Month December 2013
I Can’t Sit Still
From as far back as I can remember, I have been fidgety. When I was a kid, I used to wiggle and tap my foot almost incessantly while sitting in class, and I find myself doing it now when at work. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that I have been slender for my entire life, and it also serves as a strong clue into my overachiever personality. I even walk very fast, faster than most people expect. I can keep up with my long-legged 6’4″ friends easily, without rushing or jogging to keep pace. I cannot sit in a movie theater for more than three minutes without shifting my legs, and it certainly doesn’t help that theater seats never seem comfortable to me. I am one of those people who will tap fingers on my thigh, tap my foot, fiddle with my hair, etc. However, I have learned to do such things in a very discreet way so that I don’t aggravate those around me.
Even as I type this, my foot is moving in a rapid rhythm. There is a natural impatience which runs through me, and I always want to MOVE. So I find it ironic when people tell me that I seem calm and reserved. While I don’t exactly bounce off the walls like some of my friends do, I find it very difficult to sit still. I am in rare form when stuck in L.A. traffic, and my impatience spills over like a pot of boiling chili. When it comes to physically moving through my days, I am like the hare as opposed to the tortoise. I walk, drive, and eat fast. I get hyper if my physical progress is impeded in any way as I navigate through daily life. Now, if only such rapid physical movement enabled me to get everything on my to-do list done!
Modeling Is Hard Work
Ah yes, the life of a model. Many people believe that modeling is glamorous and easy, and that all a model needs to do is to look pretty and stand there while a photographer keeps clicking the camera shutter. Well, I am here to tell you that modeling is hard work. Before you start snickering, consider this: you often have to work in climate extremes, so imagine modeling swimsuits in 40 degree Fahrenheit weather, or parkas in 100 degree Fahrenheit weather. Though you may be freezing or unbearably hot, you must look like you are having a great time during the shoot. You have to be ON when you are in front of that camera.
I actually remember a photographer bitching at me in 2010 about having goosebumps in several shots on the beach. Despite my smiling face and proper posing, those little bumps gave away the fact that I was freezing my butt off. It infuriated me that a photographer could be that insensitive and complain about a physiological process I had no control over. This was also after 16 wardrobe changes and 7 hours straight of shooting.
Models are often expected to work in hazardous environments, perched on a rock, standing on the edge of a cliff, lying in the middle of a road, etc. I have actually done all of these things and was fortunate enough to work with photographers who were concerned for my safety and comfort during those shoots. Sometimes the weather refuses to cooperate, usually by throwing gusts of wind into the mix to make hair and wardrobe rebel to the point of frustration for both the photographer and model. If a photographer’s assistant or makeup artist is not on hand to assist with the shoot, the model must be aware of small details such as tags hanging from clothing, strands of hair falling the wrong way, etc
Good models know how to evoke different moods through their facial expressions and body language, and are also able to read the photographer’s cues so that the shoot goes smoothly. There is a joke in the fitness industry about men giving the “blue steel” look in EVERY SINGLE IMAGE. Guys, that look gets very old very quickly. For the ladies, doing the “Ohhhhh” expression with the mouth may look sexy, but when it is done incessantly, it begins to lose its appeal as well. The most interesting models know how to deliver a myriad of different smiles, sexy looks, scowls or whatever expression the shoot calls for.
Models also may be asked to work for many hours with no breaks at all. We are often asked to hold poses for extended periods of time so that the photographer can adjust the camera angle, exposure, or lighting. I can’t tell you how many times I have gotten cramps from holding one pose for several minutes. The pose which I am pictured in here was one I held for ten minutes straight. 
Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely adore modeling and I have a very positive attitude whenever I shoot. I just wanted to dispel any misconceptions about modeling and make it clear that it truly is work.
When Your Body Says Slow Down…Dealing With Injuries
Bodybuilders and fitness people are the most driven people around, but they often lose sight of the fact that rest days are an essential part of the muscle recovery and building process. Even injuries won’t stop them from continuing to train. I can relate and have to admit that I have been practicing this for the past two months. The fear of muscle atrophy and descent into something less than muscle goddess status has kept me locked into a regular lifting routine, and though I train with less intensity than I am accustomed to, I am always pushing the envelope to see what I can perform without aggravating existing injuries.
It has been frustrating to say the least to deal with such significant pain in my forearm, shoulder and neck that I can’t even lift a drinking glass without experiencing dagger-like pain in my forearm. I want to push through the pain, but the associated muscle weakness and nerve irritation are at times so severe that I am not able to. For those of you who are wondering what loss of strength I am dealing with, I can do lateral raises on the left side with a 10 pound weight, while a 3 pound weight on the right side sends burning, shooting pains and cramping along my arm and elbow. Consequently, I am training my upper body at about 60 percent of the intensity level I usually train at.
It has also been a real eye opener for me to discover how much I rely on my right hand for activities. Though I write and draw with my left hand, I perform all sports with my right hand and used to play guitar right-handed. So the tennis elbow which crept up on me has been more crippling than I had ever anticipated.
Normal people would just back off from training completely. I have continued to train, albeit at a reduced intensity. I have also employed the use of muscle creams, ibuprofen, arnica, massage, stretching, ice, sports bands, all to no avail. They say that doctors make the worst patients and I am no exception.
I advise patients to avoid doing what I have been doing! Listen to your body and allow your injury to go through a full healing period without training. Though you may lose muscle, you will be far less likely to re-injure yourself.
January Ironman Magazine Hardbody Feature
http://www.ironmanmagazine.com/january-2014-table-of-contents/
Check this out! I am so honored to be chosen for the Hardbody Feature in the January 2014 issue of Ironman Magazine. You will find the six-page feature starting on page 118.
You can download the PDF of the magazine or find it on newsstands.
Ab Video Series On RxGirl – Exercise #8: Marching Plank
http://www.rxmuscle.com/video/rx-girl-video/9839-the-ab-series-marching-plank.html
Just click on the URL above (not the image)
Doggone Christmas…
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
Christmas Is Coming…
I Am Not A Cat Person
I find it very interesting how people choose to be polarized when it comes to dogs and cats, suggesting that it is not possible to like both mammal species. Though I have cats as pets and have spent my entire adult life being owned by cats, this by no means establishes an exclusive love for cats and dislike for dogs. In fact, I adore dogs, especially the larger breeds, and truly wish my lifestyle could accommodate the needs of large dog breeds. When I visit friends who have large dogs, I become envious and find it incredibly difficult to leave them. I love the unabashed loyalty that dogs deliver to humans, and I appreciate all the characteristics of the canine species which have earned them the nickname “a man’s best friend”.
Why don’t I have dogs? Again, I love large dog breeds and simply do not have the space to accommodate a large dog. I do not have time to walk a dog daily either. Though I enjoy the company of smaller dog breeds, the idea of a small dog breed as a pet does not resonate with me at all. I have cats because they do not require daily walks or regular baths (though I do bathe my cats every other month). I also have chosen two Burmese cats as part of my three cat brood because they are so doglike. Burmese cats are lap cats, very intelligent, active, affectionate, and will follow me from room to room. As a matter of fact, they enjoy being with any of the humans in the house. My Burmese cats will approach strangers and make instant friends with them. One of them plays fetch regularly, initiating play by bringing toys to my feet and dropping them, then looking up at me expectantly, just like a dog would. Check out this video of Kazu playing fetch:
My rescue is a different story, as she is skittish, very “catlike”, and spends most of her time hiding in my bedroom. She is very choosy about the people she warms up to and is the type of cat who perpetuates the stereotype that cats keep to themselves. She is my quiet, shy, moody child and I accept her completely as part of the family.
Just because I have a household with cats and no dogs does not mean that I am a “cat person”. What it comes down to is that I love animals, period.
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