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Black Fringe Top And Malibu Beach…A Great Combo For An Image
Gym Etiquette

Starting today, fitness centers and gyms will be jammed with new members anxious to get into shape in the new year, filled with hope and enthusiasm, while those of us who are regular gym-goers will watch with dread. We will brace ourselves for the new faces, knowing that many them have no clue about gym etiquette. In honor of all gym rats, I am posting this list of guidelines so those of you who are new to the gym environment are alerted to the pet peeves which we harbor.
GYM ETIQUETTE 101:
1. Do not sit on equipment between sets, put your gym bag on a machine you are not using, lean on a machine you are not using, or otherwise hog equipment.
2. Bathe and wear deodorant before coming to the gym. No one wants to smell your stench while working out!
3. Wipe down machines after using them, using a fresh paper towel and sanitizing spray. Do NOT use your sweat-laden towel, sweatshirt or t-shirt.
4. Allow others to work in on equipment. Someone else can knock a set out while you are catching your breath between sets.
5. Do not hit on the ladies while at the gym. This is SO annoying! I have heard just about every pick-up line you can imagine while at the gym.
6. Don’t grunt excessively while training.
7. Don’t make a habit of checking yourself out in the mirror.
8. Don’t drop the weights on the floor. It damages equipment and is extremely irritating to those around you.
9. Re-rack your weights. This is a MAJOR pet peeve with me! If you want to prove that you are a beast by racking eight 45 pound plates on each side of a leg press machine, REMOVE them when you are done! I recently asked someone very nicely to re-rack this same quantity of plates and he pitched a fit, throwing a couple of the plates onto the floor then stomping off.
10. Leave your negative attitude at home. Do not yell, swear, throw things, hit machines or start arguments.
10. Do not wear strong fragrances. People are often allergic to certain scents and can go into asthma attacks from such triggers.
11. Do NOT interrupt people when they are in the middle of a set! I honestly do not know what goes through some people’s minds to believe that it is acceptable to rudely interrupt one’s set to talk to them. Don’t do it!
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.
P28 Foods 2013 Products Overview
New Ab Video Series On RxGirl – Exercise #7: V-Ups
Green Bikini Image From LHGFX
Selecting The Right Competition Suit Cut For Your Body
Original post can be found at http://www.rxmuscle.com/rx-girl-articles/9788-selecting-the-right-suit-cut-for-your-body.html
Competition suit designs can vary widely depending on the suit designer, fabric type, body measurements and proportions of the competitor. Though you may be tempted to go the cheaper route and either borrow or rent a suit or purchase an off the rack suit that is not made to fit your particular body, I always recommend having a suit custom made which is cut to your measurements. Trust me, it makes a huge difference when you wear a suit that compliments your body!
Here are some basic guidelines which work for any division in which you compete.
Narrow chest: If you have a naturally narrow chest, make sure the triangle cups are spaced farther apart to give the illusion of a wider chest. You can use a crystal center connector, but make sure it is not too bulky so that the eye goes to the triangle cups and not to the center of the suit top. If you have a crystal pattern on your suit, you should select a pattern which draws the eye up and out, perhaps with lighter colored crystals on the lateral portions of the cups.
Wide chest: If your chest is extremely wide, make sure to select triangle cups which are wide enough to cover your entire breast area. If your breasts are augmented and they sit very far apart, you might want to consider a molded cup which will push your implants towards the midline and create a bit of cleavage.
Large implants: Some competitors have extremely large implants which can be distracting onstage. Your best bet is to select a full coverage top which encases your breasts completely, allowing for no side boob or under boob.
Sagging breasts: Though I am not a big fan of molded cups, sagging breasts will require some support, so molded cups are the best option in this case. Once again, if you have a lot of breast tissue, you need to make sure that your breasts are mostly covered by the suit material and are well supported by the molded cups. It looks very sloppy when a competitor with sagging breasts wears a flimsy triangle top which does not support her. Sagging breast tissue can hang over the ribcage and often obscure any serratus anterior development. Support your girls!
Small breasts: I know that many women feel rather self-conscious if they are very small-chested and usually opt to wear padded suit tops. If you are a small B to a C cup, you can purchase silicone triangle push-up pads which work beautifully in the pockets of a competition suit top. Just make sure that your suit maker puts pockets in the triangles so that you can insert the pads easily. If you are an A or AA cup or completely flat-chested, you might want to have a suit cup design which is fully padded. If you go with this option, make sure that the cups sit properly, neither too far apart nor too close together, since fully padded suit tops can easily look fake if this is not taken into consideration.
Long torso: If you have a long torso, chances are that your leg line is shorter in proportion to your torso. If this is the case, have the suit bottoms cut very high so that they sit at your waistline (unless you are a Bikini competitor, in which case you should have the bottoms sit just above your hip bones). This will give the illusion of a shorter torso and longer legs.
Short torso: If your torso is short, chances are that your legs are either of normal length or quite long. A suit bottom which sits low on the hips, below the hip bones, will create illusion of a longer torso, as will a steeper V-cut in the center of the bottoms. Bikini competitors can select a lower scooped rise in the bottoms to lengthen the torso line.
Wide trunk: If you have a very wide midsection, avoid horizontal cuts on the front of the suit bottoms and opt instead for a V-cut. The sides of the suit bottoms should sit very high to further create the illusion of a nipped-in waist.
C-section scars or saggy abdominal skin: If you have a998805 665046383515546 812080141 n C-section scar or saggy abdominal skin, choose a slightly higher rise in the suit bottoms to tuck the scar or skin in. Once you add suit adhesive at the contest, you should feel secure in the suit.
Long legs: Choose a suit bottom which sits low on the hips, below the hip bones, in order to create illusion of a longer torso and more proportionate legs.
Short legs: If you have a shorter leg line, have the suit bottoms cut very high so that they sit at your waistline (unless you are a Bikini competitor, in which case you should have the bottoms sit just above your hip bones). This will give the illusion of a shorter torso and longer legs.
Flat glutes: Some competitors have flatter glutes which can be lifted by a suit. Basically, the suit should be cut so that it holds and lifts up most of the glute area. This is usually done with the strategic placement of elastic in the bottoms so that the garment hoists everything up instead of just lying on top of the area.
Narrow hips: If you have narrow hips, you will need to select a suit bottom with a more horizontal cut which will give the illusion of a wider hip line. For a typical V-cut suit bottom, a flatter or wider cut can still be accomplished without losing the standard suit design. For the Bikini Division, you can select a suit bottom which is completely horizontal. If your hips are excessively narrow, you should opt for fabric at the hips instead of crystal or string connectors. However, many ladies who have slightly narrow hips look fantastic with crystal connectors at the sides.
Wide hips: Wider hips are best camouflaged by an exaggerated V-cut and sides which sit about an inch above the hip bones.
When you order a custom suit, make sure to send all your measurements to the suit maker along with photos to help him or her determine the most flattering cut for your body. Make sure to also bring up any body issues or concerns in advance so that they can be factored into the design of the suit.
SOCIAL MEDIA: A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD?
Original post can be found at: http://www.rxmuscle.com/blogs/the-business-fitness-modeling-and-showbiz/9773-social-media-a-double-edged-sword.html
If you are serious about competing and want to build a career in the fitness industry then you have probably been exploring the various social media platforms and trying to build your name and brand. Of course, you want to push for the most followers you can get, as well as build a fan base which boosts your credibility in the eyes of supplement companies. As your numbers grow, your name will become more well-known and you can claim – without bluffing – that you have inspired thousands of people.
However, with more followers come more problems, most commonly the jerks and the haters. I heard an interesting comment from one of my friends today, which was: “The more successful you are, the more haters you have.” I have to admit that whenever I have to deal with a hater, I am rattled by such energy and will never understand how people can go out of their way to spread negativity. I guess you can’t please everyone, and of course there are going to be those who are jealous of your physique and your success. This is when the blocking feature on numerous social platforms can and should be employed. Don’t bother trying to appease such spiritual leeches. They are not worth the trouble.
Some fans and followers (thank goodness, it is the exception and not the rule) develop a distorted perspective in which they believe that they are connected or bonded to the fitness personalities they are interested in. This quickly turns into an obsession, with the fan holding onto a sense of entitlement which can be dangerous. If such a fan feels disregarded, a cascade of psychotic behavior can ensue.
Another dangerous and disturbing situation found in social media circles is the impostor syndrome. There are individuals out there who may claim to be you, and will use your likeness, your name and your titles to build fake profiles. I am sure you have worked your ass off to get to where you are now, so it is time to do due diligence and make sure that no one is taking your good name and wearing it. The small bit of flattery which may be at play is completely eclipsed by the creepiness and the invasion of pretending to be someone else.
Thankfully, the vast majority of people are level-headed and rational. However, as your numbers grow, you must be aware of the issues which may arise and take measures to protect your name and reputation in the industry.


