Muscle & Fitness Hers South Africa May/June 2017

POSITIVITY So much has happened in our beautiful country over the past couple of weeks. As a result, we’ve been downgraded by two very significant ratings agencies in the span of a few days. At the moment all seems to be very doom and gloom. I myself was in a pretty negative space for a few days there. Late one night, after returning from my best friend’s four-day bachelor party in Cape Town, I was feeling rather fragile while scrolling through my Instagram timeline. Then I saw a familiar quote from a poem that pretty much realigned everything for me. The powerful message by Marianne Williamson has been used in numerous movies and plays, and by coaches all over the world in a bid to motivate their troops for battle.…

NUTRITION USN B4-BURN PRE-WORKOUT If your feeling a bit lax and need a solid kick to get you up and running for, and during your next workout, this specially formulated pre-workout drink by USN will give you just that and still allow you a peaceful night’s rest after you’ve killed it in the gym. R400, Clicks GEAR FITMARK TRANSPORTER TOTE BAG The Fitmark Transporter Tote, is every fit girl’s dream gym bag. With more than enough space for your shoes, sweat towel and other necessities, this little gem comes kitted out with “The Box” meal prep bag and its containers. Inserted in a specially designed compartment this special feature will help make sure you stick to those goals at all times. It doesn’t end there, made of the…

BARBELL HIP THRUST WORKS: Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings ● Sit on floor, leaning with upper back against a flat bench, knees bent, and feet flat on the floor. Place a padded barbell across hips. ● Pushing up through heels, lift hips until thighs are parallel with floor and torso and core are in line with quadriceps; keep ankles directly under knees ( A ). ● Hold one count, squeezing glutes at the top of the movement. Slowly lower glutes toward floor without touching all the way back down ( B ). Do a total of 10 reps, 2–3 sets. Tip MAKE SURE NOT TO ARCH YOUR SPINE OR HYPEREXTEND YOUR LOWER BACK. DON’T RISE ONTO TOES. DEFICIT BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT WORKS: Glutes, Quads ● Stand to one…

Age: 30 Birthplace: I was born in São Paulo, Brazil. After living in the US for 10 years, I moved to Belfast, Northern Ireland, in May 2013, where I live today. Why I compete: Growing up I was always active. I swam for 12 years and started going to the gym at 14. But when I moved to the US, I really wasn’t following a very healthy lifestyle. I found out about the bikini division in 2009 and thought that signing up for a competition would be a great way to challenge myself while getting back to eating and living healthily, which it did — and much more! Favourite parts to work: My glutes and shoulders. I just love the look of a rounded defined shoulder and a perky booty!…

Flow: That moment when your mind and body are in perfect sync, when you feel like you could lift, step, pedal, or jump forever. Finding your flow will keep you pushing, reaching, and striving to be your best. It’s out there; all you need to do is go grab it. We’ll help you get there! CHALLENGE YOUR MIND AND YOUR MUSCLES BY ADDING NEW ACTIVITIES TO YOUR REGULAR ROUTINE. FOR EXAMPLE: WANT A STRONGER CORE AND LOWER BODY? SKIP THE STAIR WORKOUT AND RIDE YOUR BIKE UPHILL FOR A NEW WAY TO TEST YOUR FITNESS! FOR FRESH TRAINING AND DIET MOTIVATION, HEAD TO MUSCLEANDFITNESSHERS.CO.ZAFOLLOW US ON TWITTER @MUSCLEANDFITNESSHERSMAG, ON INSTAGRAM @MUSCLEANDFITNESSHERSMAGAND LIKE US ON FACEBOOK MUSCLE&FITNESSHERS SOUTH AFRICA…

STACEY ALEXANDER IFBB BIKINI PRO “I use my glute workout as a high-intensity interval training circuit, which keeps my heart rate up and burns the most amount of calories in the least amount of time. Go all out for each exercise, then take one minute to recover between each move. Since there’s no equipment required, you can do it anywhere!” GLUTE HIIT ROUTINE 1. Box Jump (3 X 30 REPS) Focus more on high-intensity cardio burn and less on height. Drop into a low squat each time you land on the step; use two to three risers on each side. 2. Split Squat Jump (3 X 20 REPS) Turn your step the long way and stand at the middle; jump down to straddle the step, landing in a squat. Do…