Claudia Rivarelli Fitness Model Interview>>>

SPORT DADDY NEWS GYM STYLE

My name is Claudia Rivarelli and I was born in Montevideo, Uruguay South America. From the age of 6, I started skating because I had a problem in my legs. Thanks to this sport, my legs are fantastic today. When I was 16, I started as a fashion designer and is actually one of my current professions. I have always been athletic and have liked sports, fitness and martial arts (kick boxing).

I studied at my local University (Communication Area 3 years) and took 2 years of graphic design at Bios University. I got into female modeling at the age 18. I was a runway model but I really didn’t like my slim body and wanted to change to a more muscular physique. I’m currently a fitness model and do photo shoots in Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil. I will soon be doing photo shoots in the United States and Mexico. I have also appeared in magazines, catalogs, TV programs and web sites.

Claudia Rivarelli Fitness Model Statistics

Name: Claudia Rivarelli

Height: 5´5

Weight: 128 lbs

Date of Birth: 03/09/79

Hair Color: Black

Bust: 38

Waist: 25

Hips: 38

Location: Montevideo, Uruguay

Claudia Rivarelli Fitness Model Interview

What’s your background? How did you get started in the fitness modeling field?

I wanted to change my body. I really didn’t like my slim body and wanted to change to more of an athletic body.

What is the #1 thing you like best about being into fitness?

I just feel good when I exercise. My body is more elastic and feels better.

What has been your biggest accomplishment in the fitness field?

Modeling for fitness and showcasing a strong, healthy body to the world.

What is the best way to get started in the fitness modeling industry? Should I just contact the photographers directly or should I use an agency?

Send your pics to the right places like photographers, agencies and magazines. If you have a great image they will call you. Search photographers or agencies and send your pics via e-mail. If they like them, they will call you. Other options include getting your photos on different web sites where you can add your profile, like here at ShapeFit’s fitness models search.

Please describe a typical day for you. What is your daily routine like?

I get up early at 9am, check my emails and eat breakfast. At 11:00am, I go to the gym. After the gym, I come back home and have a meal. Then I design some clothes for my new collection. Later, I go to kickboxing class. At night I go to movies, fashion show and other fun things.

I don’t have that much time during the day to workout, so I really want to burn major calories in a short amount of time. What is the #1 “bang for the buck” cardio exercise I should do to burn serious calories?

I suggest kickboxing classes or running.

How much weight (pounds) should I focus on losing every week? What is a safe amount to make sure I keep it off?

1 to 2 lbs per week.

What type of food or supplements should I take before and after my workouts to help me see results in gaining lean muscle and losing fat?

Before training : eggs, yogurt, oatmeal.

After training: pastas, potatoes, salad, chicken.

How do you deal with cravings for junk foods, sweets and salty food? I can stay on a diet for maybe a few weeks but I eventually get really bad cravings and binge on snacks and fast foods.

Eat clean foods like fruits, vegetables, fish and chicken. One day you can eat fast food but don´t always. But when you eat clean, the body feels better and does not want or need fast food.

I’m trying to create a healthy shopping list to stick with. What are some of the main foods I should include to maintain a lean and muscular physique?

Carbohydrates: sweet potatoes, rice, pasta, fruit

Proteins: chicken, fish (tuna)

Vegetables: broccoli, spinach

I’m about 35 pounds overweight. I have never started an exercise program and really don’t know where to start. What tips can you give me to get started on the right track?

Exercise 4 days a week and watch your diet .After a while, increase your frequency. You must believe you will achieve an amazing body. At first its hard but you will eventually love the routines and the results will be amazing.

I tend to eat out most of the time and really don’t know what healthy foods to order from the menu. What tips do you recommend for eating out at restaurants to make sure my diet will not suffer?

Choose pastas and fish.

What exercises do you recommend for getting a bigger, rounder and fuller butt?

Kickboxing for the butt is amazing.

What is the most challenging thing you deal with about consistently staying in top shape?

Eating healthy and avoiding junk food (fast food).

Please describe your normal diet. What do you eat in a typical day to stay in shape?

Breakfast: 2 eggs and fruit

Mid-Morning Snack: rice with tomatoes and lettuce salad.

Lunch: rice with tuna or pasta.

Mid-Afternoon Snack: salad potatoes, eggs

Dinner: rice with tomatoes and lettuce salad.

What type of exercises do you include in your routine to stay in shape?

Strength Training Exercises: 5 days a week of weight training

Cardio Exercises: kickboxing, running

Additional Training: abs 5 days a week.

What are the top 5 tips (specific exercises, diet advice, etc) you recommend for developing toned and defined arms?

1. Eat your carbohydrates.

2. Diet

3. Heavy weight when working out

4. Superset bicep and triceps exercises

5. Shoulders exercises.

What are your top 5 tips for losing unwanted body fat?

1. Cardio is key

2. Cut out white bread

3. Limit processed sugar

4. Eats vegetables and fruits

5. Drink water

What are your top 5 tips for gaining lean muscle mass?

1. Stay hydrated is very important

2. Eat enough proteins

3. Diet

4. Limit sugar

5. Heavy weight when training

What are the top 5 tips you recommend for staying motivated on a fitness plan and truly making a healthy lifestyle change?

1. Go to the gym and build good habits

2. Have a training partner for do the routines

3. Listen to music

4. Change your exercises

5. Look at the mirror and see how your body is changing

What is your training routine like? (Please include a few details – training split, sets/reps, exercises, types of cardio, etc.)

Monday: Morning : legs, abs. Afternoon: arms, legs

Tuesday: chest, shoulders, arms (biceps and triceps)

Wednesday: back, abs

Thursday: Morning : arms (biceps and triceps), abs. Afternoon: legs

Friday: off

Saturday: off

Sunday: off

What are the top 5 tips (specific exercises, diet advice, etc) you recommend for losing fat around the stomach and developing a toned and defined midsection?

1. Diet of course

2. Don´t drink alcohol

3. Balanced meals every 4 hours

4. Cardio exercise to reduce body fat

5. Cut meals after 8.00 pm

What are the top 5 tips (specific exercises, diet advice, etc) you recommend for toning the thighs, hips and butt?

1. Use heavy weight

2. Train legs

3. Climbing

4. Legs press

5. Eat clean

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Why Girls Should CrossFit>>>

Why Girls Should CrossFit

     There are plenty of different workout schemes and plans for women that you can check out today. Unfortunately, in most cases, these generally focus on a single part of your body or are completely ineffective in building up your muscles and helping you lose weight in a healthy manner. This is where CrossFit is different and presents a much better alternative for all those who really want to get in shape and stay healthy. While there are plenty of different reasons why girls should do CrossFit, and here are some of the most important ones.

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Health

    One of the most common things related to losing weight is the wrong image of slim people as necessary healthy. In most cases losing weight to look good is one of the first thoughts that most people have and this can often mean that they lose weight without trying to build any muscle or do it in a healthy way. With CrossFit, you will get to lose weight in a healthy and effective way while, at the same time, building up your muscle base and tone your body in a proper manner.  CrossFit will enable you to really reach your maximum potential and discover strength that you didn’t even know you have. With the effective and healthy regime of exercises that CrossFit workout plans provide you with, you will be able to shape your body in any way you want.

Aesthetics

     While most exercises plans and workout schemes focus on just helping you lose weight as fast as possible, CrossFit actually helps you shape your body. Most women today want to look like professional athletes and models and this means that you really have to put the effort into it and CrossFit allows you to do just that. With CrossFit you will be able to define groups of muscles and tone your body in a healthy and effective way. You will not only get to look great but also gain a lot of strength and lose weight as well.

Different Workouts

      One of the most difficult things that most people have trouble with when it comes to working out is the repetitive nature of exercises. In most workout plans, you have the same set of workouts that you have to repeat over and over. It is difficult to find workout motivation. With CrossFit you won’t have that problem as you will always do some new exercises each day. Since all your workout plans are scheduled, you will get to plan out your entire week in advance and try different exercises. Each day comes with a focus on a different workout. For example on Monday, you start with simple things like push-ups and burpees the next day you go running. All this means that you won’t have to deal with the repetitive boring nature that most other fitness plans provide.

 You Will Get Stronger

    Unlike most fitness programs that focus on losing weight and nothing more, CrossFit will help you to not only shape your body the way you want but also build up a lot of strength and build up muscles. This does not mean that you will suddenly go all bulky and look like somebody who uses steroids, quite the contrary. Thanks to CrossFit planned workouts your entire body will lose fat and build muscles in a toned and proper manner. This will keep you looking slim and healthy but still allow you to gain a lot of muscle power and strength that you probably never had before.

Massive Calorie Burn

Few fitness programs come even close to the amount of calories spent like CrossFit does. CrossFit has already been tested by many experts as well as the US army and showed amazing results. If you stick to your workout plans CrossFit must bring in the positive results as your body will react to a number of different workouts. CrossFit is extremely challenging and requires a lot of exercise which means that you will lose weight and tone your body a lot faster than with other fitness programs.

If you want to lose weight and really push your body to the limit while making it stronger and healthy at the same time, CrossFit is the way to go. By sticking to the workout plans that CrossFit provides you with, you will be able to achieve amazing results and elevate your body to a whole new level.

Photo credit: Justin Grant, Pete Williamson Photography

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Reasonable Eating Guidelines>>>

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For a long time now, my main focus on nutrition has been to eat real food and make it fit your lifestyle rather than vice-versa. A couple of tidbits that I have found most useful.

 

1) Is it food?

Typically you are going to see that most “food products” include some sort of ingredients (usually about one-hundred of them) that you can’t decipher without a degree in chemistry,

 

2) Ingredients are more important than nutrition facts.

In general most people focus on the wrong thing when it comes to food labels. Fat, Carbs, etc are much lower on the totem pole than people realize when it comes to health and fitness. I won’t go into too much detail here but suffice it to say that the body’s reaction to different foods is far more important than the simple macronutrient contents of a food. Read the ingredients–the fewer the better.

3)  Learn to cook

Cooking your own meals saves your body and your wallet. It’s also much easier to prevent senseless snacking when you have to do some work in order to get food. Part of the obesity problem stems from the insane ease with which we can get our hands on food in the blink of an eye; and unfortunately for us, most of these convenient options are the worst possible poisons (slight exaggeration). Learning to cook your own meals also makes the meal more of an experience and it will give you a feeling of accomplishment that you won’t get ordering a pizza. There is also an off chance that you may impress a member of the opposite sex with your kitchen skills.

4) Eat on your time

Everyone wants to find the perfect time to eat the perfect food–but they can’t because no such time exists. The most important thing is that you fit your eating habits to your schedule in the way that causes the least amount of stress while eating real food. If you work at 6am every morning, breakfast might not be your thing. In fact if I have an early morning I’ll skip breakfast–while on days that start a little later, I make sure to prepare and enjoy taking my time with a great breakfast. Eggs, bacon, sweet potato, onion, and cheddar scramble? Yes please.

5) Drink more Freakin’ Water!

Not soda, not tea. That clear stuff. Fairly wet. Like the ocean but not salty. You know what I’m talking about. Drinking more water will keep all your tissue hydrated, which means less injury prone and stronger/more flexible. It will keep you alert and prevent you from getting lethargic. There are tons more benefits, but just drink the damn water–you’ll feel better. Oh and floss too.

Better Every Day,

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Five Tips to Getting the Most Out of Your Fat Burner>>>

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With summer around the corner, more and more people are beginning to clean up their nutrition, ramp up their cardio and contemplate including a fat burner in their supplement regimen. While fat burners CAN be beneficial when cutting, I find the majority of people who use them do so with the assumption that by taking a fat burner the fat is just going to miraculously melt away.

Fat burners can help ENHANCE the effects of an already pristine diet and training regimen but they cannot REPLACE them.  Before you entertain taking a fat burner you need to make sure that you’re training sufficiently and optimally, that your diet is on point, that you’re sleeping well, and that you are emphasizing recovery and staying hydrated.

If you’re going to invest your hard earned money in the purchase of a fat burner, you want to make sure you get the most out of it.The following are five things you need to consider in order to make the most of your investment.

 

Drink Enough Water

Water is essential to your body’s ability to lose excess bodyfat, and dehydration can be a major fat loss inhibitor.

Water not only suppresses the appetite and helps create a sensation of fullness when dieting, but has also been shown to help elevate the metabolism and support weight loss or fat loss efforts.  Water also helps aid in the digestion and absorption of nutrients which is essential for overall health and it helps to lubricate the joints and prevent muscle cramping which can help you train harder, longer.

Also,  it’s worth  mentioning that most fat burners  have two major affects on your body which may INCREASE your need for water. For starters they elevate your metabolism, which for most people winds up meaning they find they sweat more. Increased sweating obviously results in more fluid loss so it becomes imperative that you drink enough water, particularly when training. Secondly, many of the stimulants included in fat burners can produce a diuretic effect, which means you’ll wind up making trips to the bathroom more often than usual.  If you aren’t drinking a lot you’ll wind up dehydrated with a slowed metabolism  and you’ll end up negating any positive impact on your body from your fat burner.

Clean Up Your Diet

I always assume that this one is a given, and yet I still talk to people who think that taking a fat burner will somehow counteract all the negative nutritional choices they’re making.

Taking a fat burner without addressing your nutrition is a recipe for failure, and a huge waste of money, as even the labels of most top notch fat burners indicate that the supplements are to be used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise program.

Focus on food quality and filling your diet with as much whole, nutrient dense foods as possible.  For example 25g of carb from a sweet potato is going to provide your body with more nutrients than 25g of carb from something like a rice cake or white bread. The fiber in the sweet potato is going to help satiate you, and the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants contained in the sweet potato are going to benefit your body’s overall health and well-being in a myriad of ways.

I should also note that consuming a diet high in nutrient dense, quality foods is also one way in which you can PREVENT cravings which is one reason most people derail when trying to lose weight.  When your body doesn’t get the nutrients it needs, one of the ways in which it signals this is by triggering a craving. Your insatiable urge for something sweet, or salty, or fatty is more than likely the result of a nutritional deficiency. Your body’s not getting what it needs from the food you’re eating, and so it’s attempting to alert you to the problem by way of a craving. Consuming nutrient dense foods helps to ensure you won’t be battling insane cravings during your diet.

Add Cardio

While I firmly believe strength training needs to be the base of any weight loss approach, adding in aerobic work can sometimes give you the edge you need.  Cardio, particularly some low intensity fasted cardio can really help with fat loss efforts. I know the opinions on fasted cardio vary, but as a trainer I’ve seen it work effectively time and time again.

 

Cardio also adds to your overall caloric deficit which obviously helps when attempting to lose weight and it works well to help balance out a solid strength training program. I personally find that it’s best to perform your aerobic work either fasted in the morning, after weight training, or on the days you’re not doing intense strength training. A combination of low intensity and high intensity methods is usually best for body composition and weight loss.

Get Enough Sleep

You’d be surprised how many people DON’T think sleep affects their body’s ability to lose weight, and in fact, it’s the opposite. The strongest fat burner in the world isn’t going to do anything for you if you’re only getting 4 hours of sleep a night.

Being in a chronic state of sleep deprivation can lead to increases in blood cortisol and decreased testosterone, which will definitely put a damper on weight loss efforts. Sleep is necessary for muscle growth and recovery and creating a balanced hormonal environment. Studies have even linked lack of sleep to increased levels of bodyfat.  In fact, just a few days of insufficient sleep and your body’s ability to produce insulin becomes disconnected. Insulin sensitivity, drops and when your body doesn’t respond adequately to insulin, your body struggles to metabolize fats from your bloodstream- so you usually wind up storing more fat.

 

Another reason sleep deprivation can derail your efforts is that it causes disruptions to the hormones ghrelin and leptin (your “hunger” hormones). Ghrelin is the hormone responsible for signaling your brain that it’s time to eat. When you don’t get enough sleep your body produces MORE ghrelin, prompting you to eat MORE than you normally would. On the flipside, leptin, which is your fullness hormone,  drops. So not only are you prompted to eat more, but you will find yourself less satiated when eating as well.

To make matters worse, cutting your hours of sleep short numbs the activity in the brain’s frontal lope which is the area of the brain allocated for decision making and impulse control. In other words, you lack less mental clarity than you normally would when it comes to making positive decisions- including what you eat.

The takeaway? Get at least 8 hours of sleep a night. If you absolutely cannot, commit to adding in a small nap (15-20 minutes) during the day to help rest and rejuvenate your body.

Cycle Your Fat Burner

When it comes to using a fat burner, cycling is key. Over time, the body becomes desensitized to  many of the ingredients in fat burners and, as a result, will cease to respond appropriately.

Furthermore, overusing fat burners, especially  ones that include an array of stimulants can lead to higher levels of cortisol. This is problematic because chronically elevated cortisol levels actually hinders, or slow fat loss.

Cortisol leads to the breakdown of muscle tissue and an increase in fat storage, particularly when calories are low during times of dieting or fat loss efforts. To avoid all of this- just simply cycle your fat burner. Don’t stay on a fat burner for week after week, month after month.  If you’re using a stimulant based supplement a good rule of thumb to use is to cycle off for about 1/2 the time you stayed on. So perhaps 4 weeks on, 2 weeks off.

If you start to notice that the fat burner that once gave you a good pick me up is now no longer doing anything for you, that’s a sure sign that it’s time to cycle off and give your body, and your adrenal glands a break. You can try taking a non stimulant based fat burner for a period or cycle off using the 4 weeks on/ 2 weeks off suggestion I listed above.

Fat burners can help with weight loss efforts, but they absolutely cannot replace the necessary training, structured diet, and healthy lifestyle choices that also need to be in play. Before you throw your hard earned money down the drain, re-evaluate some of the areas in your life that I listed above. Focus on training hard, eating well, drinking enough water, and  getting adequate sleep. If all of those areas of your life are on point, then adding in a fat burner might help to give you an extra boost in your weight loss efforts! Just be smart about it!

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3 core exercises you can substitute>>>

SPORT DADDY NEWS GYM STYLE

A strong core helps you in just about every activity you do during the day. And it's even more important if you engage in any kind of sport or real athletic activity.

But why is it so crucial to keep your core in shape?

Think of it this way: Without your core, you have no way of keeping your pelvis, lower back, hips and abs working together in sync. When these different muscles work in tandem, you're able to prevent injury. You'll experience better stability and balance in all activities.

I suggest integrating the following three exercises into your core routine two to three times a week.

 

Side hip-ups

Lie on your right side and prop yourself up on one elbow so your shoulder lines up with your elbow. Your hand should be in front of you. Keep your legs straight out to your side, feet stacked on top of one another. Place your left hand on your left hip.

Slowly raise your hips by engaging your core and pushing against the floor with your feet until your body forms a straight line. Do 10 on each side, or as many as you can do in good form.

 

Pikes

Place yourself in a push-up position. Keep your core engaged as you roll up on the tops of your sneakers and hike up your hips toward the ceiling, forming an upside down "V."

Pause, then slowly make your way back out to starting position, and repeat. Aim for 10 or more reps, or as many as you can do while maintaining good form.

                  

Steam engines

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hands behind your head, with fingertips lightly touching each other (just as you would do for a crunch on the floor). Keep your elbows out to the sides. Engage your abdominal muscles as you rotate your upper body and try to touch your right elbow to your left knee 20 times. Then, repeat with the left.

Do the same 19 times on each side, then 18 times, 17 times, 16 times and so on, until you reach a single rep on each side.

As always, be sure to eat clean and do cardio along with these exercises for a lean, strong body.

                                                                                                            By Jenna Wolfe

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The Worst Machines in the Gym>>>

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The biggest problem with gym machines: They follow a fixed path and make no accommodations for different body types, mobility issues, and range-of-motion limitations. In fact, they can make these issues worse by destabilizing joints and loading muscles with unbalanced forces. What's more, machines won't engage opposing muscles — so, during a chest press, this would be your upper back — to balance the forces on your body, leading to additional stress on muscles and joints. We only have two situations when you should consider hitting machines: If you're new to strength training (in which case using machines for a few weeks will help familiarize your body with the movement patterns); or if you're an advanced weightlifter seeking isolated hypertrophy. For everyone else, avoid these four machines at the gym.

Leg Extension
Those with chronic knee issues in particular should stay away from this machine. The leg extension loads the joint with stress and shear forces (which pulls up on your knee cap) because the hamstrings aren't engaged to balance the weight. Leg extensions target your quadriceps, which attach to the knee and crosses the hip, but when they get short and tight, a move like leg extensions can wreak havoc on the knee joint.

Do this instead: Trap bar deadlifts. They'll hit the quads, and because the hamstrings and glutes contribute to the lift, they'll reduce knee stress. The exercise also has less shearing forces on the knee because the force angle is coming from below, and not in front.

Leg Press
Many people with back pain or injury gravitate to the leg press because the back remains fixed, supported, and unweighted. But look at the position for the leg press: It's a squat performed while leaning the upper body forward so the torso would face the floor. Now the hip flexors (which directly attach to the spine) are held in their shortest position, meaning that at no time during the lift do they have a chance to extend or fully relax. The result? Short, tight hip flexors — a problem most of us have from sitting all day — pull on the lumbar spine and create additional stress.

Do this instead: Use split-stance leg exercises like split squats and lunges. The split stance will open the hips and allow for a vertical torso to help diffuse loads placed on the low back.

Oblique Twist 
You don't need to be injured or imbalanced to steer clear of this one. The twisting movement of this machine encourages an unsafe range of motion and allows a lifter to twist using the wrong segments of the spine. Plus, you're not training your core for functional strength. The core's prime function is to resist twisting, not create movement.

Do this instead: Unilateral plank variations. Lift one arm or leg off the ground while planking. This challenges the body to resist rotation. To take things up a notch, try the plate transfer plank.

Hip Adduction/Abduction 
Working your inner and outer thighs can prevent injuries and boost stability, but this machine engages them from a seated position, which offers no benefit — you need these muscles when you're standing, not sitting. Plus, the machine trains the muscles as isolated movers, not a stabilizing group that works with your whole leg. Worse, using bad technique on this exercise can create the kind of hip-socket stress that leads to injury.

Do this instead: Lateral plane leg exercises like Cossack squats and side lunges. You'll incorporate the inner and outer thighs in harmony with the rest of the lower leg, so they can better do their job of stabilizing the leg during unilateral exercises like single-leg deadlifts or squats

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4 WEIGHTLIFTING TECHNIQUES TO MASTER>>>

Don't ruin your gains with poor form--master the most important lifts by tweaking your technique.


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1.Most trainees like to think they’re killing it in the gym, but many are not as effective as they could be. One major component that determines your success is how you execute each rep. Exercise technique is also a big factor that can influence your injury risk, but most important, it will determine if all your hard work results in you looking like Thor or Zach Galifianakis. Whether your goals are to be as strong as Captain America, built like Thor or to jump like the Hulk, your technique needs to be close to perfect.

Increase your effectiveness in the gym by putting your technique to the test with these four tips.

TECHNIQUE TEST 1: SQUAT PATTERN

The barbell back squat is traditionally seen as a “basic” lift, however, it is commonly performed incorrectly.

Common Problems:
>>> Insufficient depth
>>> Rounded back
>>> Valgus (inward) knee collapse

TECHNIQUE FIX TIP: THE GOBLET SQUAT

>> Hold a dumbbell in front of your chest lengthwise with your elbows pointing downward
>> Sit in between your feet while keeping your chest up/out
>> Squat ass-to-grass with your hip-crease below your knee-crease
>> Finish with your elbows on the inside of your thighs
>> Allow your torso to lean forward slightly to maintain balance over your mid-foot
>> Do not allow your back to round forward - stay tight and strong in your core throughout the exercise.

Over several weeks, progress to the heaviest dumbbell you can find. Not only is this challenging, but also, banging out perfect Goblet Squats with 125lb is pretty bad-ass. The motor patterns, mobility and stability you’ll develop will set you up for wicked front and high-bar back squats.

2.

TECHNIQUE TEST 2: HIP HINGE PATTERN

This movement pattern is essential for performing perfect Deadlifts, Olympic lifts and Russian Kettlebell Swings. For optimal utilization of the posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, back extensors), the hip hinge with zero back flexion/extension is imperative to improve athletic potential.

TECHNIQUE FIX TIP: STANDING HIP HINGE DRILL

>> Stand with your feet 8-10” apart
>> Place one hand on your low back and one on your stomach
>> Slightly bent your knees
>> Push your hips back, back, back while you bow forward – you should feel tension in your hamstrings as you reach 90 degrees at your hips
>> Use your hands to feel if your back starts to round
>> Stay long and tight in your core and keep your chest out.

Learn and own this movement. Apply it to your training. Don’t worry if you have to sacrifice a bit of weight to perform a perfect hip hinge. Your strength will build fast. Being able to move through the hips will develop strong glutes and hamstrings while sparing the spine and knees.

 3.

TECHNIQUE TEST 3: SHOULDER PACK

Packing the shoulder is a term coined by Grey Cook in his Secrets of the ShoulderDVD. This cue is essential for all upper body exercises and shoulder health. Optimal pressing and pulling movements begin with a strong foundation - the shoulder. Pressing with a "loose" shoulder joint is like firing a canon out of a canoe. When packing the shoulders, the shoulders are pulled into the body, toward the opposite hip pockets. Not only will this improve shoulder and scapular stability, it will prevent poor postural adaptations from bad postural habits/exercise execution. All your lifts will improve with proper shoulder packing, even lower body lifts.

TECHNIQUE FIX TIP: SHOULDER PACKING

>> Think of drawing your shoulders toward your opposite hip pockets when pulling in the horizontal (any row variation) or vertical (any lat pull down or chin up variation) directions

>> Cue this shoulder pack when pressing in the horizontal (any bench press variation) or vertical (any overhead press variation) directions
>> Lastly, cue this shoulder pack when doing Deadlifts, Squats, Kettlebell Swings, RDLs and any other lower body lift

4.

TECHNIQUE TEST 4: NEUTRAL SPINE

Most people know that full range of motion sit-ups are old school and place high loads/stress to the spine. The neutral spine position is required in EVERY exercise but unfortunately, most trainees don't know what it is or cannot achieve and maintain it.

TECHNIQUE FIX TIP: FRONT PLANK WITH PELVIC ROTATIONS

>> Go into a basic front plank on your elbows and toes
>> Move through full lumbar hyperflexion and hyperextension by rotating your pelvis
>> Squeeze your glutes and find what feels like a neutral middle position between the two extremes you just moved through The goal of this drill is to teach the two extremes of WRONG while you achieve the middle most optimal position. Apply the neutral spine to all your lifts to minimize your injury risk and to keep a healthy back.

                                                                                                                   BY JON-ERIK KAWAMOTO

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Hottest Female Fitness Models |Top 10>>>

Ladies and gentlemen (but mostly gentlemen), we are about to get to know the sexiest bodies of the moment, the Hottest Female Fitness Models |Top 10.

It is obvious that lately fitness it’s not a sport mostly dedicated to men. There are more and more females practicing it and even going to competitions.

The result?

 They get an extremely sexy toned body that accentuates a woman’s best features. These fitness models –or “fitness babes” as they are often called by the gentlemen, are usually an inspiration for the ladies and a pleasure for the guys.

Many of them have online training programs, so you may know some of them. So, let’s see who has the fittest bodies of the moment:

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 10.Caitlyn Bellamy

Caitlyn started to do fitness 6 years ago, while watching her mother compete at age 48 in a fitness show. So, it’s a passion that runs in the family for her.

She hired a trainer and trained for one full year before competing in her first show, in 2008. If you think it was easy for her, you are wrong. She actually said that before starting was skinny with little to no muscle, had poor eating habits and smoked a 1/2 pack a day. So, ambition was the most important factor.

She is also a mom and when asked about her favorite body part she said: “My abs! After 2 babies I still have a six pack. It was a lot of work but in the end totally worth it.”

She looks so determined and she encourages other moms to start working out by offering her example and saying that if you are healthy, there is no reason to not so sports.

Strong girls are sexy. Just look what she says: “Legs are my strongest body part so any exercise that I am able to lift a hefty amount of weight makes me feel powerful. Strong girls are sexy!”

09.Annette Milbers

Annette is also a mother of two girls and still looking amazing. She’s already the winner of a number of fitness competitions, like the Northern Fitness Championships and the Faremon Model Search.

She is also a trainer and a writer and she continuously sets high goals for herself and her career. According to Annette: “What I have accomplished thus far is only the beginning”.

She likes being fit and healthy and it’s a woman with an excitement for life that is  contagious and addictive. Annette also says that she loves the diversity of modeling – one shoot she is a sexy goddess and the next, the girl next door.

08.Dianna Dahlgren

Dianna Dahlgren was born in Fallbrook, California. Growing up she excelled in gymnastics and took this love of fitness further. After being scouted for modeling at age 13, she soon combined this with her love of fitness and went into fitness modelling.

She is also an IFBB Bikini Pro Athlete, winning numerous titles including the 2010 IFBB Europa Battle of Champions, the 2011 IFBB Phoenix Pro, the 2012 IFBB Houston Pro and the 2012 IFBB Los Angeles Grand Prix Pro Bikini. She is sponsored by Monster Energy & GNC.

Plus, you can go to her site and find her fitness advice or watch one of her many workout videos on Instagram.

 

07.Amanda Latona

Amanda Latona is one of the highest decorated bikini competitors and fitness models around. You may know her as the “Booty Queen” of the fitness industry, hence she is known for her amazing glutes.

She used to be a professional singer and now has been on the cover of dozens of fitness magazines and is a champion bikini competitor.

Over the last 10 years Amanda has established herself as a leader in the industry with 20 1st place finishes in fitness and bikini competitions around the country.

I respect her because she is also a trainer that has motivated countless people along their fitness journey and continues to inspire through social media outlets and her website.

06.Christina Halkiopoulos

Christina Halkiopoulos is a Greek fitness model and has become one of the most recognizable people in the fitness world today.

She says she started to hit the gym to get her confidence up as she needed a boost after her then waste-of-a-time boyfriend, cheated. Well, I’m sure he cursed the day he did that mistake, as she looks stunning.

I love how she describes her success: “People look at me and they see a finished product: with so many fans, a fit body and amazing sponsors on my side.

 You could say that I have been lucky and had a lot of opportunities come my way; I believe many people’s successes come from the choices they make, and I have found you definitely get out what you put in!”

05.Danielle Vaughan

This 23-year-old bikini beauty is on the verge of winning her IFBB pro card. Her “life” in the gym started just two years ago. At the time, Vaughn was living with a roommate who competed in bodybuilding, and whose girlfriend competed in the women’s physique division.

She didn’t expect to have this passion as she wasn’t really into fitness growing up. Actually she says that:”In high school I always hated gym class and would always skip it and get in trouble. Now I’m living in the gym.”

That’s a story of how you shouldn’t ever label something and always do things out of your comfort zone. Look at Danielle, she used to hate fitness and now she is a pro.

04.Emily Skye

This Australian fitness model has one of the most respected and admired bodies in the fitness industry. I honestly like her so much because, besides her fit body, she is extremely beautiful, kind hearted and trying to help others. You rarely see such a beautiful face in the fitness industry.

She is not your typical ‘big girl gets fit’. This is how she describes how she got into fitness: “I soon realized that this wasn’t healthy nor maintainable and that obsessing over trying to be skinny was an unrealistic and an unhealthy goal.

I changed my goals to aim become stronger, gain muscle & become as healthy as I could – all while keeping it maintainable so it could be a lifestyle rather than a phase.”

I admire her for trying to teach other people how health and fitness plays a huge part in being happy.

03.Jennifer Nicole Lee

Jennifer Nicole Lee is an Author, Fitness Expert, Lifestyle Consultant and Fitness Model. She is best known for her motivational weight loss success story has been featured on numerous famous TV shows, thus inspiring millions.

She continues to share and shine her light to help others realize and achieve their lifestyle goals, believing that everyone deserves to increase the quality of their life. Jennifer Nicole Lee’s mission is “to help increase the quality of everyone’s life.”

Jennifer is one of the most known fitness trainer and best selling international author. She created an empire for herself after completing an incredible weight loss transformation after having her two children and she continues to work out and work hard to inspire those who look up to her.

02.Michelle Lewin

This hot Venezuelan model is one of the top fitness models in the industry at the minute, quickly gaining a massive following through social media like twitter and facebook.

Michelle is also a very beautiful woman with a very sweet face and probably the sexiest freckles in the world.

When asked about her motivation, this is what she said: “I would say the mirror. There’s nothing more motivating than when you find a new vein! Am I crazy? Probably, but it’s true! Progress is what motivates me to keep pushing harder and not give up.

 Also it’s extremely motivating to have so many female fans.”

She is also posting videos of workouts and advice, so if you like to sweat, start following her today!

01.Marzia Prince

And here we are. This is the sexiest body in the fitness industry! She is one of the first fitness models of her time.

Marzia or the eco-friendly trainer is a model, trainer, athlete, nutritionist, and fitness guru that, at 32 years old trained for the 2007 Ms. Bikini Universe pageant and won. The fitness and wellness lifestyle is Marzia Prince’s passion.  She thoroughly enjoys spreading the word of holistic health to the world.

As she says: “There is a lot more that goes into training than eating the right foods and taking supplements. There is goal setting, motivation, determination, and maintenance. Fitness is not a look, it is a lifestyle. 

You have to enjoy the journey to reap the full benefits of where your body is at right now. I love helping people achieve their optimum mind and body.”

She educates women how to eat, workout, and balance their busy lives and she is also well known for being one of the few vegan fitness models.

These were the hottest bodies of the moment. I hope this was a pleasure for the eyes of the gentlemen and an inspiration for the ladies.

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