relaxed arms and soft hands. I admit, it does
look a lot better – unless you have a flaw that needs hiding. In that
case, I suggest you do what you think makes your body look its best.
Some of the most common mistakes were winged arms, flared lats, poor
posture, forward shoulders, downward chin (showing insecurity), severe
bent-over glute pose, torqued waistlines and awkward stances.
I picked out a few pictures online, from both bikini and figure
competitions, to help clarify what they are not wanting – as well as
show you what they want, which is demonstrated beautifully above by this
woman in the blue suit. Refer to the very first photo in this blog to
see how to make corrections.
4. Don’t resort to poses made popular by people who were trying to hide flaws.
Some competitors will twist more at the waist to hide width, or bend
more at the hips when showing their rear pose to get rid of lose skin.
However, if you don’t need to do these poses, then don’t do them. The
judges prefer you stand normal with arms down to the side and only
lifted slightly. In many ways, posing is smoke and mirrors trickery.
But, it is always best to stand and walk as naturally as possible, while
posing in a way that flatters you most. This is just my opinion, but
based on what the judges said, I’d venture to say the girl with the legs
crossed is fit enough to stand normal, as well as the girl with her
legs awkwardly spread out wide. Of course, if you need to cross your
legs, go for it – but if you’ve got the total package, stand comfortably
in it and leave the awkward poses for the people who need it.
Since presentation is everything, a person who well-hides their flaws
still have a great chance to beat out a hot body who lacks confidence
and is missing other elements, so don’t be discouraged if you have to
use the alternative poses. I think their whole point is not to do them
if they aren’t necessary.
5. Be original.
Just because someone else does something, doesn’t mean you have to.
Choose your walk, suit, hair, style, poses and sign-offs that fit your
own personality – not someone else’s. The judges love it when a person’s
unique personality comes through. Some girls are girlie, some are
sassy, some are classy, some are a bit sexy (but be careful on this
one), and some are bouncy and fun. The key to your success is choosing
what looks best on you, going with your own personal style, and going
with it 110%. Remember, they see competitors alllll the time – so give
them something fresh and new to look at!
6. Avoid the awkward side glide.
No one really enjoys walking away from someone while in a bathing suit,
knowing your butt is bouncing all over the place – but what looks even
more ridiculous is someone obviously trying to walk away from you while
forcing their body to face forward. The same goes with people walking
out on stage. Side-gliding across the stage looks funny. It’s natural to
point your body in the direction it is going. I only wish I could have
found a photo to demonstrate this ridiculous looking walk, but I came up
empty handed – so you just get this crazy quarter turn side pose (which
I’m sure the judges would hammer by the way).
They key to looking natural is practice, practice, practice! When you
are walking on stage, you can still face your head toward the audience,
while looking natural walking across the stage. If you want to avoid
bouncing your bottom across the stages in front of the judges, you can
still limit the time your body may have it’s back to the crowd while
walking, but you need to do it in a way where know one notices. So
practice how you would get on and off stage, how you would change places
in comparisons, and how you will return to the back if asked to step to
the side.
7. Bring your attitude – and if you don’t have one, act like you do. Have
you ever wondered why the guy or girl that looks like they have enough
attitude to go around (even if they appear a little TOO confident)
always wins? Well, after this seminar, it was clear the judges want
confident competitors. So, while the cockiness may be a complete turn
off to me, the judges will take a confident cocky competitor over a
pretty, but bashful, one. And, if you lack confidence, they suggest you
fake it. This is when acting skills become very valuable. 99% of the
crowd has no idea who you are, or what your real personality is, so
bring your alter ego to the show and leave Little Miss Shy at home.
8. Your posing suit won’t win the show for you.
If you thought you needed to spend $500 on a suit to win, think again.
The judges said there is no reason to spend a bunch of money on blinging
out your million dollar suit – especially if you aren’t blinging out
your body. I’d suggest spending the money on the things that matter most
– like good training and a professional tan (the judges highly
recommend getting sprayed at the show). As for the suit, its primary
purpose is to have the right shape that flatters your physique. All the
extra bling is just that – extra. This doesn’t mean you go pick up a
bathing suit at Kmart, but it does mean that you shouldn’t let a pricey
suit get in the way of competing. While overall presentation is super
important, no one will notice that you have 100 less rhinestones than
the next person – especially if you have the most rocking body! 2012
Bikini Olympia Champion, Nathalia Melo, (pictured here) proves a simple suit can still look like a million dollars.
9. You’re a bikini athlete, not a victoria secret model. One
of the judges actually made a comment in the seminar that they wish
they could just pop the heads off and judge their bodies. While I do
understand the point they are trying to make (and realize the focus is
on the body) the way you style your hair, wear your make-up, and express
yourself through facial expressions is also a big part of your
appearance and attitude. Although we can’t pop off your heads (sorry,
you are stuck with it), what you choose to do with it still matters in
my opinion.
What I believe the judges meant was this. When choosing your hair
style, you shouldn’t be constantly trying to flip and rearrange your
hair, or allow it to cover your body. They same way you don’t want your
hair to be a distraction, your makeup should not be distracting either.
Your make-up should enhance your natural beauty – not take over your
face like a rhinestoned leaper. Most importantly, don’t spend a ton of
money and energy on the extras. The judges aren’t judging how natural
your extensions look or noticing the stones on your false eyelashes.
10. Be YOUR best.
The judges explained that they never know ahead of time what will win a
show. What they meant was, if a bunch of hard girls show up, the winner
will most likely be hard. If a bunch of soft girls show up, the winner
will be most likely soft. This was super frustrating to me. Since I have
seen how much judging can fluctuate from show to show, this is what
we’ve always told our competitors. Choose ahead of time what YOU want to
look like. Personally, I’d rather a competitor lose because they are
too lean, than too soft. At least, even if you don’t win, you didn’t
lose because you were too fat and deconditioned.
Before you compete, you need to decide WHY you are competing. Are you
doing it to force yourself to diet and train hard? Are you doing it as a
science experiment, to see what you can do with your physique? Are you
doing it to win a trophy or get “discovered”? I would venture to say
most competitors are doing it to look their best – and all the rest is
the icing on the fat-free high-protein cake. Of course we would all like
to look THE best, but that is a bit relative – so I suggest you just
focus on looking YOUR best, and if the judges agree…BONUS!
Source
Sunday, 23 November 2014
Preparing for Your First Bikini Competition
Soy will have to wait.
My bestie and I were catching up over peppermint tea and dark chocolate (we were chatting on facebook, but a girl can dream) when she mentioned that she wanted to compete in her first bikini competition and asked me to help her out, I gladly agreed. So, I put my metaphorical internet surfing goggles on, cracked my knuckles, and started typing.
As I started collecting information to give to my friend, my good decisions birdie popped up in my head and suggested I make a blog post about preparing for competition. That way, I get to help not just a friend out, but hopefully other people too!
So, without further ado, here it is! The Bikini Competition Guide – A Compilation of Other Peoples Information
Things you’ll need to buy:
I’m not trying to scare you out of competing, I am trying to get you to be realistic. And you don’t need to have it all together at the start. Competition prep is a learning process, and those qualities that will help you succeed are developed just like your muscles are. So, let’s get started then!
Candice Perfect, with a very appropriate last name, was featured on Fitbodyhype, and her suggestions for new competitors were to practice posing and walking in your heels, pay the extra money to have a professional apply your spray tan, and get a custom bikini that fits your body.
Natalia Muntean has a great competition prep guide on her website that is definitely worth checking out. In this guide, she said this, regarding the look that bikini competitors need to aim for: “Nice and round shoulders, toned arms, flat stomach with 4-pack showing, no hard abs muscles, very firm glutes and sculpted legs. That being said, you still need to maintain a very feminine figure. Therefore – no dry veiny skin, no dehydrated look and no exhaustion on your face.
So, in summary:
Stephanie’s prep timeline looks like this:
Bikini competitors need to be muscular while keeping their femininity. But, when you begin to cut your calories and diet down as competition day draws near, you need to make sure you have enough muscle on you so that you can afford to lose some to diet and cardio.
As you start to get closer to competition day, increase to 12-15 reps, and 15-20 reps. You want to focus on building lean and long muscles once you have a good base from your lower rep workouts. Keep up with your supersets, drop-sets, tri-sets. To really burn fat, you can incorporate active rest into your workouts. For example, instead of resting the traditional way between sets, do 30 seconds of jumping jacks, mountain climbers, or rope skipping between each set instead. This will keep your heart rate up and increase your calorie burn.
At 12 weeks out, you want to start doing cardio at least 4 days per week. Keep doing your HIIT workouts and steady state workouts, and increase the duration to at least 30 minutes per session. When you start to cut (4-6 weeks out), increase your cardio to 50-75 minutes per day. You can do a combination of HIIT and steady state cardio to keep it less boring. Try doing AM/PM workouts as well if you don’t want to spend a lot of time at the gym. Incline walking, sprints on the bike or treadmill, and plyometrics workouts, are all great forms of cardio for fat loss.
So, in summary:
Before 12 weeks out, if you are bulking to build muscle, you need to eat more calories than you need to maintain your weight. Check out an awesome formula for calculating your daily needs here. Once you’ve calculated your daily needs, add 500 calories to that. That is how many calories you will be eating while bulking.
At 12 weeks out, you want to start to diet down. Decrease your calories by 100 or so every couple of days until you eventually get to a level that is 500 calories less than your calculated daily needs. At 4 weeks out, you are going to really start to diet down. I would suggest carb cycling during this time for best results: 1 day high carb, 3 days low carb, repeat. As mentioned earlier by Stephanie from Beautiful to the Core, during 4 weeks, fish and veggies are going to be a staple in your diet, along with egg whites, whey protein, and peanut butter.
Check out this website for some great bikini competition diet tips.
And that’s all she wrote, folks! Seriously, its 12:30 AM, I need to go to bed. Competing for the first time can be scary, but it is well worth it. Stick to your guns, stay motivated any what that you can, and don’t be afraid to lean on others when you are struggling. And most importantly, don’t forget to enjoy yourself and be proud of all that you have accomplished. Good luck!
Source
My bestie and I were catching up over peppermint tea and dark chocolate (we were chatting on facebook, but a girl can dream) when she mentioned that she wanted to compete in her first bikini competition and asked me to help her out, I gladly agreed. So, I put my metaphorical internet surfing goggles on, cracked my knuckles, and started typing.
As I started collecting information to give to my friend, my good decisions birdie popped up in my head and suggested I make a blog post about preparing for competition. That way, I get to help not just a friend out, but hopefully other people too!
So, without further ado, here it is! The Bikini Competition Guide – A Compilation of Other Peoples Information
Are You Ready for the Prep?
First things first, before you decide to begin your journey to the
stage, you need to consider all of the things that go into competing:
cost, time, energy, sacrifice, and much more.Things you’ll need to buy:
- Bikini
- Hair and makeup on competition day
- Spray tan
- Nails
- Shoes
- Registration and competition fees
- Travel/lodging fees
I’m not trying to scare you out of competing, I am trying to get you to be realistic. And you don’t need to have it all together at the start. Competition prep is a learning process, and those qualities that will help you succeed are developed just like your muscles are. So, let’s get started then!
The Basics
Here are a list of the basic tips that will make your prep and time on stage go more smoothly. Dualfit.com
strongly urged paying the extra money to get a coach. They have
experience, will help to keep you accountable, and will help you if the
road gets bumpy.Candice Perfect, with a very appropriate last name, was featured on Fitbodyhype, and her suggestions for new competitors were to practice posing and walking in your heels, pay the extra money to have a professional apply your spray tan, and get a custom bikini that fits your body.
Natalia Muntean has a great competition prep guide on her website that is definitely worth checking out. In this guide, she said this, regarding the look that bikini competitors need to aim for: “Nice and round shoulders, toned arms, flat stomach with 4-pack showing, no hard abs muscles, very firm glutes and sculpted legs. That being said, you still need to maintain a very feminine figure. Therefore – no dry veiny skin, no dehydrated look and no exhaustion on your face.
So, in summary:
- Pay the extra price for a coach.
- Practice your posing and walking – be confident on stage.
- Get a custom bikini and professional spray tan.
- Aim for a muscular, feminine look that is not dehydrated or tired.
The Timeline
Stephanie, from Beautiful to the Core
posted a great bikini competition prep guide, which was very
informative. If you have the time, you should check out her blog and see
all of her great advice!Stephanie’s prep timeline looks like this:
- 12 weeks out (W/O): No more cheat meals, intense training begins, drink 2 gallons of water per day.
- 8 W/O: Begin to practice posing and start tanning 2x per week.
- 4 W/O: Cut diet down, reduce carbs and consume lots of greens and fish, schedule hair and makeup, and a photo shoot if you want to document your sick bod.
- 2 W/O: whiten teeth, cut diet if needed
- 6 days out: Get your nails done, increase sodium for days 6/5/4, decrease carbs, and have your last leg workout.
- 3 days out: Cut to 1.5 gallons water, go back to a normal sodium intake, exfoliate, get a bikini wax, and nair your entire body (arms too!).
- 2 days out: Cut to 1 gallon water, lower sodium, and REST!
- The day before: Cut to 1/2 gallon water, cut all sodium, carb load, deep condition hair, exfoliate, shave before your spray tan, DON’T use deodorant, and get first round of spray tan.
- Competition day: No deodorant, touch up spray tan, glue suit after meeting, pump up 15 minutes before stage, only take sips of water as needed, have a few sips of wine before heading on stage.
The Training
Training comes second in competition prep only to diet. I am sure I
do not have to lecture you on the importance of your workouts, so I will
skip that and get right to the good stuff.Bikini competitors need to be muscular while keeping their femininity. But, when you begin to cut your calories and diet down as competition day draws near, you need to make sure you have enough muscle on you so that you can afford to lose some to diet and cardio.
The Weights:
If you are starting at 12 weeks out and are already in relatively
good shape, build muscle with 8 to 10 reps. Drop sets are great for
developing muscle and definition, along with supersets and triple sets.
If you are starting well before 12 weeks out, at 20-24 weeks for
example, you can afford to drop the reps down a bit more to build more
muscle mass. Try 5-8 reps for your big muscle movements, squat,
deadlift, bench press, and overhead press, and 8-10 reps for your
accessory exercises.As you start to get closer to competition day, increase to 12-15 reps, and 15-20 reps. You want to focus on building lean and long muscles once you have a good base from your lower rep workouts. Keep up with your supersets, drop-sets, tri-sets. To really burn fat, you can incorporate active rest into your workouts. For example, instead of resting the traditional way between sets, do 30 seconds of jumping jacks, mountain climbers, or rope skipping between each set instead. This will keep your heart rate up and increase your calorie burn.
The Cardio:
Cardio is a crucial tool in your fat loss tool box. Before you reach
12 weeks out, do 20-30 minutes of steady state cardio 2-3 times per
week. Experiment with HIIT (high intensity interval training) so that
when the time comes, you will be able to do it multiple days per week
without trouble. For your HIIT, start with a 1/2 work/rest ratio, like
this: 30 seconds sprinting, 1 minute rest. Repeat for 20 minutes. When
this gets easy, lower your work/rest ratio as you like, and increase the
duration of the workout.At 12 weeks out, you want to start doing cardio at least 4 days per week. Keep doing your HIIT workouts and steady state workouts, and increase the duration to at least 30 minutes per session. When you start to cut (4-6 weeks out), increase your cardio to 50-75 minutes per day. You can do a combination of HIIT and steady state cardio to keep it less boring. Try doing AM/PM workouts as well if you don’t want to spend a lot of time at the gym. Incline walking, sprints on the bike or treadmill, and plyometrics workouts, are all great forms of cardio for fat loss.
So, in summary:
- Before 12 weeks out: 5-8 reps for large muscle group exercises (deadlift, squat, bench press, overhead press), 8-10 reps for accessory exercises. Cardio 2-3 days per week, begin to do HIIT for 20 minutes a few days per week to get used to it.
- 12 weeks out: 8-10 reps and 10-12 reps for large muscle group exercises and accessory exercises, respectively. Experiment with drop-sets, supersets, and tri-sets. Increase cardio to 30 minutes, 3-5 times per week. Increase intensity and frequency of HIIT.
- 6 weeks out: 12-15 reps and 15-20 reps for large muscle group exercises and accessory exercises, respectively. Focus on building lean and long muscles, and stay flexible. Increase cardio to 50-60 minutes per day. Increase frequency of HIIT and decrease frequency of steady state cardio.
- 4 weeks out: 15-20 reps. Increase cardio to 60-75 minutes per day, half HIIT and half steady state cardio like incline treadmill walking.
- 6 days out: light upper body work, last leg workout before show.
- The day of: use light dumbbells 5-10 lbs to pump muscles 15-20 minutes before you step on stage.
The Diet
Diet is the most important determinant in your success on stage in
terms of your body. Good training is nothing without good diet. Before
you start to cut, the diet is simple: clean. Make sure you are getting
adequate fat (0.5xbodyweight in pounds), protein (1-1.5xbodyweight in
pounds), and carbs (1-1.2xbodyweight in pounds).Before 12 weeks out, if you are bulking to build muscle, you need to eat more calories than you need to maintain your weight. Check out an awesome formula for calculating your daily needs here. Once you’ve calculated your daily needs, add 500 calories to that. That is how many calories you will be eating while bulking.
At 12 weeks out, you want to start to diet down. Decrease your calories by 100 or so every couple of days until you eventually get to a level that is 500 calories less than your calculated daily needs. At 4 weeks out, you are going to really start to diet down. I would suggest carb cycling during this time for best results: 1 day high carb, 3 days low carb, repeat. As mentioned earlier by Stephanie from Beautiful to the Core, during 4 weeks, fish and veggies are going to be a staple in your diet, along with egg whites, whey protein, and peanut butter.
Check out this website for some great bikini competition diet tips.
And that’s all she wrote, folks! Seriously, its 12:30 AM, I need to go to bed. Competing for the first time can be scary, but it is well worth it. Stick to your guns, stay motivated any what that you can, and don’t be afraid to lean on others when you are struggling. And most importantly, don’t forget to enjoy yourself and be proud of all that you have accomplished. Good luck!
Source
Sunday, 16 November 2014
IFBB Bikini Pro Anna Virmajoki Talks
Quick stats:
Age: 27
Weight: 135lbs.
Height: 5’8”
How did you get started?
I discovered the world of fitness when I was in high school. At first I did aerobics classes, and little by little after I gained more confidence I moved to the weight room. I remember flipping through a fitness magazine and thinking that “One day I want to look like these girls!” At that time my English wasn’t that good so I needed to use a dictionary to translate all the workouts. It took some time but it was well worth it! I started competing back in 2008 when I lived in Canada. I did smaller local shows, and did well as I won 2 competitions. After living in Canada for 4 years I moved back to Helsinki Finland and started competing with the IFBB in bikini (when it arrived to Finland) in 2011.I found the perfect team that helped me to achieve my best physique ever “Team Bombshell” and the rest is history!
Where does your motivation come from?
I like setting goals. Having a goal motivates me to work out harder and I always follow my workout and nutrition plans 100%. I also like the challenge that reaching a goal brings. I am one of those people who love to exceed and accomplish new things. I am a very visual person as I draw inspiration from motivational photos that I find on the internet and fitness websites.When it comes to discipline, I’m hardcore. I’ve found my sport and to do even better in the future I want to put all my heart in to it and give it all I have got.
What workout routine has worked best for you?
Monday: Legs
- 5 X 15 Leg Extensions
- 5 X 20 Shoulder Width Leg Press
- 5 X 15 Switch (Jump) Lunges
- 4 X 15 Narrow Stance Squats
- 4 X 10 Walking Lunges
Tuesday: Shoulders/Triceps
- 4 X 10 Shoulder Press
- 4 X 10 Barbell Press
- 4 X 10 Rear Lateral Raises
- 3 X 8 Arnold Press
- 3 X 8 Lateral Raises
- 3 X 15 Rope Pushdowns
- 3 X 10 DB Skull Crushers
- 3 X 15 DB Kick Backs
Wednesday: Back/Biceps
- 6 X 8 Pull Downs
- 6 X 8 Seated Cable Rows
- 4 X 12 Barbell Rows
- 4 X 12 One Arm Pull Downs
- 5 X 15 Hyperextensions
- 5 X 15 Supermans
- 4 X 8 Preacher Curls
- 4 X 12 Seated DB Curls
- 4 X 15 Incline DB Curls
Thursday: Legs
- 5 X 15 Leg Curls
- 5 X 12 Squats
- 5 X 12 Weighted Step Ups On Bench
- 5 X 12 Seated Leg Curls
- 5 X 12 Stiff Legged Deadlifts
Friday: Chest/Shoulders/Legs
- 5 X 12 Pullovers
- 5 X 12 Incline Chest Press
- 8 X 8 Side Lateral Raises
- 5 X 15 Leg Press
- 5 X 12 Walking Pump Lunges
- 5 X 15 Cable Squats
- 4 X 20 Hyperextensions
Saturday: Off
- Rest day
Sunday: Off
- Rest day
Top 3 favorite exercises and why?
- Squats: They’ve given me nice and round glutes and very strong and fit legs. I absolutely love squats to death.
- Box Plyometric Jumps: This a great way to challenge yourself. It works my legs and glutes and gets my heart beat up. So it´s a quick cardio and weight movement in one.
- Military Shoulder Press: Nice round shoulders give width to my physique and creates the “X” shape which is what I am aiming for. Wide shoulders, tiny waist and muscular round legs.
Favorite form of cardio?
I’m a big fan of High Intensity Interval Training. I like pushing myself to my limits with every cardio session. While I do cardio you would find me with my headphones on sweating and huffing and puffing like a crazy person. I also find this a great way to vent. I add HIIT training to my cardio routine about 3 times per week.
What is your diet like?
I never starve myself! Advice for the ladies – to get a nice muscular and toned looking body you need to eat quality food and get enough calories from your daily diet. I normally get 40% of protein, 30% of carbs and 30% of fat. My calories vary from 1400-2200 calories per day.Full Diet:
- Meal 1: 4 Egg Whites, 1 cup of Spinach Leaves, 1/2 cup of Oatmeal
- Meal 2: 3 oz. Tilapia, 2 oz. Cottage Cheese & 1 Rice Cake
- Meal 3: Whey Protein, 2 cups of Spinach Leaves with 1 tsp. of Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar & 1/4 cup of chopped Broccoli
- Meal 4: 3 oz. Chicken Breast, 1 slice Ezekiel Bread
- 1/3 slice Cucumber & 2 thin slices of Tomato soaked in Balsamic Vinegar
- Meal 5: 3 oz. Chicken & ¼ Grapefruit, 1/3 cup of Peas, 3 oz. Sweet Potato
- Meal 6: 3 oz. Turkey Breast, 1/4 cup of Green Beans & 3 oz. Squash
What supplements do you use?
I’m a Mass Nutrition sponsored athlete so I’ve used their products for the past year. I use the following products throughout the year:- Glutamine
- Whey Protein
- BCAA
- Multivitamins
- Omega 3
- Probiotics
- MSM Powder for my joints
- CLA and Fat Burners
What is it like competing? How does it feel to win?
I love being on the stage! That is my moment to shine! Before I hit the stage I give myself a little pep talk, bring a huge smile to my face, take a deep breath and prepare myself to dazzle the judges. The feeling that I have before I hit the stage is almost euphoric.I’ve won two huge international shows, 2012 European Championships and the 2012 World Championships. The moment they announce the second place and you know that you have won, it feels amazing. I never know whether I should cry or laugh from all the excitement. The best feeling must be when they play your national anthem!
It takes some time to really understand what you have accomplished. The whole experience is truly something special and something that I will never forget.
Favorite Quote
“I bust mine so I can kick yours”Source
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