Natural Bodybuilding News

Everything I needed to know in life I learned from a Disney movie (with apologies to Robert Fulghum).

Maybe it’s because as a father of three, that’s all my wife and I ever get to watch. Or maybe it’s because they contain a lot of truth.

Our most recent viewing was Disney/Pixar’s “Wall-E,” the story of the sad, lonely robot left to clean up our world after we trashed it.

Besides the obvious “save the planet” warnings (take your stuff to the Wesselman Woods Recycling Center if you don’t have curbside recycling; Al Gore would be so proud), I found the futuristic depiction of the state of our health much more disturbing.

The movie shows a spaceship full of obese people floating on hovering recliners while they drink all their meals through a cup as their bones slowly disintegrate. Yikes! Really kind of bummed me out.

We are caught in a bit of a paradox.

Our country is in perhaps its worst physical condition ever. Sixty percent of adults are overweight or obese, as are 15 percent of our children.

Experts are predicting that by 2030, every adult in the United States may be overweight or obese.

The flip side is that recently there seems to be a bit of a dieting backlash. Is it because poor Oprah is back above 200 pounds, so none of us are allowed to diet anymore?

The health conditions worsened by obesity (diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis, etc.) are profound and life-altering. We can and must do something about it.

There has to be a common-sense middle ground. Extremism is not viable, and giving up is not an option.

We need something attainable and sustainable. We need a combination of exercise and nutrition that is flexible and can be utilized long after the fad diet du jour has fallen by the wayside.

In the coming months, Dr. Joe Klemczewski (a professional bodybuilder, nutritionist, and trainer to some of the top bodybuilders and fitness models in the world) and myself (a family physician board certified in family practice and geriatrics and a schlub who lost 60 pounds working with Dr. Joe) will be discussing a variety of topics regarding diet, nutrition, fitness and family medicine.

We will stress education and fun with tips that will last a lifetime. In the words of Stephen King from “The Shawshank Redemption,” are you going to “get busy living, or get busy dying”?

Get busy living, Tri-State! We’re here to help.

Evansville residents Dr. Scott Uloth and Dr. Joe Klemczewski are co-authors of “The Diet Docs’ Guide to Permanent Weight Loss: Secrets to Metabolic Transformation,” from Harvest House Publishers.

Source - http://www.courierpress.com

NaturalBodybuildingEvents.com provides the most comprehensive and up to date list of Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Contests from those organizations which actively promote a drug-free lifestyle. Also provides information on Natural Organizations, Seminars, Trainers and Competitor Resources.

A Timaru couple think they know how to help people turn back their age clocks, but some of their tips clash with what people have believed for many years.

Diets don’t work, women should start weight-lifting, and there is no such thing as “man boobs”, Tim Bean and Anne Laing say.

The couple recently published a book about helping people look and feel 20 years younger in eight weeks, titled Turn Back Your Age Clock.

Mr Bean, who once weighed in at a hefty 122 kilograms when he was only 26 years old, is now an international physique consultant, rubbing shoulders with A-list celebrities such as Jemima Khan, Elle McPherson, Ross Kemp and Angelina Jolie, helping them maintain their trim and toned physiques.

The couple opened Performance Training Co in 1991 in Timaru, focusing on weights for women and those aged over 45. They now live in London, where they have started their own business, the Institute of Physique Management.

Mr Bean learned that dieting alone would help you lose weight, but not make you become a healthier person. Though he had gone from 122kg to 95kg in three months through dieting, his cholesterol and blood pressure levels were still high and he felt worn out.

When the couple were in a motorcycle crash, they were instructed by their physiotherapist to do body building as part of their recovery.

Through that they learned that weight-lifting was the way to go, if you wanted to improve your posture, energy levels, and get rid of “man boobs”.

“Man boobs are not man boobs, they’re woman boobs. The only reason men get boobs is because they have more oestrogen than testosterone, and by doing weights you can replace them with muscle,” Mr Bean said.

The couple urged both men and women to start weight-lifting so that when you’re 90 years old, you can still enjoy activities such as waterskiing and cycling.

The oldest member of Performance Training Co was 97 years old when he first joined, and when he celebrated his 100th birthday he got his driver’s licence and was going to the gym three days a week, Mr Bean said.

Mr Bean and Mrs Laing will hold a free public seminar at Performance Training Co on March 12 at 7.30pm.

Source - http://www.stuff.co.nz

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Stripping Slim Fitness was the first pole fitness company to hit Florida back in 2004. Now they are celebrating five successful years with a new company name, new location, and adding a new fitness style, ballet barre fitness.

Orlando, FL (PRWEB) February 26, 2009 — Stripping Slim Fitness is proud to announce F.E.M 4 Physique, Florida’s first pole and barre fitness studio. Now offering the latest celebrity workout, the ballet barre. Currently taking over studios in NY and LA, ballet barre fitness molds the female physique into the ultimate dancers body. Celebrities such as Kelly Ripa have been spotted in similar style studios getting their fix.

With all the new popularity of the barre, you can find ballet barre style studios all over the U.S. However, F.E.M 4 Physique is the only premier location for both pole and barre fitness in Central Florida.

F.E.M 4 Physique is keeping the successful pole roots of Stripping Slim Fitness and adding the new ballet barre workout classes. Both fitness styles transform the body into a long lean physique. The F.E.M. 4 Physique Method applies feminine elongated movements to the four hardest toning areas of the woman’s body. Classes are small, intimate, and use Pilates style movements fused with ballet toning techniques for the ultimate workout. Ballet Barre classes are great for women of all shapes, sizes and as a pre/ postnatal class.

In celebration of the five years success and a new name, F.E.M 4 Physique will have two back to back free sampler classes on March 9th. Reserve your complimentary class now.

F.E.M 4 Physique sets out to build healthier, sexier woman in Orlando. A fun menu of bachelorette party styles are also available in addition to their fitness classes. For more information call 407-963-0968 or http://www.fem4physique.com .

Let me kick off this post with a quick handful of hypotheticals:

•Why would you want your legs to be stronger than your core?

•Why would you want your front to be stronger than your back?

•Why would you want your back to be stronger than your grip?

•Why would you want your arms to be stronger than your back/shoulders/chest?

Question one is for people who like the leg press machine. Or lifting belts. Question two is for people who spend forever on the bench and comparitively little time rowing. Question three is for people who like wrist straps for chins, rows, pulldowns and the like. Question four is for people who do curls and tricep extensions all day long.

The answer to all of these questions, obviously, is…you wouldn’t.

I find it useful to work out at the local Y, because I see all the training misconceptions at work. Squats-on-the-calf-machine kinds of misconceptions, sure, but also the ones above, which more and more seem like sheer lunacy to me.

Weight training is great for learning the rules of basic kinesiology. When I started training, I remember becoming slowly being aware of what the tricep or calf muscle did through all my bodybuilding movements; I was delighted to figure out that all muscles pull, not push, for instance; that this or that exercise seemed to isolate this or that muscle, and, far more important to my burgeoning sense of teenage machismo, that I could get my arms to look bigger by flexing my tricep against my lats with my hands in my pockets.

Why no girls ever swooned at the sight is beyond me; the muscle magazines swore they would faint at the mere suggestion of muscles.

But all that extra knowledge was after a long young adulthood of running, climbing, jumping, playing, and moving every which way. It was an important step in my education, but there was lots of learning yet to come, and I’ve circled back to thinking that the body prefers not to be micromanaged.

I have myself a ten-week-old son who’s just figuring out how to move his chunky little body, and there’s not a cell in his body that understands the command “contract this or that muscle.”

But he sure is a squiggly one. Having no idea where his quatratus laborum is does NOT slow him down for one second when he’s trying to squirm out of his supposedly “strong” Daddy’s arms.

Repeat: he’s ten WEEKS old. He doesn’t even understand that his arms and legs are his yet. He just knows his intention: get out of Daddy’s arms.

And guess what? It works great. I can barely hold the kid. He’s like a greased piglet (I just cost my son many years of therapy: “My own father called me a GREASED PIGLET in front of the ENTIRE WORLD WIDE WEB when I TWO MONTHS OLD, Doc!”).

The cumulative point of all this is that the body doesn’t understand “move this muscle.” It operates most effectively on a rather more primitive level–that of intention and need and will, just as my ten-week-old does. Michael Jordan drives to the hoop: unless you’re really looking for it, you don’t see hip extension and core strength and ankle mobility; you simply see a physical embodiment of intention.

Yes, we can–maybe should–train the body to behave a certain way by consciously holding one part still while moving something else. But the hope is that the training will become unconscious habit, so that we will reflexively call on the same movement pattern when the need arises, in sport or in life.

So, circling back to my initial point at last, there should be a way, once we’re past the beginner stage, to train movement patterns and not simply muscle contractions in the gym. To broaden our focus to include, for example, the feet, the neck, the jaw muscles even if we’re doing an ‘isolation’ move like a curl; and–hopefully–to select exercises that challenge us to move the body with tight form as a whole, and not as a series of parts.

Muscle contractions are letters; movement patterns are words. Flailing drunk on the dance floor thinking you look cool and sexy is a very, very poorly written novel.

You get the idea.

Source - http://www.malepatternfitness.com

When then should a child start exercises? There are very few guidelines about when and how a child may begin to participate in sports and fitness activities. However, most guidelines are on adults designed to improve fitness parameters and decrease factors for diseases.

There is an assumption that child-hood activity translates in improved childhood health, adult activity or adult health and fitness. There is, however, no evidence to support this assumption. Adult activity correlates more with perceived competence and achievement level in physical education in classes at the age of 15. Musculoskeletal overuse injuries occur more frequently in children who train in one sport compared to those who train in different sports or activities.

It is therefore, necessary that pre-puberty children should be advised to participate in many activities they enjoy and delay specialisation until adolescence. This is, however, different in some sports that require certain manoeuvres when the children are lean and small as in gymnastics, diving and more recently football.

Scientific studies have shown that strength training is both effective and safe for pre-pubertal children. It is true that strength training may make a critical difference in preventing injuries for those children who specialise in a few sports at an early age.

Strength Training

Keeping fit once meant tedious workouts and forced resolutions to stay on unappealing programs. Those days are over now with the launch Monday, March 2 of SambaBody, a complete workout regimen driven by the seductive rhythms of the famous Brazilian beat.

Created by professional “sambista” Fransini Giraldo, a highly skilled instructor and sought-after performer, the DVD, developed in partnership with @Media Group, features multiple levels of instruction including step break-downs, a full workout and even performance segments that not only provide an awesome workout, but can teach anyone how to dance samba. Priced at just $19.99 the DVD is available in both English and Spanish language versions.

Available now at www.sambabody.com, SambaBody is designed to give a complete body workout, including torso, legs and especially the “bunda” (Portuguese for rear-end). Other benefits include overall strength and definition, improved posture and excellent cardio benefits from the high-energy workout. And of course, there is the appeal of dancing and moving to highly seductive rhythms instead of the mundane routine of treadmills and machines.

She also possesses an extensive academic health background that includes Interdisciplinary Studies in Kinesiology, Health Sciences and Translation at California State University in Long Beach. For more information visit: www.sambabody.com or http://www.youtube.com/sambabody.

Source - http://news.reriani.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8487

In this age of treadmills and ab crunchers, Bollywood actresses like Kareena Kapoor, Shilpa Shetty and Kangana Ranaut are among those banking on Shilpa Shetty power yoga to shed extra pounds and look picture perfect at all times.

New age fitness gurus and yoga teachers who train Bollywood stars say the benefits of power yoga - a fast-paced and strenuous variant of the traditional Indian fitness technique - are indeed rewarding. Power yoga and fitness consultant Leena Mogre, who has trained the likes of Katrina Kaif, Kangana and Sameera Reddy among others, says celebrities are increasingly getting hooked to power yoga.

“Most celebrities go for power yoga, which is a dynamic form of the art. They are getting inclined towards it because the benefits are beautiful and it has spiritual, meditational and overall advantages,” Leena said. “Suddenly everyone has realised the importance and the worth of this form, which is really good. It is great for the body and if a good combination of yoga and other exercises are adopted, the results are great,” she said.

Power yoga includes strenuous exercises and this trend started during the mid-1990s. The who’s who of Bollywood now boast of having adopted the method to acquire a perfect figure. “I am completely into yoga. I think yoga has changed my life. My morning yoga practice that I do for an hour-and-a-half every day is something that keeps me going,” said Kareena, whose toned body and size zero became the talk of the town. “The day I don’t do it, I feel that my day doesn’t go well and I haven’t completed a task that I had to do,” she added.

Shilpa, who has one of the best bodies in Hindi filmdom, is into yoga in a big way and even brought out a CD called ‘Shilpa’s Yoga’, which was released in June 2008. “Yoga keeps my mind, body and soul fit. I had a neck problem and suffered from chronic spondylitis. So I started practicing yoga. I took professional training and it really benefited,” the actress said.

“I don’t believe in starving myself to remain thin. I eat well, work out and practise yoga to remain healthy. If you want to get peace for the mind, body and soul, yoga is the only answer,” she added.

While young actresses have opted for power yoga, yesteryear beauties like Hema Malini and Rekha stick to the traditional yoga form and maintain that the practice has helped them maintain their charisma and keeps health problems at bay. “Apart from dancing, one thing that I swear by is yoga. That’s the secret of my fitness,” Hema Malini had said.

Getting inspired by the well-toned frames and sculpted bodies of our cine stars, health-conscious Indians too are embracing yoga in a big way. “I have been gymming for the past two years, but somehow didn’t get the desired results. Then I came to know that most people from the film world are making yoga a part of their fitness regimes and getting desirable bodies. So I also took to yoga and do it regularly,” Pallavi Dasgupta, a 22-year-old MBA student, said.

Even yoga instructors are getting lucrative deals in terms of increased clientele. “In the recent past, my clientele has increased. Especially young girls inspired by Kareena Kapoor, who lost oodles of weight owing to yoga, are coming to me to lose those extra kilos,” said Yatharth Sehajpal, a Delhi-based yoga instructor.

Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Fitness is one area that has been in a focus of attention everywhere and it cannot get better than Nintendo Wii Fit which arguably is the best selling console games of all times. And why not exercising along with unlimited fun is what Nintendo Wii Fit is all about indeed! So guys and girls get ready for the flawless fitness and gaming experience simultaneously. Infact Wii Fit is a combination of fitness and fun, designed for everyone, young and old. Playing Wii Fit at least thrice a week can ensure a perfect health fitness for anyone.

So keep a track on your daily progress with easy-to-understand graphs and charts and stay fit than ever with this exceptional and commendable gaming innovation viz Nintendo wii fit. After all as they say “Health is Wealth”.

Source - http://www.bignews.biz

ASHEVILLE – Gevony Laughlin ran the Marine Corps Marathon in October, but the 26.2-mile race was nothing compared to her weekly kickboxing workouts that she started in November.

The 29-year-old Candler resident spends one hour, once a week, jumping rope and punching pads in short two-three minute increments. Laughlin describes the workout as intense, helping her to build strength and increase her endurance.

“It really kicks my butt,” she said. “Physically, it’s much harder than training for a marathon.”

Boxing and its siblings have become standard in many exercise routines as people look for a fun and intense comprehensive workout.

“It is an incredible workout,” said Brian Lawler, a physical therapist and sports performance trainer at Southeastern Health & Fitness. “Essentially you are training all of your energy systems, so it really is a complete workout.”

Boxing emphasizes many of the body’s major muscle groups, including the core, the chest, shoulders and triceps as well as the leg muscles. The short spurts of movement provide both an aerobic, or endurance-based, workout, and an anaerobic, or strength-building, workout, a combination that helps to build fitness.

“As far as fitness level, if you participate in a boxing class and you are pretty regular at it, you are going to get in shape,” said Joey DeJesus, a personal trainer at Biltmore Fitness who teaches a boxing conditioning class there. “There is no doubt about it.”

He said the gym started offering the class a few months ago and participation has grown from about four people initially to 20 regular participants. He said about three-quarters of the class is women, and participants range from beginners looking to lose weight to more advanced exercisers who want to take their workouts to the next level.

DeJesus said the class, that uses boxing drills and punching bags along with some actual sparring, is suited for anyone who wants to improve their fitness while also getting physical. He said actually punching an object adds additional intensity to the class.

“It’s really empowering,” DeJesus said. “I think they are learning a skill, but really they are also kind of getting out a little bit of aggression and punching is a good way to kind of get that physical angst or energy out of their bodies.”

Jay Goodson, a personal trainer at O3 Health and Fitness who uses kickboxing with a handful of his clients, said punching an object like a bag can also help to increase bone density and prevent conditions like osteoarthritis while building muscle, and improving hand-eye coordination and overall agility. The moves used in the technique also help to increase control and balance.

Goodson said while kickboxing may not be for everyone, it can add a dynamic level of training to an everyday workout.

“It’s fun,” he said. “It adds a little bit of a charisma as opposed to just getting on the treadmill.”

Source - http://www.citizen-times.com

MBody Strength hosted the first-ever Suburban Warrior Challenge kettlebell fitness competition on February 21, 2009 in Fullerton, California. Several people competed in the event, both seasoned kettlebell user and beginners alike.

“We’d like to thank everyone who participated in our kettlebell competition,” said Marcus Martinez. “We’ll be releasing specifics on the next Suburban Warrior Challenge within a few days.”

Source - http://pr-usa.net

World-renowned, Milwaukee-based Get Sexy Boot Camps is launching an exclusive, three-phase bridal fitness boot camp on March 30th, 2009. The program will offer an intensive and customized nutrition and exercise plan to get brides into the best shape of their lives for the biggest day of their lives.

(PRWEB) March 3, 2009 — BJ Gaddour is a local Milwaukee personal trainer and founder of the world famous Get Sexy Boot Camps (www.getsexybootcamps.com). Gaddour is known internationally as the boot camp guru for not only his own highly successful local Milwaukee fitness boot camp program, but also for his work as a business coach to fitness boot camp trainers around the globe. Gaddour has just launched an exclusive three-phase bridal fitness boot camp guaranteed to get local Milwaukee brides-to-be in the best shape of their life before the most important day of their life or their money back.

“We have had this bridal fitness program on our radar for a while now,” says Gaddour, President and Founder of Get Sexy Boot Camps. “Finally, the cat is out of the bag and we’re ready to supply the demand for the most complete bridal fitness program ever created. It’s essentially Get Sexy Boot Camps on steroids and tweaked appropriately to meet every physical need a bride requires to be met.” The program is extremely comprehensive providing six days of workouts per week, a trip the grocery store, a kitchen makeover, a nutrition seminar, an initial boot camp orientation which includes both an initial fitness evaluation and a goal setting session, done-for-you rapid fat loss meal plans, exclusive bridal discounts and packages to local Milwaukee businesses in the Get Sexy Boot Camp network, unlimited email and phone contact, and many other bride-specific perks.

Gaddour was quoted saying in his recent interview with the national bridal magazine, BRIDES Magazine that “I have worked with a lot of people and one of the most important components in getting my clients the best results around is piggybacking on some sort of deadline. There is no better example of this than with a new bride to be. It’s amazing what happens to women as soon as they set a wedding date- they are ready and willing to do whatever it takes to get in their dream dress and inspire awe in all those who attend the most important day of their life.”

Get Sexy Boot Camps’ proprietary three-phase bridal fitness boot camp promises body and life changing results or your money back. Gaddour assures “Typical results are losses of two to three pounds of ugly, unwanted body fat per week and a reduction in at least one clothing size per month. Our brides are going to be ready- and they are going to be dead sexy!”

For more information on this highly exclusive bridal fitness boot camp, please contact Get Sexy Boot Camps by email at getsexybootcamps (at) gmail.com or by phone at 414-218-9131. Limited spots are available and all applicants will be considered on a first-come, first-serve basis. The application deadline is Friday, March 13th, 2009. This elite program guarantees to help you look your best on the biggest day of your life or your money back. For a free one-week trial to Gaddour’s Milwaukee boot camp to experience the best personal training in Milwaukee please visit www.getsexybootcamps.com.

Source - http://www.prweb.com

The push-up has a reputation for being one gosh-darn hard exercise. Yet, despite its ability to elicit groans from exercisers everywhere, the push-up sits high on the list of “must do” exercises. Why?

Not only does it target more upper body muscles than any other exercise, you don’t need fancy equipment to get results. All you need is a bit of floor space and the will to lift and lower your own body weight.

Still not sold? Consider the fact that push-ups are the exercise of choice if you want toned, well-defined arms and triceps that don’t jiggle when you wave. You can also build up a decent set of chest muscles and strengthen your shoulders. And depending on whether or not you perform the push-up from your knees or your feet, you can even target your core muscles (back and abs).

Novices should start with four to eight repetitions of the easiest version. Once you’ve got that down pat, experiment with as many different versions of the push-up as possible within your weekly workout routine.

Keep up the hard work and you’ll look great just in time for T-shirt weather..

Muscles targeted: Chest (pectoralis major and minor), back of the arm (triceps), front of shoulder (anterior deltoid)

Start position: Kneel on the floor and place your hands out in front of you positioned just wider than your shoulders. Straighten your arms. Lift your knees off the floor and lengthen your body until it forms a straight line from head to feet. Your body weight is now supported on your hands and toes.

Action: Lower your body toward the floor until your elbows are bent to 90 degrees. Push back up to the starting position until your arms are straight but not locked. Lower the body back down as soon as your arms reach full extension. Repeat 4-15 times. Rest 90 seconds and repeat.

Tip No. 1: Look at the floor through all phases of the exercise, keeping the head in line with the spine.

Tip No. 2: To make sure you drop your upper body enough, place a tennis ball on the floor under your chest and lower your upper body until your chest touches the tennis ball.

Common error No. 1: Leading with the hips as the body lowers or lifts. Keep the abs tight through all phases of the exercise.

Option 1 – Easier: From the knees. Kneel on the floor and place your hands out in front of you, positioned just wider than the shoulders. Straighten the arms. Lower your upper body toward the floor until the elbows are bent to 90 degrees. Press back up to the start position.

Tip: Keep your head, shoulders and hips in a straight line through all phases of the exercise – don’t stick your butt in the air or lift your chin as you lower your chest toward the floor.

Note: This exercise targets the chest muscles more than the push-up performed from the feet.

Option 2 – Harder: Elevate the legs. Place your feet on an elevated surface like a stair, couch or exercise ball and place your hands out in front of you positioned just wider than shoulder distance apart. Straighten your arms. Lower your upper body toward the floor until the elbows are bent to 90 degrees. Press back up to the start position.

Note: Elevating the legs forces the chest muscles to work harder.

Option 3 – Harder still: Move the hands closer together. Begin in the traditional push-up position, but this time move both hands closer together – thumbs extended toward each other and touching. Straighten your arms. Lower your upper body toward the floor until the elbows are bent to 90 degrees. Press back up to the starting position.

Note: Bringing the hands closer together forces the triceps muscles to work harder.

Source - http://www.montrealgazette.com

PAWTUCKET Soon after a heart attack killed her husband of 27 years, Jennifer Kennedy lost her job of 15 years with an airline.

Approaching her 50th birthday, the Providence resident was a single mom with few employment options.

She turned to dance, a passion since she was a girl. Kennedy was born and raised in England where she started dancing as a five-year-old, studying ballet, tap and jazz.. The Learning Connection ( www.learnconnect.com), she remembers, was looking for a fitness instructor with a new approach.

Pole dancing was about to become the next wave of exercise workouts. Following a bout with breast cancer, Kennedy taught herself to pole dance as a way of rebuilding her upper-body strength.

The exercise was so effective, Kennedy decided to teach women the discipline.

The Learning Connection offered the course and it soon became one of the most popular classes, says Roy Singleton of The Learning Connection.

The classes were so popular, in fact, that after a few years at The Learning Connection, Kennedy decided to open her own studio.

When Kennedy was preparing to move into a space in Hope Artiste Village, rumors began to spread that “strippers were moving in” to the complex that includes artists’ studios, a major bakery and other businesses.

What Kennedy and her students at the JM Kennedy Pole Fitness Center (www.jmkennedyentertain ment.com) do is work out.

The studio has 21 poles. A six-week introductory course starts with a gentle warm-up and ends with a glass of champagne. Some of the moves require a short running start to mount the pole. Others require strong arms to pull oneself up. In one move, Kennedy, now 53, pulls herself up the pole, straightens her legs, and releases her hands. There she sits, gripping the pole with the insides of her knees. “It’s all in the core,” she tells her students.

They are the moves only an athlete can make, and some of Kennedy’s students can’t get it the first time, and when they don’t, they laugh about it.

“This is not a gym where no one talks to one another,” Kennedy says. “We network. We bond. We laugh….

“Women of all professions come in here. We’ve got attorneys, doctors, teachers, students and moms. Women come in here to build upper-body strength. They’re looking for a challenge, and some are looking to spice up their marriage….”

Many of the moves are provocative, as is the cool-down with its slow, slow, quick-quick, slow tango footwork. Kennedy encourages participants to wear short shorts so their legs can grip the poles. On their feet, they wear ankle-high boots with spike heels. The footwear seems to make a woman strut.

“It’s more than upper-body strength we’re working on,” says Kennedy, who credits her dancing with helping her recover from breast cancer surgery two years ago. “It’s about empowerment.”

Kennedy also teaches chair dancing, salsa for couples and — her first love –– cabaret. Recently, she and some of her students have begun to perform at Black Stone, the restaurant and bar in Hope Artiste Village.

She wants more of her students to participate, believing it’s a transforming experience; she remembers one man who came to a cabaret performance and didn’t recognize his wife on stage.

“Every woman who dances wants to wear those fish-net stockings and a boa,” she says.

Source - http://www.projo.com

WAYNESVILLE – If you need just a little nudge to help you get serious about improving your health, Healthy Haywood’s annual Fitness Challenge may offer just the ticket.

Beginning March 16, Haywood County residents can visit participating local fitness centers and private businesses offering activity classes up to 24 times over the following eight weeks, all for a registration fee of $10. Participants can mix and match which centers they want to go to or they can exercise at one place. It’s their choice. Free prizes will be given to the first 100 who attend the kickoff festivities 6-7 p.m. March 18 at Waynesville Recreation Center.

There is no point system in this challenge, but participants are encouraged to “Create Your Own Challenge.”

“Maybe you want to track hours exercised per day/week/month, steps walked or ran, or see how many different activities you can try in eight weeks, Designing a fitness program that is unique to each person’s abilities and life I believe is one of they keys to success, says Duginske.”

This year, participants are encouraged to attend the kickoff, and midpoint festivities, because when they attend these events, this increases their chances to win prizes at the grand finale. Prizes include gym memberships, classes from participating sponsors, a Wii, iPods, gift certificates and much more.

For our midpoint festivities this year, we will hold the second annual Healthy Taste of Haywood at the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center. All Fitness Challenge participants are invited. Come and enjoy a wide variety of vendors from restaurants, grocery stores, and other informative booths focusing on how to eat healthy whether it’s at a restaurant or in your own home. Must show Fitness Challenge card to participate in this event.

Those fitness centers and private business offering activities for this year’s challenge include: Basulto Gracie Jiu Jitsu, Club 56—Frog Level, Curves—Waynesville, Fred Riley Academy of Martial Arts, Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center, Junaluska Driving Range, Raqs Beledi—Belly Dancing, Smoky Mountain Dance Center, The Fitness Connection, Waynesville Recreation Center & Armory, World Gym—Canton and much more.

The Fitness Challenge is a project of Healthy Haywood’s Healthy Living Action Team. The program has received two statewide awards: the Golden Project award from the NC Public Health Association Wellness and Prevention Section and the Outstanding County Program Award from the NC Commissioners Association because of the successful model it has created for collaboration between county agencies, businesses and the community.

“Last year, we had 1600 people sign up for the challenge!” said Steffie Duginske, Healthy Haywood coordinator. “It would be great to have that many and more participate in 2009! Every year we try to make the challenge even better. This year we continued to strive for a wide range of fitness and nutrition opportunities including fitness centers and private businesses who offer activities like martial arts and dance. By continuing to involve the community, we are able to offer more choices to the participants. New this year is our website, www.healthyhaywood.org. We hope that by keeping participants informed about the details, more people will know about this amazing opportunity to exercise at a very low cost.

Overall, it’s the support of those facilities offering their services, equipment and staff that make this challenge possible. Hopefully the low cost allows more people in the community to take advantage of the abundance of fitness opportunities available in Haywood County.”

Duginske pointed out that the proceeds from the registration fees are used to support activities of the Healthy Living Action Team and to encourage healthy habits such as physical activity and healthy eating for all Haywood County Citizens.

Registration for the 2009 Fitness Challenge is March 16, 17, 18 and 19 for a cost of $10. Registration takes place on the following days:

Monday, March 16 - World Gym-Canton……..8 a.m.-7 p;m;

Tuesday, March 17 - Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center…….8 a.m.-7 p.m.

Wednesday, March 18 – Waynesville Recreation Center (kickoff festivities from 6-7 p.m.)

Thursday, March 19 – Club 56 – Frog Level……….8 a.m.-7 p.m.

Late registration takes place on 9 a.m.-5 p.m. March 20 at the Haywood County Health Department. The cost is $20. The Mid-Point festivities will take place on April 21 at Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center from 6-8 p.m. and the Grand Finale will take place on May 12 from 6-7 p.m. at Allen’s Creek Park where participants can enjoy prizes, fellowship, food and fun.

Healthy Haywood is a program of the Haywood County Health Department in collaboration with numerous partners in the county. For more information about the Fitness Challenge and/or Healthy Haywood, contact Duginske at 452-6675, ext. 2270 sduginske@haywoodnc.net or go to http://www.healthyhaywood.org/.

Source - http://www.citizen-times.com

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) March 3, 2009 — The wedding bells are ringing, stress levels are rising and the last thing a bride wants to be worrying about is fitting into her dream dress. Thankfully a solution is here - Live in Fitness Enterprises presents “The Bridal Retreat.” A bride fitness retreat taking each bride down a multiple week journey to their bridal fitness goals. Whether looking to lose 100 pounds or just toning up for the honeymoon, the Live In Fitness Bridal Retreat is the answer.

Live in Fitness
This bridal fitness retreat takes brides out of their element and puts them in a luxurious, one-bedroom suite with ocean views in Los Angeles, CA where they will be staying the duration of the ride fitness retreat. Fitness Expert Eric Viskovicz welcomes the brides by helping them undergo multiple fitness assessments to determine their fitness level and goals for the big day. These assessments include the VO2max, measuring the maximum capacity of an individual’s body to transport and utilize oxygen during exercise, which reflects their level of fitness and the Hydrostatic Body Fat Testing, immersing the bride in water to accurately determine her percentage of body fat.

After results are analyzed, an itinerary for the brides stay is created, which includes training sessions, workout classes, meetings with a nutritionist, massages, motivational speeches, and delicious customized meals prepared daily by the chef and delivered directly to each suite. Every aspect of the bride fitness retreat is entirely taken care of, including the fitness program most importantly. This allows the brides plenty of time for wedding and honeymoon planning, instead of worrying about what their body will look like.

During the bride fitness retreat, brides will be training from 8am to 7pm with meals every couple of hours. Some activities offered include hiking, boxing, spinning, water aerobics, beach activities, bike riding, along with one-on-one training with some of the top trainers in America. This incredible retreat will be the only part of the bride’s wedding budget that they’ll continue receiving compliments on long after the knot is tied.

“The results from this bride fitness program are phenomenal, brides come in with a dream size and we make it happen. Brides have too many things to worry about; fitting into a dress shouldn’t be one of them.” says fitness expert and Live In Fitness owner Eric Viskovicz. For more information on the Live In Fitness Bridal Retreat please visit Live in Fitness.

Source - http://www.prweb.com

How many of you have laid out your fitness or nutritional plan only to have it foiled at the last second? Gotten to the gym and forgotten your sneakers? Arrived at the party and found out that it’s a pig roast? Life throws curve balls all the time, and I want you ready to hit them.

It’s all about the system

I am seriously like a robot in the morning. Wake up, coffee, run and shower. Wake up wifey, pack gym bag and head out the door. The very system that you operate under can dictate whether you succeed or fail at anything. Pack your gym bag the night before and always make sure that you keep one workout outfit and old pair of sneakers stowed away in your car in case of fitness emergency. I know that many of you are always running five minutes behind, so this night-before strategy can really help.

Find another machine and learn a new circuit

So what if the StairMasters are full? Try the rowing machine. There are typically five or six different pieces of cardiovascular equipment available on the cardio deck, why not get used to all of them so you never get locked out? And as far as the weight equipment goes, sure the circuits laid out are as warm and comfortable as a baby’s blanket, but why not seek some juicer fitness berries off the beaten path? There are a whole host of exciting and fun exercises and apparatus out there to explore if you just lift your eyes from the rubber flooring and take a look.

You will lose a pound tomorrow, guaranteed

A friend of mine in Alcoholics Anonymous always says, “I’ll have a beer tomorrow” meaning never today and when tomorrow comes, he says it again. I know so many people who quit diets and working out because they become exasperated when “it doesn’t work” after three weeks (or however long). I always remind them that it will work; just wait until tomorrow. There are no time limits on when success kicks in. I know, however, that it definitely won’t if you stop trying.

In between what happens to you and what you do about it is where you grow. Or in this case, shrink.

Darin St. George is a personal fitness coach at Gold’s Gym in Natick, Mass. Visit his Web site at www.TrainerX.com

Source - http://www.norwichbulletin.com

Michelle Obama’s arms are coming out of the mouth of many ladies. According to reports,women want to have toned arms just like Michelle Obama’s. So naturally, CNN did some research on how to achieve this amazing arm tonage that Michelle has.

According to CNN, “Obama has said she exercises in 90-minute workout three times a week with a personal trainer. The first lady told People magazine that during an average day in the White House, she and the president get up at 5:30 a.m. and usually work out and have breakfast.”

In terms of the diet she does it is unknown. There has been reports that she does indeead infactdo some strength training, including some weight training that a lot of women shy away from because they believe they will get huge arm muscles as goes the bodybuilder myth. Many are becoming inspired by Michelle Obama’s dedication to keeping in shape and healthy. Despite being a very busy first lady, she finds time to exercise everyday.

http://www.postchronicle.com

Q: How has weightlifting changed over the past 20 years?

A: Exercise science has progressed at a remarkable pace since its conception back in the late 19th century. Likewise, what we have learned about weightlifting has improved vastly. To say all weightlifting is the same is like stating all drugs are the same. Penicillin and aspirin may both be drugs, but they are completely different medications for completely different conditions. There are four basic forms of weightlifting which include Olympic weightlifting, bodybuilding, powerlifting and general weightlifting. Even within these different forms of weightlifting, there are further subdivisions. The effects of each style and subdivision are very different from one another. Training for size (bodybuilding) is very different than training for pure strength (powerlifting).

Olympic weightlifting is very good for power and explosive strength needed by most sports such as football, baseball and basketball. Even cardiac rehabilitation now uses weightlifting (general) to help patients recover to safely go back to a normal life. Being able to lift a laundry basket or pick up your children or groceries is simply a part of everyday life for most people.

Whether you are male or female, younger or older, active or sedentary, some form of weightlifting can definitely benefit your everyday life. It is a common mistake to think weightlifting is only necessary and beneficial for athletes and the young. Perhaps our ever-aging population can best benefit from the value of weightlifting as it can help improve quality and quantity of life. Being able to have the strength to take care of yourself is vital for independence, especially in later years.

Be proactive and take care of yourself now. Don’t wait until your health fails you. You are never too old, however, to reap the benefits from weightlifting.

Scot E. Long, MSS, CSCS, is an exercise physiologist. He also is a doctoral candidate at the University of Southern Mississippi and a professor at Mississippi College.

Source -  www.clarionledger.com

Hello,

Here are the updates for 03/01/2009

1. The following events have been added to the 2009 Natural Contest Schedule:

April 25, 2009

N.B.A. Vermont Regional Bodybuilding Championship
Bodybuilding & Figure
Layman Hunt School
Burlington, VT

May 16-17, 2009

2009 WNBO Fitness EXPO
2009 WNBO Fitness, Figure, Bodybuilding and Strength Championships
Men’s Bodybuilding, Men’s Bodybuilding, Pairs Bodybuilding,
Women’s Figure, Men’s Strength, Women’s Strength
Daytona Beach, FL

July 11, 2009

OCB Bay State Natural
Bodybuilding, Figure
Northhampton, MA

July 18, 2009

NPC Texas State Naturals Bodybuilding, Figure & Fitness Championships
Team Universe Qualifier
Stafford, TX

For more information about these and all other 2009 Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Competitions:

http://www.naturalbodybuildingevents.com/2009.html

Keep an eye on the Contest Schedules as they are updated frequently.

2. Results have been posted for the following show:

February 14, 2009
FAME Northeast USA Model & Figure Championships
Philadelphia, PA

http://www.naturalbodybuildingevents.com/results.html

3. Check out these Upcoming Events

March 7, 2009

AFBB Alaska State Championships
Anchorage, Alaska

FEMSPORT Athletics Women’s All-Strength & Fitness Challenge
Presented by Purely Natural Fitness, Nancy Lockington

For more information about these and other upcoming events in March, 2009:

http://www.naturalbodybuildingevents.com/months/mar2008.html

4. The following Natural Competitor Profile has been added:

Nadine Dumas
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

http://www.naturalbodybuildingevents.com/profiles.html

If you are a Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness or Figure competitor and would like to have a profile page, drop us an email.

5. The following Contest Prep Trainer has been added to the

NaturalBodybuildingEvents.com Trainers List:

John F. Brescia, Jr. - Sculpt-It Personal Training
Location: On-location training in Massachusetts. Servicing clients from Boston to Worcester

For contact information, qualifications and services provided for these and other Trainers, please view the Trainer list:

http://www.naturalbodybuildingevents.com/trainers.html

If you are a trainer and would like to be added to the Trainers List, please contact us at NaturalBodybuildingEvents@yahoo.com.

6. The 2009 Camps & Seminars page has been updated with these new listings:

Total Fitness Camp
May 10, 2009
9 am - 1 pm
Crown Plaza Hotel Austin
(The host hotel for the INBF South Western Natural Championships held on May 9, 2009)

For more info about this camp:

http://www.naturalbodybuildingevents.com/camps.html

2009 MUSCLETECH WORLD CHAMPION SUPER SEMINAR II
Saturday, March 21, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Strong & Shapely Gym
East Rutherford, NJ

For more info about this Seminar:

http://www.naturalbodybuildingevents.com/news/2009news/muscletech-seminar.html

If you know of Seminars or Camps that are not on the Seminar List, please let us know. For more information about these and other Posing Classes, Camps and Seminars:

http://www.naturalbodybuildingevents.com/camps.html

7. New Articles have been added:

- Maximum Overload Training
By Jim Cipriani

- Healthy Habits to Keep You Lean
By Chris McCombs

- Scales Are Bad
By Heather Frey

- 30 Of Bodybuilding’s Biggest Lies - A classic article from Muscle Media 2000.

Many new articles will be added in the upcoming weeks due to the tremendous response received from bodybuilding and fitness writers.

http://www.naturalbodybuildingevents.com/articles.htm

Have a great day!

http://www.NaturalBodybuildingEvents.com
NaturalBodybuildingEvents@yahoo.com

Come March, Kacie Laha will rise early and join her Wichita State rowing teammates on the river for their daily workouts. Until then, she and her teammates mimic the strokes they make on the water — and compete against one another — on indoor stationary rowing machines called ergometers, or “ergs.”

But Laha and assistant coach Tori Breithaupt say indoor rowing is not just a way for competitive rowers to train in the offseason. They encourage it for anyone looking for a great way to get a full-body workout.

“You use pretty much every muscle,” Breithaupt says.

Stationary rowing machines are readily available at Wichita State’s Heskett Center and at most area gyms, including the YMCA branches.

Laha has always been an athlete but never rowed until she was recruited to Wichita State’s team by a friend who noticed her working out hard in the gym. Now she says indoor rowing will be part of her future fitness routines even after her collegiate rowing experience is over.

“I see more (muscle) definition,” Laha says, versus running. She gets cardio and strength training at the same time on the rowing machine.

At the Shocker Sprints recently, Wichita State’s first indoor rowing competition, Laha finished first in her 2,000-meter heat. Because that distance is a sprint — taking usually around 8 minutes for women — the tension on the machine was fairly low. Laha recommends cranking up the tension when strength training is desired.

Her advice: “Just get on it and do your thing.”

One thing Breithaupt appreciates about training on stationary rowing machines is that it offers individual accountability compared with rowing on the water as a team.

“It gives you personal feedback about your training,” she says. “Our athletes can really see through the year that they’re getting faster.”

Rowing also works for any fitness level.

“As a fitness modality, you can go out for a relaxing row, or you can be very competitive,” Breithaupt says.

Stephanie Lillie, another Wichita State rower, notes that unlike running, rowing is not hard on the knees.

“I compare it to swimming,” she says. “It’s low-impact.”

Her teammate Rachel Cartwright offered tips on proper technique: “Push with your legs; don’t pull with your back.”

Sydney Fish, a senior at East High who belongs to the Wichita Rowing Association, is an outdoor person who has a harder time staying interested on the rowing machine. She says it is comparable to working out on a treadmill or stationary bike as far as repetition, so it helps to listen to music. On long indoor rows, DVDs are a welcome distraction.

Like Fish, Rebecca Goltry, a senior at the Independent School, prefers rowing in a boat, but she appreciates the challenge that a stationary rowing machine can provide.

“I think a workout on the erg is actually a little harder than out on the water,” Goltry says. “It’s focusing on how in shape you are.”

Goltry plans to row next year for Kansas State and beyond.

“Rowing is a lifetime sport,” she says.

Although the rowers generally love being out on actual water, they said there is one other benefit to working out on stationary machines — not having to worry about staying balanced as they do on the boat.

box:

Rowing

For information about outdoor rowing, visit www.wichitarowing.org, the Web site for the Wichita Rowing Association.

Source - www.kansas.com

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