Muscle & Fitness Hers South Africa September 2024

• TRAINING SEASON for baring your bikini body is in full swing. That's why we asked IFBB pro and trainer Julie Lohre to craft the ultimate eight-week summer slim-down exercise plan just for you. We're kick-starting your tone-it-up task with full-body workouts and unconventional exercise moves four days a week, using only dumbbells and a variety of balls—Bosu, medicine, stability—that you'll find at any gym or have at home. Modeled by MuscleTech athlete Jenna Reneé Webb, this plan will improve not only your range of motion and target your core from nearly every direction, but it'll also work deep into stabilizing muscles, giving you impressive results. Stick to it and you'll be amazed what eight weeks of dedication will do! PHASE 1 WEEKS 1-4 Monday: Legs, delts, plus 20 minutes…

MONDAY LEGS & DELTS REST: 15 SECONDS BETWEEN EACH SET, 1 MINUTE BETWEEN EACH EXERCISE FOOT-ELEVATED SB BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT (3 SETS OF 10 ON EACH LEG) SB HAMSTRING CURL-IN (3 SETS OF 15) DUMBBELL LATERAL RAISE PULSE (3 SETS OF 25) Holding dumbbells out to your sides, pulse arms up and down using your delts and holding your core tight. DUMBBELL SIDE SQUAT WITH FRONT RAISE (3 SETS OF 10—RIGHT AND LEFT COUNT FOR 1 REP) SB CRUNCHES WITH ARMS EXTENDED (BEHIND YOUR HEAD) (3 SETS OF 20) End this workout with 20 minutes on the stepper. REVERSE LUNGE WITH OVERHEAD DUMBBELL PRESS (3 SETS OF 10 ON EACH LEG) • Stand with feet at hip width holding dumbbells at your sides. Step your right foot back three to four…

MONDAY LEGS & ARMS REST: 30 SECONDS BETWEEN EACH SET, 1 MINUTE BETWEEN EACH EXERCISE BARBELL SQUAT (3 SETS OF 12) FOOT-ELEVATED SB BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT (3 SETS OF 15 ON EACH LEG) • Place the top of your left foot on a stability ball and your right foot about three to four feet forward, hands on your hips or holding dumbbells. Lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Make sure your front knee does not go past your toes. TRICEPS BENCH DIP WITH FEET ON SB (3 SETS OF 12) 45-DEGREE ALTERNATING DUMBBELL CURL (3 SETS OF 10) SB FOOT-ELEVATED PLANK KNEE-IN (3 SETS OF 15) REVERSE LUNGE WITH DUMBBELL CURL (3 SETS OF 10 EACH LEG) DUMBBELL TRICEPS KICKBACK (3 SETS OF 12 EACH…

• DON'T SABOTAGE ALL YOUR HARD WORK IN THE GYM: If you want to lean out and still feel great, your diet is crucial to success. After all, if you don't have the right levels of essential nutrients, it will be tough to build lean muscle while losing fat. That doesn't mean starving yourself, either—eating too little puts your metabolism into slow-mo as your body holds on to every calorie it can. These meals will fuel all your workouts during the eight weeks while helping you cut body fat. Feel free to mix and match your menu as you see fit. The meals follow a 40-30-30 formula of carbs-protein-fat. Take in a little more calories on active days, and drop some when you're recovering to keep your metabolism from slowing…

1 Eat often. Try to space your meals so you don't go more than about three hours without eating. Doing so will ensure that your sugar levels stay steady and your metabolism is consistently fuelled, avoiding dips and hunger pangs. A typical day might include a breakfast, midmorning snack, lunch, midafternoon snack, dinner, and then an after-dinner snack or dessert. At night, focus more on proteins, such as eggs and chicken, healthy fats like avocado, and vegetables and less on carbs. 2 Drink up. In addition to regular meals, make sure you're adequately hydrated. Aim for at least two liters of water daily, in addition to other drinks you may have, like herbal tea or coffee. Space out your intake so you're constantly sipping throughout the day. 3 Refuel promptly.…

PULSE HEALTHY EATS ASK THE EXPERTS • WHEN MUSCLE GAINS ARE YOUR AIM, you likely think about protein and carbs. But don't ignore the other key macronutrient. “Fats make up steroid hormones in the body, like estrogen and testosterone, and if a diet skimps on fat, hormone production can be disrupted,” says Jennifer McDaniel, R.D.N., a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Interfere with testosterone in particular, and your body's ability to build muscle will be compromised. Having a small amount of fat about one to two hours pre-exercise will help provide sustainable energy and even out your blood sugar. Though your recovery snack should focus on carbs to restore glycogen levels and protein to rebuild muscles, a tablespoon of coconut oil in a post-workout smoothie may help prevent…