oxygen - october 2014 usa.pdf
TRANSCRIPT
CREATE THE BODY YOU WANT IN JUST 8 MOVES
MEALS THAT BOOST
MUSCLE GROWTH
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT TYPE
AUTUMNCALABRESE
The bodybehind
21 Day Fix®
Oxygen exclusive:JAMIE EASON’S 15-MINUTE CIRCUITpg. 40
Please display until 10/21/14
oxygen
mag
.com
OCTOBER. 2014 US $5.99
KEY BUILDING BLOCKS TO MORE MUSCLE
MORE ENERGY BETTER WORKOUTS, LESS FAT!
AMAZING SURPRISERECOVERY FOOD pg. 35
Team BeastTM AthleteKatie Chung Hua
the professional strength thermogenic weight loss complex that helps the body get lean five
ENERGIZEDGET
FATBURN
™
© 1995 - 2014 Beast Sports Nutrition. All Rights Reserved
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
NOX-IP2 ©2014 BSN® For best results supplements should be taken as directed over time, at maximum dosage in conjunction with a healthy diet and regular exercise program. Results may vary.
TEAM BSN ATHLETE India Paulino
IFBB Pro Bikini Competitor
For more information and special offers, visit:
www.BSNPUSH.com
THE ORIGINAL PRE-WORKOUT IGNITER. RE-ENGINEERED.Fuel your body with advanced ingredient technology
to help push you past your previous limits.
EXPLOSIVE ENERGY ENHANCED ENDURANCE MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE
PerformanceDriven INTRODUCING THE
LINE FROM DYMATIZE®
DESIGNED TO HELP YOU MEET AND EXCEED YOUR FITNESS GOALS.
Ignite your training with this university-proven pre-workout. It provides caffeine for quick, sustained energy; creatine to support burst and strength; and beta-alanine and BCAAs to support improved endurance.
01 M.P.ACTPRE ANYTIME
Take this to increase your endurance during your workout. Instantly soluble BCAAs minimize muscle breakdown and initiate muscle repair. Electrolytes, L-taurine, and L-citrulline support hydration, energy, and circulation.
02 AMINO PROPOST
Only one scoop needed for faster muscle rebuilding, recovery, and growth. The 7g of BCAAs, 2.4g of whey protein isolate, plus HICA and KIC combine to trigger muscle protein synthesis and help minimize muscle protein breakdown.
03 M·P·S
M.P.ACT, Amino Pro, and M·P·S have been specially formulated to fuel your training, amplify your endurance through your workout, and accelerate
your fi tness gains. Work harder. Recover quicker. Reach your goals faster.
YOUR AMBITION. OUR NUTRITION.TM
© 2014 DYMATIZE. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease. As individuals vary, so will results.
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 20148
on the coveramazing surprise recovery food p. 35
jamie eason middleton’s 15-minute circuit p. 40
create the body you want in just 8 moves p. 54
meals that boost muscle growth p. 60
key building blocks to more muscle p. 72
more energy, better workouts, less fat! p. 80
autumn calabrese p. 86
not all cardio is equal p.92
your training
29one-on-oneLet Oxygen be your personal trainer.
30 fitness news The latest scoop.
54 half & halfTry a classic upper/lower-body training split to sculpt a lean, mean body.
66 take a hike Hiking is a great way to blast calories in the great outdoors while challenging your leg muscles in new ways.
74 six-pack renovationOur challenging ab workout can be done anywhere with mini-mum equipment for maximum results.
86 target your rear viewFitness infomercial star Autumn Calabrese shares how to boost your booty.
92 slow and steady If you do nothing but interval training, you’re missing out on the benefits of old- fashioned cardio.
Sculpt great legs on a hike!
Cover photo by Cory Sorensen Hair and makeup by Nancy
Jambazian Fitness clothing by Elisabetta Rogiani
your health
36health news News you can use.
38 mind & body news Shape up your brain by combining some meditation with your physical training.
40 in the spotlightJamie Eason Middleton shares how motherhood has changed her outlook, as well as how she shed the pregnancy pounds.
98 success story A decade ago, Kyra Williams was eating her way through bags of chips and fast food. Today, the “Get in Shape Girl” is growing her own personal training empire.
supplements
72 sustained energy, plus!If you want your body composition to consist of less fat and more muscle, BCAAs may be what you’re looking for.
102 supplement review Take a look at some of the latest products.
66
october 2014
48
74
Pumpkin power!
Target your core
OCTOBER 2014 . OXYGENMAG.COM ‹ 9
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201410
in every issue
17advisory board
20 in the moment
22 from the editor
24contributors
44raise the bar
50fit gear
100rising stars
nutrition & fat loss
32 nutrition news We feed your need to know what to eat.
42 how she fuels No matter which of her many jobs she’s work-ing, IFBB Figure pro Candice Lewis always makes time to eat right.
46 smart snacking This sweet, creamy pudding recipe is loaded with protein and calcium, a key combo for muscle-minded women.
48 shake up your day Our energizing smoothie recipe uses pumpkin and cinnamon for fall- festival flavor.
60 super easy seafoodTry these four simple, tasty recipes to get more protein-packed fish into your diet.
october 2014
60
80
let’s share
12 oxygenmag.com
26 feedback
106 #oxygenexhale
Protein-packed meals!
Find the foods that are key
building blocks to a great body
80 eat to grow lean muscleLearn how to get your food to work for you. It’s easy with our meal plan!
96 fat loss bonusLooking for a new high-intensity workout? Try these kickboxing drills.
50
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
llllllll
llllllll
lllllllllllllllllllllllllllBurn fat with Oxygen’s heart-pumping workout, Page 96
OCTOBER 2014 . OXYGENMAG.COM ‹ 11
Passion for Performance Check out fitness model, Figure competitor and MHP-sponsored athlete Sarah Grace’s new blog, Passion for Performance, on oxygenmag.com. Sarah shares tons of great nutrition, motivation and performance tips just for you!
keep in touch Tell us
what you like about this
issue and let us know
what we can do better.
Tag us in your posts
@oxygenmag and you
could be featured here!
PHO
TO B
Y CO
RY S
ORE
NSE
N
#OxygenExhaleWhat is your fitness inspiration?
Whether it’s your favorite pair of
running shoes, a walk with your
dog or kids or a quiet moment on
your yoga mat, we want to see
what inspires you. Share it with us
on Instagram or Tweet to us using
the hashtag #oxygenexhale and
your photo could be featured in
an upcoming issue of Oxygen!
Hey, Oxygen
readers: Post,
pin, tag and tweet us. We want to con-nect with you
online!
Want more oxygen?Go to our website for more training, nutrition and exclusive blogs. We also have up-to-the-minute news on health and fitness. Here’s a small taste of what we have in cyberspace in October.
trending online On Facebook: We asked you what your go-to meal is
for breakfast. Oatmeal is hands down the most popular
food. Kristin Fox’s favorite breakfast is steel-cut oatmeal
with strawberries and walnuts and a little unsweetened
almond coconut milk. Greek yogurt is another quick and
easy breakfast, but you’re a big-time fan of eggs, too.
Novara Alma chows on eggs and turkey bacon. “I prefer
savory breakfasts over sweet. But if I’m in a rush after my
morning workout, I’ll grab a protein shake and a banana
to go.” Laura Cox Witherington says, “Two eggs, usually
over easy. Anything else and I’m hungry before I even get
to work!” On Instagram: When the temperature drops, it can
be hard to stick with our fitness routines. It gets harder
to get out of bed on those crisp mornings, so we want to
know how you stay motivated! Snap a photo of your fall
fitness routine and share it with us on Instagram using the
hashtag #fallfitness and your photo could be featured in
a future issue! On Pinterest: Looking for new exercises to work your
glutes? Take a look at our Glute Training board for ideas!
Plus, we’re constantly adding new boards packed with
tons of great exercises and recipes.
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @oxygenmagazine JOIN US ON facebook.com/oxygenmag HASHTAG US ON INSTAGRAM #OxygenMagazine VISIT US ONLINE oxygenmag.com or youtube.com/oxymagazine VISIT US ON PINTEREST /oxygenmag EMAIL US [email protected]
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201412
oxygenmag.comontheweb
AVERAGE ONLYHAS RIPPED JEANS
*When used in conjunction with an exercise program. ^8 products in 1 is based on the count of standalone products the customer would need to purchase to obtain the ingredients and blends provided in each pack.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Call 1.800.477.4462 or visit GNC.com
for the store nearest you. ©2014 General Nutrition Corporation. May not be available outside the U.S.
LEARN MORE AT GNC.COM/GENETIXHD
Fuel the ultimate physiqueBreakthrough 8-in-1 body-chiseling Vitapak® Program*^ fuels extreme energy and focus, enhanced strength and workout performance, plus superior muscle recovery and joint support
Jump-StartWeight Loss with the#1 Selling Diet Product*
We’ve all experienced it before; that fi rst week of a new diet where your body fi ghts against you.
Your energy disappears.
You feel cranky.
And the entire time you cross your fi ngers that it’s all going to be worth it as you deny those constant cravings.
So instead, hit the RESET BUTTON with RAW Fit.
WHAT IS RAW FIT™?RAW Fit from Garden of Life® is a easy way to increase your
protein intake, and satisfy hunger. RAW Fit has a whopping 28g
of USDA Certifi ed Organic, RAW, plant-based, vegan protein.
It is delicious and mixes great with your favorite food or beverage.
RAW Fit has also received the coveted Certifi ed for Sport status
by Informed Choice. Bottom line, RAW Fit helps you burn fat,
maintain healthy blood sugar, boost your energy, lose weight and
look great!†
For our complete RAW Fit Jump-Start Plan including meal plans, RAW Fit recipes, exercises and more, visit
www.GardenofLife.com/rawfit
*SPINSscan Natural 12 weeks ending 9/28/2013
Burn Fat & Build Lean Muscle with 28g RAW, Plant-based Protein†
Support Healthy Metabolism & Blood Sugar with RAW Food-Created Chromium and RAW Organic Cinnamon†
Fight Carb Cravings with RAW Organic Ashwagandha†
Naturally Filling & Satisfi es Hunger with Fiber from RAW Organic Flaxseeds and African Baobab Fruit†
Here’s the Breakdown:SECRETS TO RAW FIT SUCCESS
SECRET #1:
RAW FIT has 28g of USDA Certifi ed Organic, soy free, plant-based protein.
SECRET #2:
RAW Fit contains 400mg of RAW Svetol®—a clinically researched green coffee bean extract supporting lean body mass and minimizing fat storage.†
SECRET #3:
When your body is under stress, it craves sugar. RAW Fit contains 300mg of RAW Organic Ashwagandha to deliver meaningful support in the fi ght against stress.†
SECRET #4:
Chromium supports fat and carbohydrate metabolism. Cinnamon helps maintain healthy blood sugar.†
Everything You Want® Project
VER I FI E Dnongmoproject.org
GMO
Nothing You Don’tNo animal proteins which can include undesirable added hormones like rGBH, and be de-natured by high heat treatmentNo toxic pesticides, herbicides, anitibiotics or genetically modifi ed ingredientsNo added sugars like glucose, fructose, etc.No soy, gluten or dairy
Lose Weight & Boost Energy with RAW Svetol®†
BURN FAT AND BUILD MUSCLE WITH HIGH QUALITY PLANT-BASED PROTEIN†
LOSE WEIGHT WITH CLINICALLY STUDIED RAW SVETOL®†
MANAGE STRESS CRAVINGS WITH RAW ORGANIC ASHWAGANDHA†
MAINTAIN HEALTHY BLOOD SUGAR WITH RAW CHROMIUM AND RAW ORGANIC CINNAMON†
LOW GLYCEMICNO ADDED SUGARINDEX
© 2014 LIFTAGSPORT READ ALL LABELS BEFORE USING
ENTER CODE AT CHECKOUT: OXGOCT14
McKenzie Jayne
ENERGYFUEL YOUR
GROUP PUBLISHER Cheryl AngelheartEDITOR-IN-CHIEF Diane Hart
GROUP CREATIVE DIRECTOR Alexander Norouzi
EDITORIALMANAGING EDITOR Maura Weber
FITNESS EDITOR Lara McGlashan, CPTSTAFF WRITER Mike Carlson
COPY CHIEF Jeannine SantiagoCOPY EDITOR Gretchen HaasWEB EDITOR Maureen Farrar
SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR Vicki Baker
ARTART DIRECTOR Claudia MonjeART DIRECTOR Tara Thompson
PRODUCTIONPRODUCTION MANAGER Patrick Sternkopf
VIDEO AND PHOTO EDITOR Richard Alexander
SALES & MARKETINGGROUP ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Donna Diamond
ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER Laura (Flores) Thorne ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER Julie Stone
ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER BJ GhiglioneADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER Al Berman
MARKETING MANAGER Laureen O’BrienA/R MANAGER Alice C. Negrete
CONTRIBUTORSMichael Berg, Erin Calderone, Ronnda Hamilton,
Stefani Jackenthal, Nancy Jambazian, Matthew Kadey, Michal Kapral, Jerry Kindela, C.J. Logan, Peter Lueders, Linda Melone, Myatt Murphy,
Robert Reiff , Tosca Reno, Elisabetta Rogiani, Jessica Shafer, Cory Sorensen, Michelle Basta Speers, Steven Stiefel, Sarah Tuff
Efrem Zimbalist III CHAIRMAN & CEOAndrew W. Clurman PRESIDENT & COO
Brian J. Sellstrom EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & CFOPatricia B. Fox EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS
Kim Paulsen VICE PRESIDENT GENERAL MANAGERJason Brown VICE PRESIDENT OF DIGITAL
Nelson Saenz VICE PRESIDENT OF IT
Oxygen is printed monthly in the U.S.A. © 2014 by Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited. The information in Oxygen is for educational purposes only. It’s not intended to replace the advice or attention of health care professionals. Consult your physician before making changes in your diet, supplement and/or exercise program. OXYGEN, 24900 Anza Dr., Unit E, Santa Clarita, CA 91355. Toll Free: (800) 951-2259
Oxygen (ISSN 1095-7073) is published twelve times per year (2014 Cover Dates: #171 Jan, #172 Feb, #173 Mar, #174 Apr,#175 May, #176 Jun, #177 Jul, #178 Aug, #179 Sep, #180 Oct, #181 Nov, #182 Dec) by Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc., an Active Interest Media company. Advertising and editorial offi ces at 24900 Anza Drive, Unit E, Santa Clarita, California 91355. The known offi ce of publication is 5720 Flatiron Pkwy, Boulder CO 80301. Periodicals postage paid at Boulder, CO and at additional mailing offi ces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Oxygen, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. Subscription rates in the United States are one year $24.97. Canada: $39.97. Foreign: $54.97 (US funds only). The publisher and editors will not be responsible for unsolicited material. Manuscripts and photographs must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed return envelope. Vol. 17, No. 10. Printed in the United States by RR Donnelley, Strasburg, VA. Copyright © 2014 by Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced, either in whole or part, in any form without written permission from the publisher.
OCTOBER 2014 ISSUE: 180lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
lllllllll
llllllll
llllllllll
lllllllllllllll
Staff ers share:
What’s your
favorite kind of
workout?
High-intensity Pilates. I get my
cardio and strengthening all
in one!
I likefast circuits
that pair a barbell with bodyweight
exercises, likedeadlifts and
pull-ups.
BarnDad’s FiberDX® (used as a shake or baked recipe) helps reduce hunger & insulin spikes by slowing the digestion & absorption of sugars/carbohydrates, while supporting lean muscle and promoting a healthy digestive system.
SUPPORT WEIGHT LOSS BOOST METABOLISM
CONTROL APPETITE BUILD LEAN MUSCLE
FIND OUR PRODUCTS AT:
BARNDADNUTRITION.COM/FREESAMPLE
Brownie recipe can be found at BarnDadNutrition.com/RECIPES
EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D., FACSM
Chief science officer, American Council on Exercise
Tom Holland, MS, CSCS Exercise physiologist certified by ACSM, NASM and ACE, author of Beat the Gym (HarperCollins, 2011) and an elite endurance athlete
Len Kravitz, Ph.D. Exercise physiologist and coordinator of exercise science at the University of New Mexico
FITNESS & TRAINING Mindy Mylrea, FitFlix Productions
Fitness consultant, international presenter and author
Sara Kooperman, CEO SCW Fitness Education and Les Mills Midwest and a lecturer for the American Council of Sports Medicine and National Academy for Sports Medicine
Jim White, RD National spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, ACSM Health and Fitness specialist, and owner of Jim White Fitness & Nutrition Studios
Cathy Savage, Cathy Savage Fitness Competitive Figure and Fitness coach and choreographer
NUTRITION Susan M. Kleiner, Ph.D., RD, FACN,
CNS, FISSN Sports nutritionist, president of High Performance Nutrition, and author of The Good Mood Diet (Springboard Press, 2007) and The Oxygen Diet Solution (Robert Kennedy Publishing, 2012)
Heidi Mochari-Greenberger, MPH, RD Director of nutrition, Columbia Center for Heart Disease Prevention, New York Presbyterian Hospital
Tosca Reno, BSc, BEd, NTP Motivational speaker and presenter, author of The Eat-Clean Diet series (Robert Kennedy
Publishing, 2007) and The Start Here Diet (Ballantine Books, 2013), and Oxygen’s Raise the Bar columnist
Monique Ryan, MS, RDN Chicago-based sports nutritionist and author of Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes (VeloPress, 2012)
MIND/BODY & NATUROPATHY Stephanie Bot, PsyD, CPsych
Clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst and a clinician, educator and writer
Julie Chen, BSc, ND Licensed practitioner of naturopathic and homeopathic medicine
SPORTS MEDICINE Jennifer Solomon, M.D. Board-
certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation, fellowship-trained in spine and sports medicine, and a clinical instructor at Weill Medical College of Cornell University
advisory board
recent Shape magazine
article starts out with
a very provocative
statement: “When you see a
50-year-old actress who can
pass for 35, you can bet that
good genes aren’t the only
things responsible for her
youthful glow.” No less than the
famed Dr. Oz began a recent
show by asking his audience,
“How many of you want to
start feeling 20 years younger
right now?” Allure magazine, in
its “Anti-aging Special” issue,
highlighted growth hormone
as its 2013 call-out. And it’s
no secret that the rich and
famous have been visiting some
of the most expensive clinics
in the world for controversial
human growth hormone
(HGH) therapy.
Why? Because they believe
HGH helps reduce body fat,
increase lean muscle mass, boost
mood, heighten sex drive, give
them plenty of energy, get rid
of wrinkles and tighten saggy
skin... making them look and
feel decades – not years, but
decades – younger. In fact, some
are even calling it the “Fountain
of Youth.”
So what exactly is HGH?HGH is a single chain peptide
hormone that’s manufactured
deep within the brain... in the
pituitary gland. It’s released into
the bloodstream
and travels
throughout the
body. It passes into
your fat cells and
can actually cause
them to shrink. It
enters your muscle
cells, stimulating
lean muscle
growth so you look
more tight and toned, even if
you haven’t been working out.
When it reaches the skin it
maintains healthy blood flow,
ramps up collagen production
and strengthens the underlying
substructure of the skin’s critical
architecture, keeping your skin
firm, tight and smooth, which
is why so many experts call
HGH the “youth” hormone...
and why some believe it’s the
key to combatting aging. The
problem is that while our bodies
do manufacture HGH, our
levels begin to decline rapidly as
we age, and until recently most
thought the best way to increase
our HGH levels was through
expensive prescription injections
(costs can run as high as $1500
per month).
In addition to their high cost,
these synthetic
HGH injections
are also extremely
controversial,
because some
experts fear that
introducing
synthetic HGH
into the body may
upset the natural
production of HGH.
TURN BACK TIME WITH THE
“ANTI-AGING” BREAKTHROUGH
EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT!The truth about human growth hormone (HGH):
What is it?Where does it come
from? Can you boost it naturally? And is it really the fountain of youth?
By Tiffany Strobel*
Anti-Aging News
SPECIALREPORT
A“When you see a 50-year-old actress who can pass for 35, you can bet that good genes aren’t the only things responsible for her youthful glow.”
GROWTH HORMONE DECLINE
0
2 50
500
750
1000
12 50
1500
1750
2000
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 800
AMOUNT OF GH SECRETED(in micrograms)
AGE ( in years)
AMOUNT OF GH SECRETED(in micrograms)
AGE ( in years)
Source: Shape magazine
ADVERTISEMENT
Is there a way to increase mean growth hormone levels by more than 600% naturally?Until recently, the answer to
that question would have been
a resounding “No.” However,
things changed when a group
of some of the most highly
respected scientists in the world
presented their research findings
at the prestigious Obesity
Society’s 30th Annual Scientific
Meeting. These research results
made headlines, because they
showed that for the first time,
there was an oral compound
capable of increasing mean,
bioactive, serum (blood) growth
hormone levels... by 682%.
The formula that was the subject
of these research findings is
now being sold by SanMedica
International™ under the trade
name SeroVital.® And despite its
much-hyped research, SeroVital
remained an “underground”
sensation... until the famed
Dr. Oz discussed the product’s
research on his show. He
introduced the show segment by
asking his audience, “How many
of you want to start feeling 20
years younger right now?” and
then discussed what he called
“a new frontier: stim ulating
your body’s production of
growth hormones naturally
with amino acids.”
And when Dr. Oz disclosed that
“a recent study [on SeroVital-
hgh] showed patients given a
special blend of amino acids saw
their HGH levels spike more
than 6 times...” and added, “I
have been searching for this
from the day we started the
show. I’ve been looking for ways
of increasing HGH naturally
because I don’t like getting the
injections,” you can imagine the
frenzy he started.
Before long, SanMedica
was having trouble keeping
SeroVital – with its unique,
highly specialized amino acid
formula – in stock. It went from
underground sensation to full-
blown phenomenon. Even the
United States Patent Office has
added to the SeroVital mystique
by issuing not one but seven U.S.
Patents to protect the SeroVital
formula from imitators.‡
Now, after more than 30 years
of time-consuming, detailed
research, there’s finally an
affordable oral formula that
encourages the pituitary gland
to increase growth hormone
production naturally, without
dangerous drugs or synthetic
hormone injections.
So what’s the catch?
Well, there are three. First, as
with HGH injections, SeroVital
is not a “magic bullet,” but one
part of a healthy lifestyle choice
including a sensible diet and
exercise regimen.
Second, for proper absorption,
you have to take SeroVital-hgh
on an empty stomach. That
means you either have to take it
first thing in the morning and
then not eat anything for two
hours, or take it at night, at least
two hours after your last meal...
before you go to bed.
And last but not least, while
SeroVital is far less expensive
than prescription HGH
injections, it’s still not cheap...
SeroVital will cost you about
$100 a month.
Is it worth it?To me, anything that may reduce
wrinkles, tighten saggy skin,
decrease body fat, increase lean
muscle mass, strengthen bones,
and boost mood, while giving you
plenty of energy and improving
sex drive, is a no-brainer. However,
make no mistake about it, the
“established” medical community
(and of course, they know
everything) would say its benefits
are largely anecdotal, with research
that’s preliminary. But there’s
no denying that something that
has a chance of making you look
and feel decades, not years, but
DECADES, younger, is... at the
very least... irresistible. Frankly, I’m
ready to try it. How
about you?
So where can you get SeroVital-hgh?SeroVital-hgh is currently available
at all Ulta stores, Kohl’s, and select
GNC locations. Over the next
few months it will be available on
a limited basis at prestige retailers
across the U.S. Having a hard
time finding SeroVital-hgh? Can’t
wait? You can order it directly
from SanMedica International by
calling 1-800-688-0386 or visit
their website at www.SeroVital.com.
Use the promo code HGH262 at
checkout and shipping is free!†
Anti-Aging News
FEATUREDPRODUCT
They believe HGH reduces body fat,
increases lean muscle mass, boosts mood, heightens sex
drive, gives them plenty of energy,
gets rid of wrinkles and tightens saggy skin...
Dr. Oz says: “I have been searching for this from the day we started the show. I’ve been looking for ways of increasing HGH naturally because I don’t like getting the injections.”
‡SeroVital-hgh is protected by U.S. Patent Numbers 8,551,542; 8,715,752; 8,722,114; 8,734,864; 8,747,921; 8,765,195 and 8,747,922. †Free standard shipping in the continental U.S.A. only.*Tiffany Strobel is an author, columnist, and beauty editor for MyFreeDiet.com. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. ©2014 All Rights Reserved. BR14871-6
Retailers say: “Frankly, we haven’t seen this much customer excitement in years.”
ADVERTISEMENT
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201420
in the moment
- Billie Jean King
get it right. Cha
mpions
keep playing
until they
3 102
4
Standing at the ocean’s edge, gazing out into
the dense fog at 7 a.m. just before the horn blows
signaling the start of the first sprint triathlon I had
tackled in years, I wondered if I had lost my mind.
It seemed so long since I first competed and, now,
the first leg of the race facing me — an ocean
swim on a mist-shrouded beach in 61-degree
water — loomed, a new environment after swim-
ming in lakes my entire life.
What the heck was I thinking?!
But when I looked around at the supportive group
of women in my group, called a “wave,” I saw that each of them appeared to
be riding the same emotions, and with that I added my own shout of encour-
agement to the din of theirs, took a deep breath and ran into the chilly water.
And somehow, all of it — the heavy-duty weight training, the lunchtime laps
in the pool, the hours on the treadmill, not to mention the bike rides and out-
door runs in hilly environments — all of it made crossing the finish line (finally!)
all the more gratifying and rewarding. Isn’t it true that the harder the goal, the
better it feels afterward when you’ve done your best to reach it? Just like fitness
icon Jamie Eason Middleton, who writes honestly in this issue of Oxygen about
her own anxiety about getting back in shape after pregnancy. For Jamie, it is
clearly gratifying to again achieve something difficult by dint of effort, pur-
pose and the ability to keep moving toward the goal.
It’s great to see Jamie back in Oxygen, and I hope you and I will see more
of her in the coming months. If you flip to her story on Page 40, you’ll see she
speaks frankly about her own doubts regarding getting back to her previous
awesome fit level. And she speaks poignantly about how having a baby has
enriched her life while making it even more of a challenge.
Jamie, like all of us, values feeling strong and fit. She knows that fueling up
with the right foods (as outlined by Susan Kleiner on Page 80) is the perfect
complement to an active lifestyle. More than that, it gives a training advan-
tage and that’s what we’re all looking for, isn’t it?
So I hope you enjoy getting to know Jamie again in her new role as mom
and then try out her 15-minute circuit. And make sure to fuel your efforts.
Stay in touch,
DIANE HARTEDITOR-IN-CHIEF
@dianeoxygenmag
P.S. I recently read that the American Council on Exercise has listed the concentration curl as one of the top biceps moves and, although I rarely include it in
my own workout, I’m add-ing it in. (Also listed by ACE was the cable curl — my own fave! — barbell curl, EZ-curl, incline curl and preacher curl.)
the training advantage
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @oxygenmagazine JOIN US ON facebook.com/oxygenmag HASHTAG US ON INSTAGRAM #OxygenMagazine VISIT US ONLINE oxygenmag.com or youtube.com/oxymagazine VISIT US ON PINTEREST /oxygenmag EMAIL US [email protected]
The Joy of Fitness!
Top: yours truly in the transition
area prior to the swim. Bottom: my
equipment with the cap given to
me by the Oxygen team.
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201422
editor’s letter
Jamie Eason Middleton
Susan M. Kleiner,PH.D., RD
Allison Young
Allison Young, cre-ator of this month’s Smart Snacking recipe (Page 46), loves experimenting in the kitchen. “I have a tough time follow-ing a recipe without adding my own spin,” she says. “The chal-lenge is to cut the fat and calories without cutting the taste. It turns into a game. Sometimes I win, sometimes I don’t.” The interesting thing she learned while cre-ating the Chocolate Avocado Pudding recipe, she says, is that “chocolate and avocado have a similar bitter taste. The sweetness of the ricotta and honey balances everything out. And I love that ricotta is full of pro-tein!” Young has a bachelor’s in fine arts degree from Queen’s University in Canada and has had work published in Redbook, Clean Eating and Fit Pregnancy. Her website, fittbd.com, offers Arizona resi-dents package plans of classes from top boutique gyms and studios in the Phoenix area. Young enjoys the variety of tak-ing different fitness classes. She explains, “I like to mix it up with yoga, barre, boxing and Pilates — that way things never get boring.”
In “Eat to Grow Lean Muscle,” on Page 80, Susan M. Kleiner, Ph.D., RD, shares a healthy, no-gimmicks meal plan for build-ing the lean body you want. And it’s not about starving your-self. “Women are less likely to embrace the idea of eating more,” she says. “Active women are notori-ously underfueled and undercarbed, and when they do embrace fueling themselves, there is a tremendous feeling of power, both physically and mentally.” Kleiner is well-educated in the field of nutrition, having earned a doctorate in nutri-tion from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Her book, Power Eating (Human Kinetics, 2014), is a go-to standard for athletes, and she recently presented at the National Strength and Conditioning Association confer-ence in Las Vegas. Kleiner co-founded Vynna, LLC, a female-centric sports-nutrition brand, where she serves as co-CEO. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity with Oxygen magazine to communicate the science of nutrition to women, to support their goals,” she says. In her spare time, Kleiner enjoys running and playing piano.
After helping thou-sands of people reach their fitness goals through her LiveFit Trainer program and Labrada supplement line, Jamie Eason Middleton recently embarked on the adventure of mother-hood with the birth of her son, August. The perennial Oxygen contributor and cover model favorite shares her experience in “Get Your Body Back” on Page 40. Her advice for other new moms? “I truly believe that the shape you’re in before you conceive will help determine how quickly you bounce back. Your body will change with very little effort up to five months postpartum, as long as you con-tinue to eat healthy, so don’t get frustrated if you aren’t progress-ing as much as you had hoped.” She also recommends patience with regard to return-ing to weight training: “The hormone relaxin, which is responsible for allowing the hips to spread, is still pres-ent in the body for some time after the baby is born, so don’t lift too heavy too soon.” For Jamie’s next project, she’ll be co-hosting the Mission Makeover series on Lifetime TV, helping women get a healthy new start on life.
#Ai
mFi
tnes
scontributors
Oxygen readers never hold back. Here’s what you told us this month.
Shout out!Disappointed by green powerAs a vegetarian/part-time vegan reader I was excited to receive the August issue promising “11 plant-protein recipes.” Imagine my disap-pointment as I found the recipes — apples with nut butter, veggies and hum-mus, soy milkshakes — were foods that most Oxygen readers already eat daily. Extremely disappointing!— CARRIE, VIA EMAIL
Hey, what about us?I was so happy when I saw the August Oxygen issue in my mailbox because I always benefit from the workouts. But I got a chuckle when I read your “Age Is No Barrier” suggestions for those in their 50s. At 67, I work full-time, go to meetings, watch the grandkids and fit in fitness when I can. Of course you were talking about the 50s — but any advice for those of us in our 60s, 70s, 80s?— MARY, VIA EMAIL
I don’t normally write to maga-zines, but I was so pleased to see your article “Power Up With Plant Protein” in the August issue that I had to comment. I am 24 years old, a vegetarian for five years and vegan for eight. I have been weight-lifting and working out since I was 14, so both diet and exercise play a significant role in my life. There is a huge miscon-ception that you can’t have muscle if you don’t eat
Gotta love green power!Just wanted to say thanks for your excellent article “Power Up With Plant Protein” in the August issue. As a 12-year vegan, 16-year vegetarian and fitness/nutrition coach, I’d love to see more plant-based articles. Vegan fitness is taking the world by storm as more people realize a 100 percent plant-based diet lends itself very well to lean, muscular, Oxygen-style physiques. As an example, I eat well over 100 grams of protein per day without much effort. Thanks again!— KARINA, VIA EMAIL
Great cover!Wow! Fantastic cover and story in your July issue. Forget Jillian Michaels, my new fan-tasy girl is Ashley Kaltwasser! Great body, beautiful woman and so much bet-ter than these string bean blondes on other mag cov-ers. Great issue!— DAVID, VIA EMAIL
youtoldusOXYGEN GIRLS SHOW US THEIR GYM BAGS.
LETASHA DRAPER-JACKSON
Grand Rapids, MI Age: 45
Love my Under Armour gym
bag. It packs all my gym
essentials and still looks stylish!
ANA DEGELOSpring, TX Age: 37
My gym bag — cat stays at home!
ELIZABETH HASTINGS
Bakersfield, CA Age: 28
Love my old backpack given
to me by my father years
ago. So much room and
extra-comfy straps.
Look for our next request for submissions on our Facebook page and you could be featured here!
Hey! What do you think? Tell us what’s
on your mind.
EMAIL US [email protected]
VISIT US ONLINE oxygenmag.com
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @oxygenmagazine
JOIN US ON facebook.com/oxygenmag
PIN US ON PINTEREST @oxygenmag
HASHTAG US ON INSTAGRAM #OxygenMagazine
All content submitted to Oxygen will be considered for publica-tion. We reserve the right to edit
for length and clarity.
meat and, as your article pointed out, all it takes is a little planning and creativity! Though I am vegan, I like that your article advocated mod-eration and not a crazy diet over-all. I’m also very glad to see you include real food-based recipes and not just faux-meat creations. Hopefully, Oxygen readers gained some green insight and inspiration for their next clean, protein-packed meal — I know I did! — JESSICA, VIA EMAIL
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201426
feedback
Ever dream of becoming a personal trainer? Turn your dreams into reality with ISSA education.
ISSA 1015 Mark Ave Carpinteria, CA 93013
The ISSA Your Trusted Source for Fitness Education Since 1988 ISSA’s nationally accredited distance education programs provide the education you need to become a Personal Trainer, Elite Trainer, or Master Trainer. Take your certifi cation courses even higher and earn an Associate’s Degree in Exercise Science with an Emphasis in Personal Training. Military and Veteran Tuition Assistance approved. 100% Online.
Phot
o: JW
Ath
erto
n
WHY NOT YOU?
“Because athletics and living a healthy lifestyle have always been a part of my life, becoming a Personal Trainer was a natural career path for me to follow. Often what starts off as a journey to simply lose weight or look better in a bikini, turns into a beautiful journey of self-discovery. The energetic atmosphere of the gym pushes me to always work harder, advance my knowledge, and be a positive role model for others.
When I decided I wanted to become a Personal Trainer, I knew I wanted to work with a reputable organization that would provide me the knowledge I needed to help my future clients and teach me how to build my career. The ISSA is one of the only Personal Training
Certifications that included nutrition as part of the course. Any questions I have regarding courses, my military spouse benefits, payments, or jobs can be answered on their website
or personally from one of their personnel. I recommend the ISSA to anyone beginning or looking to further their career in Personal Training.”
call 1.800.892.4772 1.805.745.8111 (intl) or visit ISSAoxygen.com Mention oxy1410
—Elspeth Polt, ISSA CFT, Dymatize Athlete www.elspethpolt.com
Love your job like ISSA Trainer Elspeth Polt
Oxygen stands out!Every month, I appreciate the fitness advice and words of encouragement your editor-in-chief shares in her letter. In fact, it’s the very first item I read when I get my new issue in the mail. I look forward to receiving Oxygen for a number of reasons, but I am always impressed with the way women are portrayed — from the cover model to the inside fit-ness guides, the magazine depicts women as powerful and strong, yet feminine and graceful. I’ve never seen a photo that left me feeling like the photographer was posing a sexy pin-up girl instead of a serious female athlete.
I wanted to share with you a few points about Oxygen that I feel makes this magazine stand above the rest of women’s fitness magazines. I love Oxygen’s Success Story column and also the Oxygen’s Future of
Fitness page. I love seeing “everyday” women around the nation achieving goals. It has powered me through some of my fitness plateaus when I would read about other women living a life-style similar to mine (raising children, attending college) who might also work in any career field, get into shape and look like a professional fitness model. When these women find their best body amid a busy lifestyle that doesn’t involve working daily in the fitness industry, I real-ize I can do that too! There is something inspiring about a working mother who finds the time to get in shape amid all the demands of her daily schedule.
The other feature that made me decide Oxygen would be the magazine I wanted to subscribe to is the fact it isn’t riddled with articles and little asides about sex. I know that sex sells and is a hot topic in
today’s society, so I applaud Oxygen for sticking to real fitness journalism without falling back on sex gim-micks for fitness workouts in order to sell your magazine. The Oxygen staff does a great job at getting down to what the magazine is all about: helping women understand how to get fit and healthy. Your August issue featured an article on Page 38, “Train and Turn On,” about how working out improves your sex life. I am not opposed to such articles, what bothers me is when those types of articles outnumber the serious fit-ness instruction I want to read, like the article in July’s issue, “Wave Goodbye to Jiggly Arms.” I don’t invest in a fitness magazine to end up searching through articles like “Sex Positions That Double as Exercises,” or “How Healthy is Your Sex Life?” quizzes just to find a good workout.
Thank you, Oxygen staff, for being knowledgeable in women’s fitness and being brave to stick to fitness with-out trying to cover sex and relationship health as well. Your articles are empower-ing the women of today to find the strong, confident, fit woman inside each of them. Thank you for your dedica-tion to women’s fitness amid your own busy lifestyles.— MONICA, VIA EMAIL
M’mm good!Just finished eating the chicken caprese from your September issue, and it was fantastic served over a bed of farro. Excellent fla-vor — and with homegrown tomatoes and basil, wow! Keep up the good work.— LYNN, VIA EMAIL
73
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
�
$20/month | Unlimited Access15 Day Free Trial
www.yogavibes.com/yj
#1 Performance EnhancerYoga for Athletes | Online with Sage Rountree
Strength Flexibility Endurance
LET OXYGEN BE YOUR PERSONAL TRAINER
FITNESS NEWSNUTRITION NEWS
HEALTH NEWSMIND & BODY NEWS
BANG OUT A CHIN-UP! If you avoid chin-ups, you may be missing out on a time-efficient way to build strength in your core, back, shoulders and arms — a surefire way to sculpt your upper body in one exercise! If you find it daunting, start slow with two or three reps. Use a bench so there’s less distance from the floor, or practice at a Smith machine. Once you master the chin-up, add to the number of reps. And then move on to the big daddy move of them all: the pull-up. All you have to do is change the grip from underhanded to overhanded and get to work! Check out oxygenmag.com/the-hang-of-it/ to learn perfect pull-up form.
30323638
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
llllllll
llllllll
lllllllllllllllllllll
Pair this with calf exercises (Page 30) to hit upper and lower body.
By Lara McGlashan, CPT, Fitness Editor
Battle ropes have been in gyms for a while, but now they’re becoming even more popular with the advent of group fitness classes in gyms such as Equinox and Crunch. The ropes are either anchored to the wall or looped through kettlebells placed in the center of the room and radiating outward from there. Several people team up on one set of ropes — while one person is battling, the others are doing strength or cardio intervals such as bur-pees, high knees or mountain climbers. The group rotates through a series of moves and comes out the other side sweaty and spent.
Don’t live near a gym like Crunch or Equinox? Then bring the battle home with a DVD from powerropes.com such as Hurricane Ingrid: The Workout ($39.95) — a tough-as-nails program led by USA weightlifting champion and U.S. Bobsled team member Ingrid Marcum. Alternately, purchase a set of ropes (about $50 online) and peruse the glut of unique moves demonstrated on YouTube to get ideas for your own workout. Here’s a short plan to get you started. Ready? See “Try It!” at right.
Battle rope workouts
Quickie calf circuit Sometimes calves get overlooked in the grand scheme of things, but this three-move circuit can be done in less than five minutes and will set those calves on fire.
Pogo hop: Stand with your feet together, arms at your sides. Jump lightly with both feet in place, moving only at the ankles. Do 50 reps.
One-legged calf raise: Stand on a Step or raised platform with one heel hanging over the edge and your other knee bent and crossed behind you. Drop down as low as you can to get a good stretch, then rise all the way up onto your toes and pause. Do 20 reps on one side, then switch.
Squatting toe raise: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and sink into a shallow squat. Stay in this squat as you raise your heels off the floor and pause, then lower them back down. Do 15 reps.
“A bear, however hard he tries, grows tubby without exercise.”— A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
Trending 2014:
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201430
mind+body newsfitness news
READER QUESTION: Doing curls with a straight barbell hurts my wrists, but my friends say barbells are the best way to build my biceps. Are there any other options? Answer: You can try a cambered bar, the kind that has several bends in it. Often one of these alternate hand positions will alleviate the pressure on your wrists. And you can always use dumbbells. Dumbbells are an excellent modality for training your biceps, building muscle, strength and shape just like barbells. In fact, they offer particular angles you can’t get with barbells, such as pronating and supi-nating your wrists at the top, doing hammer curls and even performing reverse curls.
WANT TO LOSE THOSE LAST 10 POUNDS? Consider a move. A recent study suggests that those who live in a “walkable” neighbor-hood — one close to amenities with sidewalks or safe walking trails — are three times more likely to walk or bike than to use their cars. Those same people also had a 13 percent lower risk of developing diabetes. Not quite ready to move? Then do this 20-minute hill-walking treadmill program instead.
MINUTE SPEED INCLINE (%)
0:00-3:00 3.0 0
3:00-5:00 3.0 3
5:00-8:00 3.5 3
8:00-10:00 3.5 5
10:00-11:00 3.5 3
11:00-12:00 3.5 6
12:00-13:00 3.5 3
13:00-14:00 3.5 7
14:00-15:00 3.5 3
15:00-18:00 4.0 1
18:00-20:00 2.0 0
MOVE OF THE MONTH:
Medicine ball magic Here’s a great move that’ll hit your shoulders, traps, rhomboids and chest all at once. Do it at the end of your workout on upper-body days to burn out your muscles.To do: Grab a light medicine ball — 4 to 6 pounds — and hold it straight out from your chest with both hands, arms straight. Then write the alphabet in the air in front of you. The larger the let-ters, the greater the challenge. Go through the alphabet once, shake out your arms, then write it backward to challenge your brain as well!
After a five- to 10- minute warm-up and dynamic stretch, do each of these moves for 30 seconds with no rest in between. Go through the workout twice for a 10-minute sweat fest.
Jumping jacks Rope up/down waves
(move the ropes up and down together)
High knees Rope side-to-side
waves (move the ropes side to side together)
Mountain climbers Rope in/out waves
(move the ropes in and out opposite one another)
Burpees Rope circles to the
outside Skaters Rope circles to the
inside
TRY IT!
“If you don’t have con-fidence, you’ll always find a way not to win.”— Carl Lewis, nine-time Olympic gold medalist, track and field
ARE YOU EXERCISING INTENSELY ENOUGH? Maybe not. A Canadian study found that out of 129 volunteers who were instructed to walk or jog on a treadmill, nearly all incorrectly estimated when they were working either moderately or vigorously. The surefire way to know if you’re pushing yourself is to wear a heart rate monitor. Our fave new product: miCoach by adidas, a small, strapless heart rate monitor that literally snaps into the bra of a matching top, and sends data to your smartphone. Track your heart rate to mea-sure intensity as well as your performance and calories burned. micoach.com
ROPE WORKOUT
OCTOBER 2014 . OXYGENMAG.COM ‹ 31
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201432
By Steven Stiefelnutrition news
CATEGORY
HIGH FIBER
HIGH FAT
STARCHY
LOW-CALORIE
NUTRIENT DENSE
EXAMPLES
Beans, lentils, broccoli, Brussels sprouts
Avocados, soybeans (edamame,
tofu), seaweed
Potatoes, corn, green peas, plantains
Celery, cabbage, kale, onions
Broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, beets,
bell peppers
BENEFITS
Slows digestion and reduces
insulin impact
Provides nutrients and satiety; slows
digestion; helps you thrive and
survive on a low-carb diet
Provides calories when you need them; supports
recovery and lean tissue growth
Increases satiety, and fiber and
nutrient intake
These choices provide high amounts of
nutrients for few calories
TIMING
Several times of day except shortly before and after
workouts
A couple times a day when you want to boost
vegetable calories and slow insulin
release
These choices are best
before or after workouts; reduce consumption in
the evening
Combine these vegetables with other foods such as tuna salad to increase volume
and reduce calories per bite
Take in throughout the
day, particularly an hour or so
after training to support recovery
AMOUNT
4 ounces of many beans and lentils deliver about 6 to 8 grams of fiber
2 ounces of avocado deliver about 5 grams of fat; 2 ounces
of soybeans give about 9 grams
Go with 4 to 8 ounces,
depending on the amount of carbs
you want
Eat as much as you want, knowing that
you’re improving flavor with
minimal calorie impact
Consume these a few times a day at whole-
food meals
Veg outWhether you want more fiber, fewer calories or better recovery, adding these different types of vegetables will give you health and physique benefits.
You know you need plenty of vegetables, but you likely rely on a few favorites. Oxygen has constructed this clip-and-save chart to help you consider additional plant-based foods that fall into different categories that will benefit you in different ways. Most of our examples are vegetables, but some are
PLANT YOURSELF How you can get the most from these foods that are on almost everyone’s nutrition plan.
not technically vegetables even though we tend to consume them as such — we’re looking at you, fruity avocados and tomatoes. Nevertheless, these are all great plant sources of nutrients with many advantages. Here are the advantages that these foods afford and a few examples of each type.
nutrition news
Poultry: dark meat vs. white meatChicken and turkey breast are among the highest sources of protein per calorie from whole-food sources. The question, though, is what’s better? Dark meat is higher in fats, but both types of poultry meat supply advantages: Dietary fats slow digestion, stimulate muscle growth, reduce insulin release and encourage fat-burning when you’re consuming few carbs. White meat is digested more quickly, providing a faster release of amino acids. From the chart, though, you can see the calories for 8 ounces (raw weight) is fairly similar for both white and dark meats. A larger variable is the amount of fat in the skin, which is mostly fat.
Winner: You — choose the type and piece of poultry meat that you like best, or mix white and dark meat when you want a little more dietary fat, but not as much as dark meat alone contains.
FIT FOOD FACE-OFF
FOOD (8 oz)
Chicken breast
Chicken dark meat (leg and thigh)
Turkey breast
Turkey dark meat
CALORIES (kcal)
231
287
259
245
PROTEIN (g)
43
38
53
48
FAT (g)
5
14
3.4
5.7
© 2014 LIFTAGSPORT READ ALL LABELS BEFORE USING
ENTER CODE AT CHECKOUT: OXGOCT14
McKenzie Jayne
ENERGYFUEL YOUR
861NUMBER OF MILLIGRAMS OF CALCIUM IN
8 OUNCES OF TOFU, AMONG THE BEST NON-DAIRY SOURCES OF THIS MINERAL. MOST
ACTIVE WOMEN SHOULD CONSUME AT LEAST 1,000 MILLIGRAMS OF CALCIUM PER DAY.
NUTRITION RESEARCH
Walnuts — train harder, sooner.
LEMON BLUEBERRY PROTEIN BARSBy Marie MajorMakes 12 servings
Each protein bar delivers 12 grams of protein in a low-calorie bar that tastes like a dessert. Perfect after workouts or at other times of day when you want to get in a nearly equal amount of carbs and protein with little fat.
1 cup oat flour5 scoops of vanilla protein powder 1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon baking powder½ teaspoon salt¼ cup Stevia Lemon zest (outer peel of rind) to taste, about 1 to 2 lemonsJuice of 2 to 3 lemons, to taste4 ounces unsweetened applesauce1 teaspoon vanilla ½ cup non-fat Greek yogurt4 egg whites½ cup unsweetened almond milk1 cup frozen blueberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and mix all dry ingredients, lemon zest and juice in a bowl. Add applesauce, vanilla, egg whites, Greek yogurt and almond milk, mixing well. Then add the blueberries. Pour into a greased 9-by-13-inch pan, place in oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Nutrition facts (per serving): 103 calories, 12 g protein, 10 g carbs, 1.5 g fat
Want to share your recipe? Email us at [email protected]!
Walnuts help you recover from intense workouts.Exercise is a stressor, and all forms of stress increase production of free radicals. These are charged atomic particles that bounce around your system causing little sparks of damage. Getting in antioxidants, either from food sources or supplements, helps neutral-ize these micro terrorists. A recent study (Nutrition Journal, January 2014) showed that consuming wal-nuts is a great way to reduce this oxidative stress. Walnuts contain nutrients that help reduce the stress caused by intense work-outs. This means that you’ll push through the recovery phase more quickly, leading to faster repair of lean muscle, allowing you to train harder, sooner. One great way to take advantage of this is to consume 1 to 2 ounces of walnuts before bed. They are a slow-digesting source of beneficial fats and protein in addition to their antioxidant advantages.
Stress less, reduce allergy flare-upsStress has a negative affect on nearly every system in your body. A new study published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology describes how hay fever sufferers who are under stress tend to have more allergy flare-ups than their less-stressed peers.
Try it today: Mitigating stress through exercise, relaxation techniques and proper diet can improve the quality of life in areas you don’t even expect.
In unsurprising news, researchers found a correlation between low blood glucose levels and aggressive impulses and behavior between spouses. In other words, unchecked hunger can often lead to arguments.
Try it today: Focus on foods that are rich in protein and healthy fats to keep blood sugar levels stable. And make sure you’re not hungry before mentioning that thing about the dish-washer.
INJURED? WHY YOU NEED TO AVOID ICE The acronym R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) has been a standard treatment for sore muscles, but a new study in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning shows that ice reduces inflammation, which is actually the body’s first step in healing.
Try it today: Instead of cold therapy, use light movement, compression and elevation to speed healing of sore muscles.
CANCER SURVIVORS NEED EXERCISE An active lifestyle is vitally important for breast cancer survivors, since their long-term prognosis is linked to exercise. Unfortunately, a new study shows that only 35 percent of this group are meet-ing these exercise requirements.
Try it today: If you know someone who has battled breast cancer, ask that person to meet you for a walk, hike or trip to the gym. Your encouragement can help save a life.
TURN THE iPAD OFF Nighttime exposure to blue-enriched light, the type emit-ted from computer
Do you get hangry?
screens, smart-phones and tablets, has recently been linked to increased hunger, decreased sleepiness and insu-lin resistance, says a study published in the journal Sleep.
Try it today: Make an effort to unplug in the PM hours, espe-cially around meals and bedtime.
BARBELLS FOR A LONGER LIFE! Forget genetics, cho-lesterol and heart health. The key to a long life is muscle mass. Researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles studied 3,600 middle-aged men and women over a 16-year period and found that those with the most muscle mass had longer lives.
Try it today: Even if you are an avid runner or cyclist, you need to lift weights for both longevity and quality of life.
THE INCREASE OF WOMEN WHO SUFFER FROM OBESITY BETWEEN THE YEARS 1980 AND 2013, ACCORDING TO THE LANCET.
29.8 to 38
By Mike Carlson
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201436
health news
No matter how you say it, the translation is always the same; high-quality, high-protein, certified gluten-free, naturally good ingredients for your body… expertly crafted indulgent
bars with the delicate balance of flavors that are never too sweet, not overdone, but just right for your tastebuds. 11 choices in High Protein, Super Protein, Kids, and Paleo.
Gluten-Free Solutions For Healthy Families!
Body Language
[noh - jee]
NoGii.com
A short addition to your workout can make you stronger in the place you need it most. By Georgia Paige
POSTWORKOUT MEDITATION THAT WORKS This simple five-minute meditative drill is part of Mindfulness-based Mind Fitness Training and is designed to create changes in the brain that will better tolerate stress. “If you do this every time you work out, it will have a tremendous effect in supporting the system to grow more capacity to cope with stress,” says Elizabeth Stanley, Ph.D. This refers as much to the ability to reach higher levels of fitness as it does to improving coping skills facing everyday situations.
Immediately after a workout, lie faceup on the floor and feel the whole of the back of your body make contact with the floor, specifically your head, shoulders, hips, knees, ankles and heels.
Pay attention to the pressure, hardness, heat or coolness of the contact points. Focus on the sensations they generate.
If the mind wanders off, keep redirecting attention back to the sensations of contact. (It’s normal to have a mind that drifts when you first start out.)
You might feel itching or your muscles might twitch. That is all part of the process.
“Any time you pay attention to body sen-sation you are giving a workout to your insular cortex, the part of the brain that is most needed for self- regulating before, during and after stress. This also sends the cue to the brain that the body is supported and stable right now,” Stanley says.
Most of us like the idea of meditating more than we like to do it. When sitting still in a quiet room, it’s hard to shake the feeling that we should have a pair of dumbbells in our hands. Fact is, if you want to better your fitness efforts, it’s time to reconsider how training your brain can improve your workouts in the gym.
Elizabeth Stanley, Ph.D., is an Army veteran, an associate professor at Georgetown University and the creator of a system called Mindfulness-based Mind Fitness Training (MMFT). She believes that combining meditation and exercise can more efficiently create changes in the brain that make you better able to tolerate stress. And that’s what a good workout is — a stress-generating event.
In several studies with active military person-nel, MMFT has been effective at dealing with the negative symptoms that a modern stressful event generates, phenomena that our primal physiology is still struggling to figure out.
“We are all wired with a nervous system that is optimized for a world about 200,000 years ago. When we had a major threat, like a tiger attack, we would mobilize all kinds of energy and then discharge most of that energy trying to get away from the threat or fighting it. Then we would go hide in a cave and recover. That’s not the world we live in anymore,” Stanley says. “Now we are dealing with constant stressors. We are worried about work and relationships. They’re not going to hurt us, but your brain and the body don’t
Balanced fitness, tougher brain
know that. We’re mobilizing the stress response in our bodies, but we are not fully discharging it.”
Research partners of Stanley studied the brain’s response to stress in two groups. One was made up of average citizens while the second consisted of “elite performers” such as high-level athletes and members of military Special Forces. Stanley and her colleagues found that elite per-formers were better at keeping their bodies and minds balanced in the face of stress.
When Stanley tested her Mindfulness-based Mind Fitness Training protocol on active marines, she found that after eight weeks, the brains and bodies of non-elite performers began to resemble those of the elite, in the form of improved heart rate and respiration in the face of stress.
“They built more capacity in their bodies and minds to tolerate a bigger mobilization of energy,” Stanley says. “Part of that extra mobi-lized energy shows up as more capacity to cope with what is happening during a stressful event.”
Stanley says the brain is more “plasticine” immediately after a workout and more able to build neurons and establish the rewiring that helps us handle stress.
No matter where you are on the road to self-improvement — beginner, mid-level or advanced — you can improve your fitness by taking a little time to train your mind along with your body.
For more information on MMFT, check out mind-fitness-training.org.
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201438
mind+body news
Quinoa [KEEN-wah] is an amino-acid rich seed that contains more protein than any other grain, and is higher in unsaturated fats and lower in carbohydrates. Together, NoGii Whey & Quinoa delivers a unique combination of two of the most nutritionally “perfect and complete” dietary protein sources — an industry 1st! Certified Gluten-Free in
a protein drink mix that is easily digestible with synergistic ingredients like prebiotic fiber and probiotics.
No artificial sweeteners, no added colors, and no artificial flavor. Just Delicious & Nutritious protein to help nourish, replenish, and support active lifestyles. Available in Vanilla Bean and Cocoa Chocolate.
Gluten-Free Solutions For Healthy Families!
NoGii.com
[keen - wah]Body Language
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201440
I can hardly believe it’s been 14 months since our baby boy took his first breath and, in the same moment, took ours away. You hear time and again what a joy it is to become a mom, and at the risk of jumping on the cliché treadmill, there really is no greater joy. Having only been married for three months before finding out we were pregnant, however, I must
Get your body back!
admit I also couldn’t help but wonder how life would change. After all, the past few years had been a whirlwind of constant effort and excite-ment and growth, and now the pregnancy would take center stage. I looked forward to it, without question, but I was curious how the aftermath would affect my fitness career. Would I be able to bounce back, and what kind of time frame was I looking at?
I’m happy to say that more than a year later, I am busier than ever with my fitness career, and my body, although not where it was pre-pregnancy, is shaping up nicely given the new circumstances of balancing a career with being a mom. I am continually inspired by moms who manage to juggle the responsibilities of motherhood and still make time to take care of themselves and work toward their fitness goals. Because babies are all-consuming, there has been a learning curve, but at about the four-month mark I felt like I had finally caught my stride.
I had a wonderful pregnancy: I was able to train with light weights in the second and third trimester, right up to the day I had the baby. Though I wasn’t able to train consistently because I experienced both good days and bad, overall, I stayed fairly active throughout those nine months. As for eating, I was hardly the model of fitness perfection — c’mon, I was eating for two. This being our first child and still being newlyweds, my husband, Michael Middleton, and I took the opportunity to continue dating, going out to as many restaurants (the baby surely didn’t mind) and movies as possible. While I certainly indulged on occasion, I still reverted back to clean eating as much as possible.
I think how you start when you first conceive and not overdoing it with splurges during the ensuing pregnancy speak a lot to where you will end up post-pregnancy. For those who have yet to get pregnant, get your body in shape for it. You won’t regret it. It will certainly help you bounce back quicker.
The shape-up challengeShaping up post-pregnancy has been a lot more challenging than I anticipated. While my preg-nancy went really well, it was a different story
inthespotlight
Jamie Eason Middleton is back in shape and co-hosting a Lifetime Television series.
Above, from left: Jamie with
son August; spending time on the beach as a family.
By Jamie Eason Middleton
“Weight training without sleep and rest, whether or not you’re pregnant, really just leads to further exhaustion
and few results on the muscle-growth front.”
JAMIE’S get-back-in-shape 15-minute circuitPerform each set of exer-cises three times before moving on to the next set. Do each exercise, one after the other, without rest. Rest one to two minutes (depending on your condi-tion) between each set.
for the labor and delivery. The doctor decided that the baby was in distress about three days past my due date at a routine check-up and admitted me to the hospital. What I had hoped to be a natural birth quickly went south. An attempt to induce resulted in 55 hours of labor, only to end up with an unwanted C-section. I entered the hospital full-term, weighing 144 pounds (I had gained a total of 34 pounds) and left the hospital after giving birth weighing 154 pounds. I had spent six days in the hospital get-ting pumped with IV fluid.
I didn’t think gaining 11 pounds while giving birth was even possible. It took nearly a week to lose that additional water weight, and then some more, dropping over 20 pounds nearly all at once. By week two, I weighed 124 pounds. After a month, I was just 8 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. Considering the fact that I was nursing and my uterus hadn’t yet shrunk completely, those additional pounds really didn’t account for much. I had done a fairly good job of keeping my body fat in check during the pregnancy, which may account for my quick loss, but with the amount of muscle that had atrophied, I now had higher body fat and less muscle.
With a cesarean, I wasn’t given the green light to exercise until two months post-birth. In all seriousness, though, at the two-month mark all I could think about was getting sleep. Though I had gotten right back to consistently eating clean once the baby was born, I didn’t attempt much resistance training until August was three months old. At three months, a baby typically starts sleeping more (which means more sleep for us), and as you may know, sleep is essential for growing muscle tissue, whether or not you’re pregnant. Weight training without sleep and rest, whether or not you’re pregnant, really just leads to further exhaustion and few results on the muscle-growth front.
Getting to the coreWhen I started back on my journey to regain my pre-baby body, I focused mainly on my core, which included my lower back. Growing a baby can really weaken your entire core. I started out with various planking moves and performed deadlifts and Supermans with a bit of cushion at my incision site, which remained tender for quite some time. At about four months, I began to incorporate bodyweight exercises a few days a week, usually when my son went to bed in the evening. Naps during the day at that point were too unpredict-able to schedule even minor workouts.
At five months postpartum, my body finally hit more of a set point. I actually weighed 3 pounds less than pre-pregnancy. I could fit back into my favorite jeans, even though I had a slight muffin top from the loose skin. I began weight training with more consistency, incorporating circuit training to work my entire body, along with upper- and lower-body lift-ing days. As I write this, my goal is to train at least four days a week. I limit my cardio to short high-intensity sessions. I also eat an additional 500 calories a day, as recommended by the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology. I’ve found that these additional calories do not hinder my weight-loss goals and that the exer-cise has not decreased my milk supply. Except for the milk business, this entire plan seems like a good idea for those who are coming back after a layoff, even perhaps just starting out.
Although I have not yet regained all of the muscle that I lost and my body has taken on a slightly different shape, I can say without a doubt that as a woman and a mom that I now feel stronger than ever. Motherhood will change you both mentally and physically, but hopefully it’s in ways that enhance your self-worth and brings you greater joy than you’ve ever known.
set 3:20 jump lunges
20 skaters20 rainbow
planks
set 2:15 lunge kicks – right leg15 lunge kicks – left leg
20 skaters10 plank push-ups – right10 plank push-ups – left
set 1:15 jump squats
20 skaters15 plank jacks
“This fast circuit is fantastic
because I could do it when August was napping or in
between chores.”
set 4:15 push-ups12 mountain
climbers20 bicycle crunches
Jamie’s bonus tips:
Consume 300 additional calories per day during pregnancy.
Consume 500 additional calories post-pregnancy for nursing.
You need adequate sleep and calories to grow muscle. Make sure to get enough.
Try to complete a total-body circuit with resistance training at least once a week and then train lagging body parts on days that you find time to exercise.
Eat as balanced as possible. You need the protein for muscle, the carbs for energy and the healthy fats to keep you full and healthy.
If nursing, eat what you would want the baby to eat.
BONUS! Her 15-minute circuit — a perfect postpartum workout.
MY SAN NUTRITION OFF-SEASON STACKRAW FUSION, DR. FEEL GOOD, FIERCE DOMINATION, BCAA PRO RELOADED,
RASPBERRY KETONES
MY SAN NUTRITION COMPETITION STACKPURE TITANIUM WHEY, DR. FEEL GOOD,
LAUNCH 4350 RELOADED, PERFORMANCE GLUTAMINE, TIGHT XTREME RELOADED,
ELIXAIR HGH, PURE CLA 1500
Candice Lewis lets you in on the secrets to eating clean despite a busy lifestyle. By Diane Hart, editor-in-chief
When it comes to fueling her body, IFBB Figure pro athlete Candice Lewis doesn’t mess around — she takes great pride in planning out the best foods for her active lifestyle and eating them at the right time, in spite of a hectic schedule. “I’m just an average person wearing multiple hats,” she acknowledges. In addition to her role as a SAN Nutrition–sponsored athlete, she is also an X2X clothing gear model, a licensed aesthetician and online lifestyle coach.
“I’ve learned how to master time management with the help of my smartphone,” she says. “I set alarms for almost everything. I have an alarm for when I need to eat my meals throughout the day. I even set an alarm to keep me on a schedule to drink a gallon of water.”
But don’t get the impression this busy athlete spends untold hours in the kitchen. “I am definitely not the person who prepares a hot dinner for my husband every night,” she says with a laugh. “The key is to cook twice a week and prepare all your meals for the week.” She says she cooks Sunday and Thursday, which provides her with tasty and clean meals seven days a week. But you have to make it a priority, adds Lewis, or you may reach for last-minute takeout food.
MY SAMPLE MEAL PLAN BREAKFAST 7 AM Oatmeal pancakes: ½ cup old-fash-ioned oatmeal, ¼ cup low-fat cottage cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 scoop Raw Fusion Vanilla Bean
Mix ingredients together, pour bat-ter onto a hot nonstick skillet and cook through.
Alternate on-the-go breakfast Oatmeal shake: ¼ cup old-fashioned oats, ½ cup liquid egg whites, 1 banana, 1 scoop Raw Fusion Banana Nut Protein, ½ cup almond milk, 2 teaspoons honey, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Blend all ingredients until smooth.
SNACK 9 AM 2-3 rice cakes with almond butter,2 scoops Green Supreme Fusion over ice
LUNCH 12 PM 5-ounce grilled chicken breast, 1 cup brown rice (add a sprinkle of chopped cilantro and lime juice), ½ avocado
MIDDAY SNACK 3 PM Grilled chicken lettuce wrap: (Makes two servings. Save one for the next day.)4 slices grilled chicken tenders, 4 scal-lions, 4 red bell pepper slices, 4 romaine heart leaves, cilantro mayonnaise (To make cilantro mayonnaise, combine ¾ cup reduced-fat mayo, ¾ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce and one small garlic clove.Blend together.) Spread half the mayo mixture on top of the chicken for today’s snack, and refrigerate the rest for tomorrow’s snack.
PREWORKOUT MEAL 5 PM 4-ounce skirt steak, 4-ounce yam, 2 cups Brussels sprouts
POSTWORKOUT MEAL 8 PM 5-ounce lemon rosemary grilled chicken breast, 1 cup black beans, 1-2 cups broccoli
Plan it outPH
OTO
OF
CAN
DIC
E LE
WIS
BY
CHAZ
PH
OTO
GRA
PHIC
S
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201442
howshefuels
In the eat-clean world I love, my knowledge around boosting my own metabolism is contained in every single Eat-Clean Diet book and article I have written, because eating clean is not just a lifestyle way of eating but a guaranteed practice to help boost your metabolic rate naturally.
Eating six smaller meals per day — with lean proteins, fats and complex carbohydrates — guarantees you won’t be giving your body the signal to go to sleep. Instead, when nourished with these nutrient-dense foods, your metabolism ratchets up significantly. It’s one of the reasons eating clean has become a revolution practiced in countries worldwide. It’s also one of
Speed up your metabolismBy Tosca Reno
the reasons some doctors are begin-ning to use the phrase as part of their vernacular. To wit, the Evolution of Medicine Summit, an online event with naturopathic, integrative health and wellness professionals, talks about the need to “eat clean for optimal health.” Metabolically active people, nourishing themselves via the cardinal rules of eating clean, burn fat faster, and that is a scientific fact.
Proteins have always formed the basis upon which the metabolism gears up. You may find your protein in pow-dered supplemental form or in Greek yogurt, or you may choose moose meat, seaweed, quinoa, tiny free-range hen eggs or canned tuna, but however
Eat six smaller meals every two to three hours a day, starting when you wake up in the morning.
Eat healthy saturated fat, healthy protein and complex carbs at each meal.
Work your major muscle groups — glutes, quads and abs — three times a week.
Drink plenty of water every day — 2 cups spike your metabolic rate by 17 percent.
Eat hot spicy foods, which are guaranteed to punch up your metabolic rate.
Lift weights five to six times per week to build lean, fat-burning muscle.
PHO
TO B
Y PE
TER
LUED
ERS
• ST
YLIS
T: JU
LIA
PERR
Y •
HAI
R AN
D M
AKEU
P: N
ANCY
JAM
BAZI
AN
• N
AVY
DRE
SS B
Y A.
CHE,
AVA
ILAB
LE A
T AC
HES
WIM
WEA
R.CO
M •
MU
LTIC
OLO
RED
BRA
CELE
T/CU
FF: L
AVIS
H B
Y TR
ICIA
MIL
ANEZ
E, A
VAIL
ABLE
AT
TRIC
IAM
ILAN
EZE.
COM
Tosca’s fave tips for boosting your metabolism
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201444
raisethebar
The Simple Steps That Helped Me Transition
from FAT to SLIMI went from overwhelmed and overweight to the
person you see today, but my 70 pound bodytransformation didn’t happen overnight!
My process was simple: JUST 3 STEPS.Use them to begin your journey to
weight loss and optimal health.
From the bestselling author of THE EAT-CLEAN DIET
www.ToscaReno.com
CONNECT WITH TOSCAA Ballantine Books hardcover and eBook
On sale
NOW
you choose it, source it well so it is not another insult to your body but a boon. Grass-fed anything is always better than CFL (concentrated feed lot) flesh. Toxin-free and rich with amino acids, protein as a macronutrient takes a lot of work for the body to digest and further assimilate into muscles, cells, blood, hormones, enzymes and fuel.
Up the ante!Other foods showcasing a powerful ability to increase your metabolism include hot foods like chili peppers. You may not be able to eat too many Carolina Reapers, reportedly the hot-test recorded pepper on earth, but a few well-placed chili peppers and other thermogenic foods help to increase your metabolic rate. Chili peppers, horseradish, mustard, cinnamon, fennel seed, garlic, ginger, ginseng, guarana and turmeric increase your metabolism by about 20 percent for half an hour after eating them.
Now quench your thirst after eating those peppers with water and plenty of it! Scientists in Germany have been
recording energy expenditures among men and women and found that after drinking approximately 17 ounces, that’s just more than 2 cups or ½ liter of water, metabolic rates increase by 30 percent for both. The boost occurs as quickly as 10 minutes after drinking the water and stays increased for up to 40 minutes afterward. So if you’re hungry, drink water first — it works!
As a muscle-sculpting woman, you value the need for protein because of the metabolic boost and because it is the main structural element of muscle. It is wise to never forget the dramatic impact working out has on your meta-bolic rate. While building muscle, you change your body composition and you may have noticed, lean bodies tend to stay lean while bodies with more fat on them tend to stay that way. That’s because lean muscle has a voracious appetite for nutrients.
Muscle senseLean muscle is eight times more meta-bolically active than fat per pound, so it pays to build muscle. Think about it:
Even when you’re sitting at your desk doing nothing more than writing (like me), you will be burning more fuel as a lean, muscled woman. It’s like earning interest at the bank, and I’ll take it! This fact is even more important for aging women because, ladies, starting at the age of 30 our metabolic rate begins to subtly gear down and we have to do everything we can to bump it up.
Here’s one of the best secrets I know for boosting the metabolism. Train the big muscle groups at least once every three days but more if possible. These muscles groups include the glutes, the quads and the abdominal core. They are known as metabolic catalysts — meaning that when you train them, your metabolic rate increases and stays that way for several hours afterward. This translates into massive fat burn and will explain why, after you train them, you will feel very hungry — hun-ger is a sign your metabolism is on fire!
Remember, I am always listening.
toscareno.com eatcleandiet.com
Who doesn’t love chocolate pudding? This healthier version has a decadent taste and plenty of muscle- building protein and calcium, two nutrients linked to weight loss. A study pub-lished in the International Journal of Obesity found that the people who ate the most dairy on a calorie-restricted diet lost more fat and gained more muscle than those taking in lower levels of dairy. Another study found that those who ate two servings of dairy a day weighed less. This snack is also a good source of potassium, which can help prevent muscle cramps and fatigue.
PHO
TO B
Y CO
RY S
ORE
NSE
N •
FO
OD
STY
LIST
: RO
NN
DA
HAM
ILTO
N
CHOCOLATE AVOCADO PUDDINGReady in 5 minutesMakes 5 servings
½ avocado1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese1 ½ tablespoon un- sweetened cocoa powder1 tablespoon honey1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Place all the ingredi-ents in a blender or food processor and blend to combine. 2. Scrape down the sides of the food processor and blend again to make sure everything is incorporated. 3. Serve immediately or chill first. Nutrition facts (per serv-ing): 273 calories, 15 g total fats, 7 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 129 mg sodium, 24 g total carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 15.5 g protein
This sweet, creamy treat is tricked out with protein and calcium, a key combo for athletes. By Allison Young
Power pudding
Muscle up!
Double the protein
by adding a scoop of
your favorite protein
powder before
blending.
Top itAdd chopped nuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds, fresh berries, shredded coconut or sliced banana for extra nutrients and flavor.
Swap Substitute silken tofu for the ricotta to make it dairy-free.
Chill itFreeze and eat as an ice cream substitute — delicious!
SuperfoodJust 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder has 2 grams of fiber — and 0 grams of sugar.
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201446
smartsnacking
ENERGYFUEL YOUR
10% DISCOUNT - ENTER CODE OXGOCT14 AT CHECKOUT
Designed to optimize your training for faster, more impressive results. Every 1-serving scoop provides ample compounds to accelerate energy levels, build muscle mass, reduce fatigue and improve recovery time. Mix it up before every workout for the
© 2014 LIFTAG SPORT All Rights Reserved. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Read all labels before using.
McKenzie Jayne
PHO
TO B
Y CO
RY S
ORE
NSE
N •
FO
OD
STY
LIST
: RO
NN
DA
HAM
ILTO
N
Get pumped with pumpkin: Half a cup of pumpkin puree is low in calories (42), high in fiber (3.5 grams) and a great source of vitamin A and beta-carotene. It is also rich in iron (1.5 milligrams), which is important to make hemoglobin and transport oxygen throughout the body, increasing your energy level.
Spice it up: Cinnamon helps to stabilize blood sugar levels, and its natural sweet taste is a great addition to any recipe if you want to reduce the amount of sugar that’s called for.
Go organic: Use organic oranges when zesting to avoid pes-ticides. The zest can improve digestion, reducing belly bloat.
Almond alternative: Almond milk is low in calories and rich in the minerals manganese, copper and vitamin B2 (riboflavin), all of which are important in energy production.
Energizing pumpkin and cinnamon give your shake delicious harvest-festival flavor.By Erin Macdonald, RDN, and Tiffani Bachus, RDN
Pumpkin boostshakeupyourday
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201448
Low cal, high in fiber!
PUMPKIN PIE SHAKEMakes 1 serving
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk½ cup organic canned pumpkin1 scoop vanilla whey protein½ teaspoon cinnamon1 teaspoon pure maple syrup2 medjool dates, pitted¼ teaspoon vanilla extractzest of ½ orangeice
1. Place all ingredients (except ice) into a blender and blend until smooth. Add four to five ice cubes and blend. Continue to add ice cubes to desired thickness. Nutrition facts (per serv-ing): 309 calories, 55 g total carbohydrates, 22 g protein, 5 g fat, 9 g fiber
Get pumped for training
with these great new workout
essentials. By Maura Weber
Pack up!Make sure
you take your water bottle out of
your gym bag and wash it after every use.
If you don’t, it becomes a breeding ground
for bacteria!
Clear & refreshing
Nalgene’s On the Fly
BPA-free bottle makes
staying hydrated
simple: It’s designed
to fit into your cup
holder or bottle cage,
leakproof and easy to
open with one hand.
$11.99, nalgene.com
or Target
Training timer
Want to hold that plank
position for 60 seconds
but don’t want to twist
your neck to look at the
clock? Use a Gymboss
timer and you’ll know
when it’s time to push
yourself and when you
can catch your breath.
$19.95, gymboss.com
Top toteThe Fitmark Sport Tote has
a roomy main compart-
ment and a zippered side
pocket, and it comes with
a separate bag for your
shoes or sweaty workout
clothes. There’s even an
internal insulated liner for
your water bottle.$99.99, fitmarkbags.com
Squeaky cleanThe cheap soap available at the gym is likely to leave sensitive skin feeling dry. Long a favor-ite in Europe, the Sebamed Liquid Face & Body Wash is formulated to maintain your skin’s natural moisture level. $12.99 for 13.5 ounces, sebamedusa .com or CVS
Cut the cordIf you like music
with your workout
but don’t like the
cord from your
phone to your
ears, check out
Jaybird’s BlueBuds
X. These earbuds
use Bluetooth to
connect wirelessly,
have a secure fit
and offer a lifetime
warranty against
sweat.$169.95, jaybirdsport.com
Make a statementFun and functional G-loves gloves are a real departure from the average black gym accessories. G-loves offers a whole line of colorful gloves, wrist straps and weight belts designed to protect you from injury and make a bold statement, too. $45, g-loves.com
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201450
fitgear
* These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Vegan Diets Haven’t Always Been Easy For AthletesIn the past, it wasn’t always an easy choice to live a vegan lifestyle if you’re goals were to be a
serious athlete, let alone if you wanted to build muscle mass. It was hard enough to get abundant protein through diet alone, but almost all supplemental protein sources of the past haven’t
been vegan-friendly.
A New Generation Of Plant Protein Without SacrificeOver a year full of vigorous research and development in cold-extrusion technologies has
resulted in an unmatched, vegan-approved protein formula from SAN. Not only is RAWFUSION non-GMO, organic and allergen-free, it also offers an incredible 21 grams of custom bio-fermented protein per serving—in a vegan formula.
RAWFUSION’s exclusive mix of pea protein isolate, sprouted brown rice and artichoke protein concentrate, and EFA-rich
sunflower oil matrix have created a patent-pending formula that is ideal for vegans, and is a sensible choice for non-vegans as well. In fact, with over 4.5 grams of
glutamine per serving, RAWFUSION’s amino acid profile rivals that of milk protein.
RAWFUSION is an unequaled vegan protein formula for anyone seeking an ultra-healthy lifestyle and unwilling to make sacrifices.*
ALSO AVAILABLE AT:SANN.NET(888) 519-9300
CANDICE LEWISIFBB PRO FIGURE& TEAM SAN
The Power ofRAW VEGANPROTEINS!
The Power ofRAW VEGANPROTEINS!
Pea Protein Isolate Rice Protein Isolate Artichoke Protein Powder
HIGHLIGHTS:100% Raw Sprouted Plant Protein derived from Pea, Brown Rice & Artichoke.
Rich in BCAA’s & Glutamine to support muscle growth & strength.*
Cholesterol FREE as well as Lactose FREE for gentleness on the digestive system.*
100% Natural, GMO FREE & Vegan approved!
No. I was going to but then I realized it didn’t work out so well for the cavemen.
Lol! So what’s your next step….?
So, did you start the Paleo diet?
#NextStep The National Weight Control
Registry has conducted
research that suggests a
modified, healthy lifestyle can result in
effective weight management with
long-term results.
The Vitamin Shoppe is proud to present a new system developed to help you take the
Next Step™ towards successful weight management.
* The National Weight Control Registry is the largest study of individual’s successful long–term maintenance of weight loss.
Mmmmm, well “going” is the operative word: about every 5 minutes.
Lol! So what’s your next step….?
Hey, how’s that cabbage soup diet going?
#NextStep
Next Step™ Weight Management.No more fads. Just facts.
vitaminshoppe.com/nextstep
A sampling of the products available from Next Step Weight Management.
available exclusively at#NextStep
By C.J. LoganFitness is trendy, and what’s trending at the moment is full-body training — working the entire body in every workout. But the classic upper/lower-body split where you train legs one day, then chest, back, shoulders and arms the next is still the routine of choice for many elite athletes and could be your best option to sculpt a lean, mean body.
“With an upper/lower split, you really get an opportunity to focus on specific body parts with higher volume, which is great for hypertrophy [building muscle],” says Meka Gibson, CSCS, personal training manager at Dave Barton Gym (Astor Place) in New York City. “Muscle is our fat-burning source. By building muscle you’re [creating] a hormonal state that will lead you to lose body fat.” You’ll also create shape and definition while boosting your metabolism and building stronger bones.
weekly split
MONDAYlower body (strength/
power)
TUESDAYupper body (strength/
power)
WEDNESDAY*active recovery:
abs + cardio (30-40
minutes)
THURSDAYlower body
(circuit)
FRIDAYupper body
(circuit)
SATURDAY**HIIT cardio
(15-25 minutes)SUNDAY
OFF
half&halfThis unique split routine gets you leaner and stronger from top to bottom.
BY C. J. LOGAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT REIFF
STRENGTH/POWER (ANAEROBIC + MUSCLE BUILDING) Mondays and Tuesdays are your traditional strength and power
days, so go all out with plyometric moves and load up your weight so you’re lifting heavy enough to achieve failure around six to 10 reps.
MONDAY: lower body
exercise sets reps
tuck jump 4 6
barbell squat 4 10
overhead walking lunge with plate 4 10 each leg
barbell romanian deadlift 4 10
Rest one to two minutes between all sets.
TUESDAY: upper body
exercise sets reps
plyo incline push-up 4 6
barbell bent over row 4 10
dumbbell push press 4 10
ez-bar curl 4 10
Rest one to two minutes between all sets.
THURSDAY: lower body
exercise time interval
jump rope 1 minute
bodyweight squat 1 minute
walking lunge 1 minute
dumbbell romanian deadlift 1 minute
jump rope 1 minute
FRIDAY: upper body
exercise rounds time interval round 1/2/3/4
plyo incline push-up 4 60/45/30/15 seconds
dumbbell bent over row 4 60/45/30/15 seconds
standing dumbbell shoulder press 4 60/45/30/15 seconds
alternating dumbbell curl 4 60/45/30/15 seconds
How to do itWith this program you’ll take the upper/lower concept a step farther: Twice a week you’ll use a traditional strength and power-training protocol to build size and boost anaerobic capacity, and twice a week you’ll do a circuit to lean out and maximize aerobic endurance. This way, your body encounters markedly different training stimuli on a weekly basis, improving overall fitness and sparking even more fat-burning through muscle confusion. The moves are similar on both strength and circuit days, which means there aren’t a lot of steps to learn — making it easier than ever to get results.
Give this routine a try for the next four to eight weeks and look forward to a new body!
WORKOUT CHARTS
CIRCUIT TRAINING (AEROBIC + FAT BURNING)
Thursday is your lower-body circuit. Do as many reps of each move with good form for a minute with no rest in between, and rest one to two minutes between circuits. Go through the circuit two to five times, depending on your level.
Friday is your upper-body circuit done in four rounds. For round one, do each exercise for 60 seconds and complete as many reps as you can using good form and a moderately heavy weight. Each subsequent round decreases by 15 seconds. Note: The moves in the circuit are comparable to the moves on the strength and power days, and are paired together with their counterparts in the descriptions following.
*Wednesday is an active recovery day. Do some moderately intense cardio and stretch thor-oughly. Also, do your abdominal training on this day.**Saturday is an optional HIIT cardio day for intermediate and advanced participants only. Beginners should stick to 30 to 40 minutes of steady state cardio, as was completed on Wednesday.
MO
DEL
: CAN
DIC
E CH
AMBE
RLAN
D •
HAI
R &
MAK
EUP:
NAN
CY JA
MBA
ZIAN
• C
LOTH
ING
: ELI
SABE
TTA
ROG
IAN
I • L
OCA
TIO
N: G
LOBA
L FI
TNES
S, G
ARD
ENA,
CAL
IF.
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201456
MONDAY: tuck jumps muscles worked: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, calvessetup: Stand with your arms at your sides, feet hip-width apart. move: Dip down at the knees and reach your arms back, then swing your arms forward and upward and jump straight up as high as you can, tucking your knees into your chest. Land softly, settle, then repeat.
THURSDAY: jump rope (not shown)This jumping exercise is steady and sustained, not explosive. Use small hops, just high enough to let the rope pass under your feet on each rep.
MONDAY: barbell squat muscles worked: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, coresetup: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointed slightly outward. Balance a barbell across your upper back and shoulders with your chest lifted and your abs tight. move: Kick your hips back, then bend your knees and squat down as if sitting in a chair, keeping your back flat throughout. When your thighs reach parallel with the floor, press through your heels to return to standing without locking your knees at the top.
THURSDAY: bodyweight squat (not shown)Perform the same squatting motion continuously without the barbell. Start with your arms at your sides and lift them up in front of your chest to counterbalance as you squat down.
lower half!
This is an intense, explosive move, so you’ll do fewer reps
here. Make each one count — no holding back!
Note: Beginners and intermediates can substitute step-ups or box jumps to take the intensity down
a level.
!For greater
glute recruitment, drop below parallel as far as you
comfortably can.
TUESDAY: plyo incline push-up muscles worked: Pectorals, triceps, shoulders, coresetup: Set the bar in a Smith machine at about waist height and place both hands on the bar, shoulder-width apart. Step your feet back so you are in a push-up position on an incline, abs tight, head neutral. move: Bend your elbows to lower yourself until your upper chest is just shy of touching the bar. Then explosively extend your arms with enough force so your hands leave the bar. Catch yourself with slightly bent elbows and go immediately into the next rep.
FRIDAY: incline military push-up (not shown)Perform reps in the same position as above at a steady tempo.
MONDAY: overhead walking lunge with plate muscles worked: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, core, shoulders, trapeziussetup: Stand with your feet together, knees slightly bent and hold a moderately heavy weight plate (about 10 to 25 pounds) in both hands directly overhead, arms fully extended. move: Take a large step forward with one leg, then bend both knees to lower yourself toward the floor. When your back knee is just shy of touching down, step forward with that leg and extend both knees to bring your feet together again. Repeat, alternating legs. Tip: Keep your chest lifted and shoulders back so the plate remains directly overhead.
THURSDAY: walking lunge (not shown)Perform the same movement, only with no weight plate and your arms moving forward and back in concert with your legs.
MONDAY: barbell romanian deadlift muscles worked: Hamstrings, glutes, lower backsetup: Hold a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand grip, feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. move: Keeping your chest up, back flat and arms extended, fold forward at the hips, push-ing them rearward and lowering the weight until your torso is parallel with the floor. Slowly reverse the motion and return to standing.
THURSDAY: dumbbell romanian deadlift(not shown) Perform the exact same motion, only with dumbbells instead of a barbell.
upper half
!The lower the bar,
the more difficult the move, and vice versa.
!Keep your elbows in close to
your sides throughout;
don’t let them flare
out.
!If you are doing this
move correctly, the bar should slide up
and down vertically
along your legs and
shins.
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201458
TUESDAY: ez-bar curl muscles worked: Bicepssetup: Hold an EZ-curl bar with a shoulder-width grip, arms extended toward the floor and knees slightly bent. move: Keeping your torso erect, bend your elbows to curl the weight up as high as possible, then slowly lower to the start.
FRIDAY: alternating dumbbell curl (not shown)Perform the same type of biceps curl with dumbbells, but alternate arms with each repetition.
TUESDAY: barbell bent-over rowmuscles worked: Lats, rhomboids, trapezius, core, lower back, rear deltssetup: Hold a barbell with a shoulder-width, overhand grip. Fold forward at the waist so your torso is about 45 degrees to the floor with your back flat. Extend your arms straight toward the floor. move: Drive your elbows up and back with force, squeezing your shoulder blades together and pulling the bar into your abdomen. Pause a moment at the top, then slowly lower to the start.
FRIDAY: dumbbell bent over row (not shown) Perform the same motion holding a pair of dumbbells instead of a bar. For variety, switch the angle of the dumbbells: Do them with palms inward, neutral and rearward to target different areas of the back.
TUESDAY: dumbbell push press muscles worked: Deltoids, core, trapeziussetup: Stand holding a pair of dumbbells at shoulder level with your palms facing forward. move: Bend your knees slightly, then explosively extend them while straightening your arms and pressing the dumbbells straight overhead. Pause briefly and steady the weights before returning to the start.
FRIDAY: standing dumbbell shoulder press (not shown)Press the dumbbells overhead using strict movements rather than explosive ones.
!Because your
legs are creating momentum, you
should be able to go slightly heavier.
!Don’t use
momentum to lift the weight,
as it could injure your
back.
!Keep your elbows in close to
your sides throughout;
don’t let them flare out.
OCTOBER 2014 . OXYGENMAG.COM ‹ 59
no matter how you cook it, protein-packedseafood
BY LINDA MELONE, CSCS
High-protein, low-fat, quick-cooking and versatile, fish may be the perfect food for active women. White fish including cod, halibut and tilapia are rich in protein and very low in calories, while fattier varieties such as salmon, tuna, trout and mackerel contain par-ticularly high amounts of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. “Omega-3s are most important for women who train regularly,” says Amy Goodson, MS, CSCS, Dallas Cowboys sports dietitian and co-author of Swim, Bike, Run—Eat: The Complete Guide to Fueling Your Triathlon ( July 2014). They not only ease muscle damage and inflammation during exercise, but omega-3s also possess anti-aging proper-ties that may counteract age-related muscle loss, according to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study shows omega-3s stimulated muscle syn-
SUPER EASY
thesis (repairing and building) in older adults, while corn oil supplements had no effect.
The specific omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosa-pentaenoic acid (EPA), are considered essential dietary nutrients since our bodies cannot make these types of fats, says Lori Zanini, RD, dietitian with HealthCare Partners and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Aside from muscle growth, eating 8 ounces of fish weekly may help reduce the risk for heart disease.” Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish help reduce inflammation and slow the formation of fatty plaque in arteries, according to an inter-national study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Plus, eating a high-protein meal after a workout in general ensures your body has enough protein to keep on building muscle throughout the day.
fish is one of the cleanest,nutrient-rich choices for active women.
four simple but tasty recipes.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CORY SORENSEN
FOO
D S
TYLI
NG
: RO
NN
DA
HAM
ILTO
N
30 minutes or less!
No cod on hand? Flounder, sole or haddock work equally well.
Makes 2 servingsServing size: 1½ cupsTotal time: 30 minutesHands-on time: 20 minutes
Nonstick pan spray ½ large onion, diced ¼ teaspoon dried thyme ½ pound boneless skinless
cod fillet (fresh or frozen and thawed) 1 large potato, scrubbed
and diced 1 cup non-fat skim milk
low-fat fish chowder in a flash
body benefit
COD IS HIGH IN NIACIN, ALSO
KNOWN AS VITAMIN B-3,
WHICH HELPS THE BODY CONVERT
CARBS INTO ENERGY AND
KEEPS THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
FUNCTIONING PROPERLY.
� Coat a medium saucepan with nonstick spray and place over low-moderate heat. � Add onions and thyme and cook, stirring frequently, until onions soften, approxi-mately three minutes.� Add 1 cup water and bring to a simmer; reduce heat to low, add cod fillet (cut in half if large) and simmer until fish becomes opaque and is cooked through, approxi-mately five minutes. Transfer cod to a bowl.� Bring heat back up to medium, add potatoes and cook until potatoes are tender, approximately 10 minutes.
� Stir milk into the pot and return to a simmer. Return fish to the pot and heat through, approximately two minutes, breaking up larger pieces. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.
Nutrition Facts (per serv-ing): calories 292, total fat 1 g, saturated fat 0 g, 0 trans fat 0 g, sodium 137 mg, car-bohydrates 43 g, fiber 5 g, sugars 9 g, protein 28 g
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201462
For best results, be sure the pan is very
hot before addingscallops.
Makes 2 servingsServing size: 5 scallops + 2 green onions, 1 carrotTotal time: 20 minutesHands-on time: 20 minutes
2 teaspoons olive oil 4 green onions, thinly
sliced 2 carrots, cut into fine
matchsticks 10 large sea scallops Juice of ½ lemon
slimming sea scallops & veggies
body benefit
MAGNESIUM, FOUND IN SCALLOPS,
PLAYS A ROLE IN MORE THAN 300
ENZYME SYSTEMS IN THE BODY,
INCLUDING NERVE IMPULSE AND
MUSCLE CONTRACTION.
� Heat oil in a medium skil-let over moderate heat. � Add onions and carrots and saute three minutes, until onions wilt and car-rots become crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from pan.� Add scallops to the pan and cook until slightly browned, approximately two minutes per side (do not stir or flip back and forth).� Return vegetables to the skillet and squeeze the lemon juice over all; continue to cook until scallops are cooked through, approxi-mately two more minutes. Serve with brown rice.
Nutrition facts (per serv-ing): calories 277, total fat 10 g, saturated fat 1 g, trans fat 0 g, sodium 328 mg, car-bohydrates 19 g, fiber 5 g, sugars 7g, protein 27g
buying &storing fresh fish
Preparing fish starts with know-ing how to properly shop and store your purchases. When shopping for fresh fish, plan on using it within the first day or two (at the latest) of the week, Goodson says. “Ideally you should cook it within 24 hours of purchase, but it can stay refrigerated for up to 48 hours before cooking.” Plus, look for “fresh” instead of “previously frozen,” or ask how long the fish has been thawed out, Goodson says. “The same rule applies. Since you want to cook fish within 48 hours of thawing, if the fish has already been thawed 24 hours, you need to cook it within a day of purchase.”
OCTOBER 2014 . OXYGENMAG.COM ‹ 63
power-packed tilapia tacos
Makes 1 servingServing size: 2 tacosTotal time: 15 minutesHands-on time: 15 minutes
6 ounces boneless and skinless tilapia, cut into 2-inch pieces 1 teaspoon olive oil 1⁄3 cup Greek yogurt 1 tablespoon fresh salsa 2 whole-grain tortillas Optional toppings:
shredded lettuce or cabbage, cilantro, avocado
body benefit
VITAMIN B-12 FOUND IN
SEAFOOD HELPS THE BODY MAKE
RED BLOOD CELLS AND KEEPS YOUR
ENERGY UP.
� Preheat broiler and position the top rack on the highest level. � Place tilapia on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet and brush with olive oil; season to taste with salt and pepper.� Place fish under broiler and cook until lightly browned and fish is opaque throughout, approximately five minutes.� Meanwhile, mix yogurt and salsa in a small mixing bowl.
� Divide the fish between the tortillas, top with the Greek yogurt and salsa mixture and your choice of optional additions. Serve immediately.
Nutrition facts (per serv-ing): calories 467, total fat 12 g, saturated fat 3 g, trans fat 0 g, sodium 619 mg, carbohydrates 38 g, fiber 2 g, sugar 7 g, protein 51 g
A 4-ounce serving of tilapia provides 11 percent of the RDA of calcium.
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201464
curried shrimp & tomato kebabs
Makes 4 servingsServing size: 4 ounces shrimp (approximately 4 to 6 shrimp), plus 4 tomatoesTotal time: 20 minutesHands-on time: 15 minutes
1 pound frozen, uncooked large shrimp, thawed 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 tablespoon curry powder Pint of cherry tomatoes Juice of 1 lime
body benefit
SHRIMP IS HIGH IN SELENIUM,
A MINERAL INVOLVED IN PROTECTION
FROM OXIDATIVE DAMAGE AND
INFECTION.
� Preheat broiler to high and arrange an oven rack on the highest level; line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.� In a small bowl, toss shrimp with olive oil and curry powder.� Thread shrimp and tomatoes alternately on kebab sticks until all fish and vegetables are used up, and arrange kebabs on the foil-lined pan; place any odd pieces directly on the foil.
� When broiler is ready, place kebabs under the broiler and cook one to two minutes (depending on the size of the shrimp); turn kebabs and finish cooking on the opposite side. Serve immediately with cooked quinoa or other whole grain.
Nutrition Facts (per serv-ing): calories 168; total fat 5 g; saturated fat 1 g; trans fat 0 g; sodium 180 mg; carbohydrates 8 g; fiber 1 g; sugars 3 g; protein 24 g
If you substitute longer-cooking vegetables,
cook them separately to avoid overcooking
the shrimp.
Look for wild fish versus farmed fish, as they contain higher levels of omega-3s
Fresh fish should be nearly odorless and not smell “fishy”
Do not leave fish at room temperature for longer than an accu-mulated four hours (as with all proteins)
When choosing wild-caught seafood look for the Marine Stewardship Council label (msc.org), which certifies the fishery demonstrates effec-tive management and maintains healthy populations and eco-systems.
Frozen fish should be solidly frozen and tightly sealed, free of freezer burn
Lean fish such as sole, catfish, cod and orange roughy may be frozen (wrapped in freezer paper or plastic bags) for up to six months, and up to three months for fatty fish like salmon.
Swap out curry for
salsa
Bonus! For another tasty recipe, go to oxygenmag.com
OCTOBER 2014 . OXYGENMAG.COM ‹ 65
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201466
TAKE A
HIKE
Get your sweat alfresco while you firm your glutes, quads and hammies, and burn up to 472 calories an hour
By M
yatt
Mur
phy,
CSC
S
Pho
togr
aphy
by
Robe
rt R
eiff
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201468
LYING TOE TOUCHThis exercise strengthens the core, which provides balance
and stability over uneven terrain.
Setup: Lie faceup and extend your arms and legs
straight up toward the ceiling, perpendicular to the floor.
Open your legs into a wide V in the air.
Move: Curl up and twist to the left, reaching your
fingers toward your left foot. Pause at the top, then slowly lower back down. Continue, alternating sides. Do 15 reps
each side.Tip: The wider your feet are,
the more challenging the move will be.
TRAVELING LUNGE This move helps you power up steep terrain by strengthening
your quads, glutes and hamstrings.
Setup: Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Move: Step forward with your left foot and bend both knees deeply. When your left thigh is parallel to the floor, push off
your right foot and take a step forward, extending your legs
to return to standing. Continue, alternating sides.
Tip: If you’re going to be carrying a backpack, do this move using a barbell across your traps and shoulders to prepare for the extra stress.
WALL TOE RAISEThe move works the tibialis
anterior muscle, located near the shin, and helps stabilize
your ankle and foot. Setup: Lean against a
wall with your shoulders, back and glutes touching, and your heels a few inches away.Move: Lift your toes up as high as you can and pause for two seconds. Lower and repeat.
Do 15 to 20 reps.Tip: To challenge your core as well as your legs, do this
freestanding. You can do this with your feet pointed forward, outward or inward to hit the tibialis from different angles.
1 2
a good hike can last anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours (or even days, if you’re adventurous!), which makes it an excellent endurance activity as well as a strengthening one.
But before you hit the trails, know this: Successful hiking requires preparation. “Many women assume that because they run or walk regularly, their bodies are already conditioned for hiking,” Benincasa says. But because you’re not working on a flat surface and might be carrying 10, 20 or even 30 pounds in a backpack, you’ll be using your body in a much different way. Do our Trail-Ready Exercises and study the Hike This Way pointers so you can hit the trailhead with gusto. And when the going gets tough, remember the end result: a vista to die for!
ALTERNATING SUPERMAN
Do this move to strengthen your lumbar region
and improve low-back endurance.
Setup: Lie facedown with your arms extended,
your legs straight and your spine neutral.
Move: Slowly raise your right arm and left leg off the mat. Pause for two seconds,
then slowly lower back down. Continue, alternating
sides. Do at least 15 reps on each side.
Tip: Once you master this version, try lifting both arms and both legs at the
same time.
3 4
EXERCISING outdoors can be an uplifting experience, and what better way to get your fill of Mother Nature than with hiking. Blazing your own trail is a powerful way to strengthen muscles, improve oxygen consumption and blast calories, and with ever-changing terrain, hiking offers a biomechanical bonus that running or walking don’t deliver.
“Traversing over rocks, branches and other unexpected obstacles forces your body to consistently stabilize itself as you go,” says Robyn Benincasa, world champion Eco-Challenge adventure racer, 10-time Ironman finisher and founder of Project Athena. “This burns extra calories and teaches your muscles to work together, which can make other activities or sports easier.” Additionally,
YOUR TRAIL-READY EXERCISES Add these moves into your usual workouts to prime your hiking muscles. Aim for 15 to 20 repetitions per
set (not only are you doing cutting reps, but you’re building endurance capacity), three sets per exercise.
MO
DEL
: LEE
RON
LAN
G •
HAI
R &
MAK
EUP:
NAN
CY JA
MBA
ZIAN
• C
LOTH
ING
: ELI
SABE
TTA
ROG
IAN
I • S
HO
ES B
Y AS
ICS
OCTOBER 2014 . OXYGENMAG.COM ‹ 69
▲ Arm yourself. Use your arms for balance as well as to help you make your way up steep terrain and over obstacles.
▲ Pole position. Hiking poles can increase your endurance and engage your upper body — improving your capacities with further gym workouts — by transferring some of the weight from your legs to your arms, shoulders and back. (Coleman Trekking poles, $29.99 at Target)
▲ Stand tall. Maintain an upright position to keep your weight evenly centered to prevent your lower back from tiring.
HIKE THIS WAYLike resistance training or any sport or fitness activity, hiking has a right and a wrong way of doing things. To make sure every step you take on the trails is flawless, here are Benincasa’s pointers:
▲ Foot fall. Land on your heel, then roll forward onto the ball of the foot. If you’re on super-steep terrain, it’s OK to come up onto your toes.
▲ Switchback. Instead of moving straight uphill or downhill, try zigzagging, which can be easier on your knees and change the gradient.
▲ Think small. Wider steps may cover more terrain, but smaller steps will keep you steadier and minimize your risk of losing your balance and risking injury.
▲ Shoe-in. Unless you’re carrying a 40-plus-pound pack, a hiking boot is too much shoe. Instead, choose a trail runner that’s one size larger than your normal size to avoid blisters.
Your benefits from hikingWalking is an excel-lent activity for cardiovascular health, but there are some advantages to hiking for women living the Oxygen life-style. Check this out:▲ Hiking targets the glutes and that elu-sive glute/ham tie-in area that so many women struggle with. ▲ The uneven ter-rain helps strengthen the smaller stabi-lizing muscles of the ankles, knees, hips and core. Incremental bonus: ▲ You’ll improve training efficiency when you hit the gym. ▲ Going uphill burns 50 to 100 percent more calories than walking on the flat.▲ You can increase your calorie burn by carrying a back-pack: Hiking with no pack burns 354 calories an hour. Add a 10-pound back-pack (or “rucksack” if you’re a G.I. Jane type) and your burn jumps to 443 per hour. Increase that to 20 pounds and you’ll incinerate 472 calo-ries an hour!*
✳Based on a 130-pound woman
There’s an app for that Want a hike closer to home? Try All Trails, which shows you all the hikes nearest to your immediate location. It tells you how long and how difficult each hike is, while offering pictures and reviews from other hikers, so you know what to expect before you make the trek! Free on alltrails.com or iTunes.
Pack rightYour backpack can be your best friend or your worst enemy. On one hand you don’t want to load it so heavy that hiking becomes a chore, but on the other you don’t want to be high and dry without adequate supplies. Benincasa suggests a lightweight pack shaped to fit your body with lots of mesh pockets and a solid waist belt. Once you have it, fill it with:▲ A water bladder and bottles (Badlands Water Bladder, $25; Camelbak Unbottle, $50)▲ Snacks such as goos, bars and sliced fruit ($20 to $30)▲ Sunscreen, at least SPF 30 (from $9)▲ Lip balm with sunscreen (from $1.50)▲ A blister kit (traditional kit, $10; moleskin, $60)▲ A headlamp (from $20 to $120)▲ A disposable lighter ($0.79, magnesium fire starter, $4)▲ Wet wipes (Playtex Sport Body Wipes: $3 per pack of 20)▲ A pocket knife (Victorinox Swiss Army Classic SD, $20)▲ A mobile phone in a waterproof bag/case ($2 to $3 per case)▲ Extra (wicking) socks ($15 to $20)
THE OLD SALMON RIVER TRAIL
Location: Mount Hood
National Forest (Welches, Oregon)
Difficulty: Easy (5.2 miles,
elevation 1,640 feet)
Why it’s great: You’ll hike
through old-growth forest alongside a
rushing mountain stream. The grades
are easy (you’ll only ascend
about 200 feet from top to bottom)
and the groves of enormous cedar and
Douglas fir trees are breathtaking.
THE MAROON LAKE SCENIC TRAIL
Location: The Maroon Bells
Scenic Area (Aspen, Colorado)
Difficulty: Easy (2.6 miles,
elevation 9,500 feet)Why it’s great: In addition to its
water views — the trail follows Maroon Lake to its far side,
then wanders along a creek that flows into the lake
— this hike provides picture-perfect
vistas of Maroon Bells, one of the
most photographed mountain ranges in
the U.S.
ATALAYA MOUNTAIN HIKING
TRAIL (Trail 179)Location:
The Santa Fe National Forest
(Santa Fe, New Mexico)
Difficulty: Easy (4.6 miles,
elevation 8,200 feet)Why it’s great:
Considered to be one of the most
popular and easily accessible hiking trials in Santa Fe (you can get onto it right from the city!), it provides several routes
of varying difficulty that all lead to the same panoramic outlooks of Santa
Fe and the Rio Grande Valley.
THE HIKE TO ANDREWS BALD
Location: Great Smoky
Mountains National Park (Gatlinburg,
Tennessee)Difficulty:
Moderate (3.5 miles, 5,920 feet)Why it’s great:
Get ready to foot it through shady, high-elevation
forests (the fall foliage is
dazzling, if you can time it right!) that will take you
to the highest point east of the Mississippi and a view an eagle would die for.
1 2 3 4 5
▲ Myatt Murphy, CSCS, is the author of Push, Pull, Swing (Rodale, 2014) and The Ultimate Dumbbell Guide (Rodale, 2007).
OCTOBER 2014 . OXYGENMAG.COM ‹ 71
CADILLAC MOUNTAIN
(The South Ridge approach)Location:
Acadia National Park (Bar Harbor,
Maine)Difficulty:
Moderate (4 miles, 1,500 feet)
Why it’s great: This is the highest point along the North Atlantic
seaboard, and if you’re an early bird,
you can witness the first glimpse of sunrise in America.
You’ll also be treated to views of endless sky,
along with Frenchman’s Bay
and its many islands and cruise ships.
5 HIKES YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOWNot everyone is cut out to hike Mount Everest, even just to base camp (nor might you want to), but you can certainly get out there and get your sweat on without trekking to Nepal. “You don’t have to go deep into the backcountry to find a rewarding hike,” insists Chris Santella, author of Fifty Places to Hike Before You Die (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 2010). “Most parks have short, interpretive trails that will give you a perspective of the ecosystem and require just enough effort to get your blood pumping.” And each hike can offer a tran-scendent, spiritual moment. Here are Santella’s top five recommendations for day hikers who want to go, like, now:
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201472
Hey, what’s not to love about BCAAs? Calorie-free,
muscle-friendly and easy to drink during a workout, this
is any active woman’s go-to supplement. By Audrey Moultrie sustained energy+
OCTOBER 2014 . OXYGENMAG.COM ‹ 73
Eating for a leaner, more muscular body is tricky business. When you cut calo-ries, you’re trying to starve your fat but preserve your muscle (and hope your
postworkout meals head to your delts or glutes, not your hips). Unfortunately, manipulating body composition is rarely a simple zero-sum game.
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are the rare supplement that tips the metabolic process in the favor of your muscle tissue. BCAAs consist of three essential amino acids: leucine, valine, and isoleucine. Your body is not able to create BCAAs, acquiring them from dietary protein sources instead. BCAAs have certain special properties that make them diff erent from other amino acids and highly valuable if you’re looking to improve your body composition.
What’s so great about BCAAs?Much research has been published showing that ingesting BCAAs around your training can give you a better workout, preserve more muscle by kick-starting muscle protein synthesis and even lead to less soreness the day after training. Many of the benefi ts can be traced back to the fact that leucine is one of the most potent known triggers of protein synthesis. It fl ips the switch on your body’s muscle-building machine. +Provides energy during workouts: A calorie-free BCAA solution can be a girl’s BFF when trying to train intensely while dieting, especially when reducing carbs. BCAAs are metabolized by the muscle tissues and used as a form of energy, thereby sparing precious glycogen reserves. BCAAs also compete with the amino acid tryptophan for entry into the brain. Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin, a pleasure chemical that can increase your per-ception of how fatiguing your workout really is. By blocking tryptophan from the brain, BCAAs help crank up the workout intensity.+Builds muscle, burns fat: Several studies have shown that over time BCAAs improve body composition, increasing muscle mass while helping metabolize fat stores. A study published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research investigated the eff ects of BCAA supplementation on the blood hor-mone levels of trained athletes. It found that when subjects consumed BCAAs around intense workouts, their blood showed elevated levels of muscle-building hormones and signifi -cantly lower levels of catabolic hormones.
Leucine-maniaThe branched-chain amino acid leucine has become a supple-ment superstar the last few years, receiving top bill-ing for its anabolic signaling power over its co-stars valine and iso-leucine. A slew of leucine-only supplements and BCAA products heavily skewing toward leucine (some with an 8:1 ratio to valine and isoleucine) have popped up to take advantage of leu-cine’s recent fame. However, many experts believe that BCAAs are not a one-acid show.
“I think isoleucine and valine do not get enough respect in the need to be present with leucine. There is a good reason why the three BCAAs taken together in certain ratios — where one is not overpowering the others — is prob-ably necessary to get the benefi t of all three,” says Chris Lockwood, Ph.D., CSCS. “There is something about valine’s presence in the digestive system that allows it to be some-thing of a Trojan Horse for active ingredients that otherwise wouldn’t be absorbed. Single BCAAs are eff ective, just not as eff ective.”
Evidence seems to suggest that 2:1:1 ratio of leucine to valine and isoleu-cine is an ideal mix that allows all three players the oppor-tunity to give your body their best performance.
+Stops muscle loss: “Based on the research from whey, BCAAs and leucine studies, by tak-ing the right BCAA product during exercise you should see a down-regulation of the muscle catabolic cascade,” says Chris Lockwood, Ph.D., CSCS, a supplement researcher, formulator and chief scientifi c offi cer for 4Life Research. “It makes sense considering the role BCAAs play in energy metabolism at the cellular level. If your intracellular levels of BCAAs get depleted, the body will try to break down intracellular protein to make those available for energy demands.” +Decreases soreness: The International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism pub-lished a study that put 12 females through a squat workout. Half the group was given a BCAA for-mula beforehand while the other half was given a simple sugar solution. The BCAA group reported feeling less sore in the days after the workout. Even more, three days later, the BCAA group was able to generate more force during a leg workout than the women who didn’t take BCAAs.
The BCAA advantage Whey protein is one of the best sources of BCAAs, one reason why the shaker-bottle favor-ite is so eff ective at initiating protein synthesis after a workout. If your diet is rich in protein and includes a dose of post-training whey, pat yourself on the back — you’re doing your body a favor. But if whey protein is loaded with BCAAs, why take a separate BCAA supplement? BCAAs are most eff ective when consumed immediately before, after and especially during your workout. If you are squatting, lunging, or doing any kind of interval training, a thick protein shake sloshing around in your stomach isn’t going to feel good. “Studies show that whey protein is very satiating, meaning it delivers a feeling of fullness. The last thing you want when you’re exercising is to feel too full,” Lockwood says.
In addition to the light consistency making them more appealing during a workout, another advantage of taking BCAAs separately is speed. They are able to pass more quickly through the gut and get to work providing energy to muscles.
But just because BCAAs are calorie-free, don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can build calorie-free muscle. The body still needs the full complement of amino acids to create muscle. That is why BCAAs are most eff ective when combined with a diet that includes whole-food protein sources as well as a quality whey protein.
Long-distance relationship Branched-chain amino acids can impart some very special benefi ts to endurance athletes, such as triathletes and marathoners. Research shows that besides mitigating the muscle loss that is a frequent side eff ect to long-distance training, BCAAs can improve exercise performance during endurance events. One study, published in the journal Nutrition, reported that BCAAs signifi cantly bolstered the immune system of triathletes. Since BCAAs formulations have a light fruity taste and texture, they are easily mixed into a carb-electrolyte beverage of choice.
Abs are made in the gym and revealed in the kitchen — right? Not necessarily. While diet is important for uncovering your abs, you certainly don’t have to go to the gym to create them. There are tons of challenging moves that you can do in your living room, bedroom or backyard that require minimal equipment and produce maximum results.
This routine targets all of your trunk muscles using a Swiss ball, light dumbbells and a medicine ball. Repeat it every other day up to three times per week, leaving at least 48 hours of rest in between workouts to recover properly. Feel free to change the order of the moves or do more sets of one or another depending on which part of your abdominal region you’d like to target. In a few months you’ll be leaner, stronger and more cut. Start today!
exercise
sets reps
equipmentspeed
Swiss ball jackknife2-3
10-15Swiss ball (55-65 cm) slow
Swiss ball oblique crunch2-3 10-15 each side Swiss ball (55-65 cm) moderate
medicine ball v-up2-3
10-154-8 lb. medicine ball slow
medicine ball reverse crunch 2-310-15
4-8 lb. medicine ball moderate
cross punch2-3
20-305-10 lb. dumbbells moderate
zombie sit-up2-3
10-155-10 lb. dumbbells
slow
[ YOUR WORKOUT ]
renovationsix-packattCUSTOM-MAKE YOUR MIDSECTION ANYWHERE YOU WANT!
BY ERIN CALDERONE, MS, ACSM CERTIFIED HEALTH FITNESS SPECIALIST
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT REIFF
SWISS BALL JACKKNIFE This is great for developing overall core strength, because it requires your deeper abdominal and back muscles to stabilize you on the ball.setup: Begin in a push-up position with your shins or feet on top of the Swiss ball and your hands directly underneath your shoulders. move: Keeping your upper body stationary, roll the ball forward by tucking your knees to your chest as far as you can go. Then slowly push the ball back out to the starting plank position.
Starting with the ball on your shins will make this exercise easier, whereas putting your tiptoes on the ball is more challenging.
SWISS BALL OBLIQUE CRUNCH start option: You’ll get a better, fuller range of motion if you bend over the ball before you begin.setup: Place the Swiss ball under the curve of your waist on the left side and extend both legs, crossing the top leg in front. Stabilize yourself on the ball with your left arm. move: Extend your right arm over your head as you stretch the right obliques. Then contract them to crunch up to the side, bending your right elbow and bringing it down toward your hip. Do all reps on one side before switching.
To make this move easier, drop your knee to the ground to stabilize the ball.
MO
DEL
: CAN
DIC
E CO
NRO
Y •
HAI
R &
MAK
EUP:
NAN
CY JA
MBA
ZIAN
• C
LOTH
ING
: ELI
SABE
TTA
ROG
IAN
I • L
OCA
TIO
N: G
LOBA
L FI
TNES
S, G
ARD
ENA,
CAL
IF.
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201476
MEDICINE BALL V-UP Combining upper- and lower-body actions will work the entire rectus abdominis.setup: Lie on your back with your arms and legs extended, holding the medi-cine ball overhead hovering just above the floor. Make sure you have a neutral spine (slight curve in the lower back) in the starting position. move: Simultaneously bring your arms and legs up together into a V, then hold your legs steady as you crunch up with your head, shoulders and upper back, reaching the ball toward your feet. Slowly return to the start and repeat.
Increase the challenge by bringing
the whole trunk off the floor into a V-sit at the top
of the move.
OCTOBER 2014 . OXYGENMAG.COM ‹ 77
a case for crunches?Research on core training has become confusing as of late. Are isometric exercises like planks and bridges the most effective way to train the core, or is there still a case for doing crunches?
Although most studies support core and functional exer-cises over traditional crunches for low-back health and sports applications, one recent study actually showed that crunches were superior to the traditional “pike” core exercise (basically a jackknife, as described previously) in isolating the rectus abdominis while eliminating assis-tance from the quads.
So what does this mean? While stabiliz-ing exercises like the plank build endurance in the core muscles to brace posture, they’re not going to provide the right stimulus for building muscle mass in the abs. Crunches — especially weighted ones — might be the way to go for someone who wants to develop her six-pack without getting help from her hip flexors. Most sports don’t use this crunch-ing motion, however, so for the athlete, more functional exercises like woodchoppers will serve her better. Your best bet:Though research has not yet been able to pinpoint a single per-fect exercise to activate all core muscles at once, keep your abs guessing by switching up your moves often. Use a program for no more than four to six weeks, and change your workout variables such as sets, reps, rest time and equipment to keep things fresh.
MEDICINE BALL REVERSE CRUNCH Reverse crunches effectively target your six-pack by eliminating the possibility of your neck muscles taking over. setup: Lie with your hips and knees flexed 90 degrees and place the medicine ball behind your knees. Use your hamstrings to squeeze it in place and extend your arms along your sides. move: Lower your legs slightly toward the ground until you feel your abs engage, then crunch them in and lift your hips up off the ground. Slowly unroll and repeat.
Instead of crunching your knees toward your face, try to push your hips toward the ceiling to eliminate the momentum from your hip flexors and activating your abs instead.
CROSS PUNCH Your abdominals adapt to stress just like any other muscle, so a good way to make them pop is by adding resistance.setup: Lie with your hips flexed and feet pointing toward the ceiling, and hold a light set of dumbbells at your chest, palms facing inward. move: Lift your head, shoulders and upper back off the floor and punch one of the dumbbells up toward the opposite foot, twist-ing and “wringing” out your waist. Return to the center without rest-ing your head on the ground, and continue, alternating sides.
For a greater chal-lenge, separate your feet into a wide V so you have to twist far-ther when you crunch.
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201478
!If you have any
chronic low-back pain, only perform
this move as a crunch — not a full
sit-up — and main-tain a neutral spine
throughout.
Squeeze your glutes to prevent your legs from lifting off the floor, and eliminate momentum by pressing the dumbbells
straight up toward the ceiling.
ZOMBIE SIT-UP This move is an intense core strength-ener on all sides — perfect for devel-oping that perfect posture that will showcase your chis-eled abs. setup: Lie with your legs extended and your feet a little wider than your shoulders. Hold the dumbbells over your chest with your arms straight up over your shoulders. move: Roll up through your trunk into a seated position while keeping your arms straight and the dumbbells reaching toward the ceiling; they should never deviate from perpen-dicular. Slowly reverse the move and return to the floor.
OCTOBER 2014 . OXYGENMAG.COM ‹ 79
EAT TO GROW LEAN MUSCLE EAT TO GROW LEAN MUSCLE EAT TO GROW LEAN MUSCLE EAT TO GROW LEAN MUSCLE EAT TO GROW LEAN MUSCLE EAT TO GROW LEAN MUSCLE EAT TO GROW LEAN MUSCLE EAT TO GROW LEAN MUSCLE EAT TO GROW LEAN MUSCLE EAT TO GROW LEAN MUSCLE EAT TO GROW LEAN MUSCLE EAT TO
BY SUSAN M KLEINER, PH.D., RD, FACN, CNS, FISSN
SCIENCE IS CLEAR: TO PERFORM WELL, YOU
NEED TO GET YOUR FOOD TO
WORK FOR YOU. BONUS!
MEAL PLAN INCLUDED.
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201482
TRAIN AND EAT TO BUILDThe most important nutritional factor affecting muscle gain is calories — specifically, calories from carbohy-drates. Building muscle requires systematic intense training. Muscle must be challenged and stressed in order to break down, and then grow back stronger and more robust. That level of training, called high-
HIGH-PERFORMANCE
FATS FROM FISH, AVOCADOS,
NUTS, SEEDS, OLIVES, PLANT BUTTERS AND
OILS OFFER THE BODY IMPORTANT
STRUCTURAL MATERIALS FOR
YOUR BRAIN AND CENTRAL
NERVOUS SYSTEM. THEY ALSO
CREATE JOINT LUBRICATION AND ARE THE
BUILDING BLOCKS OF IMPORTANT
HORMONES AND ENZYMES.
I’VE ALWAYS WANTED to write a book titled For Athletes Only, because I believe everyone, at some point in their life, dreams of being an athlete. The sense of ultimate power and control over your body is incredibly aspirational, and if it were easy to achieve, everyone would sign up.
In fact, we all have an inner athlete, but it takes focused fueling and training to release the athlete within. When it comes to the fueling part, especially for women, evidence-based recommendations are sparse. The world of sports nutrition has been notoriously male-centric, and a current published research survey documented that only a little more than one-third of all subjects in sports and exercise medicine research studies are female. This landscape has allowed the diet world, which has marketed to women for more than a cen-tury, to sell the message that less is more, often in the guise of sports nutrition.
But there are some real facts on the ground, and scientific data tells us that women have to fuel their training and their bodies to fully achieve their athletic goals. Without the right fuel at the right times, sustainable athletic goals will be left in the dust, and health may be compromised. So let’s look to science for the information that will lift us up to become the most that we can be.
intensity or maximal-resistance training, depends primarily on carbohydrates as the energy to fuel the exercise. Whether female or male, the science is clear that carbohydrate-dense diets give strength-training athletes an edge in their workouts; and the bottom line is, the harder you train, day after day, the more you need to supply your body with carbs in order to build muscle effectively and efficiently.
We benefit from an increase in calorie expenditure not only during resistance exercise, but also for hours after training. Called excess post-exercise oxygen con-sumption (EPOC), the harder you train, the higher your calorie burn throughout exercise, and the higher and longer the afterburn. If you fuel yourself well enough to lift multiple sets to failure, EPOC can continue for 24 to 36 hours postworkout.
The best time for women to increase food consump-tion is around exercise: before, during (depending on total energy needs) and after. This strategy takes the greatest advantage of heightened sensitivity of skeletal muscle to absorb and utilize carbohydrates to refuel, recover and grow lean muscle. That’s when the calories know where to go and how to be used. It’s the magical benefit of high-intensity training matched with fueling your body with the right carbs at the right time: train, build, recover, sculpt, repeat!
Carbs may play the leading role for your training, but proteins and fats play a critical supporting role: tissue recovery, repair and growth. All three macronutrients work in concert with each other to optimize your fuel-ing and maximize your training.
You may have heard that women burn more fat and fewer carbs than men during exercise. While that seems to be true for submaximal exercise, scientific evidence is not so clear during maximal exercise. We may burn carbs just like the guys when we lift, climb hills or train at high-intensity levels. Additionally, exercise intensity
OCTOBER 2014 . OXYGENMAG.COM ‹ 83
WHEN YOU COMBINE CARBOHYDRATES AND PROTEIN TOGETHER, YOU MAXIMIZE THE FUNCTION OF EACH NUTRIENT, ESPECIALLY AROUND EXERCISE.
Fuel yourself with starches before and after training. If you are an early morning trainer or it’s been hours since you last ate, stick to a light portion of a grain cereal or starchy vegetable. If you can tolerate it, mix with a dairy protein from yogurt or milk, or a plant protein, but this is secondary, especially if the protein upsets your stomach before you train. A total of about 200 calories works nicely.
Stay well hydrated with water during a lifting session. If you train in a hot, humid or dry environment, and/or at a high intensity consistently for more than an hour, then you may benefit from carbohydrate supplementation during training. This takes experimentation. If you find you are “running out of gas” during your workout even though you’ve fueled beforehand, you may need to fuel “in” as well as before and after.
After exercise combine starches with fruits, vegetables, and of course, protein. Smoothies are an excellent choice. Your total will include 20 to 25 grams of protein with carbohydrate replenishment adjusted based on the intensity and duration of your training. The typical carbohydrate to protein ratio for women is 2:1 to 4:1. Two hours later, eat a good meal containing foods rich in protein, carbohydrates and high-performance fats.
BEFORE:
DURING:
AFTER:
PLAN, TRAIN, FUEL MINDFULLY
Using food around exercise
PROTEIN RICH
can vary during training bouts, and fats clearly play an important fueling role during training. Choosing the right high-performance fats will help you train at peak levels.
Protein needs are met best when we consume moderate amounts throughout the day. Each source of protein has its own unique amino acid profile, so including a variety of protein-rich foods in your diet ensures the most well-balanced nutrient composition. In addition, plant-based protein foods have a wide variety of phytochemicals as part of the structure of the food, while animal-based protein foods are typically high in minerals. We utilize protein most efficiently in amounts of approximately 20 to 25 grams per serv-ing. This is the equivalent of about 4 ounces of animal protein or 1.5 cups of beans. If you include this much protein at every meal and snack, four to five times each day, you will consume very close to the amount of pro-tein your body needs to grow lean muscle.
PUT YOUR FOOD TO WORK FOR YOUWhen you eat, how much you eat and what combi-nations of foods you eat together can make all the difference in your results. When you combine carbohy-drates and protein together, you maximize the function of each nutrient, especially around exercise. Protein raises your insulin response beyond carbohydrates alone, heightening the body’s ability to transport car-bohydrates into your muscle cells to fuel and refuel your exercise. Carbohydrates enhance the transport of amino acids to the muscle cell, and together they cre-ate an anabolic hormonal environment to increase the synthesis of new muscle protein tissues and decrease the breakdown of protein tissues from a side effect of intense exercise. An additional benefit to the carb-protein combo is the effect on mood — carbohydrate enhances the movement of tryptophan, an amino acid, into the brain to manufacture and raise serotonin levels (the feel-good neurotransmitter). Eating car-bohydrate and protein together every time you eat, and especially around exercise, is an important mind-muscle building strategy.
Today scientists are giving a second look at animal fats from dairy and other meats, and whether they might serve an important health role, as well. But until the data is clearer, emphasize the fats from fish and plants in your diet. These will keep your metabo-lism working at full speed and allow you to feel and perform at your best to build lean tissue. Eat small portions of fats at every meal and snack, except around exercise. Fat slows stomach emptying, and we want to feel as light as possible before training, then allow for your recovery nutrition to move into the body as fast as possible after exercise.
Follow “A Day’s Worth of Fuel” on Page 85 and the menu guide to take the counting and restricting out of your nutrition vocabulary, but add in fueling for per-formance. The beauty of this is that you can mindfully fuel your training with starchy foods and supplements and then feel free to eat non-starchy vegetables, fruits, protein foods, dairy and high-performance fats throughout the rest of the day. You will focus on what you need to eat, not what you can’t eat next. You’ll get the results you desire: a lean and strong body that is the result of beating the challenge!
If you can’t eat before you train, then your “go to” supplement is a patented barley starch extract — a 100 percent sugar-free, complex starch supplement that is proven to empty from the stomach and get to the muscle cell fast. It empties so fast that you have no sense of fullness or bloat, so you can drink it and train right away, although it’s preferable to wait 30 to 40 minutes so it’s already fueling the cells. You can add protein to this starch extract before you train, but if you do so, you should have it at least 60 minutes beforehand.
It does not cause stomach distress, so it’s easy to fuel and refuel on the fly.
This is a good time to add 20 to 25 grams of protein for full recovery. The same ratios apply as with food above, as well as recommendations for eating a good meal two hours later. If you have a blender, you can make a recovery shake with it combined with fruit and protein.
AFTER: DURING:
BEFORE:
PUT YOUR FOOD TO WORK
FOR YOU. COMBINE CARB-
RICH WHOLE GRAINS, STARCHY
VEGETABLES AND FRUITS WITH
PROTEIN-RICH FOODS LIKE EGGS, FISH,
MEAT AND PLANT PROTEINS.
MILK, A NATURAL COMBINATION
OF PROTEIN AND CARBOHYDRATES
(LACTOSE), IS MOTHER
NATURE’S MIND AND BODY FUEL.
USING SUPPLEMENTS
AROUND EXERCISE
How to maximize your results
A DAY’S WORTH OF FUEL First fuel and refuel your training with carbs and pro-tein. Increase or decrease your fuel based on your training needs. Plan your breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner, and be mindful of your training time. With enough time in between, you can eat a meal prior to training, or recover with a meal immediately afterward; otherwise, fuel with supplements. Your snack can be placed anywhere during your day. And of course, drink water!
You’ll notice that these meals are heavy on plant foods — that’s the way to create diets that are dense with vitamins, min-erals, phytochemicals, food factors and fibers that contribute to total health and tissue growth. Try to include three to five fish meals per week to keep your brain and central nervous system operating at peak capacity.
(Check out our fish recipes on Page 60.)
MEAL PLANBreakfast
4 ounces protein-rich food, 1 cup cooked or raw
vegetables, 1 fruit, 2 fat servings,
water, coffee/tea
Snack (any time that works for you)
1 cup plain nonfat or low fat Greek
yogurt, 1 fruit, 2 fat servings
Lunch
4 ounces protein-rich food, 1 cup
cooked or 2 cups raw vegetables,
1 starchy vegetable/whole
grain serving, 2 fat servings
Dinner 4 ounces protein-
rich food, 1 cup cooked or 2 cups raw vegetables,
2 fat servings
MENU OPTION1 whole egg + 6
egg whites, 1 cup sauteed onions and
mushrooms1 whole fruit or ½ cup juice, 1
teaspoon olive oil + 2 tablespoons/
1/8 avocado
1 cup yogurt, ¾ cup blueberries,
1 tablespoon natural nut butter
4 ounces roast turkey slices, large mixed green salad, ½ cup yam/cooked
grain/1 bread slice, 2 teaspoons olive oil for salad
dressing
4 ounces grilled wild salmon, 1 cup cooked asparagus, 1 teaspoon olive oil for grilling/8 large
olivesSusan Kleiner, Ph.D., is the author of Power Eating, Fourth Edition (Human Kinetics), a member of Oxygen’s advisory board and co-CEO of Vynna LLC.
WHETHER FEMALE OR MALE, THE SCIENCE IS CLEAR THAT CARBOHYDRATE-DENSE DIETS GIVE STRENGTH-TRAINING ATHLETES AN EDGE IN THEIR WORKOUTS.
VITAMIN DENSE
by Lara
McG
lash
an, C
PT, Fit
ness
Edito
r
21 Day Fix®
personality
Autumn Calabrese
shares her
exclusive
workout for
Oxygen. photography by Cory Sorensen
n screen in one of the biggest infomercials on television, 21 Day Fix® by BeachBody, Autumn Calabrese is a big personality. But in person, the
amateur bikini competitor is a hardbodied pixie, coming in at 5’4” and 110 well-deserved pounds — a fact she would like to emphasize, since she is a hardgainer and has had to work diligently to put on the muscle she currently carries.
A former dancer, muscle was never her main goal, but she did dabble now and again at the collegiate gym as she pursued her dance major. “I would go in, use the treadmill and play with the 5-pound weights,” she says. “But I basically didn’t know what else to do.”
A bulging disc in her lower back would be the fortunate misfortune that changed her tack, requiring Calabrese to give up professional dance and move to LA in search of whatever came next. She became interested in personal training and got certified through NASM. Soon she had a solid list of LA bigwigs under her tutelage, and it snowballed from there.
Now, a dozen years later, the single mom of one son is an overnight infomercial queen as well as an accomplished
birthdate SEPTEMBER 23, 1980
birthplace CLEVELAND, OH
current residence WOODLAND HILLS, CA
height 5’4” contest history 2012 CAL
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS, 4TH; 2012 LOS
ANGELES GRAND PRIX, 7TH; 2013 CAL
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS, 6TH
Instagram/Twitter @AUTUMNCALABRESE
YouTube Facebook AUTUMNFITNESS
website AUTUMNCALABRESE.COM
exercisesquat/relevéstep-upside lunge/curtsey lunge
lateral band walkglute bridgebanded heel press
sets4
44
33
3
reps/time10-1210-12 each leg10-12 each leg60 seconds per set15-2015-20 each leg
the target your rear view workout
squat/relevéSetup: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes forward, and hold a set of dumbbells at your sides. Move: Kick your hips back and then bend your knees to squat, lowering until your hamstrings are par-allel to the ground. Drive through your heels to rise to the start, then continue to rise up onto your toes. Pause a moment and squeeze, then lower your heels and repeat.Tip: Keep your chest lifted throughout to help shift your weight into your heels.
bikini competitor, with three top-10 finishes to her name. “I would like to get back up onstage, but work is keeping me very busy right now,” she says. “I won’t do anything if I can’t give it my all, but I’d like to get there again soon.”
working it outEven though she is being pulled in 10 directions at once, Calabrese makes the time to work out every day. Her own training is similar to that in her DVDs — multi-joint, multi-functional moves done in a brisk 30-minute circuit — but there’s one difference: Calabrese likes to lift heavy. “Women are afraid of lifting heavy, but we don’t have the testosterone to get big,” she says. “Because I go heavier, my rest time is a little longer to allow for proper recovery, so I usually train for 45 to 60 minutes.”
Calabrese has compiled some of her favorite do-anywhere glute moves so you can begin building your butt before the new year. Do this workout up to twice a week, leaving at least two full days between for recovery; or alternately, incorporate one or more of these moves into your regular leg-training regimen.
HAI
R &
MAK
EUP:
NAN
CY JA
MBA
ZIAN
• C
LOTH
ING
: ELI
SABE
TTA
ROG
IAN
I • S
HO
ES B
Y N
IKE
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201488
weekly workout split
monday / shoulders, abs
tuesday / active recovery (like yoga)
wednesday / legs
thursday / biceps, triceps, abs
friday / back, chest
saturday / legs
sunday / off
Off-season Calabrese does 20 to 30 minutes of cardio
a day, five days per week; contest time she bumps it to
45 minutes twice a day.
step-upSetup: Stand next to the broad side of a flat bench and hold a single dumb-bell at your left shoulder. Place your left foot fully and squarely on top of the bench.Move: Extend your left leg to stand up on top of the bench. Bring your right knee up until your thigh is parallel with the ground, then slowly lower back to the start, leaving your left foot on top of the bench. Do all reps on one side before switching.Tip: Add a shoulder press at the top and control the eccentric (descend-ing) portion of your rep to boost the challenge.
the secret of small Autumn Calabrese is the first to admit she can be under-estimated.
“All too often, I’ve heard people I’m training say, ‘Oh, she’s small and cute, how bad will it be?’”
And then they take her workout and real-ize that looks can be deceptive.
“I like to push your limits,” she says, add-ing that she doesn’t consider the usual excuse — lack of time — as valid. The single mom is often up at the crack of dawn to work out and get 6-year-old son Dominic ready for school, before she heads out for a 10- to 12-hour day.
Says the petite pow-erhouse, “Everyone has a half hour in their day — find it!”
The creator of the 21 Day Fix® by BeachBody came up with the idea of the portion-controlled containers (one part of the program) after having lunch with a client and realizing that while Calabrese ate only one-third of her lunch salad, her client gobbled up the entire portion. “And that was a 1,700-calorie meal!” she says, adding she wanted to create portion control that was easy for people struggling to lose weight. — Diane Hart
lateral band walkSetup: Hold a resis-tance band handle in each hand, then stand in the center of the band. Cross the handles into an X in front of you, then kick your hips back to lower into a squat. Move: Maintain your squat as you take two steps to the left then two steps to the right, alternating sides for one minute.
side lunge/curtsey lungeSetup: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes forward, and hold a dumbbell at your left shoulder, elbow down. Move: Take a large step to the left and bend your left knee, shooting your hips back while keeping your chest lifted and your right leg straight. Push off the left foot to return to the center, then immediately cross your left leg behind your right, keeping your hips square and bending both knees to drop into a curtsey. Extend both legs to return to the start. Do all reps on one side before switching.
Tip: Drop your back knee down as close to your standing leg heel as you can to really hit the glutes.
Tip: Keep enough tension on the band to provide a significant amount of resistance.
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201490
banded heel pressSetup: Wrap a resistance band securely around your foot (see “The Safest Way to Wrap”) and get on all fours with your hands underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips. Move: Extend your banded foot away from you, keeping your foot flexed and your leg parallel to the ground. Squeeze a moment, then slowly return to the start. Do all reps on one side before switching.
Want more glute work? Then check out oxygenmag.com
for three additional moves from Autumn Calabrese!
Tip: For additional work, hold your leg parallel at the end of your set and do 20 hamstring curls, heel to butt.
The Safest Way to Wrap Holding a handle in each hand, stretch an exercise band over the insteps of both feet. Exerting the band to about 50 percent tension, pull each end around the outside of the feet, under the arch and up your body, running along the outside of the knees. Roll to the left and onto all fours.
glute bridgeSetup: Position your shoulders and upper back in the center of a flat bench and hold a barbell across your hips just below the bone. Place your feet flat on the floor about hip-width apart and lower your glutes until they almost touch the floor.Move: Press your hips straight up toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes and pausing a moment at the top before slowly lowering to the start and repeat-ing right away.Tip: Drive through your heels to make this glute-intensive. You can also change the position of your feet — closer, far-ther, toes straight, toes out — to change the emphasis on the glutes.
HIIT HAS ITS PRICE. IF YOU DO NOTHING
BUT INTERVAL TRAINING, YOU ARE
REALLY LIMITING WHAT YOU CAN DO ON THE OTHER END
OF THE FITNESS SPECTRUM.
A good mix of both types of cardio —
steady state and HIIT — is the winning
formula.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
“
”
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201492
& steady
The hottest trend in fitness over the last few years isn’t Zumba or eating Paleo or wear-ing brightly colored knee socks. No, the most popular phenomenon in gyms and online fit-ness communities continues to be the bashing of steady-state cardio. The rise of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has spawned countless obituaries for the more traditional sustained bout on the treadmill or bike. Websites especially love the click-bait headlines of declaring “The Death of Cardio” and describing how 45 minutes of moderate intensity biking makes you skinny-fat, but 15 minutes of intervals will transform you into Sofia Vergara but with better abs.
The truth about HIIT is that while it’s a highly effective calorie-burner, it has a price. And too often, it is your weight room workout that has to pay it. HIIT makes you tired and sweaty, and even though it releases a dose of feel-good hor-mones, it won’t add shape to your shoulders or curve to your glutes. When coupled with the proper eating plan, only serious sessions with dumbbells or barbells or resistance machines can help you create that gorgeous shoulder-to-waist taper or the visible hamstring/glute tie-ins that make a body look so fit, athletic and sexy.
Point is, if a lung-busting interval workout makes you so tired or sore that you are forced to cut back on the weights (whether that means going lighter or shorter), then it is hampering the progress of where you ultimately want to take your body.
“A lot of people don’t realize the cost of HIIT. Weight-based interval training exhausts the same muscles you should be saving for your resistance training session. If you do nothing but interval training, you are really limiting what you can do on the other end of the fitness spectrum,” says Alex Viada, CSCS, founder and co-owner of Complete Human Performance in Durham, North Carolina. Sure, HIIT helps you shed fat but, continues Viada, “it’s resistance training not interval training that helps you build out your shape.”
While Oxygen doesn’t suggest getting rid of HIIT entirely — a well-balanced program relies on assorted training modalities — dropping a HIIT workout here and there in favor of going a bit longer and slower might be precisely what your body needs. A couple days of steady-state cardio a week can help you lean out, feel better and actually improve your gym workouts.
Good old-fashioned cardio has been snubbed lately in favor of HIIT. But here’s why adding it into your training mix is exactly what your body needs. By Mike Carlson, NASM-CPT, CFL1
OCTOBER 2014 . OXYGENMAG.COM ‹ 93
Support your liftingIncorporating low and slow cardio allows you to make some constructive aerobic adaptations without competing for the same type-II muscle fibers and glycogen stores that you use in your resistance train-ing. In fact, sustained cardio will improve the quality of your weight-room work-outs rather than steal from them.
“Lower-intensity cardio allows you to function at a slightly higher heart rate and a higher level of exertion over time. It gets your body used to operating under stress, even if it is a minor stress,” Viada says. “In the gym you can tolerate a little more volume, a higher workload, and you can recover faster between sets. You’ll be able to crank out an additional rep or two because your muscles are getting that much more oxy-gen, which is allowing them to stay out of that lactic threshold just a little bit longer.”
Burn more caloriesOne of the advan-tages of HIIT is the increase in excess post-exercise oxy-gen consumption, sometimes called EPOC but commonly identified as the Afterburn Effect. It refers to the fact that your metabolism stays elevated for hours
after a very intense bout of exercise. That has been played up to mean that you can burn calories at a highly accelerated rate while you sit on the couch and watch Orange Is the New Black just because you did a HIIT workout that morning. While the Afterburn Effect is real, the potency often gets overstated.
“You are talking maybe 50 to 100 cal-ories over the course of up to 36 hours,” Viada says. “That is in the margin of error in most people’s diets.”
A study published in the Journal of Sports Sciences showed that EPOC accounted for only an extra 13 per-cent of the 246 total calories burned by subjects performing a HIIT workout, which was equal to a paltry 32 calories. The EPOC of a steady state bout of cardio is only about half that of a HIIT workout, but the total calories burned during a steady-state session tends to be greater than the HIIT and its EPOC com-bined.
Improve recoveryOne of the best things about low-intensity cardio is that it doesn’t add to the accumu-lated load of stress on your muscles and central nervous sys-tem. Performing easy cardio on a recovery day can help ease muscle tightness and quell localized inflammation.
“Even the simple act of walking quickly though the woods gets everything flow-ing, sends oxygen and nutrients to the muscles and loosens everything up,” Viada says. “And when done at low intensity, you are not taxing those type-II fibers that are trying to repair them-selves.”
Ultimately, the best programs, providing the best results, will take into consider-ation your age and fitness level, and include assorted vari-ables and modalities: high-rep and low-rep resistance work; short and long rest periods; straight sets, supersets, even trisets, and on occasion giant sets; HIIT and steady-state cardio, just to name a few options, as well as nutrition and recovery time built into the plan.
How to go low and slowStrength coach and personal trainer Alex Viada, CSCS, prescribes steady-state cardio to several of his clients who compete in physique competitions. While volume and frequency depends on the athlete, he has a few tips that apply to everyone, whether your goal is a beach body or a placing onstage.
“I am a big fan of cycling,” Viada says. “Running is a rel-atively complex movement, and gait and foot strike are complicated. The last thing anyone wants, if their passion is lifting, is to have shin splints or bad knees. A stationary bike is a great alternative.”
Even though it is low-intensity, Viada has his clients do their cardio and weight-training separately in order to preserve the quality of their lifting session. “The cardio will be in the morning if they lift in the afternoon, or in the afternoon if they lift in the morning,” he says. To maxi-mize returns — cardiovascular endurance, muscle growth, decreased risk of overtraining — avoid doing cardio at the same workout session if at all possible.
Before and after cardio take in some protein and carbs to mitigate muscle loss and initiate the repair process. “Even on relatively short runs bring along an electrolyte drink that has a small amount of carbs and a small amount of protein or branched-chain amino acids in it,” Viada says.
I like to use perceived exertion as a metric,” Viada says. “For low-intensity cardio, it should be a five or six out of 10. You are not going for a mere stroll, but you should be able to do this pace for the better part of a day if you had to.”
/////////////////////////////////////////
A newish form of low-impact cardio that is gaining popularity among fitness enthu-siasts and strength athletes looking for some diversity is rucking. Born out of military culture, there are now competitions, challenges and whole lines of gear devoted to rucking.
“Rucking has you load up a backpack and hike over differ-ing terrain such as the beach, a mountain trail and the road,” says former Navy SEAL Mark Divine, the creator of the SEALFIT program and author of 8 Weeks to SEALFIT, a New York Times best-seller. “Rucking is included in the SEALFIT training protocol for its effec-tiveness at developing functional endurance, durability and mental toughness.”
Women usually begin with a 20-pound load, in either a weight vest or backpack (better to carry hydration). Begin with a few miles to test your tolerance.
A 130-pound woman carrying 10 to 20 pounds while climbing hills can burn over 400 calories an hour.
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201494
WORKOUT: Each round is two minutes long, separated by 60 seconds of rest. Rounds can easily be tailored to your level of fitness by making the work inter-vals longer and the rest shorter, or vice versa.
ROUND 1 30 seconds of one-twos, 30 seconds of push-kicks, repeat Rest: 60
ROUND 2 30 seconds of hooks, 30 seconds of knees, repeat Rest: 60
ROUND 3 jab-cross-hook-rear leg roundhouse Rest: 60
ROUND 4 jab-cross-switch kick Rest: 60
ROUND 5 jab-cross-hook-cross, right leg roundhouse; jab-cross-hook-cross, switch kick (left leg roundhouse) Rest: 60
Burnout: 100 one-twos 100 uppercuts 100 hooks 100 kneesFinisher: 30 sit-ups 30 leg raises 20 sit-ups 20 leg raises 10 sit-ups10 leg raises
Punch, kick, burn!Simple kickboxing drills can knock out body fat and make you feel like a champion. By Mike Carlson
Kickboxing jacks your heart rate like a cardio session, but it also devel-ops the muscles of the shoulders, back, arms, glutes and core. Its combination of technique, intensity and total-body conditioning makes it one of the most effective fat-burning workouts in the gym. If you’re feeling worried because you’ve never punched anything besides your loyalty card at the local juicery, don’t be.
“People who have never kickboxed before see the weight-loss benefits more than those people who are coor-dinated and experienced,” says Jake Poss, a strength and conditioning coach at UFC Gym in Torrance, California, and a professional kickboxer. In other words, floating like a butterfly doesn’t torch many calories, but that period where you are learning to move smoothly and efficiently burns calories galore. Many of Poss’ clients, some who have lost upwards of 150 pounds, stick with kickboxing even after the fat-loss honeymoon phase is over.
“Kickboxing is empowering,” Poss says. “Knowing you can put someone on their butt with straight right hand is a good feeling no matter who you are.”
One-Two: With your left foot forward and your left shoulder facing the bag, shoot out your left hand in a jab (the “one”) and follow it with a right cross (the “two”).
Push-Kick: With your left foot forward, pick up your right knee and extend your right foot into the bag at waist level. Alternate legs.
Hooks: With your elbows bent about 90 degrees, throw alternating looping punches to the side of the bag.
Knees: Grab the bag with both hands at head height and alternately drive your knees into it, like you are doing the Running Man. As one foot goes down the other comes back.
Uppercut: Turn your palm up and throw a punch to the middle of the bag, with your forearm parallel to the ground. Alternate hands.
Roundhouse: Pivot on the ball of your front foot and bring your rear leg to the bag in an arcing motion, striking with your shin. Your arm should finish over the top of your leg like you are an uppercase F.
Switch Kick: Switch your feet so the front leg becomes the rear leg and then quickly throw a rear-leg roundhouse kick. Alternate legs.
WARM-UP3 minutes jump rope5 push-ups5 jump squats2 minutes jump rope6 push-ups6 jump-squats60 seconds jump rope7 push-ups7 jump-squatsWarm-up should take less than 10 minutes.
Kickboxing is empowering.”
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201496
fatlossbonus
THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE, OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.
© 1995 - 2014 Beast Sports Nutrition. All Rights Reserved
LEANGET
STAYLEAN
a professional strength thermogenic energy complex that helps burn
body fat and increasesenergy levels while enhancing mood,
mental focus, and clarity.*
Team BeastTM AthleteTabitha Klausen
IFBB Pro
Sharing her secretA decade ago, Kyra Williams was eating her way through bags of chips and fast food. Today, the “Get in Shape Girl” is growing her own personal training empire. By Michal Kapral
Sweating was gross, exercise nonexistent and her diet included a steady intake of bags of chips, entire calzones and whole boxes of mac ’n’ cheese in one sitting. That’s how Kyra Williams was living 10 years ago. A native of Kernersville, North Carolina, Williams was busy studying communications at Suffolk University in Boston when it became clear to her that she needed to start getting in shape.
“I was ripping the inseams of all my jeans because I refused to buy the right size,” Williams says. “I was lethargic all the time and embarrassed about my body.”
Aware that she needed a change but not knowing what to do, Williams joined a gym, did hours of cardio daily and cut her calories to just 1,000 a day. She lost about 20 pounds, going from 160 to 140, and began running road races up to the half-marathon distance.
It wasn’t until four years later that Williams, then 27, discovered two other key elements to
fitness: proper nutrition and strength training. She learned about clean eating through Oxygen and also began lifting weights.
“I dropped another 10 pounds that I never thought I’d lose,” Williams says. “But what’s more is that I shrank from a size six to a two/four. Because of the impact that had on my body, I completely fell in love with fitness and nutrition, and
educated myself so I could educate others. I felt like I had learned a secret and needed to share it with the world.”
After losing her job as a receptionist, Williams seized the chance at a career change, began a blog at thegetinshapegirl.com and an accompanying Facebook page, and enrolled in a personal trainer certification course. She soon landed a job as a trainer at a gym and launched an online training program with her boyfriend.
Meanwhile, Williams’ own fitness story took a few twists. She had done three bikini competitions, getting her stage weight down to 117, but never felt satisfied. “All I wanted while I was backstage was to kick off the heels and go squat, so I tried CrossFit. I was smitten,” Williams says. “Whether it’s a clean-and-jerk PR [personal record] or a faster 1,000-meter row time, almost every day I do something I’ve never done before.” Williams marvels at how much her body has transformed since she first started working out, yet her weight is only 15 pounds lower, from 160 to 145. “A lot happened between the two numbers!” she says.
To add to her list of fitness accomplishments, Williams competed in the CrossFit Open, an annual workout challenge that’s open to anyone, and noticed that the women ranked near her were mostly former or current competitive athletes. “I’m like, ‘I used to competitively eat bags of chips for time!’” Williams jokes. “It’s amazing to see what my body is capable of. I’m truly grateful for it and will never stop pushing myself, physically. Even in yoga, when I get into a new pose, I can’t stop smiling.”
before
CURRENT WEIGHT
145 lbs
FACTS
Name: Kyra Williams
Hometown: Kernersville, NC
Age: 33
Lives in: Boston, MA
Height: 5’4”
Weight before: 160 lbs
Online: thegetinshapegirl
.com
PHO
TO (F
AR L
EFT)
BY
ALEX
IS P
ICH
ENY
PHO
TOG
RAPH
Y
THE GET IN SHAPE GIRL’S TOP 5 TRAINING AND NUTRITION SECRETS 1. Be patient. It’s really the hardest thing, but achieving any goal that’s worthwhile takes time. 2. Be consistent. You can’t just try really hard for a couple of days then say, “Screw it” for a week and expect to get anywhere.3. Enjoy cheats and treats. You can’t be perfect all the time and never take time to enjoy the foods you love. 4. Follow your heart. Fitness takes many forms, so find what you love and do it every day. 5. Eat clean and real. Don’t overanalyze macros or calories — just eat stuff that comes from the earth and is minimally processed.
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 201498
successstory
CAREER.YourLIFESTYLE.
HEALTH.Your
Fitness and Nutrition Certifi cate
Occupational Therapy Aide
Physical Therapy Aide
Sports Nutrition Certifi cate
Your
Certifi ed Personal Trainerplus other related programs like:
Help others live a healthier lifestyle and start a new career with Penn Foster’s fi tness and nutrition programs.
Call Today: 1.800.572.1685 ext. 7632or visit us at pennfoster.edu
We’re Diff erent.
Enter ID# AXRS94T to enroll online
facebook.com/pennfostereducation twitter.com/pennfoster 925 Oak Street, Scranton, PA 18515
619
GA
Learn online, at the right pace
Aff ordable...graduate debt free
Regionally and nationally accredited
Graduate prepared for NCSF Certifi cation
Built-in Career Services
Expert instructor support
Online Community
STATS: 27 125 lbs 5’5”
PHO
TO B
Y JA
Y BA
KER
STATS: 30
PHO
TO B
Y EV
A SI
MO
N P
HO
TOG
RAPH
Y, L
LC
Angela JassoEasley, South Carolina
Accountant
BEAUTY AND BRAWN: Jane Grieme was an “unconventional” sports woman growing up. “I did horse showing/training, taekwondo and Ultimate Fighting.” She was also a beauty pageant contestant. She started working out on her brother’s weight set, but joined a gym when she was 16, and decided she was going to be a personal trainer. “I’m now a trainer at that first gym I joined!”
IN THE RED: This redhead has been competing in Figure for five years, and she loves training. “I’m fascinated by how hard you can work your body with a simple move. I’m constantly amazed that just by tweaking little things you can make gains.” Her favorite move is the biceps curl. “Face your palms out to really isolate the biceps,” she advises. This former member of the Air National Guard trains six days a week, doing a mix of weights and yoga. She also does ropes between sets. “It gets my heart rate up and makes my arm muscles burn!”
ASPIRE TO INSPIRE: Jane’s advice is consistency over time will always equal success. “There’s no quick way. Do things right, work hard, lay the foundation for your fitness and you will succeed,” she says. Jane aspires to be a motivational speaker to help men and women push themselves to live their best lives.
GET MOVING: Angela Jasso started working an office job when she was 19 and quickly realized that if she was going to sit all day, she had to make some changes in her life. “I had always been active, so this was an adjustment. I had to get moving, so I joined a gym and became addicted in weeks.” Now she trains five to six days a week, mixing strength training, high-intensity training and cardio. “My favorite cardio is plyometrics and speed intervals on the treadmill or at the track. And I’ve been running races off and on for the last three years.”
JUST DO IT: Balancing her responsibilities can be a juggling act. Angela likes to get her training done early, before she goes to work. “It’s not easy, but we all make time for what’s important to us. Being fit and healthy makes me a better wife, employee and person in general. I make it happen for those reasons.” Her motto? “Just do it. They’re simple, but those three words get me going.”
BUTT, SERIOUSLY: Angela’s favorite exercise is any variety of the squat. “There are so many types of squats with so many benefits and different results.” It’s no surprise then, that her favorite bodypart is her butt. “I feel like it sets me apart from being ‘skinny’ and gives me more curves.”
Jane M. GriemeLennox, South Dakota
Personal Trainer
Think you have the fit factor?
risingstars
STATS: 29 149 lbs 5’9”
PHO
TO B
Y CH
RIS
MAU
L PH
OTO
GRA
PHY
Meet4 women who’vegot the fit factor
STATS: 29 118 lbs 5’2”
PHO
TO B
Y N
OEL
DAG
NAT
A
By Maureen Farrar
CHALLENGER: In 2009, Erika Strimer’s friends challenged her to run a half marathon. “It was miser-able! But they believed in me more than I believed in myself, and now I’m so grateful that they did.” She’s come a long way since then, com-peting in Bikini and at the CrossFit Regional Games. She’s currently a top five Bikini Competitor for Fitness America. “I get pumped for that nat-ural high of challenging myself and feeling accomplished when I do.”
REP FOR REP: Erika’s mom is her inspiration. “She is a breast cancer survivor, mother of three and has always worked full-time. When I was training for my first fitness competi-tion, she was battling cancer. Every time I wanted to give up, I thought of her and the fact that she was fighting for her life. I knew I could fight for that last rep.” Erika aspires to live like her mom, putting others before herself.
SHE’S GOT LEGS: Mornings are the time for Erika to get her workouts in. “If you work out first thing in the morning, there’s no excuse. I’m in the gym as early as 3:45 a.m. just to get it done.” And when she hits the gym, she trains legs twice a week, focusing on quads one day, and glutes and ham-strings on the other. Plus, she has a full-body plyometrics day. Her favor-ite move is the deadlift. “Deadlifting builds those hamstrings and glutes, which tend to get ignored.”
STRENGTH IN MUSCLE: Miranda Webb found fitness in 2008 after a tough divorce. Not long after, she battled bulimia. To overcome that, she began eating right, fueling her body for workouts, changing an unhealthy addiction into a much healthier one. Now this wife and mom to four kids is more comfortable in her own skin. “I love the way my body has changed once I added muscle.”
BALANCING ACT: Keeping every-thing and everyone organized can be challenging, but she makes sure to put the kids first. “As a wife, mother, student, graduate assistant and fitness athlete, my days get hectic, but I make it work.” Miranda adjusts her schedule around her kids’ activities, training in the morning after dropping them off at school. “I’m simply not willing to sacrifice my children’s futures for my goals.”
TEAM WORK: Miranda has big goals for herself, too. “Three years ago, I told my husband I wanted to look like Oxygen cover models, and he told me to quit talking about it and just do it! He has been my biggest supporter.” Plus, Miranda is complet-ing her master’s in exercise physiology and is planning to go to physician assistants school. “I want women to know it’s never too late to turn your life around. I want them to realize that they’re worth it and they shouldn’t let anyone stand in their way!”
Erika StrimerWest Palm Beach, Florida
Personal Trainer
Miranda WebbPetal, Mississippi
Student
Send your story to [email protected].
R
Patented Self-Supporting Grip Assist Proven to eliminate grip fatigue & protect hands. For Pulling & Pushing exercises ALL IN ONE
THE BEST GRIP IN THE WORLD
Free US ShippingOnline Coupon Code: OXSHIPUS
VERSAGRIPPS.com
TRAIN BETTER TM
PULLING MOTION
#1 MostADVANCEDTRAINING
ACCESSORY
R
Patented Self-Supporting Grip Assist Proven to eliminate grip fatigue & protect hands. For Pulling & Pushing exercises ALL IN ONE
THE BEST GRIP IN THE WORLD
Free US ShippingOnline Coupon Code: OXSHIPUS
Pat# 5813950
VERSAGRIPPS.com
TRAIN BETTER TM
PULLING MOTION
#1 MostADVANCEDTRAINING
ACCESSORY
Ignite your gainsGet fired up for your next training session with the new formula of N.O.-Xplode from BSN. By Adam Gonzalez
When you want to add more fuel for a better workout, you need to make sure that you’re taking in both whole foods and supplements that support your goals. The new formula of N.O.-Xplode, a preworkout igniter from BSN, contains a range of ingredients that support ATP production, improve levels of NO and enhance energy so you get the most from every workout. Here’s how this product helps support your goals of enhanced lean muscle and better performance.
Creatine drives ATP production for muscular energy.The Myogenic Matrix in N.O.-Xplode contains creatine monohydrate, anhydrous creatine and creatine peptides from hydrolyzed whey. When you supplement this compound before workouts, it helps spark ATP (adenosine triphosphate) production in muscle cells. This allows you to lift more weight and to perform more reps before reaching fatigue. Astragalus, an herb included in this blend, helps amplify nitric oxide (NO) production while it also supports ATP generation. Panax notoginseng also increases NO production, allowing more blood to reach working muscle tissue.
The amount of creatine in grams a woman should take during a loading phase. Consume each of four 5-ounce servings of creatine at these times: before breakfast, before workout, immediately after training and in the evening. Follow this protocol for about seven days. 20
Beta-alanine boosts strength and endurance. N.O.-Xplode adds their Enduro Shot blend, which includes beta-alanine, betaine, and potassium and sodium bicarbon-ates. Beta-alanine is an amino acid that increases strength and endurance by forming carnosine in muscle tissue. Research shows that pairing beta-alanine and creatine improves your results more than taking either alone. Betaine also supports improved strength, and it increases muscle protein synthesis, helping you to recover faster. Sodium and potassium bicarbonates provide electrolytes to support long, intense workouts, and research shows that these bicarbon-ates may also support the benefits of beta-alanine.
Increased NO production supports better workouts. Another matrix, N.O. Alpha Fusion, is designed specifically to boost NO production. This blend contains citrulline, Salvia miltiorrhiza and more. Enhanced levels of arginine, an amino acid, increase NO production. This gas molecule allows your blood vessels to relax so that more blood, oxy-gen and nutrients reach your muscle tissue. Interestingly, though, taking arginine is not as effective at boosting arginine as is taking citrulline, also an amino. This is due to degradation of supplemental arginine in the digestive process. Inside your body, citrulline readily converts to arginine, boosting NO — the reason N.O.-Xplode contains citrulline rather than arginine. Salvia miltiorrhiza is an herb that has been used for generations to support blood flow.
Enhanced energy helps sustain you during workouts. N.O.-Xplode also includes Thermic Energy and Shock Composite blends that support enhanced energy for longer, stronger workouts. These blends contain tyrosine, caffeine anhydrous and DMAE, among other ingredients. Tyrosine is an amino acid that supports increased energy and improved focus and mood. Caffeine is a natural “pick-me-up” that also helps support strength and blunts the pain associated with weight training. DMAE supports strength as well as better mental focus.
The perfect matchThe new preworkout igniter formulation of N.O.-Xplode is available in five flavors: Fruit Punch, Blue Raz, Watermelon, Grape and Apple. For best results, stir but don’t shake (just the opposite of James Bond’s martini) one scoop of the product with 4 to 6 ounces of water, and consume about 20 to 30 minutes before your workouts.
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 2014102
supplementreview
15%OFF
OXYGEN readers get
A DONATION WILL BE MADE TO SUPPORT RESEARCH
provides minimal coverage while maximizing hand protection. The Pink Ribbon GRIPADSpreventing calluses, heat and odor associated with regular workout gloves.
Limited time offer. Enter code “get a grip” at GRIPAD.COM
THE NEW ALTERNATIVE TO WORKOUT GLOVES
product talk
iForceReach your goals for a leaner, sexier you! Thermoxyn is the world’s strongest fat burner and the first ultra-concentrated thermogenic capable of delivering sustained energy, mental focus, mood enhancement and appetite suppression all within a single serving. Unleash your inner sexy with Thermoxyn!
iforcenutrition.com
Body by
Brazil Fitness Wear
Give your workout some lip! Offering
the most spectacular selection of fitness wear in supplex.
Stretches 500 percent, no fade, breathable. Ships U.S. & interna-
tional.bodybybrazil.com
BarnDad’s FiberDX® German Chocolate Shake takes your daily fiber routine to the next level! BFDX’s Ger-man Chocolate Shake packs 56 percent of your daily fiber needs to help reduce insulin spikes, curb hunger and support visceral fat loss. It also contains an amped protein blend to help speed and improve lean muscle recovery. Plus, with BFDX’s German Chocolate Shake, you’ll get all the same health benefits of our original proprietary fiber matrix mixed with the irresistible delight of a smooth and creamy chocolate shake. No bloating or negative side effects.
barndadnutrition.com
ADVERTISING PROMOTION
Large Inventory & Selection Ship to USA, Canada & Military
PSYCHIC, MICHAEL LAFFERTY. (215) 482-6517www.psychicread.com VISA/MC/AMEX/DISC
HOTtoHave.com (800) 825-2461
Chat with a Psychic Source Love Expert when it comes to matters of the heart. New members save now! Call 1-866-612-8991 or visit
Love. Need Answers?
Use promo code OXYGEN and get a 20 minute reading for $10.
www.psychicsource.com
mar
ketp
lace
Interestedin
ADVERTISING?
Contactus NOW!
Laura Flores661-257-0466
Ext: [email protected]
#Ai
mFi
tnes
s
How long does your 30-minute workout take? You’re busy and your time is valuable. A Gymboss Interval Timer gets you in and out of the gym on time.
Perfect for: Tabata Cardio HIIT Weightlifting Stretchinggymboss.com
GymbossAbsolutely the best grip in the world. Get girl power in the gym with New Versa Gripps Fit PINK! The same great style, now in super sexy PINK. The key to the mind-muscle connection and the secret to a lean and fabulously fit body. Patented Self-Support-ing Grip Assist is proven to eliminate grip fatigue while protecting hands from calluses. Train better.Patent # 5813950.
versagripps.com 207-422-2051
Versa Gripps® Gotta havethese!
product talk
GoStak Starter 4PakDurable jars secure tightly to carry powders, vitamins, supplements, snacks and more. Whether you pack pre-, intra- and post-workout supplements to the gym, or simply need a versatile system for snacks and small items, the GoStak has you covered.
blenderbottle.com
Raw FusionThe power of raw vegan proteins. 100 percent raw plant protein derived from pea, brown rice and artichoke. Rich in BCAAs and glutamine. Cholesterol-free and lactose-free for gentleness on the digestive system.100 PERCENT NATURAL, GMO FREE & VEGAN APPROVED!
sann.net
ADVERTISING PROMOTION
3 424
43A
Capture a moment of fitness inspiration in your day and share it with us! We want to know what gives you that moment of joy in fitness. It could be repping out in the gym, a swim in the pool or a quiet moment on your yoga mat after class. Share it with us on Instagram using #oxygenexhale and your photos could be featured in an upcoming issue of Oxygen.
@westernracquet atomic push-ups!
@bliss_michelle7 first chin-up
@getdeanfit side plank@kariofitness triceps dip and tap
@cmhalsey74 can’t help myself
@jenuhbenna a handstand a day!
Capture a moment of fitness inspiration in your day and share it with us! We want to know what gives you that moment of joy in fitness. It could be repping out in the gym, a swim in the pool or a quiet moment on your yoga mat after class. Share it with us on Instagram using #oxygenexhale and your photos could be featured in an upcoming issue of Oxygen.
@bellahanne pullin’ up
@fitmom118
“What is my fit
inspiration?
This little
boy right
here!”— fitmom118
› OXYGENMAG.COM . OCTOBER 2014106
Th ese statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Th is product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease
Lavoisier Health & BeautyADVANCED BREAST THERAPY
Firms, Preserves, & ENHANCES!“My girlfriend asked me if I had breast implants.
I told her no… I was using [ABT]” — PW
SPECIAL OFFER 10% OFF!!
COUPON CODE:XYCT14
Risk-Free 90-Day
Money-Back Guarantee!
www.LavoisierHealth.com
Hormonal Breast Discomfort“My PMS breast pain and swelling was so bad that
I could not stand to touch my breasts … after using [ABT] I have no pain.” — EA
Exclusively available at:
US
Pat
ent #
6,3
61,8
06