M EM PH IS FITTEST
AMARYLLIS NAIFEH, 52 Favorite workout move: All exercises associated with my glutes. I like to wear short shorts! Just because I’m 52 doesn’t mean I can’t be sexy. Quote that inspires me: Never, never give up.
ABOUT ME: I am a medical office manager and mother of four (16, 18, 20, and 35). I stay fit by competing in bodybuilding as a figure competitor. When I am not competing I stay fit for everyday life. I workout five days a week with 40 minutes of early morning fasting cardio, then at lunch or in the evening I do a 30-minute weight session of just one body part. I want six pack abs and to be able to go to my closet year round and have my clothes fit.
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Favorite female athlete? Tosca Reno, New York Times Best Selling Author (Your Best Body Now: Look and Feel Fabulous at Any Age the Eat-Clean Way). She inspires me with her looks and anti-aging living techniques.
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Tips for busy women? Get up early before someone or something robs you of your time. People don’t bug you at 5:30 a.m. Be prepared. Map out your workout plan the night before so can get the most out of your workout. Leave your gym bag packed and ready to go in the car.
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What are the most underrated exercise moves? Squats and shoulders. Nobody likes to do squats because they’re very challenging and taxing on the body, but they are the best exercise to sculpt the butt. Women don’t like to work shoulders because they don’t want to bulk up. But actually working your shoulders makes your waist look smaller.
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Advice to newbies? Stay off the scale. Measure your success by your clothes. If you mess up on your diet, get back on it and keep moving forward. Be patient with yourself. Cut out a picture of a body type you are aiming towards and look at it often to keep you motivated.
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HEALTH+FITNESS | August 2015
Body part that gets neglected? Triceps. Women don’t push themselves or think about form on their triceps, but if you want to wear a sleeveless dress you have got to work them.
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Biggest fitness lesson? Push myself harder than I thought I could handle. I broke my workouts into smaller segments until I could do better. Forget the age. It’s just a number.
Interview by Amy Goode. Photo by Robin Frazier.