Muscle & Fitness Hers South Africa September - October 2020

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EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN SPECIAL STORY ABOUT HOW THEY GOT INVOLVED IN HEALTH AND FITNESS. COULD YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY? Nine years ago, I was looking for something new. I was discontent and wanted to pour my heart and soul into something. I realize now that I was looking for my passion. One day, an acquaintance showed me a picture of herself in a bikini on the day of her fitness competition. I was completely blown away. Instantly, I knew that I wanted to achieve what she achieved. The body, the look – what could be more exciting?! Within one week, I picked out a show in Los Angeles, selected a nutritionist and trainer, and I went in with complete…

“FITNESS EMPOWERS ME. EVERY OTHER ASPECT OF MY LIFE FALLS INTO PLACE WHEN I AM TRAINING.” IT’S NOT EASY getting a body like Madonna—at 57, she’s got the strength, stamina, and muscle tone of a fit woman half her age. Her intense work ethic plays a big part, but her personal trainer, Craig Smith, also gets credit for keeping her fit and energized. “Our workouts are designed to support what she does onstage, which means a mix of endurance, flexibility and mobility, stability, balance, and resistance training,” says Smith, who is also the creative director of Hard Candy Fitness, a chain of fitness studios created by Madonna in 2010. The pop icon, who kicks off her 42-city Rebel Heart worldwide tour this month, regularly follows workouts like this fast and…

Reverse Crunch to Heels Up Lie faceup on floor with legs extended, feet lifted above hips and flexed. Keep arms at sides with palms down. Using your lower abdominals, lift your hips off the floor, bringing heels toward ceiling. Slowly lower back down and repeat for a total of 30 seconds. Hands Back with Knee Tucks Sit on the floor with legs extended, knees slightly bent. Place hands behind you, palms down below shoulders and elbows bent behind you. Lift heels and lean back, engaging abdominals. Pull knees into chest. Extend legs forward, keeping them about 45 degrees to floor. Pull legs back to chest and repeat for a total of 30 seconds. Side Plank with Hip Drive Lie on right side with shoulders, hips and legs stacked, right forearm…

MARIA V., STOCKTON, CA “I’m a 44-year-old grandmother. I’m weigh about 68 kilos. I work out three days a week, focusing on the upper body. My goal is to lose weight and sculpt muscle all over.” OUR EXPERT SAYS Congrats on being such an active grandmother! You’re working out often enough to meet your weight loss and muscle development goals but need to focus on the quality of your training and nutrition. For workouts, try to include compound (multijoint) exercises for upper and lower body, done at a high enough intensity that you feel fully fatigued by the end of each set. Progression is critical: Every four weeks, increase the weight while hitting the rep counts outlined here. To help keep your diet on track, use a food log. I…

THE MOST overlooked — and underrated — cardio machine in the gym just might be the indoor rower. Also known as an ergometer (or “erg” among enthusiasts), the rower offers a high-intensity, full-body burn: A 64 kilogram woman rowing at a good pace can blast 119 calories in only 15 minutes. “Rowing is multifaceted in its benefits—there is virtually no impact, it can be as intense as you want, and it’s versatile enough for any fitness level,” says Arielle Childs, a fitness instructor. Many think of rowing as primarily an upper-body work-out, but it actually works the entire body, including your upper back, shoulders, arms, core, glutes, hips, and especially legs. Before you hop on a machine and start pulling, keep in mind that form is the key to getting…