Muscle & Fitness Hers South Africa September/October 2018

THE TIMES It’s quite crazy how we always romanticise the past and almost demonise the future. How many times have you said or heard someone say, “back in my time things were so much better”. Back in the day was horrible; people were dying from what is an easily treatable lung disease today. I certainly recall my school assembly in standard 6 – we were the worst behaved group of kids ever to come through the system and that rung true every year thereafter. The kids from the previous generation were so much better, apparently. It makes no sense how people don’t want to live in the now and why we’re so scared of the future. This is legitimately the best time to be alive, rife with opportunity as long…

GEAR FLORAL SPARK TIGHTS A slim-fit flatters while a medley of floral prints creates a stunning feminine look. Featuring quality fabric, lightweight compression and a striking design the Floral Spark 7/8 Tights will take your look and workout to the next level. R500, otgactive.com GEAR VANS VAN GOGH MUSEUM KICKS AND BACKPACK Vans and the Van Gogh Museum proudly partner to present an artfully designed collection utilising Van Gogh masterpieces across iconic Vans Classics. Vans worked closely with the Van Gogh Museum team to select four main bodies of work that speaks to the creative ethos of Vans’ design as well as personal moments from the artist’s familial history. Each model from the Vans x Van Gogh Museum footwear collection is finished with custom footbed art…

“FUNCTIONAL FITNESS” IS A BUZZWORD thrown around by savvy trainers and experts alike, but the concept is often tossed aside when it comes to fitting it into your workout. After all, it’s tough to make time for exercises that don’t appear to have a physique benefit. “Functional fitness is for all of the movements you do in life, from chasing your kids to hiking a mountain. But often people disregard it because they think they won’t be effective,” notes Liu Gross, athletic director for React Fitness in Chicago, USA. That’s a mistake, because functional fitness not only helps you move more easily and reduce injury risk; it can also sculpt muscles and blast calories. Working with Chicago-based physical therapist David Reavy, Gross has created a functional routine that kicks your…

EVERYONE LOVES a good high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session, and exercise variation is key for better muscle development and fat loss. But what exactly do these all-out techniques do for your body? We asked trainer, Socanomics creator, and fitness model Selena Watkins to explain how HIIT can help you get sculpted and lean. The methods: Tabata (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off; four minutes); EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute); and AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible). Watkins says, “These three protocols are so effective because they raise your metabolism while preserving muscle and torching fat.” Plus… You’ll raise your power output. A study from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research shows that elite female volleyball players had improved agility, sprinting, and burst exercise performance when they incorporated interval…

This popular HIIT style is the ultimate time-crunched workout method in that you can work your entire body, if you want to, in just four-minute increments. It may seem too good to be true, but “the short duration of a Tabata workout increases a person’s willingness to complete it and the possibility to build the habit and do it regularly,” says Watkins. Shorter durations also means less stress on the body. WORKOUT 1 Do each exercise for 4 minutes (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, 8 sets), then move on to next exercise. Kettlebell Swing High Knee Triceps Dip V-up or Jackknife WORKOUT 2 Do each exercise for 4 minutes (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, 8 sets), then move on to next exercise. Pushups Squat to Overhead Presses Burpees…

In an EMOM, you execute a specific exercise every time the clock hits :00 for a certain number of reps; then rest for the remainder of the minute. “It’s body-changing because it is structured to manage muscle fatigue, avoid muscular failure, and implement progressive overload,” says Watkins. It also means you can go at your own pace within the interval—although we bet you’ll try to go quickly to get in more rest! WORKOUT 1 5 MIN. EMOM Use medium to heavy dumbbells and kettlebells. WORKOUT 2 10 MIN. EMOM EVENS: 10 Box Jumps ODDS: 10 Pushups MINUTE 1: Bunny Hop (hands behind head), 15 reps MINUTE 2: Kettlebell Swing, 10 reps MINUTE 3: Switch Lunge, 20 sec. MINUTE 4: Bear Crawl, 20 sec. MINUTE 5: Deadlift to Biceps Curl, 10…