Muscle & Fitness Hers South Africa November - December 2019

NEW CHAPTERS… I’m sure we’re all ready to see the backside of all the political adverts that have been clogging up the airwaves and street poles over the past couple of weeks. As much as we may not be looking forward to the queues at the voting stations I can’t help but reflect on what an election represents, the possibility of something new. There is a certain feeling of excitement about the uncertainty of something new, the unknown, the journey you’re about to embark upon, be it a new relationship, that job you’ve always wanted, maybe it’s a new form of working out that you haven’t done before, but there are new opportunities and chances to write more chapters in our own autobiographies whenever we look for them. It’s also…

NUTRITION OPTIMUM NUTRITION NATURALLY FLAVOURED OATS AND WHEY Oats and whey are foundational elements of any athlete’s diet. Oats are a complex carbohydrate providing energy to support strength and endurance training. Whey is a rapidly digested complete protein with all the essential amino acids to help support muscle recovery. By combining whole oat flour with whey isolate and whey concentrate, we’ve created an easy-to-mix nutritional powerhouse that frees you from the hassle of making this stack in an electric blender. We think you‘ll agree that our Naturally Flavoured Oats and Whey shake is a lot smoother to drink, too. All you need to mix one up is a glass and spoon. optimumnutrition.com NUTRITION USN TRUST CRUNCH BAR UK The ideal light meal or snack replacement bar. Trust Crunch bars contain…

Summer started with a bang this year in some parts of South Africa, with temperatures soring into the 30 degrees early September already. There is only a couple of weeks left to December and bikinis in abundance. In this issue of HERS we are going to give you some great workout tips to shape up your glutes. Our Cover Feature is Australian beauty queen, fitness competitor and entrepreneur Courtney Barber. She is always on the go and has some great advice for our HERS readers how to keep your health and fitness routine on track.…

WHAT’S THE KEY TO GETTING A CURVED, firm, and totally tight backside? A full-scale attack on the muscles. “Your glutes respond best when they are targeted from different angles and movement patterns,” says Hers technical adviser Gino Caccavale. This multiangled approach goes far beyond traditional squats to target your abductors (outer hips) as well as your glutes, so you’re lifting and toning all the lower posterior muscles for a rounded, more symmetrical look. IFBB bikini pro Ana Delia De Iturrondo shows us how she helps keep her enviable lower half in top shape! WIDE UP AND BACK BOUNDING WORKS: GLUTES, THIGHS; BUILDS EXPLOSIVE STRENGTH › Stand in an open area, feet hip-distance apart. Squat down, bringing fists in front of chin and keeping weight over heels. › Explosively make two…

AVOIDING DEAD BUTT SYNDROME This preventable condition results when your glute muscles don’t function properly together. HERE’S HOW IT WORKS If you experience severe hip pain during and after running, or tend to shift the majority of your weight to one hip, you may suffer from gluteus medius tendinosis, aka “dead butt syndrome”. Your three gluteal muscles are all attached to the pelvis. If the larger gluteus maximus becomes weak, the smaller gluteus medius muscle takes on a workload it can’t handle, causing inflammation, damage, and pain. HOW DO YOU FIX IT? Left untreated, your knees, Achilles tendons, calves, and feet may be affected as they try to compensate for the pain and inflammation, so see a sports therapist for treatment. The syndrome can be reversed by consistently exercising the…

1 LYING STRETCH Lie on back with legs straight and hands by sides. Bend left leg, holding leg behind knee. Gently pull knee into chest. Try to keep your head and shoulders on the floor during the stretch. 2 FIGURE-FOUR STRETCH Lie on back with feet flat on the floor. Cross left ankle over right knee. Place hands behind right thigh and pull right leg toward you, keeping head and shoulders on the floor. Release the stretch; switch sides. 3 PRIMAL SQUAT STRETCH Stand barefoot with feet hip-width apart. Slowly squat down until thighs are resting against calves and shoulders are between knees. Keep heels flat on the floor and head up. Hold in that position for 30 seconds. If you are new to this stretch, try…