Muscle & Fitness Hers South Africa March/April 2018

WAKING UP to A NEW SATAFRIKAAAA. They teach us from a very early age in the media game that you never discuss politics, but the way things are looking at the moment that hardly seems possible. As I am typing this we just got word that the ANC will push for a vote of no confidence in Numero Uno and that they want CR17 to be sworn in tomorrow – all in the same day. I can’t help but feel excited by that, hence breaking the “no politics rule” as this is good news for all of us. This could mean that we wake up to a new president and quite possibly a whole new South Africa on Friday. We can finally actually be that success story we’ve always wanted…

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YOUR FLAT-ABS WORKOUT PLAN DAY 1: Back, glutes, transverse (2 sets) and rectus (3 sets) DAY 2: Chest, obliques (3 sets), transverse (2 sets) DAY 3: Legs, calves DAY 4: Arms, rectus (3 sets), transverse (2 sets) DAY 5: Shoulders, obliques (3 sets), transverse (2 sets) Your abs are like any other body part–to get results, you need to work them hard. That means dedicating a portion of your workout to moves that focus on all three abdominal regions. “We tend to treat the abs as an afterthought and simply devote a few minutes doing crunches after our ‘real’ training”, notes Hers Technical Adviser Gino Caccavale. But to sculpt a shapely six-pack, you need to train the abs like your legs, shoulders, or any other body part. This routine, modelled by…

NICOLLE MUDAFORT IFBB FIGURE AND WOMEN’S PHYSIQUE PRO; @IFBBPRO_NICOLLEMUDAFORT “We all want that inner-thigh area to appear tight, firm, and toned. But there’s not one specific exercise that can do the job–you have to target all the muscles emphasised in the area. Here are four exercises I perform to target the inner thigh while also shaping the rest of my legs.” BARBELL SQUAT: Stand with heels on top of 2kg plates placed on the floor. Place barbell across upper back. Keeping chest up and back neutral, drive knees outward as you move hips down. Hold 2 counts, then stand up. (4x12) SEATED LEG EXTENSION: Exhale while slowly extending legs, feet flexed, squeezing quads at top of movement. Hold 1 count; slowly lower weight as you inhale. (4x12) SEATED LEG PRESS:…

THERE ARE FEW MOVES more badass than the handstand push-up. “It’s the ultimate combination of core strength, upper-body strength, shoulder stability, balance, and flexibility”, notes Liz Adams, a head CrossFit coach at New York City’s ICE NYC. “You’ll even get your heart rate up a bit.” Crank a few reps out against the wall and you know your fitness is on point. But as intimidating as the handstand push-up can look, it’s also a highly achievable goal for most women. “To master this high-skilled gymnastic movement you need to build a foundation”, explains Adams. (You also have to be comfortable with spending some time upside down.) It all starts, she says, with perfecting a basic push-up. Here’s how to make it all happen. 1. FULL PUSH-UP Begin in a push-up…

THE SOLE PURPOSE of sweat is to cool the body down. As your core temperature rises above 37 degrees, your brain signals to the sweat glands to increase production; and when sweat appears on your skin, it’s evaporated into the air, taking body heat with it. Your sweat rate is determined by two primary factors: the environment (how hot it is) and your individual response to heat. “Someone who is acclimated to heat and working out in a hotter environment is generally not going to sweat as much as someone new to it”, says Walt Thompson, Ph.D., president of the American College of Sports Medicine and an Associate Dean at Georgia State University in Atlanta, USA. Who Sweats the Most? Your fitness level plays an important part in how much…