natural muscle - november 2006

6 Natural Muscle November 2006

7Natural Muscle November 2006


contents

On the cover:Publisher, Debbie Baigrie

Photo by: Walt Ostarly

cover designed by:Alex Gonzalezof Axis Design

It’s not the workout it’s YOU! 42

TRAINING7 Tips to survive downtimes 20

by Skip Lacour

Muscleology Series-Quads 34

by Eric Hoult

Home Gym Equipment 40

by Hugo Rivera

The Hardgainer 42

by Russ Yeager

Curcuit Training 46

by Gina Ostarly and Jamie Eason

NATURAL HEALTHThe Fit Gourmet 22

by Danielle Nagel

Are you Skipping meals 56

by Tanji Johnson

MOTIVATIONPz’s Perspective 26

by Pz Hopkins

Welcome to my World 52

by Coach A

november 2006

Olympia Expo 16

This month’s recipe:Balsamic Chicken

Natural Muscle November 2006 9


PUBLISHER/EDITORDebbie [email protected]

ART DIRECTOR

Alex GonzalezWEB DESIGN

Shelly DicksonPHOTOGRAPHERS

John AthertonBill Dobbins

Debbie BaigrieSkip FaulknerEric FreimanisAlex Gonzalaz

Waly OstarlyDavid Paul

Gordon Smith

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSDr. John AthertonCynthia Bridges

Jason CohenSherry Goggin

Pz HopkinsBrenda KellySkip LacourLaura Mak

Danielle NagelDr. Charles Rice, Jr

Hugo RiveraRuss Yeager

my two cents

“You’ve achieved success in your field when you don’tknow whether what you’re doing is work or play.”Warren Beatty US movie actor, director, & producer

On the 10th anniversary of Natural Muscle, I think about how people might measure the success of amagazine. I believe that a majority of publications would consider page count and profit margin.

Well, 10 years have gone by and although Natural Muscle isstill not a 200 page publication and may never be, I countmyself as one of the most successful publishers in the coun-try.

As I reflect back to all the people I’ve met, the close friend-ships I’ve made and the enormous amount about publishingI’ve learned, I know I have achieved success! So far, it hasbeen a great ride—thanks to all the writers, advertisers andloyal readers—many of who I have become close friends.

Facts worth mentioning ..NATURAL MUSCLERECORDS:

Longest Writer: Mike

Bondurant. He started writing in

our very first issue, until he re-

tired just a few months ago.

Longest Advertiser: VPX- 9

years

Most Covers: Toss up between

Sherry Goggin, Laura Mak and

Melissa Hall

Funniest Advertisers:

Accuguys!

They laid the foundation:

Steve Baigrie: I was mar-

ried to Steve for sixteen

years. We raised a beautiful

family together and he is the co-

founder of Natural Muscle.

Without him, I would not have

been able to do this. He is now

happily remarried.

Elizabeth Wozniak: She worked

for the magazine for 5 years and

they were the most fun 5 years

I’ve had. We became best friends

and remain best friends today!

She is a huge part of the success

of this magazine.

Brian Harrison: My printing

salesman. He’s been my sales-

man from the start. We’ve been

through alot!

MikeBondurant

The“Woz”and me!

VPX Founder Jack Owocand me at the Olympia

NM Co-founder,Steve Baigrie andour daughter Dana

I met Skipitis the month we startedpublishing and today he’s like abrother.

Elizabeth, Danielle and Jason have beensuch an important part of this magazineand an even more important part of mylife.

I love to see all my customersat the trade shows! Probablythe best part of my job!

My daughters Dana, Laura and Brittney have beenon the job from the beginning.

The photographers areall so talented..and alittle “off the beam”

contributors

who

makes us

great

each

month

I met Pz at a fit-ness show 8 yearsago and now “aday without aphone call withPizzi McBride, islike a day withoutsunshine”!


This September a mixed martialarts event was held in Tampa.Because a few guys at my gym

are involved in fighting, I thought thiswould be a great type of event tocover. (Look for the guys with woolcaps & sweatshirts. They work outwith great intensity.)

We anticipated a few hundredpeople would be at the matches, but toour surprisethe venue waspacked with acrowd of1,500. Thecontestantshad comefrom all overthe U.S.. Sev-eral of thefighters fromOhio traveledover sixteenhours to com-pete.

I have seen some matches on PPV,and the Tampa match was every bit asexciting. The contestants were allshredded and well schooled in fight-ing techniques. The experience wasthrilling. It is easy to see why so manypeople came to watch.

Mixed martial arts (MMA) arefights with no restrictions as to style. Itincludes boxing, grappling, submis-sion holds, and other martial arts. Thecontestants are schooled in all of theseareas. The fights are real and are underthe supervision of the Florida AthleticCommission. Each match is dividedinto weight categories. And consistedto three five-minute rounds.

The match is over upon a knock-out, submission, or referee stoppage (afighter can no longer defend himself ofdisqualification). If the bout goes to

conclusion, thejudges & refereedetermine thewinner based oncriteria such asaggressiveness,& number ofstrikes.

None of thematches we

watched went any longer than tworounds. The shortest match was theultra-heavy weights (270 lbs.). Thematch lasted 11 seconds. Onefighter started to spar andfeel out his opponent, theother one threw a reallybig punch and it was allover.

This sport is growingfast and the next matchscheduled for November 4at the Florida Sun Dome,Jason Freyre the promoter,expects 15,000 to attend.This will put Tampa onthe map in the MMA world as one ofthe big players.

If you are interested in seeing thematch, tickets are available throughticktemaster, or at

Mixed Martial ArtsHISTORYReal Fighting Championships, Inc.

was formed by Joe Valdez & Jason

Freyre in October of 2004. RFC’s first

event, on February 18th., 2005 was

the beginning of a new Tampa Bay

tradition. RFC is committed to bring-

ing top ranked professional fights to

the bay area and other cities in

Florida.

Joe Valdez is a native of Tampa,

and has been around the fight game

for many years. His knowledge will

show in his ability to bring you ex-

ceptional fights as a veteran in

matchmaking.

Jason Freyre grew up in New

York City and has been a resident of

Florida for over 30 years. Jason is also

the President of Jason’s Hauling, Inc.

and has been in business for the past

15 years. His dedication in business

shows he too is devoted to bringing

top ranked fights for all fight fans to

enjoy.

RFC solely promotes Mixed

Martial Arts, No Holds Barred fights.

MMA demonstrates fighting styles

such as kick boxing, grappling, ju-

jitsu, judo and many more. No Holds

Barred (NHB) definition is very lim-

ited rules. Every thing goes except,

eye gouging, kicking to the head, and

biting.

By Richard NannisPhotos by Andrew Nannis

www.realfightingchampionships.com.If you are interested in participating,get a black belt in something, learnhow to box at a professional level,learn wrestling and submissions, andget in really good shape.

RFC

tampa, fl


expo2006

Olympia

Lenda Murrey, one of the finest bodybuilders ever!

Princess Sherry (Goggin) at Pinnacle NM writer Tanji JohnsonInteresting costumes ...

STS- the PowerStix people!

NM writer Cynthia Bridges helped out a BSN

The BEAST

Brad and Michael from Dymatize

sept 28-30las vegas

photos by :Debbie Baigrie


Fitness writer Dianne McCabbe, with futurefitness photographer Don.

The ladies of CEL The VPX guys know a good read when they seeit!

These guys sell the best Jerky!

NM associate, Brittney Adamo and Dione Miller

Stan “the man” McQuay, sans entourage.

Morris Mendez and me

Melissa Hall, Katie Uter andHardbody Productions’, Lou Zwick

Hugo Rivera

The Mak Attack!


MHP

VPX graphic guru and Kimberly Philips

Bob Cicherillo at the BB.com booth

Tricky Ricky

House of pain1998 Fitness America Champ, Tanya Merryman

Grace Grimes

Rafael Santonja,Ben Weider And Rob Wilkins

Gina Ostarly, Debbie Kruck and Chris Mascia at VPX.


2006 OLYMPIA WEEKEND EXPOfrom the BODYBUILDING.COM BOOTH

By: Brenda KellyThe exciting 2006 Mr.Olympia weekend is abodybuilding and fit-ness extravaganza whirl-wind year after year heldthis year in opulent LasVegas.Fans, friends and familycome to enjoy the con-tests for the crowning ofthe Olympia titles forthe Mr. Olympia, Ms.Olympia, Fitness Olym-pia and Figure Olympia.Right at the top of theOlympia weekend“Must-Do” list is attending the 2-dayOlympia Expo. In fact there are manywho travel from far and wide to visitthe Expo specifically… foregoing theevening contests held at night intrade out for a night out on the townor to attend the many star-studdedOlympia After Parties in Sin City!

The Mr. Olympia Expo is a sightto see filled with high tech boothsfrom the top supplement companiesin nutrition, fitness apparel, extremesports, new training devices and ev-erything and anything related tohealth and fitness. You can get per-sonal autographs from Pro Athletesand your favorite sexy Magazinemodels. Attendees all are carryingstuffed, packed bags full of freesamples (in Hollywood we call it“SWAG”) and if that weren’t enough,there are and tons of beautiful bodieseverywhere you look to inspire youto look after your physical self for theentire year.

The Bodybuilding.com boothrocked the Expo with a line up of topindustry representatives and the bestand most sample give aways ever!We had Mr. Olympia Masters Champ,Bob Cicherillo, Cover Models TimeaMajorova, Christina Lindley, FawniaDietrich and myself. We also hadbeautiful bikini and figure modelsGinger Redeker and Gina Lara. IFBBOlympia weekend competitors ValerieWaguman - who placed 12 in the Ms.Olympia Figure and Dayana Cadeau -

who placed 2 in the Ms. Olympia stopby to sign autographs for the fans.Congratulations to both and to all ofthe athletes!

Russ Deluca our Buff Daddy Bosscame from the home offices in Boisealong with CEO Ryan and JeremyDeluca to check out the action andmeet and greet. Also from the homeoffices were Head Webmaster Will, Ri-chard, Gary and marketing directorDavid Middleton. We needed all ofthe help we could get, as theBodybuilding.com booth is always afavorite for all to visit and there isnever a lull in the action. We handedout more samples form the top supple-ment companies than any other boothat the Expo. Bodybuilding.com wasincomparable for traffic and the al-ways-popular Olympia T-shirts wereon hand for free for those who enteredtheir E-mail addresses at the computerstations right in the booth. Anothermain attraction at theBodybuilding.com booth was the me-dia section where the Chapman MediaGroup taped webcast shows through-out the weekend.

I had a spectacular show on Satur-day afternoon called Brenda Kelly’s2006 Olympia Expo Girl Power Hour.It was an awesome array of the best fe-male bodies and athletes that werethere for the Olympia weekend. Therewere 4 separate interview sessions thatcame in to join me for the webcast.

Download my show for free fromBodybuilding.com found on the 2006Olympia video section under BrendaKelly.

The latest greatest news flash talkat Bodybuilding.com was all aboutBodySpace. BodySpace is the newestgrooviest way to meet health and fit-ness minded people. Go toBodybuilding.com and sign on foryour very own page. It’s free and onlytakes minutes to create your fitnessprofile. This is a chance to strut yourstuff worldwide, promote your per-sonal website, learn the secrets fromthe best bodies in the world, postPICS, get connected with others whohave achieved their fitness goals andget noticed where it counts. Check it

out and say hello to me there underDivaBK.

Bodybuilding.com also had itsown annual supplement awards pre-sentation during the Olympia Exporight in the Bodybuilding.com booth.Check out who won! This is yourchance to see what’s new, tried andproven to really work for you!

The 2006 Olympia Expo at theBodybuilding.com booth was com-pletely excellent. I recommend it to allwho want to experience the pursuit ofbodybuilding, health, fitness and theneed to be on the cutting edge.

See you at next year’s Olympia!

Take care of yourself. You’re worth it.


It’s easy to get into the gym and have productiveworkouts when things are going well. But justhow do you get yourself to keep working toward

your fitness goals when you aren’t motivated? That’sa real challenge.

One way or another, you need to find a way toget yourself through the difficult times. It’s your lon-gevity, simply sticking with your program just alittle longer in order to produce the results you want,that’s one of the most important factors toward yourultimate success.

If you do anything long enough, the chancesthat you’ll become very good at what you do in-crease significantly. It’s the continual stopping andstarting of your exercise program that robs you ofyour progress. In order to do anything well, youneed to do it consistently for a long enough periodof time to see results. And, the results you will expe-rience after your committed workouts will be a ter-rific source of motivation that will fuel your contin-ued efforts. The purpose of this article is to give youthe motivation to hang in there just a little longerand stick with your healthy exercise and eating hab-its.

Here are seven tips to help you workyour way through the slumps that we allexperience at times:

1. Relax!First of all, you need to relax. It’s common for yourlevel of motivation to go through cycles. The mentalchallenges that come your way are an inevitable partof the process. Almost everyone, even the peoplewho are best examples of health and fitness who youhave come to respect have gone through their ownups and downs. Those people who have earned yourrespect have simply overcome those challenges. You

Motivation

shouldn’t believe for a moment that they haven’t en-dured the same struggles and roadblocks as the onesyou face.

Realize that you will have occasional lapses inmotivation, accept them, and then take the stepsnecessary to gradually increase your desire to train.

2.Resist taking a prolonged break fromtraining.As I mentioned, there will be times when your driveto train is stronger than others. However, I don’t be-lieve that taking a few weeks off because you don’t“feel” like training is a good idea. Unless you havesome sort of physical injury or health problem, Iwouldn’t recommend taking unscheduled time off.Who knows? You may never feel like coming backafter your layoff. I have seen this happen to manyonce-dedicated people over the years.

Even if your motivation is lower than youwould like, make the concerted effort to get into thegym and do your best to follow your training pro-gram. Put the pressure on yourself to get back ontrack instead of giving into your whims to take aprolonged break. Putting yourself through this dis-comfort now will spare you the intense pain of let-ting yourself down that you’ll probably suffer in thefuture. Trust me!

I often warn the people who I coach not to fallvictim to their feelings. Feelings are not reliable in-dicators for what you should and should not do inany aspect of your life. Your feelings can change adozen times throughout the course of a week.

Instead, take a scheduled week off from trainingevery seven or eight weeks—even if you don’t feellike taking that time out of the gym. I have foundthis strategy to be tremendously helpful in keepingmy motivation level high and preventing me frommental burnout. At the end of my scheduled week

off, I’m typically more ready than ever to get backon my program. My motivation and intensity arehigh and I’ve had plenty of time to let my mind andbody rest.

3. Set Simple Training Goals.Creating a short list of “training disciplines” can beextremely helpful. This list can include a few simpletasks that you’ll focus on during your workouts evenwhen you’re not as motivated as you’d like to be.

Simply getting to the gym on time, completingevery one of the exercises and sets that you plannedto do when you stepped into the gym, making sureyou really focus on the targeted muscle group dur-ing every repetition, and completing your trainingsession in an hour are just a few examples of whatyou can include on your list of simple traininggoals. You don’t need to be extremely detailed rightoff the bat, but create some structure to your workoutso you feel like you are progressing. As you track toyour goals, you will continually increase your levelof focus and successfully take your efforts to thenext level.

This is when discipline becomes important. TheMerriam-Webster dictionary defines the word disci-pline as control gained by enforcing obedience ororder. In other words, you sometimes have to dothings that you may not necessarily feel like doingfor the greater good in the long run.

4. Appreciate what you’ve already ac-complished.Look back for a moment. Haven’t you really accom-plished a lot more than you may have thought?Aren’t you a lot farther along than you were a yearago today? Wouldn’t it be great to look back in an-other year and see the continual progress you havemade?

By Skip La Cour

Getting Back the On Track with Your Healthy Habits


What if you wasted an entire year simply be-cause you lost your motivation and strayed awayfrom your plan? Wouldn’t that wasted time feelmuch worse than if you simply remained committedand worked through the times when your motivationis a bit lower than you would like?

The chances are pretty good that you’ve workedthrough times like these before. There probablyaren’t any good reasons why you won’t successfullypull through these downtimes again.

5. Get in the presence of highly moti-vated people.Associate with people who are like-minded and ap-preciate your health and fitness objectives. Theyshould be motivated to succeed in life and under-stand the goals that you are striving towards. Heck!If you’re lucky enough to be invited into theirgroups, train with those people who are even moredriven than you are to help ignite your desire.

6. Reevaluate your priorities.Whether your training is going well or not, you areprobably getting what you are focusing on. If youaren’t getting what you want out of your workouts,then you may need to re-evaluate your priorities inyour life and dedicate the focus needed to get youwhere you want to go.

7. Don’t do anything differently.Maybe you shouldn’t do anything differently duringthese times. Take responsibility for your success orfailure. Maybe it’s not the training routine you areusing that is the cause of your lack of success.Maybe your need to fortify your efforts with a littlemore mental muscle.

Just because you have failed in the past doesnot mean you will fail in the future. Sometimes youshould do nothing—except work to increase yourfocus. Don’t make rash decisions to change yourroutine, start a new diet or change gyms. Put thepressure on yourself to work through your problemsand setbacks in the past—rather than run from them.

Keep working toward what you ultimately wantfrom your health and fitness efforts during your morechallenging times. I’m certain that one or more ofthese mental tips will be just what you need to sur-vive the downtimes and get your healthy habitsback on track.

Skip La Cour’s Get YourSwagger Back! two-dayseminars specialize in help-ing adult men ages 30 to 55regain their self-confidenceand charisma, learn the skillsof persuasion and influence,and incorporate health andfitness into their busylifestyles. Step-by-step, heoutlines effective strategiesthat will help create positivechange and generate unstoppable momentum.

To learn more about Skip La Cour’s “Get YourSwagger Back” personal development seminars formen, go to www.getyourswaggerback.com orwww.skiplacour.com.

starting

next month


By Danielle Nagel, APCAPersonal Chef/ Fitness ProfessionalNutrition & Natural Health Consultant

www.fitandbeyond.comPhotos and meals prepared by:The Fit Gourmet©

thefit gourmet

with Peppers, Raisins,Almonds & Fresh Thyme

Balsamic Chicken

Bursting with flavor!

The best balsamic vinegars have nothing elseadded to them - only the grapes.

Lesser ones will add brown sugar or caramel to

mimic the sweetness of the better ones. If a com-

pany produces a “traditional” balsamic vinegar, they

will also produce a less expensive, but high qual-

ity vinegar as well. This is the same vinegar with

the same heritage but not aged as long. You can

have confidence in purchasing these balsamic vin-

egars.

CHECK YOUR LABELS!


Ingredients:2 Tablespoon olive oil, divided

2 red bell peppers, cut into strips

2 yellow bell peppers, cut into strips

2 green bell peppers, cut into strips

1/3 cup raisins

½ cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 lb. chicken breast, boneless and skinless

½ cup Italian-style dry breadcrumbs

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted

Did you know?● Balsamic Vinegar is made from white Trebbiano grapes. ‘Balsamic’ means ‘like balsam’ - and balsam isan aromatic resin - balsamic vinegar simply refers to the fact that it is thick (resin like) and aromatic. Thisaromatic, flavorful vinegar ages to a rich, dark brown. It has a full-bodied, slightly sweet flavor with a hintof tartness and is best known for its flavoring in vinaigrettes, sauces, and many aromatic dishes. BalsamicVinegar can be found in most large supermarkets and gourmet stores.

● Modena Italy’s balsamic vinegar is aged at least 6 to 12 years and some are aged for 50 to 100 years. (Ascould be expected, these vinegars can be quite expensive, some costing over $200 per ounce!)

● This distinctive vinegar has long been cherished: in fact, it was once considered so valuable that it wasincluded in the dowries of young ladies of nobility and was specifically mentioned in wills. And in 1944,when reports of approaching American bombers reached the Modena area, small kegs of balsamic vinegarwere packed up along with money, jewelry and other valuables.Reference: www.foodreference.com

Directions:1 In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté peppers for 6-8 minutes. Next, add raisins,balsamic vinegar, sugar, thyme, salt and pepper then sauté foranother minute. Remove from heat.

2 Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Next place chickenbetween two sheets of plastic wrap on a cutting board andpound out gently with a meat mallet using the flat side. (Thiswill guarantee the tenderest chicken.) Then cut each chickenbreast into 3 or 4 bite-size pieces, depending on chickenbreast size.

3 On a large plate or shallow dish combine breadcrumbs andParmesan cheese. Dredge each piece of chicken throughbreadcrumb mixture and set aside.

4 In a large skillet, heat remaining oil over a medium-highheat. Add chicken and cook 3 minutes each side or untildone. Next, combine pepper mixture with chicken and tosstogether well. Serve over brown rice topped with toasted al-monds and fresh thyme! Bon Appetite!

✁

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Balsamic VinaigretteIngredients2 tablespoons balsamic vin-egar1 tablespoon red wine vinegar1 tablespoon Dijon mustard1 teaspoon light brown sugar1 garlic clove, crushedthrough a press (optional)1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon freshly groundblack pepper3/4 cup extra virgin olive oilInstructionsTo make the vinaigrette, in amedium bowl whisk all theingredients except the oiluntil mixed. Gradually whiskin the oil until smooth.Yield: about 1 cup

Grilled Asparagus and Tomatoes with BalsamicVinaigrette12 ounces asparagus, trimmed6 ripe tomatoes, halved3 tablespoons olive oil1 clove garlic, minced1 tablespoon mustard3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar1/3 cup olive oilSalt and pepper Heat grill pan over medium high heat.In a large bowl toss asparagus with olive oil and saltand pepper. Brush tomatoes with remaining olive oil inbowl. Grill asparagus and tomatoes, separately untiltender but not falling apart.In a bowl combine garlic, mustard, balsamic vinegar,and olive oil with a whisk or hand blender. Season totaste with salt and pepper. Serve grilled vegetablesdrizzled with vinaigrette.

Looking for healthy recipes, meal plans, nutrition advice, fit tips & more? Join The Fit Gourmet© Newsletter! (It’s free!) www.fitandbeyond.com Healthy recipe

While you have the Balsamic out ...

homecooking.about.com www.cruets.com


In his early twenties, champion trainer Beres Baker’s vision began to deteriorate.

By the time he was 26 a degenerative retina left him legally blind.

By Russ Yeager, the Hardgainer

the hardgainer

YOU

It’s not the theworkout program ..it’s

The majority of us have read countlessbodybuilding and fitness magazine articles and books, watched every DVD andvideo on training and nutrition, and tried

every workout program, diet, and supplement underthe sun. Yet, the vast majority of you reading thisparticular article still have not achieved the body-building and fitness goals you set for yourself. Well,if the very same programs that have produced chis-eled, muscular, healthy physique for others have notdone the same for you, then what is the answer?That’s right, its you!

That may seem a little “in your face” and maybeit is. However, as a fitness professional my job tohelp get you the results you really want and to staymotivated while working towards those results. It’snot to be nice (although I am a pretty nice guy too).The truth is that just about ANY muscle building orfat-loss program out there will work to some degree.Yes, some are more effective, efficient, and safer thanothers, but they all will work.

Let’s say that I have two clients; Client A andClient B (yeah, I know, real creative). I can put Cli-ent A on my absolute best periodization macrocycletraining routine, perfectly timed and proportionedelite athlete level nutrition program, and top of theline nutritional supplements, while I get Client Bworking on a very basic weight training program,eating 5-6 small frequent meals throughout the day,drinking lots of water, and taking only a multi vita-min and some whey protein. Who is going to getbetter results? Client A of course, right? How aboutif Client B is more focused, more consistent, andmore diligent about following through every day onhis program compared to client A? Client B everysingle time!

Some personal trainers may argue with me andthat’s OK. That’s because they want people to thinkthat they have the “secret recipe” for success and

you need to hire them to find out what that is. I havenews for you. There is no secret recipe! Don’t get mewrong. I’m not saying that personal trainers and fit-ness professionals are worthless. I would be an idiotto since that’s my profession! However, I believe therole of a fitness professional is to properly educateclients on safe, effective training and proper nutri-tion, and most importantly to make sure clients actu-ally follow through with the program. It all comesdown to motivation and accountability.

So now that we know it’s not the program, myadvice is to find a training and nutrition programthat gets you excited and motivated. Have a fitnessprofessional look over it to make sure it is safe andeffective (it probably is), and then GO FOR IT! If Ihave a client who is completely fired up about a newhot workout routine or nutrition plan then I’ll helpthem implement it, get the most out of it, and holdthem accountable to follow through (as long as it issafe and effective). I don’t care if it’s the ZoneDiet, Atkins, Mediterranean Diet, or spa-ghetti squash and grapefruit diet.

It’s the underlying prin-ciples, consistency, andfollow through that getsresults. The sooner youunderstand and acceptthis the sooner you canfocus on execution andgetting results instead ofsearching for the “per-fect” workout and nutri-tion program and thenblaming outside factorswhen you don’t get theresults you want.

You have seen yourfriends achieve the typeof results you want soyou know it can be done.

Maybe it was easier for them then it will be for youand maybe it won’t be. It really doesn’t matter. Whatmatters is having the focus and courage to do what ittakes for YOU to get where you want, but that’s awhole other article. Decide to take personal respon-sibility today for your health and fitness and watchwhat a difference it makes!

Russ Yeager is a 6’6’ lifetime natural body-builder, fitness coach, and “Physique Transforma-tion Expert.” His passion is helping others makedramatic improvements to their physiques, health,and level of life happiness. Russ is a Certified Fit-ness Trainer (CFT), writer, owner of Russ Yeager’sFitness Solutions (http://www.russyeager.com), andowner of Fitness Together Personal Training Studioin Norcross, GA.

To obtain a free copy of Russ’s brand new e-book “27 Must-Have Tips For A Complete PhysiqueTransformation” visit http://

www.completephysiquetransformation.com/

By Russ Yeager

you


Bill

y th

e K

id

perspective

is your

pz’s

working?by: Pz

She made the announcementto drop out of the competition. Not that she had achance to win—most likely

she would have only lasted a few moreweeks—but it didn’t matter. Therewere more pressing issues taking placein her life that required her immediateand full attention. The reality showjust had to go. Apparently, she’s de-cided her husband of 13 years has togo, too.

Sara Evans might not be the great-est dancer, but the girl can sing. A ris-ing country star, Sara is just hitting herstride. With a steady string of platinumhits, sold out concerts, legions of ador-ing fans, and accolades from her peers,Sara has established herself as one ofcountry music’s leading female vocal-ists. Ironically, she sings about lovingand cheating and all those traditionalheart wrenching topics one wouldtypically expect out of a woman with abig voice with tons of twang. Unfortu-nately, for Sara, it looks like some ofthose tunes are coming to life, in herown life. Makes one wonder howthings could have veered off in such atragic direction and ended up in aditch.

The initial reports are pretty scan-dalous for a gal like Sara, for heryoung children, and, especially, for herhusband, Craig Schelske, who has pre-viously walked in some serious politi-cal circles. (In 2002, he had an unsuc-cessful bid for Congress from the stateof Oregon.) Allegations of adulterymight not carry the same shock andawe value as in days gone by, but justask the person on the receiving end,and you’ll soon discover that nothingabout this deceitful act has becomecommonplace. Allegations of inappro-

priate marital misconduct can cover alot of other sticky bases, and the oldstand by, irreconcilable differences, isincluded to round out the graphic, ex-plicit, and disturbing charges that Saranow makes in the divorce papers shehas filed against Craig. Craig, thus far,adamantly denies these accusations. Intime, we’ll see how this sordid taleplays out.

Another beauty, Christie Brinkleyjust resurfaced from her marriage melt-down in seclusion at Heart Break Ho-tel— to become the new voice of theHyatt. (You can get a wake-up callfrom the supermodel and a buck fromeach call goes to Make-a-Wish Foun-dation.) Christie got her own wake-upcall earlier this year when she learnedPeter Cook, her architect husband of10 years, was having an affair with ateen. Here’s yet one more example ofan individual operating with no moralcompass, who had everything to loseand nothing to gain, beyond what thestoking of the ego brings when an 18year-old personal assistant says yes toyour charm, your money, and your ad-vances. What was he thinking? Wherewas his compass? Was it even work-ing? Peter, unlike Craig, came cleanand admitted to what he couldn’t es-cape, and hoped to salvage his wifeand family, but the damage was doneand the marriage is history.

Without question, the former Rep-resentative from Florida, Mark Foley,checked his moral compass at the doorwhen he entered the hallowed halls ofCongress. Conveniently, he only re-ferred to it when the time came tomake legislation that required sittingin judgment on issues regardinghigher moral ground. Mr. Foley is en-titled to his sexual preference and to

live his life anyway he sees fit withother consenting adults. He is entitledto be gay or straight or stand on hishead and juggle—that is irrelevant tothe discussion. What Mr. Foley isn’tentitled to be is a hypocrite on ourtime and at our expense. He isn’t en-titled to use the Page Program as abuilt-in chat service. He isn’t en-titled to talk one talk and walkanother as an elected officialwith an agenda that makesa mockery of all that hepurports to repre-sent. We expectmore fromour leaders.Exercisinggood judg-ment is part of theirjob. Mark Foley isn’t theonly one in Washington whohas a problem with truth and morality.Perhaps we need to examine all ourleaders a little more closely, do a littleHouse cleaning and toss some of theserotten apples out of office—it’s calledvoting! He is the one, however, we’rezeroing in on at the moment—his in-fractions are too egregious to ignore.

Sara’s husband Craig, Christie’shusband Peter, and CongressmanFoley lost their way out there on thepath of life. They consciously took acouple of wrong turns and now theyhave to face the music. Their moralcompass wasn’t pointing them in theright direction. Maybe it was brokenand in need of repairs. Maybe they justweren’t paying attention. Maybe theywere too arrogant, or too drunk, andthought the rules didn’t apply to them.What about your compass? Are you

traveling down theright path? Is your moral compassworking?

Pz’s Pointers to followingyour moral compass:You’re only as good as yourword—Strip away all the externaltrappings and what you are left with isyour word. In the end, it is all you re-ally have. Before lawyers and lawsuitsa man’s word was his bond. A hand-shake was as powerful and reliable asany contract written in blood. We havetraveled far a field from those simplertimes. We have slowly chipped awayat the fabric of honor and truth push-ing the line that used to be so unmis-takable further and further off into thedistance. That line, that used to be soclear, has now become blurred. Whenyou speak one thing and do another


you diminish your true value andsense of authenticity. You becomephony and fake. When you give yourword, you must mean it. When youmake a promise, you must keep it.When you make a mistake, you mustown it. When you hurt someone, youmust fix it. Fix it by fixing yourself.When you say what you mean andmean what you say your words havereal meaning and are taken as such.When you stand up to truth when youhave fallen down in the face of it, youwill find your way back to that pureplace where the line will once again becrystal clear and within view.

Don’t allow immediate gratifica-tion to dictate your actions—Weare the best society in the world atwanting our quick payoff and easy re-ward. Sometimes we just can’t getwhat we want when we want it andmaybe we shouldn’t. Building charac-ter comes from layer upon layer of lifeexperiences. Hall of Fame footballcoach, Vince Lombardi, once said,“The dictionary is the only place thatsuccess comes before work. Hard workis the price we must pay for success.You can accomplish anything if youare willing to pay the price.” Whenyour moral compass is set with thatphilosophy in mind, you will findyour way even in the dark.

Distinguishing between thoughtand deed— When running for Presi-dent, Jimmy Carter was interviewed byPlayboy magazine. The story has be-come classic. Somehow in the ques-tioning, his words got taken a little outof context. It was reported that he hadlusted in his heart for other women butwouldn’t act on the feelings becausehe was a loyal, married man, andthis behavior would be off limitsand not appropriate. In this case,the fact that he expressed thethought turned out to be worsethan if he had actually committedthe deed itself and it almost costhim the election. Later, Mr. Carterexplained what he meant was itwas normal to have such thoughts,but acting on them was anothersituation entirely. He was makingthe distinction between thoughtand deed. Some would disagreewith the former President, sayingthe thought—good or bad—is aspotent as performing the deed.Others would say it is the deed—good or bad— that matters and thedeed that ultimately determineswho we are as conscious or uncon-scious individuals. For example:

You might feel so much rage towardssomeone that you think of killingthem. Your thoughts, if carried out, canhave calamitous results. Each one ofus has to decide what we do with ourless than positive thoughts, that ifacted upon would harm another orhave some dire consequence, orwhether, instead, they constitute ac-knowledging, letting go, and filingaway in the recesses of our mind. Yourmoral compass can help you distin-guish between the two and act respon-sibly and accordingly.

The role of parents —And justwhere does this sense of moralityoriginate? Most of us were raised byhonest, hard working, loving parentswith an obvious set of ethics and in-tegrity. Even if they were divorcedthey instilled the best sense of rightand wrong they were able and we re-spect them and their opinion of us andthe world around us. Even if theyweren’t perfect and made mistakes, westill revered them. They were the touchstone for the foundation we developedas thinking and caring human beings.Reflect on all the things you havedone that, if your mom or dad knew,would cause you shame, embarrass-ment, or put you in a bad light in theireyes. Parents are an extended con-science, a built-in gauge of where theline is that we shouldn’t cross. Theyhelped us draw that line. No matterhow old you get that gauge remainsembedded in your soul and their influ-ence is part of that moral compass thatdirects you through life. When our par-ents are proud of us it makes us feel asthough we have done something right,something worthy, and, therefore, areworthy individuals.

The importance of forgiveness—Isn’t it interesting how we break a ruleor commit a crime or do that which weknow to be harmful or hurtful to oth-ers, sometimes over and over, anddon’t stop until we get caught? Then,we are remorseful, and throw ourselveson the mercy of the court—so tospeak—check into rehab, cry, promisechange, plead insanity or stupidity,and beg for forgiveness. Human beingsaren’t perfect and do make mistakes—some big, some small. It’s the nature ofthis flawed beast. Human beings arealso forgiving. Forgiveness is some-thing that shouldn’t be taken forgranted. It isn’t something that shouldbe expected, either. Be open to forgiv-ing others. Who knows, you mighthead off in the wrong direction, loseyour way, and be in need of your ownforgiveness someday.

Living your authentic life—Whatyou do when no one is looking is asimportant as how you behave wheneverybody is. It should be obvious bynow that stuff comes out in the wash.Eventually, it just does. We are allmeant to live our highest calling. Weare put here for a reason and a purpose.There is a framework within where weall must live and co-exist—ever striv-ing for peace and harmony. Each oneof us plays a vital role in the grand de-sign. Each one of us is obligated tomake a contribution that only we canmake. When we opt to do wrong ratherthan right our actions have a ripple ef-fect. So too, when we opt to do rightrather than wrong the same principleapplies. When we know the differencewe have an obligation to do better. Wemust. Our moral compass is a tool inour bag of life that helps us navigate

the course. It needs to be in fine work-ing order to get us the results we need.The closer we get to living our best,most honorable, and most trustworthylife, the closer we are to becoming theauthentic, unique, and extraordinaryhuman being we were born to be.

Pz is a motivational writer spe-

cializing in the area of relationships

and the human condition. Have a

topic you would like to feature? Con-

tact Pz with ideas, questions, or com-

ments: [email protected]

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

You’ve been hurt.Your heart has been broken.

Your world is about to come unglued.

What do you do now?

In Pz’s upcoming book,

CLUB SHATTERED,

you’ll find the answers.

To order your advanced

personalized autographed copy

email Pz:

[email protected] read an excerpt and to order online

simply log on to naturalmuscle.net


In this kinesiology segment, we are taking a

look at Shandi’s Quad routine and different

muscles in the lower body region. This seg-

ment will give you some great information

that will help or even change your existing

workout.

These are the exercises that

we’ll cover:

I. Leg Extensions

II. Smith Machine Lunges

III. Ball Squats

IV. Hack Squats.

In these different exercises, we will cover

muscles that are emphasized, execution,

form, muscelology, and the anatomy of each

exercise. Remember to always start out light

and slow when attempting any exercises in

these articles. Always consult a professional

trainer if you are having any problems per-

forming these exercises. Always remember

to stay tight and strict in all your movements,

and train with good mental focus.

Until next issue’s training segment, make

time for your health & fitness goals.

Always be consistent, incorporate new ideas,

and stay committed to make changes to your

Mind, Body, and Spirit. Train with Heart

and Train Desire. GOD BLESS

Shandi’s Current workout Schedule is:

Monday-Shoulders/Chest/Back

Tuesday-45 min. Treadmill

Wednesday-Biceps/Triceps/Abs

Thursday-Cardio 45min

Friday-Quads/Hams/Glutes

Saturday-Outside Sport

Sunday-REST.

You can contact Shandi at:[email protected]

✁

MUSCLEOLOGY SERIES

great QUAD. routine on the next page ...

QUAD.TRAINING

By Eric Hoult B.S., Pro BodybuilderSpecial Feature: Shandi Carline

Photos by Axisdzn.com


References-Franis, P. Applied Anatomy and Kinesology. Supplemental materials. (San Diego: KB Books,1999)-Gray, Henry, F.R.S. Anatomy Descrip-tive and Surgical, 15th ed. (New York:Barnes & Noble,1995), 401 to 406-Greene, Paul. Kinesiology: Movementin the context of activity (St. Louis:Mosby, 1999)-Rasch, P.J. Kinesiology and AppliedAnatomy, 7th ed. (Lea and Febiger,1993)-Abcnews.go.com/sections/2020/Liv-ing/2020_mesotherapy030808.html

For more information on

Muscleology videos, cloth-

ing, products, and nutritional

information Call

1-877-283-4338 or visit us

at our website

muscleology.com

Emphasized Muscles:Heavy Use: Vastus medialis,Vastus intermedius,Rectus femoris,Vastus lateralisMuscle Position and Execution:❏ Start off low back and butt tight against theseat❏ Feet should be touching each other“ Curl your legs up using the front of your legs(keep your butt in the seat)❏ Step-1 Step Flex legs to the top position❏ Step 2- At the top position flex your leg for 2seconds❏ Step 3-Lower weight to controlled fashion andslightly pause at the bottom of each movement

Tips and Form:❏ Always start with a weight light enough to con-trol❏ Use the front of your legs in a controlled fash-ion❏ Do not lift your butt up out of the seat duringyour set❏ Use slow and controlled movements whencoming to the top of the movement❏ Try not to not to over flex at the top of themovement

Feet Together Leg Extensions

Hack SquatsMuscle Position and Execution:❏ Start off with shoulders on the pads & kneesbent❏ Feet can be close together or shoulder width❏ Make sure your back and shoulders are backagainst the machine❏ Press up and move both handles out❏ Squat down in a controlled fashion, slightpause at the bottom❏ Repeat Movement

Tips and Form:❏ Squeeze the legs and butt tight at the top ofeach rep❏ Keep your knees slightly bent at the top whenyou are in the starting position❏ Use a nice controlled fluid movement on eachrep & do not go to deep❏ Always keep your feet flat on the floor & keeppressure on the whole foot


si-i-

-

t

Muscleology: The four quadriceps muscles primary action is to extend the knee-joint and causes thethigh to move away from the shin.

Muscle Anatomy: Located on the front of the thigh, the quadriceps muscles consists of the Vastusmedialis,Vastus intermedius, Rectus femoris,Vastus lateralis. The Vastus medialis is located on the insidelower thigh, Vastus intermedius is the deepest of the muscle group and is located in middle upper portionof the quad, Rectus femoris lies on top of the intermedius in the middle-upper thigh, Vastus lateralis islocated on the outside of the thigh and gives the quad it’s sweeping appearance.

Smith Machine LungesEmphasized Muscles:Muscle Position and Execution:❏ Start with one leg forward and one leg back❏ Start with knee slightly bent in the forward po-sition❏ Squat down bending both the front and yourback leg❏ Come to the bottom of the movement control-ling the weight❏ Push up with the front leg using the back legto guide you❏ At the top of movement squeeze the glutemuscle on your back leg

Tips and Form:❏ Very important to use a weight that is not tooheavy❏ Keep your both legs tight at all times duringthe movement❏ Do reps in a controlled fashion, Do not bounceat the top or bottom❏ Do high reps with controlled movements

Ball SquatsMuscle Position and Execution:❏ Stand with your feet together and toes el-evated on a plate❏ Keep the bar in the of your trap muscle so itdo not hurt your neck❏ Squat down keeping your knees together❏ Squat down until you feel the ball touch youbutt (NO BOUNCING)❏ Do not sit on the ball❏ Press the weight up using you glute and legmuscles

Tips and Form:❏ These should be done at a moderate tempo❏ Keep your chest out and your shoulders back❏ Keep your hands more the shoulder widthapart❏ Keep torso tight and shoulders square❏ Always use one fluid motion throughout move-ment- NO BOUNCING


By Hugo Rivera, BSCE, CFT (at the airport)

There are many reasons why one may decide tohave a home gym in addition to a commercial gym membership:

1-Variety 2- In case you miss your training at thecommercial gym, you always have your home gymavailable. 3- No excuse to miss a workout when thecommercial gym is closed.

With all of the fancy expensive gadgets that ap-pear on TV it may seem very confusing for some-body that is looking to set up a home gym to knowwhat to get.

Since I like to keep things simple and cheap, Ibelieve that all you need to have an awesome homegym is a strong and stable adjustable bench and aset of adjustable dumbbells. With this limitedequipment you can perform the following basic massbuilding exercises:

◆ Back: One Arm Dumbbell Rows(Palms facing your body), Two ArmDumbbell Rows (Palms facing for-ward as if you were doing regularbarbell rows), Two Arm DumbbellRows (Reverse Grip), Pullovers.

◆ Chest: Incline Bench Press, FlatBench Press, Flyes (Incline andFlat).

◆Thighs: Dumbbell Squats (holdeach dumbbell by your side), WideStance Dumbbell Squats, Lunges(press with toes).

◆ Hamstrings: Stiff LeggedDeadlifts, Lunges (pressing with heels)

◆ Shoulders: Dumbbell Press,Upright Rows, Lateral Raises,Bent Over Lateral Raises.

◆ Traps: Dumbbell Shrugs,and Upright Rows.

◆ Biceps: Dumbbell Curls,One Arm Dumbbell PreacherCurls (using the bench in itsincline posi tion), InclineDumbbell Curls, Concentra-tion Curls, Hammer Curls.

◆ Triceps: Dumbbell LyingTriceps Extensions, Dumb-bell Overhead Triceps Exten-sions, Close Grip Bench Press,Triceps Kickbacks.

◆ Calves: Two-Legged Dumbbell Calf Raises (youcan point your toes in, out or forward for variety) &One Legged Dumbbell Calf Raises

◆ Abdominal: Sit-ups, Crunches, Leg Raises, Knee-Ins, V-Ups.

If you also get yourself a squat rack with a chin-upbar in it, and a dip station along with an Olympicset then you have just added more exercises to yourarsenal. Also, if the weight bench you bought has agood Leg Extension/Leg Curl attachment to it anda Pull-down bar, those are even more exercisesadded to your list. These are additions that I wouldrecommend for the very serious bodybuilder.

Somebody that is trying just to firm up and getin great shape however can certainly just get by withthe dumbbells and bench alone. The key here is thequality of the equipment. Unfortunately, I have seen

get a great workout

at home


a lot of crappy things out there on the market. Thebest sets of dumbbells that I recommend for homeuse are the Powerblocks and the IronMaster QuickLock Dumbbells. The reason for this is that theysave a lot of space, they are easily adjusted in weightand very safe.

If you choose to go for a different set of adjust-able dumbbells, then my next best recommendationis that you look for those that secure the weights onthe sides on a very reliable manner. As far as thebench, go for a strong one that is stable and does notwobble when you start adding some serious weight.Again, safety in this matter is key. If you try to savesome money by buying crappy weightlifting equip-ment it may turn out to be more expensive on thelong run.

To the right, I have listed a few routinesthat can be built using this limited equip-ment.

ConclusionSuccessful advanced bodybuilders are able to deter-mine how much volume they need in order to stimu-late muscle growth while avoiding overtraining.Therefore, the later routine may be modified accord-ing to the needs of the advanced bodybuilder.

In other words, someone more genetically giftedwho can tolerate higher amounts of volume may beable to handle 5 sets per exercise while anotherbodybuilder with less than optimal recovery capa-bility may handle 3.

I hope that with the routines above have pro-vided enough ideas on how to setup a weight train-ing program with minimum home equipment. Notethat even if you have a gym membership, you canstill use these routines for those days that you can-not make it to the gym. Also, since what these rou-tines require are only dumbbells and a bench theyare great to follow at the gym when such is crowded.You just need to secure a bench and then the dumb-bells.

Finally, don’t feel restrained to following myroutines exactly as laid out. Feel free to make upyour own as well based on the knowledge that younow have.

So there you have it. No more excuses to missworkouts and no more waiting in line at the gym forequipment. Good luck to all of you!About the Author

Hugo Rivera, About.com’s Bodybuilding Guide andISSA Certified Fitness Trainer, is a nationally-known best-selling author of over 8 books on body-building, weight loss and fitness, including “TheBody Sculpting Bible for Men”, “The Body Sculpt-ing Bible for Women”, “The Hardgainer’s Body-building Handbook”, and his successful, self pub-lished e-book, “Body Re-Engineering”. You canvisit Hugo Rivera at www.bodybuilding.about.comand at www.HRFit.net.

Sets/Reps/FrequencyFor this routine do 3 sets of 8-12 reps per ex-

ercise (Abs and Calves can handle 15-25

reps) on Day 1, and 3-4 sets per exercise on

Days 2 and 3. Rest only 1 minute in between

sets.

As far as frequency, you can either do 6 days

a week or 3 days on, one day off. Others

have implemented the routine just five days a

week (weekdays) by starting out on Monday

with the workout that follows the one done on

Friday.

Advanced Bodybuilding RoutineDay 1 - Shoulders and ArmsTriset:◆ Dumbbell Shoulder Press◆ Dumbbell Curls◆ Overhead Triceps ExtensionsGiant set:◆ Dumbbell Upright Rows◆ Lying Triceps Extensions◆ Overhead Triceps Extensions◆ Incline CurlsTriset:◆ Lateral Raise◆ Hammer Curls◆ Bent Over Lateral RaisesSuperset:◆ Concentration Curls◆ Triceps Kickbacks

Day 2 - Legs and AbsTriset:◆ Lunges◆ Leg Curls◆ Dumbbell Squats (Medium Stance)Triset:◆ Dumbbell Squats (Wide Stance)◆ Leg Extensions◆ Stiff Legged DeadliftsSuperset:◆ Dumbbell Calf Raises◆ One Legged Dumbbell Calf RaisesTriset:◆ Sit Ups◆ Leg Raise & Crunch◆ Knee Ins

Day 3 - Chest & BackTriset:◆ 75 Incline Dumbbell Press◆ Two Arm Dumbbell Rows with Pronated Grip (Palms Down)◆ Incline FlyesTriset:◆ Two Arm Dumbbell Rows with Supinated Grip (Palms Up)◆ 45 Incline Dumbbell Bench Press◆ One Arm RowsSuperset:◆ Flat Dumbbell Bench Press◆ Dumbbell Pullovers

Body Sculpting RoutineGoal: Designed for toning and fat loss. However,also a great beginner’s bodybuilding routine.

3 Days A Week Full Body Routine◆ 75 Degree Incline DB Bench Press◆ DB Bench Press◆ One Arm Rows◆ DB Pullovers◆ Bent Over Lateral Raises◆ DB Upright Rows◆ Dumbbell Curls◆ Overhead Triceps Extensions◆ DB Squats◆ Lunges◆ Stiff Legged Deadlifts◆ Calf Raises

Sets/RepsPerform 2 sets of each exercise for 10-12 reps.Move up to 3 sets after 4 weeks. At 2 sets perexercise the routine lasts 45 minutes if you rest1 minute in between sets. At 3 sets it lasts 60minutes. Do cardio on the days off (20-30 min-utes) and also do abs (4 sets of Leg Raises andcrunches for 15-40 reps).


The backbone of Natural Muscle is it’s

on to other things, however they will always

family. I asked them all to write in and let

where are

He is still writing, speaking, and

counseling with the theme of

helping people, “Rediscover the

Joy of Life!” He and his wife both

finished their first Ironman

triathlon (2.4 mile ocean swim,

112 mile bike ride, and 26.2 mile

run [yes, all in the same day!])

“I have gotten so slow that I have

resorted to doing triathlons so I

did the Ironman as the Ironnerd”.

PAUL PEAVY

Photographer Skip Faulkner made a move a couple years ago and is livingin Maryland. “Living in Florida was the best, and I still come down for shoots,and to see old friends.” Fitness is still a part of Skip’s photography, but hehas opened up his strong photojournal-ist style shooting style to weddings thearts, and other types of photography.Most people that know Skip in theindustry had no idea how diverse hiswork is, and he actually shot a weddingin Belize last year, and is just having funshooting what the world has to offer.Take a peek at his new web site,www.skipfaulkner.com.

I’m on a film, right now, with Luke Gossand Vernon Wells. I’ve had a good run offilms this year that involved my acting,martial arts and stunt skills. I also havebeen asked to a run of infomercials in-volving supplements and I’m currently18 months away from my doctorate inHolistic Nutrition. I was honored by theAcademy of Television Arts & Sciencesfor being the founder of the Stunt PeerGroup/Emmy. And in July, a 30ft BronzeOlympic Statue of me that I posed for,representing all the past, present, and fu-ture female athletes of the US Olympics &PAN AM Games, was erected in front ofthe US Olympic Training Center in Colo-rado Springs, CO. This year was full oftravel, from the UK to Washington D.C.,

to sign autographs at SciFi conventions and next year will start my involvementin a major motion picture my husband, Gregory Crosby, is producing on the lifestory of Pfc Desmond T. Doss, the only American soldier in history to win theCongressional Medal of Honor without ever touching a gun. Gregory,my son,Luke, and I are all on a Fitness journey together. I’m going for my 2nd Dan inArjukanpo and 2nd Brown in Eskrima, and Luke is going for his RED belt alongwith just achieving his yellow/green cord in Capoeira. Gregory, my gorgeoushunk, is benching 290lb and is ripped! A family that works together, trains to-gether, eats healthy together, and spiritually evolves together....just doesn’t getany better than that!

I am honored to have been a part of

Natural Muscle and even more happy

to see that it is still growing! I am still

touring as a comedian, hosting body-

building shows and most recently have

become the co-host of a morning talk

show in the Tampa area’s CBS affiliate

called, “Studio 10”. I look forward to

seeing your magazine with its articles

and hot pictures every month

It is hard to believe that I have been associated with Natural Muscle for almost ten

years. I can remember the day I met Debbielike it was yesterday. We met at the ArnoldClassic back in 1998 at the fitness expo.Back then I was writing for Iron ManMagazine, practicing as an attorney and stillan amateur bodybuilder. In addition, I wasassociated with a start up supplement com-pany called PerformanceBiomedical Labs. Ten yearslater, some things are stillthe same, but my life has be-come a bit more compli-cated.

For starters, the mostexciting change in my lifehas definitely been the addi-tion of my daughter Carly. Ihave been married for threeyears, to Jessica, one ofNatural Muscle’s covermodels and my daughter isnow two years old. I am stillpracticing law (part time)and still bodybuilding. I earned my pro cardin bodybuilding about six years ago andhave since retired from competitive body-building. Believe it or not, that small start upcompany, PBL, has become my full timework. I have been instrumental in develop-ing new products, testing new products andoverseeing the entire operation. My job isbasically to see to it that PBL remains ashonest a company as the day it was started. I

still believe that there can be honesty in whathas been labeled an “under-minded” indus-try. I still enjoy writing about fitness, nutri-tion and bodybuilding, which I am still verypassionate about. I also pride myself in edu-cating myself on a daily basis and passingthe information on to the readers.

Finally, and very important to me isthat I have maintained a special relationship

with Debbie Baigre. Debbie has not onlybeen a person I have confided in over theyears, but she has been a true friend. I havenot had the time to write for the other twobodybuilding magazines I used to write for,but Natural Muscle has always been a spe-cial place for me. I hope I can be a part ofthe Natural Muscle family for another tenyears to come. Thanks for giving me the op-portunity to be a part of a great publication!

PHOTOGRAPHER SKIP FAULKNER

Comedien, Tim Wilkins

JASON COHEN

SPICE WILLIAMS-CROSBY


writers. Some have come and gone

remain apart of the Natural Muscle

us know what they’ve been up to.

they now?Woz is living in Cleveland, Ohio and managingthe Operations Accounting for America’s BodyCompany, Inc..In her spare time to stay in shape, she is playingwomen’s tackle football in the NWFA league onthe Cleveland Fusion team (Division Champs2006!) as a defensive back and special-teamsheadhunter. “Cleveland is really a die-hard,home-grown sports loving town even thou wehave trouble winning it all - but the women’steam has gone further than the men’s Pro teamshave!”Her other passion these days comes in the form oftending to her two airedale terriers, Macy &Bubby.

“If I might add, that working for NaturalMuscle & DB really was an excellent five

years of my life and as well

am still reading the mag. Folkstoday ask me how on earth I knowso much about health, fitness,nutrition, supplementation & weight training — afterall I’m a bean-counter again, who is more in tune with labor standards and overhead variancesthan I am with tricep-curls and the benefits of taking creatine in sports. Sure,knowing what I know about operations accounting will help ABC earn bottomline dollars and the backing of the investment community, but what I havelearned from being a part of Natural Muscle, and the friends I’ve made ;- ) willlast a lifetime for me.”

ELIZABETH WOZNIAKDirector of Operations

I am still living in Studio City, CA

with my husband Greg Goggins

& 2 1/2 year old son. I have my

own “Training with Hartt” fitness

facility on our property & work with

high profile clients from well known

actors/actresses, directors & produc-

ers to owners of big companies like

“Guess” clothing. I specialize in

Core Trunk Strengthening using my

Physical Therapy credential & many

of my clients are referred by a well

known chiropractor in Beverly

Hills. I’m also working on doing

Fitness Camps with Coach Sylviane

Chapoulaud (www.sylviane.com) at

her Fitness Club in Pasadena, CA

for girls who want to compete in

Fitness for Figure & Fitness Rou-

tines & Sports Aerobics where I will

go through my Competitive Edge

Fitness Handbook which contains

almost all the articles I have written

for Natural Muscle and much more!! The camps will be starting in the Spring of

2007...keep checking into www.kimhartt.com for details.

I am also very involved in our church called “In His Presence” in Woodland Hills,

CA. Both my husband and I teach Sunday school for 4th & 5th grades which we feel is

a very important age for kids to really know their identity & who God is in their life be-

fore they transition into youth which as we all know has a lot more peer pressure than

ever before...ESPECIALLY living in LA/Hollywood.

We have recently started our own Private Franchise e-commerce company that is af-

filiated with very big companies & is predicted to go into critical mass in the next couple

of years with everyone now starting to shop more and more online. Our website is

www.shopabundantlife.com and to enter it just put “guest” under access code & you can

see our AWESOME Nutrition Health supplement line which is currently #1 on the

internet. My husband is a very talented musician who plays the alto, saprano, tenor saxo-

phones, flute, piano & is a singer/songwriter. He is working towards writing scores for

big production films and we look forward towards opening our own music production

company in the near future as well as expanding our family. Our son Julian is already in

the gym doing weights...he is our little Bam Bam who is at 98 percentile for his height &

the doctor says he has very advanced motor skills ( of course I already have him in ob-

stacle course training & we run every morning & do the monkey bars at the park!!).

I really enjoyed writing articles for Natural Muscle & believe it the best magazine

out there for what is going on in the Bodybuilding & Fitness Industry & it is filled with

both informative & inspirational information!! Thank you Debbie for your faithfulness to

this fascinating industry & for producing such a great magazine for us every month for

10 years. Again, Congratulations on 10 years of Natural Muscle Magazine!! :):)

Still doing what I do. Nutritionand Supplement IndustryConsulting through DiscoveryNutrition, Inc.

ALAN SUGARMANSUPPLEMENT ADVISOR

I am currently in my14th year of businessas a professional as-trologer. Currently,besides seeing cli-ents, I write for Para-dise News, a St. Pe-tersburg beach publi-cation and NewTimes Naturally Magazine, our Tampa bayarea Metaphysical publication.

This is my second year serving as Presi-dent of the Astrology Association of St. Pe-tersburg, FL. Last month I was the featuredastrologer for WTAN’s Starscope Radioshow.

I am a member of the International Soci-ety for Astrological Research and the Orga-nization for Professional Astrologers.

SARA LYONS-ASTROLOGER

Kim Hartt-Goggins,with son Juliane


Looking for a fun way to tone and

trim your lower body?

Try this lower body circuit with a

training partner to tighten up and

lean out all in one workout.

curcuit training

The circuit consist of a 5exercise sequence.Rest 30 seconds betweenexercises.Perform each exercises withstrict and controlled form

Reverse lunges from a step(s)

with 5-10lb dumbbell curls.

✯ Start on top the step(s) lunging

back with the right leg for 10 repswhile curling dumbbells.

✯ Repeat on left side.

1

with Gina and Jamie

by Gina Ostarly and Jamie Easonphotos by: Walt Ostarly


Standing alternatinglunges (not shown)

✯ Start with feet together.

✯ Lunge forward with rightfoot keeping weight centered,

push back to starting posi-

tion.

✯ Alternate right and left.

✯ Repeat 10 times.

Side squat off step(s)

while holding same dumb-

bells used for # 1

✯ Start on top of the step(s)

squatting off the step with the

right foot for 10 reps while holding

dumbbells center.

✯ Repeat on left side.

One minute step up/downs

✯ Stand on your step.

✯ Step down right foot, left foot.

✯ Step up right foot, left foot.

✯ Repeat for one full minute.

One leg squat on steps (or

bench)

✯ Begin in a sitting position on

steps or bench.

✯ Holding one leg off the ground,

come to a standing position.

✯ Slowly lower yourself back down

slightly touching the steps/bench.

✯ Repeat 10 times on each leg.

✯ Holding your arms shoulder

height in front of you will help you

balance.

✯Rest 3 minutes ✯Repeat exercises #1-5 ✯Repeat this circuit 2-3 times.

2

3

4 5


On the behalf of Accufitness,we congratulate you on your

10th Anniversary!

The Accuguys,Matt Chalek and Jim Krejci


DISCLAIMERNatural Muscle Magazine does not necessarily agree withthe views in articles and assumes no responsibility for anyclaims or representations contained in this magazine or inany advertisement. Copyright © 2006 Natural MuscleMagazine, Inc., all rights reserved. Readers are advised toconsult their physician before starting a diet or exercise

program.

***

CIRCULATIONNatural Muscle Magazine is distributed to select gyms andhealth related businesses throughout the USA. If you wouldlike to carry the magazine at your location please call 813-961-4806, email [email protected], fax 813-961-8736, or orderonline at www.naturalmuscle.net. There is a one time fee forthis. Natural Muscle Magazine is available free of charge atselect locations, limited to one copy per reader. No person,without written permission, may take more than one copy of

each issue.

EDITORIAL/MATERIAL SUBMISSIONSEmail [email protected] for submission guidelines. Publisherassumes no liability for safeguarding or return of unsolicitedmaterial. We reserve the right to edit all material for clarity,content and length. Natural Muscle Magazine does notknowingly accept false or misleading editorial or advertising.Natural Muscle Magazine will assume that all material isbeing submitted for publication and if published, nocompensation is due the submitting party without prioragreement.

Height: 5’5”Weight: Contest - 125 lbs; Off season - 145 lbs.Home: New JerseyCareer: Real Estate AssistantPersonal Accomplishments:2003 NPC Queens, 1st Place and Overall Figure2003 NPC Physique, 1st Place Medium Class2005 NPC Bev Francis, 1st Place Medium ClassFavorite Body Part: ShouldersFavorite Exercises: All shoulder exercisesFavorite MHP Products: Probolic-SR protein - itsunique sustained release technology supplies my

body with high quality aminos all day long. XPEL is the best diuretic on the markettoday.Training Beliefs: The effort you put into your training = the results you’ll seeHow, when, why, did you get started? My best friend Barbara Moran (Blanco) inspired me toget involved in fitness, and my divorce pushed me to compete!Best Advice: Have a solid support system, stay focused and don’t let anything stand in yourway.Contact Info: [email protected]

Kristen Arntz-Poltorak

Athlete of the Month


interview and photos by:Dr. “Coach” Athertonwelcomewelcomewelcomewelcomewelcome

to myto myto myto myto myworldworldworldworldworld

INTRODUCTION

I know I have spoken and preached before crowds, played

and coached football before thousands; yet, I am actually a

little shy when around lots of people. I can rise to the occa-

sion, but I think I prefer to sit back, just watch and analyze

folks. I find it difficult, mostly because there are a lot of

nuts out there, owning a camera, thinking and promising

anyone they shoot that they will now be famous, to ap-

proach someone I do not know and see if they are inter-

ested in a photo shoot and maybe be in my column.

Case in point, 2005 Miami, FAP, I shot on stage a

schoolmarm! Pizzazz, boom, and spunk collided with

beauty, wit and reality to produce a “Kodak moment.” I re-

marked to my TW, aka, The Wife, “I would like to shoot the

tall blonde in the pink racing suit.” She said, “Why don’t

you do it!” “Well, I don’t know her!” That afternoon as I

was walking out the hotel door to the pool for another

shoot, Brooke Doran invaded MY WORLD and really

wanted to shoot! From our first meeting, I loved her

strength, assertiveness, and charm! Something beckoned

me to get to know her better. I did and, as a result, you too

are WELCOMED in MY WORLD….. You think, do you

think she will be FAMOUS?

BROOKE DORAN

Born: Emporia, Kansas

Marital Status: Happily married with 3 beautiful,

happy, loving life girls: Lexie 17,

Annalee 11 and Chole4

Education: Master’s degree in Education

Age: C’mon now...42!

Height: 5’7"

Weight: You’re killing me! Off season:

135 In Season: 128


What do you consider your greatest lesson learned?I tend to put my hands in too many cookie jars! I take on toomuch and try to cram as many accomplishments as I caninto one day. I am learning to slow down and live in the mo-ment- life should not endure amid rush every single day.Lately, if I am tired or my kids ask me to, I’ll skip the gymand just hang out, which is an entirely new concept for me!

Is there anyone you would like to thank?I have tons of people to thank -mostly my late grandmother,who encouraged me to attend college ever since I can re-member. My Mom, for her “tough love” approach (which Istill get!) and my husband, who has loved me and is en-abling me to be me, to love myself in the right way! Also, Ihave to thank Cathy Savage and Jodi Jones, who have givenme the confidence I lacked for many years! Coach Cathyhas given me the sense of self-empowerment as well!

What do you consider your greatest triumph(s)I have a few, which basically all revolve around the samesituation. I was in an abusive marriage to with a man whohad a horrible drug addiction. To survive, I had to leave thisrelationship, raise my 2 girls, go back to college and thenfind a job. I did somehow managed to hold onto my houseand accomplish all of those things, but it was torture. In ret-rospect, my workouts and eating healthy really helped topull me through.

What do you do for a living?I teach 5th grade in Bridgewater and also do personal train-ing and fitness classes at USA Health and Fitness in Pem-broke Massachusetts

How/Why did you get involved in fitness?I was working at Body to Soul, in Pembroke, Ma and CathySavage came in to talk about competing. My boss had sug-gested I listen to her. 5 minutes into her presentation, I real-ized my boss wanted me there because she thought I shouldcompete! I was NEVER going to step on stage! I only wentto Cathy’s training sessions because my girlfriend didn’twant to go alone. I was trying to have another baby and justdidn’t think I could ever be in that type of condition to com-pete. The energy there absolutely consumed me - thewomen, the workouts, the FUN! One of life’s ironies, mygirlfriend ended up getting pregnant and I ended up compet-ing!

Who influenced you the most athletically and academi-cally?My Mother influenced me academically. She is one smartcookie! She married young and never went to college andhas managed to work her way up to a very successful posi-tion. I admired her for doing so. All of my friend’s mothersstayed home, but my mother worked and raised my brotherand I. I knew I wanted to do the same. She is responsiblefor my strong work ethic.My brother Dave and my Dad influenced me athletically. Iwas a major Tomboy when I was younger! They alwaystook the time to throw the ball around with me and I playedsports all through school.

Who do you admire the most?I admire so many people, all for different reasons. The oneswho get to me the most is someone who beats the odds toachieve what they want to achieve. I am a firm believer inmaking things happen independent of the circumstances. Ilike people like who understand you play with the cards youare dealt and you don’t complain!

What did you think about your first competition?Ha! I was totally unprepared! I made the cardinal mistake ofmatching the color of my eye make-up to my suit color,which was Royal Blue! (So sorry Cathy!) I didn’t place, butI did learn something very important about the caliber ofpeople about TEAM SAVAGE: We were backstage, lined

up and watching Mandy doher Shooter’s routine. Sud-denly, she broke her thumb,ran backstage, and waswrithing in pain. When theMC called the Figure Lineout on stage, TeammateKatie B all over Mandy,soothing her, calling for iceand taking care of her. Shemissed her stage call andcould have cared less!Mandy was her number oneconcern. Think of theweeks of training and shelet it all go! I knew I waswith the right kind ofwomen at that point! Inci-dentally, Katie was laterable to complete her turn!

Who do you want toemulate?Athletically? Monica Brantis my fitness idol. She isjust so down to earth,happy with her husbandand always smiling!

How do you want to beremembered as an ath-lete?I want to be remembered asan athlete who is a positiverole model to women of allages. I didn’t start compet-ing until I was 41 and Iwant all women to knowthat it is never too late!

What traits do you valuethe most?Honesty, reliability, com-passion and patience are atthe top of my list: I am learning the patience bit!

What do you see that is good in Fitness today?I love the fact that there are so many opportunities. We arenot all built the same: there is a niche for everyone. I alsoapplaud the fact that women are being discouraged from be-coming too lean. I love the new look of Figure! Also manylocal shows allow athletes to get their feet wet on a smallerstage without having to qualify first – awesome!

What needs to change in Fitness today, in your opin-ion?Federations need a very seasoned panel of judges. Oneshow I did last year had the head judge looking for judgesout by the pool! There needs to be consistency in judging. Iwould train and eat differently for an FAP show than Iwould for an NPC show. I would also like to see more defi-nition between Figure and Bikini in some federations.

What would you like to say to the reader of NMM?STAY NATURAL and remember not to expect overnightresults. Also, remember that after the show, when you arenot cut and lean and stage ready, that you are still beautifuland worthy and successful!

Who do you want to thank?Coach A, you are true to your word! Thank you! Steve,Coach Cathy and my girls, you keep things real!

What are you doing today?

I am interested in talking to kidsabout dieting, self-image, ste-roids, fitness and living a healthylifestyle. The media is bombard-ing kids today with mythical in-formation on sugary snacks.Also, I am currently working on aproduct that I call Brooke’s BuffMuffs. These are all natural pro-tein muffins that are best utilizedas a Post Workout snack. Theycontain whey protein, egg whites,carrots, bananas and flax mealand are simply delicious! I amworking on a website. My portfo-lio can be viewed atwww.ModelMayhem.com model# 18986

What is your passion? Whatmakes you tick?My passion is to live each day tothe fullest! Balancing work, fit-ness, family and marriage is whatmakes me tick! I want to be thebest at everything I do!

Sum up your philosophy of fit-ness/athletes in one sentence?Fitness athletes are self-driven, te-nacious, fun loving people!

What else do you want thereaders to know about you?I am no different than anyoneelse! Some of you readers aresaying, “Oh, she has more timethan me, or more ambition thanme or what ever…. PLEASE, Iuse a little creative time manage-ment and hard work in the gym,YOU CAN DO IT TOO!

Who are 10 people you wouldlike to have a cup of coffee with?Jesus, Oprah Winfrey, Princess Diana, Bob Marley, AlbertEinstein, My deceased grandmother, Mumsie, John FKennedy, Monica Brant, Tiger Woods, John Berardi- Nutri-tion and Fitness guru!

If you were on a desert island, who/what do you wantwith you?My family, Ipod, Computer, Sunglasses, Protein Powder,Freezer full of ice cream, Coach bag full of toothpaste, tooth-brush, hairbrush, lipstick, sunscreen and bottled water, Read-ing material, Fresh herbs, Chickens...gotta have those eggwhites!!

If you had a magic wand and could instantly changesomething about your life, what would it be?If I could change one thing about my life...I would definitelychange the fact that I am forced to work in order to supportmy family. Although I truly love teaching children, there aremany days I PRAY that I could devote 100 percent of my at-tention to my own children, husband: to be there for all oftheir activities, school functions, sports, etc. Teaching is bit-tersweet - I would home-school my children and be a fulltime wife and mother. I constantly have to slow myself downand I am constantly prioritizing. It gets exhausting sometimesand my kids will only be young once! So, where do I get thiswand?Coach A can be contacted for training/Photography throughwww.ateamxtreme.com. Check out his new web portfolio!


The cargo net is the most technical obstacle on the course andit is where you can save the

most time on your run. To get a bettergrasp on completing this obstacleclean and free of blunders, we willbreak the technique down into catego-ries of the approach, as-cent, transition and de-scent.

The technique liter-ally starts with the ob-stacle prior, which isusually the balancebeam. In approachingthe net you want yourkey foot to attack it.This would be the samefoot you use on the wallso that you have thatsame explosiveness.Many people stutterstep when they ap-proach the cargo net asto get their key foot inplay. I recommend youbecoming ambidextrouson the balance beamsince it is not a key ob-stacle so that you canapproach the net with-out stutter stepping. Re-member, stutter step-ping depletes yourpower and eats up yourseconds. If you are do-ing the switch footdance before you ap-proach a key obstacle,then to exchange yourstarting foot, which in this case wouldbe on the balance beam.

To begin a successful ascent youmust leap onto the net rather than just

stepping onto it. The leap drives youupwards so use that momentum to as-sist with your speed and take the high-est steps possible according to yourleg length. The less steps taken, thefaster you will be. Any sprint coachwill tell you this because stride is such

an important factor to improve sprint-ing speed. It takes twice as long to stepon each rung than to skip it to get tothe next one. That’s why you see the

Tonia D’anna, the Queen of Torquetaking the net at three rungs step anddid you notice Flash Gignilliat (KellyG’s) record breaking run in Vegas acouple of years ago? We changed hercargo net ascent to double steps ratherthan her usual single pitter-patter of

the past. Don’t let thevisual fool you.Longer steps appearto be slower until youput a stopwatch tothem!

Transition overthe cargo net should

be quick and cleanwith NO hesitation.There are appropriatetransitions to accom-pany various rules of

organizations. A good guideline to useis the following: Terminator race ~ 1.Use the free fall head over heals flip, asthe legal rung to reach is closer to thebottom of the net. 2. My aerial flip is a

(the most technical obstacle)

close second to this and extremely ef-fective. If one cannot perform the freefall flip without any hesitation, thenthe aerial is a faster choice. Nova race~ The aerial flip is the quickest way tothe bottom because my free fall flip isnot allowed. Once you perform theaerial you can descend the net withonly two main upper body grabs with-out using your feet. The Tri-Fitnesscargo net over the years has evolved towhere now you do not have to loweryourself to a designated rung to beable to drop off the net. You can justflip and go! The best flip is the aerial

for this because there is no needto free-fall, it would waste timein this case. If you did the headover heals flip on the first runwithout free falling, it will takeyou longer than performing theaerial because of the air-time andprep time involved.

The best tip I can give fordescending the cargo net is, donot hesitate to move once youhave made your transition over!Take the opportunity immedi-ately to let go and get off. Alsotake advantage of the race’s ruleson when you are allowed to dropoff. You’ll notice many people atthe Tri-Fit races that keep hang-ing on the net once they have al-

ready flipped. Instead of letting go,they climb down a rung or two beforedropping and that is costing them afew seconds, which is a very, very longtime on the obstacle course!

Of all the obstacles on the course,the cargo net is where the most sec-onds can be saved on your run withproper execution. Feel free to email meif you have any questions.

www.loriannlloyd.com

obstacle course training

By Lori Anne Lloyd

how to clean the

55Natural Muscle November 2006Sean Sullivan Kerry SearightAisha Jackson


Although many weight conscious individuals contend skipping meals is the best wayto manage one’s weight, it may be one of

the worst.A “fast-all-day, feast-all-night” eating pattern is

often seen in overweight individuals. Skippingbreakfast and/or lunch usually results in people be-ing so ravenously hungry when dinner rolls aroundthat they eat significantly more than they wouldhave if they had eaten during the day. Furthermore,when overwhelming hunger strikes, people typicallygrab whateverfood is available,rather than pre-paring a healthy,well-balancedmeal. The cyclecontinues thefollowing daywhen these guiltridden caloriecounters wake up with fresh resolve and minimalhunger, only to once again skip meals early in theday, and stuff themselves later in the evening. Eatingregular, well timed meals (including breakfast) helpsstabilize blood sugar, which in turn quells hunger,and helps people control their weight.

Breakfast is important for other reasons as well.Many studies have shown that peoplewho eat breakfast are far ahead of thosewho ship breakfast when it comes tonutrient intake and maintaining a leanphysique. Those who ate breakfast arealso ahead in terms of mental andphysical performance thanks to a betterblood glucose (sugar) level. Your brainand nerve cells require glucose for energy, so lowblood sugar impairs your ability to think and react.

For optimal energy and better weight control eatmore meals not fewer. If it has been over 3 hourssince your last meal, and your next one is at least an

hour away then opt for a healthy snack. (Snack fooddoesn’t have to be junk food.) Use snacks to helpround out your diet by eating the foods your bodyneeds more of. Be a smart snacker: Combine fruit,vegetables, or whole grains (pretzels, tortilla chips,bread) with some lean protein..

According to Barry Miller,M.D., a nationally recognizedobesity specialist many chronicweight watchers starve them-selves into obesity. Here’s why:

1.Skipping meals signals thebody that a famine is eminent.Your body responds by decreas-ing its calorie needs by 150 to200 calories per day. (How manypounds will you gain each monthif you cut your calorie needs by

200 calories per day,but don’t change yourenergy expenditure?)Concurrently, yourbody produces morelipase, a fat storageenzyme, to ensure thatyou don’t deplete

your fat reserves too quickly.2. When people become physi-ologically famished their bodycraves calorie dense foods. Peoplewho stick to a nighttime eating

many chronic ‘weightwatchers’ starvethemselves into obesity.

pattern typically eat in excess of 2000 calories aday— far too much for the evening hours.3. After denying themselves food all day, nighttimeeaters reward themselves for their resistance. Oncethey get their minds into the reward mode it dimin-ishes their resistance to overeating.

People who stick to

a nighttime eating

pattern typically eat

in excess of 2000

calories a day

by sherry goggin

Are YOUskippingmeals?


by :David Norrie

withouta mirror

Next time you’re training in the gym, take a count ofhow many times you look in the mirror.Do the same at home.In bodybuilding, our sight is as important a measuring

tool as there is. We use it to judge the mass of our delts, theshape of triceps and the separations in our quads.

Now imagine a moment when you couldn’t see that re-flection. Envision an instant when you couldn’t flex in themirror to evaluate the physique you worked so diligently tosculpt. After all, isn’t that the primary attraction many of ushave toward bodybuilding? The visual gratification we seenot only in our own physique but in others as well.

Now imagine your dedication and love of the sport hadyour vision been stripped away. Would the passion still flowwithin your veins as strong?

It does for bodybuilder and personal trainer BeresBaker.

In his early twenties Baker’s vision began to deterio-rate. By the time he was 26-years old a degenerative retinaleft him legally blind. It was a life altering challenge. Sincehe was a young boy in Kingston, Jamaica Baker thrived inathletics, eventually playing soccer for Carol City HighSchool in South Florida.

Weightlifting was still fairly new to him at the time hisvision began to fail. A few years earlier he had joined Holi-day Health Spa in Hialeah and was discovering that being inthe gym made him the happiest. It didn’t take long for himto realize competitive bodybuilding was what he wanted todevote his life to.

Although life as he knew it would never be the samewithout his sight, he was determined not to lose vision ofhis goals.

“Of course I was nervous at first,” Baker said. “I didn’tknow what was going to happen. I lost everything but myperipheral vision. I kept going to specialist who said therewas nothing they could do for me. They couldn’t find a wayto correct it.

“Once I knew the diagnosis I just told myself I wasn’tgoing to let it stop me from achieving my goals.”

Baker then set out resolute on finding ways around hisdisability. He got used to his surroundings and with trial anderror found a way to overcome the daily tasks he once tookfor granted. He simply found ways to do things, includingweightlifting. He says the hardest part was not gettingaround the gym but getting to the gym, using friends or cabsto get him back and forth.

One continuing source of inspiration was pro body-builder Vince Taylor. The two had met at Animal HouseGym in Miramar in early 1990. Being around Taylor waswhat originally inspired Baker to compete.

In 1992 Baker entered his first show, Mr. Miami, tak-ing top honors in the middleweight division.

He followed it up two years later winingthe overall title at the 1994 South FloridaBodybuilding Championships as a lightheavyweight. In doing so he qualified for Jun-ior Nationals. People in bodybuilding circlesencouraged him with words of his potential.

But Baker’s love of the sport centeredmore around knowledge and teaching thancompetition. He began personal training onthe side and started his own fitness maga-zine. Although it covered the competitive cir-cuit but was more in tuned with articles abouthealth and fitness, not solely bodybuilding.

His knowledge of the body was growing. He wouldsearch out topics and have friends read to him on hours,learning more and more about the anatomy of the body aswell as nutrition. His magazine was a success and eventu-ally bought out by a larger fitness corporation.

That’s when he turned his efforts exclusively towardspersonal training.

“I still had the urge to train but I got this high fromwatching my clients succeed,” Baker said. “When I used tocompete and pose I never was able to look in the mirror, Ihad to know, at the most basic levels, correct form andproper positioning. And I think that helped me explain topeople about training and how things should feel.”

With his reputation for getting results on the rise, hisclient base grew. With only about 20% of his vision, Bakerrelied largely on his sense of touch to evaluate his client’sform and progress, a skill which he honed over the yearsinto what he now considers a real advantage.

“If somebody is doing an exercise, their muscles reacta certain way,” he said. “And for instance if their hand posi-tion is not right the muscle will not react properly. I touchsomeone muscles and I can tell if they are doing the move-ment properly right away by how they react.”

It’s a technique that certainly seems out of the norm formost trainers and even some clients. But most people are re-ferred to Baker based on reputation and are aware of histechniques so they are not really surprised. But they are of-ten curious to see his methods in action.

And as they say, the proof is in the pudding. In 2001,at the NPC Southern States Bodybuilding Championshipsin Fort Lauderdale, Baker, representing Gold’s Gym ofPembroke Pines, was presented with a special award for theshow’s top trainer. Nine of his clients, including women’soverall winner Loleta Riley, competed and placed higher cu-mulatively than any other trainer.

Two years later he helped Mavis Tozzi take first placeat the NPC Junior Nationals in Women’s Fitness. He alsoguided Norma Nieves to an overall title at the 2002 NPCSouthern States as well as a first place middleweight crown

at the 2005 NPC Nationals in Atlanta. - NPC Jr.Nationals - 1st Place, Class B - Qualified for IFBB Pro Fig-ure Card -

Results such as that increased his business by consid-erable measures. On average he trains anywhere from 15 to20 clients at a time, with approximately 40% of them com-petitive bodybuilders. He says, looking at the positive sideof his vision loss, it’s helped him become what he feels is abetter trainer, more in tuned with the body than most others.

“I believe it does benefit me in a lot of ways,” Bakersaid. “Most trainers with vision take things for granted andoverlook things. I can’t overlook them. I have to focusmore. I have to be very patient.

“And because I have a vision problem certain sensesare more heightened. I have to touch the muscles. A lot oftrainers don’t do that because they don’t have to. They relyon sight. So when I explain things to my clients I go for thefeel, not just the look.”

With his knowledge growing still and his personaltraining business better than ever, Baker says he plans onpursuing greater achievements, coaching his clients to thetop of the sport.

He still visits Miami’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute ona monthly basis, getting regular check ups while hoping tohear about new research which might help restore his sight.While the thought of watching his clients take the stage oneday in full focus remains a hazy uncertainty, he has not al-lowed his dreams of success in the sport to be blinded.

He says he will never allow what people say or thinkto stop him from going after what he wants in life.

“The mind is so powerful,” Baker said. “If you want todo something you can work around it. There is a lot more tolife than just seeing so you can’t let it halt your potential orstop you from achieving your goals.

“Sometimes we limit ourselves more mentally than wedo physically. I honestly believe that by being strong andperseverant you can overcome anything you put your mindto.”

Beres with clients Desha Rodriguez and Laura Horwitz

With only about 20% of his

vision, Beres Baker relies

largely on his sense of touch

to evaluate his client’s form

and progress, a skill which

he honed over the years into

what he now considers a real

advantage.

natural muscle - november 2006

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