A Case of the Mondays
December 01, 2008

It's Monday, the start of a new week.  Today is not just any Monday, it's the Monday that follows the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.  Hopefully your leftover turkey is gone because if not, looks like we know what's for dinner tonight!  

For me there were no leftovers in my fridge, I ate at a buffet on Thursday afternoon.  But I am still feeling the aches and pains of recuperating from the hectic weekend.  The usual sunny skies of South, Florida have been replaced with clouds the shade of grey that bring a distinct gloomy feel.  Days like these are meant to be spent cuddling on the sofa with a warm blanket and a cup of hot tea.  If only it were that simple.  Most people are back to work, typing away on a keyboard, yapping on the phone or doing whatever it is that they do for a living.

Even though we could all use an extra day of relaxation and time with the family, it always feels good to be back to your regularly scheduled program so to speak.  The discomfort of an over-stuffed tummy is gone and it's time to get back to the gym.  In fact, I look forward to my afternoon training session.  Today I think I will start fresh with a weight training routine consisting of 3 Chest exercises, 4 Shoulder exercises, and 3 Abdominal exercises.  And to burn off another slice of pie I will end my workout with about 20 minutes of walking on the treadmill.

Holidays are a great way to take some time off and enjoy your health and your family.  But don't let a couple of days turn in to a couple of weeks.  If you find yourself falling off the bandwagon, find a way to jump back on.  Remind yourself that Christmas is coming and you've got to fit in to your new holiday cocktail dress, or that you've got a hot date for New Year's.  Letting yourself go now will only make it harder to get back on track next year.  Don't be one of the many Americans who gain weight over the holidays.  Instead be one of the few who stay in shape!

Thanksgiving Day Dilemma - To Cheat or Not to Cheat?
November 23, 2008

For some reason, the holiday season brings cravings for pecan pie, stuffing, homemade biscuits slathered with butter, and all the other typical fare found on a Thanksgiving menu.  It makes me wonder, if 11 months out of the year I don’t crave these foods, why is it that a few ads on television for pumpkin pie and Paula Dean’s Thanksgiving special make you believe that all of a sudden you want them.  I’ve managed to go 364 days without even considering piling my plate high with stuffing and cranberry sauce so what’s one more day?

Most people would respond by saying something like “Thanksgiving is the time to spend with your family, celebrate, give thanks and eat some delicious food” or  “you’ve got to live a little, enjoy yourself.”  That’s all fine and dandy but where in the Thanksgiving manual does it say you’ve got to stuff yourself with well over 2000 calories in one sitting to give thanks and celebrate!  And who says I don’t enjoy eating healthy foods on a daily basis!  I must admit I’m a little on the extreme side when it comes to staying on a strict regime.  Not many people have the willpower or drive to refrain from having that one glass of wine with dinner or a slice of bread that's on the table.  To those people I will not judge but simply remind them we are all making decisions for ourselves and figuring out what’s most important. 

That being said, every year I am faced with an extremely tough decision.  Do I want to let loose and forget about my extreme healthy lifestyle for one day, or do I stay true to myself and stick to the course.  Sometimes overindulging on Thanksgiving Day is inevitable.  If you’re one of the lucky Americans who has multiple meals to attend you’re going to have a hard time keeping your calories in check.  In that case it may be less heartache and stress to have a little bit of everything at each house.  But if you’re cooking the meal yourself or are only attending one Thanksgiving dinner you’ve got full control over your caloric fate. 

For me last year was simple.  I was to attend Thanksgiving dinner at my mother’s home out of the city.  Perfect, I could prepare basically the entire meal to my liking.  My mother cooked the turkey while I did the rest.  I flooded the table with steamed vegetables, sautéed green beans in replace of the green bean casserole, a large chopped salad with all the goods, some mashed potatoes and stuffing from a box (for the rest of the family) canned cranberry sauce and finally a low sodium gravy.  Dessert was of no concern; I would skip the pie and enjoy a nice hot cup of black coffee while my family indulged.  It’s safe to say that last year I did not eat anything par from the course beyond an extra helping of white meat Turkey.

Tonight is just 3 days prior to Thanksgiving and I am still trying to figure out what I am going to eat on such a gluttonous holiday.  The difference is that this year my family is coming to visit me.  Personal reasons have forced us to have dinner at a local Hotel Restaurant that is serving a special Thanksgiving Day menu or buffet.  Either way the foods being served will be out of my control.  Knowing my family we’ll opt for the buffet. 

It’s rare for my family to take a trip to see me for Thanksgiving.  So what I’m thinking is that I will allow myself some leeway in regards to the foods I choose to eat.  However, I will keep some guidelines in mind and I suggest you listen up because these tips may be the difference between enjoying a meal and overindulging.

1.    Fill half your plate with WHITE MEAT Turkey.  If most of your meal consists of a lean protein source like white meat turkey, you’ll be satisfied with less of the bad stuff.  If you’re a gravy type of person, spoon some gravy on the side of your plate and dip your turkey in it instead of pouring the gravy on top.  You’ll save a ton of calories and excess sodium.

2.    Always start with a dinner salad.  Opt for tons of fresh veggies and use Olive Oil and Vinegar in replace of high calorie dressings.  The healthy fats from the Olive oil will leave you feeling fuller for longer.

3.    Limit your portion of the high starch items (i.e. mashed potatoes, breads, and stuffing) to one spoonful.  These foods are high in calories due to the carbohydrate and sugar content.  If you’ve got to have them, opt for a small taste.

4.    Choose wisely.  If you’re the type of person who loves pies and desserts, leave the mashed potatoes, stuffing, breads and high fat items to the rest of the family.  Choose to have your sample of each dessert instead.  If you’re not a sweets person, have it the other way.

5.    Limit yourself to 1 glass of wine and sip slowly.  Alcohol and wines are high in calories and sugar.  You want to remember Thanksgiving the next day, control yourself.

6.    Stay away from cream based side dishes and any item with the word “casserole” in the title.  Foods that are prepared with creams and cheeses are extremely high in saturated fats making them calorically dense and not a healthy addition to your waistline.  Stick to clear broths for soups and steamed or sautéed veggies.

7.    Go skinless.  Whether you’re a dark or white meat person, go without the skin.  You’re saving yourself at least a hundred wasted calories there.

8.    Don’t attend dinner hungry.  Even though you’re anticipating a large overly caloric meal do NOT skip meals throughout the day.  If you show up to your event in “starvation mode” you’re more likely to eat too much. 

9.    Eat slowly.  It takes your body at least 20 minutes to realize it’s full.  Stuffing your face with as much food as possible before that time is up is a recipe for disaster.  Take it slow, put your fork down between bites, and don’t forget to have conversation with your family and friends.

10.    Still Hungry?  Opt for seconds of turkey and/or veggies.  Vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber.  They’ll fill your belly and help move things along after you’ve finished your meal.  Again, consuming mostly lean protein sources like white meat turkey is an excellent way to fill your belly without the guilt.

Not sure you can manage these tips?  Just remember, Thanksgiving is ONE day.  Enjoy yourself for THAT day only and get right back on track the following day.  Most of any weight gain will be in the form of water weight.  And that will come off once you’re back to the daily grind of life.

Happy Healthy and Fit Thanksgiving!!
 

Sports Bras 101: Need to Know Basics to Keep Your "Twins" In Place
October 09, 2008

More often than not I will spot at least one girl wearing a regular bra while working out.  Your average bra was not built with the proper support system and fabrics required for any sort of activity level above daily habits.  For exercising purposes, a specialized bra was introduced, the Sports Bra.

Whether you’ve owned one or not, this article is for you and I suggest you read along, carefully.  I’ve owned numerous sports bras in my life and I can honestly say the amount of information that is new to me based off the research I’ve done for this article is surprising.  It just goes to show that just because you’ve been doing something for many years does not mean you’re doing it right.  Heck, I’ve been choosing sports bras for the wrong reasons, keeping them for far too long, and washing them incorrectly all this time.  It’s amazing they’ve not all fallen apart by now.

Boob Sag Myth Debunked

No matter what your momma told you, it makes no difference whether or not you wear a bra on a regular basis, if your breasts were meant to sag they will sag.  Naturally, the breasts are comprised of the mammary glands and adipose tissue (fat) that surrounds the mammary glands.  The overlying skin and the internal ligaments help determine the size and shape of the resulting breast.  Over time age, breastfeeding and loss of body fat may cause sagging.  There are no bras that can reverse this.

Most bras indeed are worn to provide a youthful, perky appearance to the breasts and/or increase cleavage and breast size.  The bra just went from being worn to provide support and prevent drooping, to be worn for pure vanity.

Why Wear A Sports Bra?

Women who lead a highly active lifestyle can benefit from the support and comfort provided in a Sports bra.  While the resulting “uni-boob” is visually unappealing, the function of the bra itself is genius.

Besides the inevitable drooping or sagging that may result from years of going bra-less, performing physical activity without any sort of support from a Sports bra can be uncomfortable, irritating, and even painful.  If you have larger breasts you may experience rubbing or chafing under the breasts as well as the dreaded boob bounce (although men will disagree on bouncing breasts defined as dreaded).  

The Sports bra was designed to provide firm support for the breasts while performing vigorous activity allowing the breasts to move comfortably and decreasing the chance of pain and discomfort.  Like everything else, not all sports bras are created equal.  
3 Steps to Determining Your Perfect Fit

Step 1: Finding your Chest Size
-    This is the number measurement in your bra size
-    Measure around your chest, under the arms and just above the breasts
-    If your chest measurement is an odd number, round it up to the next even number

Step 2: Finding your Cup Size
     -    Measure around the fullest part of your bust.  If this measurement is between numbers, it should be rounded to the nearest whole number.
     -    Subtract your chest measurement (the number from step 1) from your bust measurement.  The difference between these two numbers will determine your cup size.  Use chart below to determine your cup size.

Step 3: Determine your Activity Level
      -    Sports bras offer support and minimize bounce during exercise.  It is essential to find a bra that provides enough support for your level of activity.  The higher the level of activity, the higher the level of support you’ll need.  Most Sports bra manufacturers indicate the level of activity for which their various sports bras are best suited.

Structure for Function

Not all bras are created equally.  If you need more support you may want to choose a bra that provides encapsulation (the bra is engineered to surround and support each breast individually, as well as give shaping.)  If uni-boob is all right with you, a Compression bra may be ideal (the bra presses the breasts against the chest wall to limit movement.)  And if you’re torn between the two, why not try the Combination style where the two methods are combined in one bra offering superior support, comfort and shaping.

For added support look for designs that include features like extra lining, reinforced side panels, racer-back design, and wide shoulder straps with stabilizers and spacer fabric.

Sports bras also come in various materials and fabrics.  Staying dry while exercising is important for staying comfortable and chaff-free.  Choose synthetic fibers that breath and wick moisture away from the skin.  Bras that are slightly stretchy provide superb fit and support.

When to Toss Your Old Bras and Buy NEW

If you wear your sports bra 3-4 times per week, replace the bra within 6-12 months to prevent a loss in elasticity in the bra's support. To make your bra last longer, hand wash it and hang it to dry. If you notice your bra has a loose fit, isn't as supportive during activities or has pilling fabric, it's time to replace it.

Try on various sports bras before buying.  Don’t just buy the bra because it’s on sale.  Get in the fitting room, put on the bra, jog in place, jump up and down, do whatever you need to do in that little room to ensure your potential investment supports you adequately and does not limit your movements in any way.  If all else fails, ask an experienced female athlete what works best for her and try it.  This alone could save you valuable time allowing more time in the gym!  Happy bouncing!!

Olympia Experienced!
October 05, 2008

The 2008 Mr. Olympia weekend has come and gone and I can honestly say I am still recovering.  This trip left me with so many memories I don't even know where to start.  So I'll just start from the beginning.

Thursday Travel Day and Media/Press Events

It seems a running theme throughout this particular trip was waking up before the sun came out, and the first day was no differernt.  My day began with an early morning cab ride to the Ft. Lauderdale airport for an 8:15 am departing flight to Las Vegas, NV.  Lucky for me, the fitness industry is much smaller than it appears with half of the supplement companies residing in South, FL.  This means that more than half of the people on my flight were employees of said companies, where many of us are friends and acquaintances.  This means two things, 1) you've more than likely got someone to talk to on the 5 hour non-stop flight to Vegas, and 2) the amount of high protein diets consumed on this particular flight results in an occupied lavatory and a foul odor in the back of the plane.  I was in row 15 .

See the girl in the middle of the photo?  That's me, sporting my brand new FitnessRx jacket and racerback tank to be comfortable on the long flight and represent for the ladies while I'm at it!  The guy with the beanie cap, that is the Senior Editor of our big brother magazine Muscular Development, John Romano.  The bald guy to my right is MD's No Juice columnist Eric Broser, with big Bill Wilmore, IFBB Pro Bodybuilder and BodyWell athlete to his right, and across the way is VPX athlete Phil Rodriguez.  Phil is also the hubby of Desha Rodriguez, brand new IFBB Figure Pro who just placed extremely well two weeks ago at the Tournament of Champions in California.  You can see an interview with Desha in the video section of the FitnessRx website.  I'm not a morning person, can you tell??!

Some other industry people on our flight were some of the BSN guys, VPX guys, and I'm probably missing many others.

Once we arrived in Las Vegas it was time to eat!  After a filling lunch I headed off to the Mr. Olympia press event.  At this point it was strictly for the big boys and merely some hottie entertainment for me.  Later in the evening was the "Meet the Olympians" press event.  Unfortunately I didn't get to spend as much time there as I had liked due to a late night dinner reservation at Capitol Grille with FitnessRx for Women Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Steve and Elyse Blechan (and of course the rest of the MD crew).   Meet the Olympians was cool.  All of those beautiful/fit girls you see in the magazines and on the web were standing right there in front of me where I could easily go up and have a conversation (which I definitely did).  To the left is a shot of Gina Aliotti looking hot as ever!  She placed second in the Ms. Figure Olympia where I'm sure she will battle it out next year for the title spot.  I also spoke to Huong Arcinas quite a bit.  She took the last qualifying spot a week prior at the Tournament of Champions and is cute as can be.  Her physique definitely deserved a higher placing, but her time will come.  You can find Huong (photo below to the right) on the FitnessRx forums.  She is very inspiring with that tiny body AND a baby at home.  Sonia Adcock is also a very sweet girl whom I connected with for the first time at this event.  I wasn't sure of her new haircut at first, but now I think it's totally adorable on her.  Like I said before, I didn't get to stay for the entire event and had to run to dinner.

Late night dinners with the Publishers are always a load of fun and good food, usually steak.  This night was no different.  Just because I was out of my usual setting does NOT mean I will stray from my healthy eating regime.  You'll never believe what I ordered...the 24 oz Porterhouse Steak.   If you've never been to Capitol Grille I suggest you do, and order a steak.  Maybe not the Porterhouse, but any other steak will do.  They've got the best steaks I've had...ever.  The remaining portion of my ginormous steak was packed up and enjoyed the next day as a snack, yum!

Day 1 Expo, Fitness and Figure Pre-judging, Fitness Finals (in the evening)

Not much time for perusing the expo first thing in the morning as Figure and Fitness pre-judging was to begin promptly at 10 am.  There I was, sitting about ten rows from the stage watching and witnessing my very first Olympia pre-judging competition.  I was excited for the Figure battle more than anything.  Nobody knew the condition of these girls until that very moment.  Top 6 girls were just as I predicted.  Check the FitnessRx forums for my live play-by-plays of the Fitness and Figure pre-judging AND finals.

After networking throughout the expo for a little while and grabbing a protein shake for lunch.  It was time to head back to the hotel to get ready for Fitness Finals.  The Ms. Fitness Olympia finals were totally awesome, and for complete contest photos please check out our contest galleries in the Community section.  A big CONGRATULATIONS goes out to reigning Fitness Olympia Champion Jen Hendershott for taking the title again!!  Her routines are always exciting and enganging to go along with her stellar phsyique.

Day 2 Expo and Figure Finals (evening show)

After a hearty breakfast consisting of an egg-white omelet with all the veggies and a side of cottage cheese with slivered almonds I was full of energy and ready for round 2.  Off to the expo hall for some candid interviews with various FitnessRx cover models and Fitness professionals.  Check the video section soon to view these.  I got some exlusive footage of the ever so beautiful mom Jennifer Nicole Lee, a shout out from brand new Figure Pro Alicia Marie who's second season on MTV's MADE reality show is to air today, and some words of wisdom from two of my favorite Fitness Pros Tanji Johnson and Trish Warren (who's spread with her hottie hubby Branch Warren debuts in this month's Muscular Development Magazine).  I can't wait to get these videos edited and up on the site!

Amongst all my video interviews and networking I was able to sneak away to have lunch with my Olympia weekend buddy Maggie Blanchard (Fitness Pro and Custom Posing Suit Designer) AND Dr. Jose Antonio himself!  Yup, that's the same guy who writes for ALL 3 of our publications AND has invited me numerous times to appear as a guest and co-host on 2 of his 3 radio shows here in South, FL.   From left to right in the photo below is Eric Broser (NO Juice MD columnist, ME, Maggie Blanchard (IFBB Fitness Pro AND Couture Suit designer) and last but not least Dr. Jose Antonio (only THE smartest man in Sports Nutrition, Columnist for ALL of our publications, and good friend of mine).  To see some of Maggie's suits check out her website here.

While at lunch the Bikini contest had begun, so Maggie and I rushed back to the expo hall to watch.  We ended up finding a beautiful young blonde girl from Alaska for a possible photo shoot for the next issue of FitnessRx for Women.  This just goes to show you never know who you will be sitting next to, so be friendly and introduce yourself.

Later that evening was the Mr. Olympia and Ms. Figure Olympia finals at the New Orleans Arena.  This was the highlight of my trip.  Imagine sitting center stage 3rd row, press pit with Shawn Ray and Flex Wheeler (legends in bodybuilding) while watching these amazing athletes present their physiques on the stage in front of you.  It was exhilerating and exciting and I can't WAIT for next year!  My ability to get in to the press pit is why I was able to bring YOU the live play-by-plays and callouts as they were occurring.  If you haven't seen the results, check 'em out on the FitnessRx forums and contest photo galleries.

At night's end it was off to bed for an early morning rise...had to be at the Gold's Gym Vegas at 7:15am to prepare for the Women's and Men's Allstar seminars.

Allstar Seminars and Travel Day Home

Cup of coffee in hand I was off to the gym.  After a quick set-up and a greeting with the athletes (Gina Aliotti, Jenny Lynn, Sonia Adcock, Felicia Romero, and Kristal Richardson) we were all set up for some fabulous interviews.  The interview coverage will be up shortly.  Stay tuned to find out how you can still win a set of custom Maggie Blanchard competition suits since we didn't have the opportunity to give them away at the seminar.   At the conclusion of our successful seminars I was off to the airport where again I was on a flight with half of the fitness industry.  With all the traveling I do now, I always bring a blanket.  You guessed it...I slept the entire trip home.

For full event photo galleries see here.

Camp's Not Just for Kids Anymore
September 18, 2008

In case you don't know who Monica Brant is, she is probably the most popular and well-known fitness model to grace the pages of fitness magazines and websites.  Her competition career has lasted well beyond ten years and will continue for years to come.

Just last week I got the opportunity to attend one of Monica's FEM Camps in Los Angeles, California.  It was a weekend of healthy activities including nutrition seminar by guru Kim Oddo, 3 workouts at Gold's Gym Venice Beach (the Mecca, where Monica trained for over ten years while competing), 2 modeling, walking and posing sessions, 1 crazy/intense beach workout, the Business of the Fitness Industry seminar discussion (with yours truly as an invited guest speaker), supplement seminar, competition suit/color selection course, makeup application course, photo shoot direction course and even ended with the opportunity for each girl to have her very own photo shoot with industry photographer Robert Reefe.  Each girl went home with a goodie bag full of Monica's favorite products, the October issue of FitnessRx for Women Magazine, a CD of images from their personal photo shoot, and memories to last a lifetime!

Let me just start by saying I've never attended one of these camps before.  There are numerous other fitness professional who hold these camp type of getaways throughout the year, none of which I have found to be as well-rounded as Monica's FEM Camp.  I can honestly say I should've attended one of these camps before I ever stepped foot on stage.  Don't get me wrong, these camps aren't just for girls who want to compete in a fitness or figure competition.  They are for ANY woman who wants to learn more about health and fitness.  Out of the 30 girls in attendance I can honestly say that all of them were very receptive to me and my ideas.  They took everything I said to heart and learned from it in some way.  Each and every one of those girls possess star-quality in their own way; they are hungry for life just as I find myself to be.  They are open-minded and willing to do things to better themselves...and Monica's FEM Camp is a great place to start!

My trip began with a 8am flight from Ft. Lauderdale, FL.  If you know anything about flying from East to West coast, you know typically you have a layover in Dallas.  So I landed in LA around 10am and cab'd it straight to the hotel to meet with Monica and the ladies.  There was no resting for me as in just 20 short minutes it'd be time to get in the car and head to Gold's Gym Venice (where Arnold - now the governor - trained).  I've never been to Gold's Gym so for me, this was one of the best parts of my entire trip.  After taking a little walk through, I realized they've got 2 FitnessRx for Men Magazine covers hanging on the infamous Gold's Gym wall.  They are hanging only 2 covers down from a photo of Monica Brant herself!

Not only did I get to train at Gold's shortly after stepping off the airplane, but I got to train there twice over the course of the weekend.  Of course I brought home a Gold's Gym Venice Beach t-shirt as a souvenir. 

After the girl's had their training session they changed in to their bathingsuits to take part in their first posing lesson.  Lucky me, I was the videographer (video footage to come shortly).  These girls all look wonderful in their own skin and I applaud them for having the confidence to allow me to tape it.  An hour and half of posing and walking in 4" heels is exhausting that's for sure.  It's incredible these ladies were able to participate full-force in the leg workout to follow.  This workout I got on film as well.

That evening Monica held a Business of the Fitness Industry discussion with a small panel of women who all work in differenct aspects of the industry (including myself).  We discussed so many different topics and ideals.  From your options involving work to the ups and downs of competition life.  There was even a wonderful young woman who talked about post-contest depression and eating disorders - very moving.  This is also where I got to give all of the girls a copy of the latest issue of FitnessRx for Women Magazine.  I love giving people stuff, it's so much fun!

Bright and early the next morning we were off to Venice Beach for a workout involving a ton of running and plyometrics.  Again, I was the camera chick and have tons of footage to be edited for you.  Another workout at Gold's and posing session #2 was to follow.  

My absolute favorite part of the whole trip (besides meeting so many wonderful young women) was learning about photoshoots and how to pose your body to make you look the best you can look on film.  I've always wondered why photographers have their models in all sorts of odd positions that you would never see in real life.  But now it all makes sense.  You've got to move and twist in various positions to best compliment your physique and highlight whatever product or piece of clothing apparel you are marketing.  If you're marketing yourself then it's definitely all about how you present yourself in that shoot.  Believe it or not, this was my very first photo shoot.  Each girl got 30 minutes and could change in to two different outfits.  Here is one of my favorites from my shoot! --->

This shoot was a huge learning experience for me.  Not only did I gain a tremendous amount of confidence by simply putting myself out there, but I also learned what types of movements and poses compliment my little frame.  My makeup application skills are also better than I thought.  I did not have a makeup artist and I think my makeup turned out beautiful for these photos.  So you have it here, Sho in the raw...

Stay tuned for the video footage I'm preparing to put up shortly! 

For more information on Monica Brant and her FEM Camp check out her site at FEMCamp.net