Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2024 i Muscle & Fitness Hers South Africa

What was it that got you into obstacle course racing? I kind of got pulled into it because my ex-boyfriend wanted to try it out. I won my first race [in 2013] by 20 minutes, and I was like, “This is so dumb—there are no real athletes in this sport.” But then I went to the States [from Canada] and started doing races and started not winning. That got me hooked. I was like, “I guess that this isn’t as easy as I thought it was.” Spartan Races require full-body strength and lots of endurance. How do you train for them? I train a lot with marathoners in New York City to improve my aerobic engine. In the evenings, I’m in the gym lifting really, really heavy [weights], doing short…

• PERSONAL TRAINING is a huge business, and it’s only getting bigger. In 2016, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that there were 300,000 “fitness trainers and instructors” and that the field was expected to grow by 10% between 2016 and 2026. Not to mention that Instagram and YouTube have given way to a slew of influencers, many of whom sell programs to their millions of loyal followers. With so many options, it can be tough to know who is worth your hard-earned cheddar. So to help you find the ideal muscle guru, we’ve consulted a pair of experienced personal trainers, grilled them on what makes a good trainer (and a good client, more on that at right), and then came up with this five-point checklist. You’re welcome. TRAINER TELLS…

SHRIMP & PEA SALAD SERVES 2 1 lb frozen, cooked, and peeled shrimp ½ cup Persian cucumbers, sliced ¼ inch thick 1 cup frozen peas Sea salt ½ cup halved grape tomatoes 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 3 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 tsp balsamic vinegar 1 tsp minced garlic 2 pinches dry oregano 3 pinches black pepper 8 cups mesclun or spring mix greens 1. Place unopened frozen shrimp in cold water or leave in the refrigerator overnight until thawed. When ready to eat, rinse the thawed shrimp in a colander with cold water and allow to drain. 2. In a bowl, mix together all ingredients except mesclun. 3. Place mesclun in a serving dish and top with the shrimp mixture. NUTRITION 510 calories, 32g protein, 45g carbs, 25g…

NUTRITION FAST FEAST AVOCADO & FARRO HARVEST BUDDHA BOWL SERVES 4 ½ lb brussels sprouts, halved ¼ cup olive oil ¾ tsp salt ¾ tsp pepper ½ lb shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1 tbsp chopped thyme 3 tbsp lemon juice 2 tbsp tahini paste ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tsp lemon zest ¼ tsp ground cumin 1 cup farro, cooked 1 avocado, sliced 1 cup alfalfa sprouts ⅓ cup toasted pumpkin seeds 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 2. Toss together brussels sprouts, 2 tbsp olive oil, and ¼ tsp each salt and pepper. Transfer to parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, or until tender and lightly charred in spots. 3. Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium heat.…

• AMANDA LAWRENCE not only took first at the women’s -84kg open class at this year’s IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships—she did it in style, breaking three world records with a 536-pound squat, 556-pound deadlift, and 1,352-pound total. Not bad for a 22-year-old with only three and a half years of training. She’d go on to tie that total to win the 84kg weight class at the USA Powerlifting’s Raw Nationals in October. Here’s her take on training, mindset, and social media. NATURAL TALENT I had never trained the squat, bench, or deadlift before my first meet in June 2016. Then I started training the January before. I squatted every day for four months, and I ended up breaking the American junior squat record. NEVER SETTLE To win Worlds was…

FITNESS 10-MINUTE WORKOUT • PERFORM THIS workout before your next feast to help mitigate the calorie-palooza and redirect those macronutrients to your muscles rather than your fat stores. First, you’ll do three compound moves. (Start light and increase weight each set.) Then you’ll do an intense five-minute cardio session to raise your metabolic rate for the next few hours. Then feast away. BURN IT OFF THE CHEAT MEAL WORKOUT GOT 10 MINUTES? That’s all the time you need to help ward off disaster before you eat your cheat.…

FITNESS CARDIO • YOU’RE FAMILIAR with the standard cardio players—the treadmill (both motorized and nonmotorized); the spin, recumbent, and Airdyne bikes; and the StairMaster— but we’d like to introduce you to a lesser-known member of the roster: the SkiErg. Released by Concept2 (the same company that invented the popular Concept2 Rower, or Erg) in 2009, the SkiErg emulates the double-pole technique used by Nordic skiers. The user stands in front of the towerlike machine and grabs a handle in each hand. Then she uses her full body to pull the “poles” down before butterflying her arms back up to smoothly transition into another rep. The result is an upper-body-heavy cardio sesh that’s easy on the joints and, according to Equinox trainer Dan Daly, C.S.C.S., promotes postural health. “The SkiErg can…

SUPP SPOTLIGHT NUTRITION • WOMEN HAVE different needs than men—especially when it comes to nutrition—but most supplements on the market are designed with men in mind. Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals CEO Jared Wheat and his fiancée, Megan Flores, are changing that. Together, they are rebranding and relaunching Top Secret Nutrition to become one of the leading names in supplements tailored specifically to women in all walks of their fitness journey. “A lot of brands are catered toward people who are already in the fitness industry, and we wanted to cater to soccer moms and professionals who are more on-the-go,” says Flores, who serves as the COO for Top Secret. TARGETED NUTRITION Flores and Wheat found that women had different priorities when choosing supplements. They wanted less stimulants and more targeted nutrients for…

T HE ROAD TO THE TOP OF WWE wasn’t? an overnight trip for Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins, who have become two of sports entertainment’s most popllar attractions. And perhaps this sharffll affinity for grinding it out in the ring explains why Lynch and Rollins (real names Rebecca Quinn and Colby Lopez) gravitated toward each other outside of the ring as well. Last May, when their relationship was revealed to the public, the WWE Universe swooned at the news. It just seemed to make sense: The crimsonhaired Lynch is the first woman to hold the Raw Women’s Championship and SmackDown Women’s Championship simultaneously. And “Beast Slayer” Rollins is the WWE Universal Champion and the winner of the 2019 Royal Rumble. Both are beloved by the WWE Universe, which regularly sends the…

EVERY BODY HAS A STORY. Massy Arias’ insanely chiseled physique is a story of strength but also one of perseverance, helping her overcome the odds and become an Instagram-famous fitness guru with millions of followers—2.6 million and counting—including celeb stans SZA and Chris Hemsworth. Even her tats tell tales. “I have a koi on my right side going upstream, which symbolizes me going through a hard time but still pushing through,” Arias says, referencing the intricate fish ink next to her sculpted six-pack. “The lady on my shoulder? That’s my mom looking over my heart.” Formerly known on social media as MankoFit, Arias has built up an impressive body of work that includes a CoverGirl endorsement, a Fabletics collection, a supplement line, an in-the-works book, and a brand-new fitness app,…

THE GUIDE DESPITE WHAT YOUR high school gym led you to believe, there’s more than one type of barbell. These days, the better gyms feature a range of options—some specific to certain lifts, others more versatile. It’s enough to make your head spin. But with a little knowledge and some quality time handling the bars, you can take your workouts to the next level. Here, we’ll run through a baker’s dozen of barbells, from triedand-true bars you’ll find in your standard big-box gyms to some seriously innovative newer options. We’ve also enlisted Brandon Smitley, a competitive powerlifter and co-owner of Thirst gym in Terre Haute, IN, to provide his expert tips on mastering each type of barbell. DEADLIFT BAR A deadlift bar has more whip—or flex—than a conventional bar. It’s…

The buzzword(s) at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is human-like. Systems like Mercedes’ MBUX and BMW’s Artificial Personal Assistant have tried to incorporate a growing list of commands but they’ve always been flat-footed on certain keywords and robotic-like phrases. The emergence of language-processing tools with Artificial Intelligence, like Chat GPT, imbues them with the potential to consider, interpret, correct, and learn, thereby adding wider bandwidth to each interaction. And do all this in a more human-like response. Closely behind that was the emphasis on safety with many predicting that most cars will come standard with a minimum level 1 and level 2 assistance systems by 2030. And not to be outdone, wearable tech and mixed reality are nearly ready transport us to the meta-verse It’s a…

PERSONALITIES WINNING WORKOUT • AT AN age when many of us couldn’t imagine doing a cartwheel, 41-year-old Ryall Graber continues to defy Father Time. The 2018 Fitness Olympia runner-up earned two major titles in 2019: the Fitness International and Arnold Classic Australia Fitness show. One of the 5’4”, 125-pound Canadian native’s keys to success is her giant-set-focused training, which she uses to keep her metabolism healthy as she scales back cardio. “I get to eat more closer to a show because my metabolism is so healthy, which means I feel better and leads to winning all around,” Graber says. CRANKING UP THE BURN “Mixing intervals with giant sets increases my metabolism, burns more calories during and after training than standard steady-state cardio and weight workouts, and increases fat loss,” Graber…

• AT 24 YEARS OLD, Emily Shah has already compiled an impressive résumé. She’s a trained dancer and a theater veteran and was named Miss New Jersey in 2014. She’s also served as an assistant on the sets of blockbuster films like Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Fast & Furious 7. But it’s her latest project that she considers her big break—and the one about which she’s the most passionate and proud. SPREADING THE WORD Shah stars in Jungle Cry, a film based on a true story about a group of amazing teens who never got the glory they deserved—but she hopes to help change that. “They were a group of boys from slums in rural India, some of them are orphans, and they were at a school where…

• IF THERE’S ONE THING Derek Hansen knows, it’s how to help athletes oppose gravity. No, he’s not showing them how to float in midair. But for three decades the top sprint coach has been helping elite competitors in the NFL, NBA, and NCAA oppose the natural force—all in the name of getting faster. “Gravity pulls us to the ground, so my job is to [teach you how to] oppose it in the best way possible by limiting friction,” he says. Hansen likens it to an inflated ball, full of air and able to fly and bounce farther, while a deflated ball won’t move nearly as efficiently. “[When sprinting], you need to put a lot of force into the ground, but also be elastic and bouncy to get back off…

FITNESS CORE FOCUS • AS THE NAME IMPLIES, instability training involves training on an unstable surface, most often using a piece of equipment such as a Bosu ball or a Swiss ball. According to research published in the Sports Health journal, instability training is frequently used for performance enhancement, rehabilitation, and overall musculoskeletal health. The idea is to strengthen the core and trunk muscles and, in some cases, to prepare athletes to train on unstable surfaces such as sand. Instability exercises may be body-weight in nature—like standing on a wobble board to improve your balance—or can involve resistance. In both cases, you can look forward to stronger abs, obliques, and lower back. But what does the science say? One study found that exercises performed under unstable conditions increased trunk muscle…

“THIS MOLECULE IS NOT UNIQUE TO THE CANNABIS PLANT.” CBD COMES FROM MARIJUANA, RIGHT? Wrong. Cannabidiol is in a class of chemical compounds called cannabinoids and is found in many plants like hops, black pepper, and echinacea—not just marijuana—that can also be made naturally in the body, says Bomi Joseph, Ph.D., director of the Peak Health Foundation and noted plant compound researcher. “This molecule is not unique to the cannabis plant, but it may not be economically feasible to get out of other plants because the levels are too low.” WHAT DOES CBD DO? CBD binds to receptors in the body and regulates your immune system, which helps with its functioning and the healing process. CBD can tamp down inflammation and speed up tissue recovery. Research has also shown that…