воскресенье, 23 декабря 2012 г.

Teen Amateur Of The Week: Doering It Big

He stated small but worked his way down the dumbbell rack fast. Bodybuilding gave William the opportunity to build the physique that he couldn't through sports!

by Teen Amateur Bodybuilder Of The Week

How did your fitness journey begin?

I've always loved sports and activities like running, swimming, and football, but they never gave me the body I wanted. I looked up to the big guys in movies, so I wished for a set of dumbbells on my 11th birthday. They were a pair of 2.2-pound dumbbells, and I remember using them every day for curls and side raises. But I couldn't make changes by doing hundreds of reps with 2.2 pounds, so I stopped training and got skinny fat.

I decided to make a change when I was 15 by getting decent home gym equipment and gathering knowledge about bodybuilding. I took time to figure out what worked best for me, but it was an awesome journey. It wasn't until last year that I finally changed my nutrition and make bodybuilding the center of my life.

What workout regimen delivered the best results?

I found out that a pyramid routine works best for me, so I do reps of 10 to 4, and depending on how I feel, I do dropsets at the end of my last set. I like to keep the intensity high by taking short rest periods. I like doing supersets for intensity and to target the muscle in many different ways in a short period if time.

Laura McGraw Fitness 360: Survivor Strong

Laura McGraw has a twice-fused spine, but strength training helped her rebuild it. Follow her training, nutrition, and supplement plan to see how she won the 2012 Transformation Challenge!

by Dustin Lapray Dec 20, 2012

Laura McGraw is no stranger to hard work. A busy mom with three kids, she's been in a handful of major car accidents that complicate her recovery and training. Even so, Laura followed Jamie Eason's LiveFit Trainer, pushed it hard in the gym every day, and won the 2012 Optimum Nutrition $100,000 Transformation Challenge.
Follow her plan. You could be the 2013 champion!

Laura's Transformation Story

You wouldn't know it to look at me now, but I broke my back in one of a handful of car accidents. Surgeons fused my spine and three weeks later I got in another car accident that broke it again. Between spinal fusions, I built so much muscle in my abs that nurse had to pull my abs back to fuse my spine the second time.
Eight years after the first wreck, after four minor surgeries and two major back surgeries, my back still wasn't right. So, I headed off to the gym to see if I could make it stronger myself.
To understand how I bounced back from the depths of despair to not only start working out but win this contest, you need to understand a little about my background. I grew up in England, watching my father train for football (you call it soccer). He played 10 years for Fulham and two for Manchester City.

His ethics gave me an early appreciation for the power of a good workout. Each morning he'd wake up and head off for a run. He did sit-ups in the living room, too. My father was the kind of athlete who didn't necessarily go to a gym every day, but he worked out every day. I made a mental note of his discipline.

Laura McGraw's Supplementation

Laura McGraw didn't use supplements before the 2012 Transformation Challenge. Now, she supplements with a smart, effective, no-nonsense stack!

Laura McGraw's Nutrition Program

Laura McGraw knows how important clean nutrition is to great results. Check out her delicious, nutritious, simple nutrition program!

Laura McGraw's Training Program

Laura McGraw likes lifting and cardio both. Here's the plan that helped her win the 2012 $100,000 Transformation Challenge!

Perhaps influenced by my father, I'd play soccer with the boys. I wasn't a tomboy, though. I loved girly stuff, like putting on a dress on and heels and going out to a nice dinner. But I never lost that side of my personality from my father. I love the gym. I don't mind getting dirty and I love competition. Competitiveness is a family inheritance, you might say.
This mindset served me well after my accidents and back injuries. It's funny. At the time of the wreck, I thought, "What terribly bad luck." Now I think everything happens for a reason. I wouldn't be in the gym, working out and lifting weights with such intensity if it hadn't been for those car accidents.
I think the past enabled me to do well in the Challenge. When I finally got everything dialed in, I was taking supplements, watching what I ate, and looking at the content of my meals. When I finally got everything in line, the weight came off. Now, I have the weight off, and I have muscle mass!

Lightning Round!

Why did you choose to join the Transformation Challenge?

I needed something to get me motivated, and there is nothing like a good competition to get me going.

Do you think you would have had equal success on your own?

No way! Having a pre-made program made the process so much more manageable. Also, the stack that was offered was perfect for my supplementation needs. I trained a group of 30 people from my community while I was doing my transformation.

This was hugely motivating. I felt I needed to lead by example and show them what they could achieve. Having friends work out with me—and BodySpace members cheer me on—was exactly what I needed to keep myself going!
I also have a special person at home in Tommy Kron. Having someone that close to me who goes to the gym makes it easier; you can't live in a household that isn't living a fit life. One person can't do it without the other.

After you were done, did your view of yourself change?

Change? For sure. Done? Never!

What do you do now with your fit life?

Whatever I want. It's awesome! I still hit the gym almost every day. I teach spin class on Tuesday mornings, which I love, and I believe there is a new Bodybuilding.com challenge coming soon.

Fitness Amateur Of The Week: Showroom Floored

Charlette wasn't planning to be a physique competitor. She wanted to change her body and just happened to meet a bodybuilder who wanted to train her. Now she competes like it's nothing!

by Amateur Fitness Competitor Of The Week Dec 21, 2012

How did your fitness journey begin?

I've always been involved in sports and physical activities, but after having two children it was much harder to find time and energy. I did intense kickboxing videos in my living room with my kids when they were babies. I lost most of the pregnancy weight, but my body was different after the children. I held most of my weight in my mid-section.

Pre-pregnancy, I was 112-115 pounds and delivered both children at 163-165 pounds. I went back down to 120-125 pounds after having my children. I was 23-years-old, didn't feel comfortable in a bikini, and was always exhausted. I had to change.
I started working out at 24-Hour Fitness and heard a gentleman in the dry sauna talking to someone about personal training. It spiked my interest and I left with the thought. I kicked myself after for not approaching the man. A week later, I was at the gym with my younger sister and saw the man on the stair machine with a hooded sweatshirt and sweats. This was my opportunity. I approached the man, asked if he was a trainer, how much he charged, and what it entailed. He gave me his card and was shocked when I called the next day to begin.
Initially, I was only interested in toning my body to look and feel better. I started getting interested in competitions shortly after and competed four months later in an INBA show in the bikini division. I placed fourth and was completely intrigued. After building more muscle, I moved to women's figure where I currently just won first place women's novice figure at the INBA in August.
My show weight is 110 pounds and my body fat is between 12-16 percent. My off-season weight is 115, where I train heavier with weights and incorporate healthy fats and other nutrients into my meals. I love the challenge, hard work, and sweat that it takes to compete with myself mentally and physically. I live for the challenge.

What fitness regimen delivered the best results?

I believe it's important to stretch before every workout.

Bodybuilding.com Supplement Company Of The Month: Top Secret Nutrition

The founders of Top Secret saw an opening in the market and took it. See how their business model diversified their folio.

by Supplement Company Of The Month Dec 21, 2012

Supplement companies start up for myriad reasons. Sometimes it's a former pro with a niche in want of expansion and other companies stomp a foot in the door because they found a door and happened to have a big foot.
Top Secret Nutrition follows the second course. It saw a void in the industry and sought to fill it. The company doesn't pigeonhole itself though. It is expanding like the muscles of a well-disciplined weightlifter. Tom Richardson and his crew are just getting started. You don't have to wait to see how this company advances. It's happening already, and that's no secret. That's why we congratulate Top Secret Nutrition as the December Supplement Company of the Month!

Please tell our readers how your company started.

This question has a couple of answers:

From a business perspective, my partners and I who have started and sold many successful businesses felt there was an opportunity to create something special in the nutraceutical supplement space and apply our business methodology to succeed in this industry.
From an application perspective,creating products that help people look, feel and perform better was an exciting opportunity that we all felt passionate about.

What made you decide to start your own supplement company?

Again a few answers:

The dietary supplement industry is exploding worldwide.
The industry is fragmented, allowing for new companies to compete quickly.
Based on our research there was/is a need for a company that intelligently spans across sports nutrition, weight management and health and wellness to reduce the amount of brand hopping that consumers have to go through when looking for supplements.

Tell us a little more about yourself and your background in the industry?

I have an M.B.A. from the University of Miami and started my business career with Arthur Andersen in their consulting division. After leaving Andersen, I opened my own computer consulting business with my current business partner Augusto Vidaurreta. We eventually sold the business to a public company. This is where we fine tuned our business strategy that has been used in all of our ventures which include: banking, plastics, restaurants, computer consulting, real estate, and hotels. We eventually packaged this business strategy into a book called Business is a Contact Sport, which made the New York Times best-seller list. As for the supplement industry, I have always been a fitness enthusiast and a bit of an amateur biochemist. I love scouring through clinical studies and researching the latest in ingredients and then working with scientists to create unique and effective supplements. Additionally, my wife Kristal is an IFBB pro figure competitor, so we both have a passion for fitness.

What are some of your top products right now?

We have several products that define us, depending on the consumer, but if I was to pick one, it would be the Cardio Igniter™. This is a unique product that enhances aerobic capacity and stimulates fat burning, and helps spare lean muscle. Everyone who does cardio exercise should use this product. The reviews on it are spectacular.

Are you coming out with any new and exciting products in the near future?

We have several cool products coming out:

Energizing Whey: this is where energy drink meets whey protein. The first flavor is a delicious mocha that is refreshing and energizing.
Razergy™: this is a 2-ounce shot consisting of raspberry ketones, green coffee extract and caffeine. If you are going to take an energy shot, take one that burns fat as well.
BCAA Hyperblend Energy: a powdered stimulant version of our current BCAA Hyperblend capsules. The taste is incredible and it gives you an energy boost as well.

Let's say a customer is just starting a fitness regimen, can only afford one product, and he/she comes to you. Which one supplement do you recommend? Why?

The Cardio Igniter™ - you can use it pre-workout, pre-cardio, during the day, really anytime. It gives you energy, endurance, burns fat, protects lean muscle, and is delicious.

help.*

What do you believe are the best and worst things about the supplement industry?

Good question, I would have to say the best things about the industry have to do with developing products that help people be better in every way, it is rewarding. The worst things about the industry have to do with consumer awareness. We can build the best product in the world, but if the consumer does not know about it, then it does not do us or them any good. It's very frustrating at times.

What separates your company from all the others in the industry?

One aspect would be our focus on fueling active lifestyles across sports nutrition, diet and weight management, and health and wellness. We believe that it is important to support the active individual not only inside the gym but outside. Another differentiator is our philosophy not to build "me too" products. Even with the simpler products we like to combine synergistic ingredients to create unique and effective attributes. For example: our successful L-carnitine plus Raspberry Ketones liquid caps. They're simple, but unique. And finally, no one will out science us. We pride ourselves on being in touch with the latest nutraceutical science and applying it to our product development.

Ethics are important to supplements buyers, what does your company do to ensure ethical standards?

Integrity drives our business philosophy, because integrity is the key to longevity. From safe, quality ingredients to label claims we believe in doing it the right way, and sometimes that costs more and takes longer, but, we are in this for the long term. Every business we have built has been based on a solid foundation of ethics.

Does Top Secret Nutrition perform its own research? How much will science guide your future?

Science does drive our business from start to finish. The "secret" for us is to match science to consumer demands. How we do that is Top Secret.

Supplement purchasing can be confusing for consumers, how do you present products without suffocating them with a deluge of scientific language? Can it be simplified?

Well you have different consumers, some want the deluge so you need to provide it, but not at the expense of someone who just wants the highlights of the product and how it works. We believe that our marketing material is a good blend of both. We still feel that there is a huge opportunity to educate the consumers and that an educated consumer will push up demand.

Before we wrap this up, is there anything else you would like to share? Is there anyone you would like to thank or give a shout out to? Where do you go in the future?

We give a shout out to the team at bodybuilding.com. They have been instrumental in our rapid growth and success. We consider them all family. They are the definition of a true business partner.

Body Transformation: From Fluff To Buff

Quitting smoking forced Crystal into the gym. She didn’t want to get fat during withdrawals and put the habit behind her. Now she’s too busy pumping iron to worry about it!

by Female Transformation Of The Week Dec 21, 2012

Name: Crystal Tidwell
Email: Crystaltidwell@comcast.net
BodySpace: cbrandel


AGE 37 HEIGHT 5'2" WEIGHT 127 lbs BODY FAT 21%	AGE 37 HEIGHT 5'2" WEIGHT 102 lbs BODY FAT 9%

Why I Decided To Transform

In September of 2011, I quit smoking cold turkey and joined the gym because everyone says you gain weight when you quit and I didn't want to get fluffier than I already was.
I started working with my trainer who said I wasn't that out of shape and could do a show. I dismissed the idea for a month, but the seed had already taken and I agreed to do it.

How I Accomplished My Goals

I know how I am. Taking a day off from the gym could be a big setback for me, so Monday was the only day I took off because I work 12 hours that day. Knowing that recovery is part of any good program, my trainer set me up with a workout that gave me what I needed.
Over the course of my training, I stayed excited and didn't lose focus because I had a goal to do my first show and had fun the whole time.

Supplements That Helped Me Through The Journey

Morning

What Aspect Challenged Me The Most

As a wife, mother of two, and a hard worker, it was hard to find time for the gym and food prep. Learning what's necessary to achieve the goal I set for myself was very time consuming, but the curve got easier and I became more confident.

My Future Fitness Plans

From the moment I entered the gym, my life changed. Lifting weights, eating clean, and enjoying life as a better me is my new lifestyle. I have done two shows now. The first was with the DFAC where I won my class in open figure short and the second was a week later with the OCB where I also won my class in open figure.
I'm now enjoying a short off-season to reverse my diet and build my legs. I plan to compete In April with the DFAC and hope to win my pro card. From there, I want to go to the DFAC finals for my pro debut.

Suggestions For Aspiring Transformers

Never listen to negative people. Be strong in your decision to better yourself.
Stick to your numbers; you will only cheat yourself. It's not what you want now; it's what you want most.
Learn to listen to your body and understand its limitations. Slow and steady yields the best results.

How Bodybuilding.com Helped Me Reach My Goals

Bodybuilding.com is a wonderful resource. No matter what you're looking for, the information is there. It was nice to talk with others and get their feedback. Talking to other women and learning more about contest prep is priceless.
Thank you, Bodybuilding.com, for bringing a community of people together.

Thanks

I would like to thank my family for understanding the changes I made and embracing it. I would also like to thank WNBF pro Craig Yarnall for planting the seed that changed my life, always being there, and pushing me out of my comfort zone to show me I can do more.
Finally, I would like to thank the DFAC for introducing me to the sport.

Start Your Own Transformation Today

You Could Be Our Next Transformation Of The Week

Male Transformations.

No longer content to sit on the sidelines of life these guys have gone from wimp to pimp!

Female Transformations.

Done with giving excuses, these ladies have given themselves the bodies they always wanted!

Teen Transformations.

These amazing teenagers have made changes in their lives that most adults only dream about!

Over 40 Transformations.

Age is no excuse for these over 40 women & men who have decided to feel and look young again!

PM Power: How And What To Eat For A Productive Evening Workout

If you train after work, timing your meals and carbs can be confusing. Find out what to eat, when to eat, and how much to eat if you're planning an evening workout!

by Shannon Clark Dec 21, 2012

Most people have heard that it's best to start the day with their highest-calorie meal. Your calories and carbs should then taper down as the day progresses. But what if you train after your work day? Should you re-think your meal plan?
Whether you're trying to lose fat or build muscle, proper meal timing is just as important as what you eat. Get it wrong, and you may be disappointed in your results.
If you're an evening gym goer and like to eat multiple meals per day, read on. It'll help you decide what and when to eat to maximize your energy and get better results.

Breakfast ///

Because you aren't working out until the evening, you don't have to indulge in a giant breakfast. If you're on a plan that limits your carb intake, then your breakfast should be mostly fat and protein based. Vegetables, berries, or both can provide your carbs.
If you're not especially worried about your carb intake, then you can include some complex carbs in your breakfast. You want your carb intake to be balanced throughout the day.

Mid-Morning ///

Unless you're on a high-calorie plan, you should save your carbs for later in the day. Grab a light snack which consists of lean protein and a small dose of healthy fat. Add some veggies, if you prefer and make sure to stay hydrated.

Lunch ///

Your lunch meal will depend on your goal. For fat loss seekers, your meal should be based on healthy fat and lean protein. Add at least a cup of vegetables for some low-calorie carbs.
If you're building muscle, add a moderate amount of complex carbs. Even when you're building muscle, you're better off using your carbs nearer your workout. That's when you will use the fuel and when you're most anabolic.

Mid-Afternoon/Pre-Workout ///

This is the time to prepare your body for the workout ahead. You need an energizing meal that sticks with you but won't weigh you down. If you like solid food better than a shake, eat this meal two hours before you train. If you prefer liquid shakes, drink it 30-45 minutes before your workout.
This meal should include lean protein and complex carbs, easy on the fat. You need carbohydrates that release energy slowly so you can sustain your blood glucose as your workout draws upon it.

Post-Workout ///

If you're dieting, the majority of your carbs need to be ingested after your workout. This will ensure that they're being used to restore muscle glycogen levels and aren't being stored as fat. If you're on a building plan, load up. If there's one time that it's okay to overfeed, this is it.
Make sure you eat a fast-acting protein source like whey isolate protein powder. Your carb source should be a mixture of simple and complex carbs so you get a quick glucose spike followed by longer-lasting energy. If you have insulin issues, stick to complex carbs so you can avoid blood sugar crashes.
For this meal, keep your fat intake low. You want insulin levels to drive carbohydrates into the muscles; having fat in your system slows down the process.

Dinner ///

As long as you aren't on a strict fat loss plan, your dinner should also contain some complex carbohydrates. Make sure it's a moderate serving size. These carbs will help make sure your body is fully recovered.
If you are on a strict fat loss diet, then limit your dinner to protein, healthy fats, and some vegetables.

Before Bed ///

Forego carbs before you sleep. It'll help ensure you don't wake up in the middle of the night due to low blood sugar and will help prevent unwanted fat gain. If you eat a meal before bed, it should consist of casein protein powder or a slow-digesting animal meat like steak or salmon.

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воскресенье, 23 декабря 2012 г.