Muscle & Fitness Hers South Africa August 2024

JENNIFER RONZITTI @ JENRONFIT | IFBB BIKINI PRO “This routine helps achieve definition while keeping the waist small and tight. Everything is done with body weight — so you can do it anywhere. All exercises should be performed with a 2-0-2 tempo [two seconds to perform movement, zero seconds at the top of the movement, two seconds to return to neutral]. Rest 20 to 30 seconds between each set.” STABILITY BALL CRUNCH: (3x25–30) Place ball on the small of your back and crunch up, lightly supporting head with hands. RUNNER CRUNCH: (3x20 PER SIDE) Lie face-up with legs extended, right arm next to head. Sit up, bringing right elbow to front of right leg; at the same time, bend left knee toward chest. Lower; switch sides and repeat. STRAIGHT-LEG RAISE:…

TRAINING MRAININGMOVEMENT MECHANICS • THE PUSH PRESS is an often-overlooked exercise by many that, if done correctly, can help build a ridiculously strong and balanced upper body. Compared with a standard military press, the leg drive used in this move also allows you to use more weight and get a greater muscular response. Unfortunately, most people don't do it right. Here are five reasons you might be struggling with the exercise — and how to perfect your form. 1 YOUR KNEES SHOOT FORWARD If your knees shoot forward when you dip, your hips may not drop straight down to transfer maximal force. Push your knees outward, as with a squat, to power back up. 2 BAR PLACEMENT IS WRONG The bar should rest on your shoulders and clavicle. This lines…

• BUILD LOWER-BODY strength, increase power, and rev your metabolism with this all-in-one plyo move — the pop squat. There's no equipment required, so you can do it anywhere, anytime. And there's one more bonus this exercise gives you that you won't get in other plyometric squats. “Since you have to cross your legs as you jump up, you'll activate the inner thigh muscles more than you would with a regular squat”, says trainer Cari Shoemate, founder of Houston's Bombshell Bootcamp in the US. Add three to four sets of 10 to 12 reps into your next leg day to round out your strength session or use pop squats at the end of any workout for a high-intensity cardio burst. Shoemate has clients do 40 to 50 reps to blast…

• FITNESS TRENDS are always changing, adapting and constantly evolving. HERS decided to scope the fitness scene for new and super creative exercise classesthat'll sculpt your whole body in unexpected and amazing ways helping you to get fit and trim in no time at all. NATIONWIDE SUSPENSION YOGA AND POUND ■ Yoga originated over 5000 years ago and is one of the oldest art forms and rituals where mind, body and soul is connected. But as with most practices, yoga has evolved over time and the new kid on the block is Suspension Yoga. It's a combination of traditional yoga poses, Pilates and aerial acrobatics performed with the aid of a hammock suspended from the ceiling. Suspension Yoga provides a full body workout and with the support of the hammock…

• CARDIO DOESN'T just have to be performed on a treadmill or a spin bike. In fact, you can burn a lot more calories and launch your heart rate into the stratosphere by incorpo rating metabolic training tools. “Using equipment like battle ropes, tyres, sledgehammers, sleds, and plyo boxes recruits a large amount of muscles, so you are working at a very high intensity and burning a ton of calories”, says Megan Dahlman, owner of USbased Dahlman Elite Training Systems. Bonus: You'll keep burning more calories even after your workout is done, since these metabolic workouts tend to create higher levels of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), aka afterburn. That means your body has to work harder to get back to its natural resting state, so it burns a higher…

NUTRITION CLEAN KITCHEN Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies MAKES: 15 COOKIES INGREDIENTS • 100g rolled oats • 100g plain white flour • 150g crunchy peanut butter • 120ml honey 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 egg, beaten • 60g dark chocolate chips DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 190°C. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a large bowl, combine oats and flour. In a separate bowl, combine peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and egg; add to the flour mixture and mix together until dough is smooth and fairly stiff. Fold in chocolate chips, reserving a few. 3. Roll dough into 15 balls, approximately 3cm in diameter. Place balls on cookie sheet, then flatten lightly with hand. Gently press remaining chocolate chips on top. 4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes,…