Retro fit magazine issue 07 jan 2015

Pushup

RETRO-FIT

Magazine

Fatima

AL-AIDAROOS Trinidad’s First WBFF Pro Diva Interview

Tanisha Cross New IFBB Pro

Pole

Fitness

Fitness Explained

Get fit

KERRI

Gibson Fitness competitor

Profile of a champion

DWAYNE

WALKER Jamaican middle weight bodybuilder

triple threat triathlon champs Twist and Stretch to improve flexibility

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CONTENTS ISSUE 7

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52

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FEATURES

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Triple Threat

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Pole Fitness

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Three mums, wives and professionals who have conquered Triathlon

Is the pole the new dumb-bell?

Interviews Tanisha Cross

New Barbadian IFBB Pro Fitness

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Dwayne Walker

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Phillip Toppin

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Akeem Jackson

60

Kerri Gibson

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Hafid James

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Sarah-Aude Salbot

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Jamaican Middle Weight Champion

Caribbean’s best kept secret

Trinidad’s Junior Men’s Physique Short Class Athlete.

Barbadian Fitness Champion

Bermuda Men’s Physique Superman

New IFBB Wonen’s Physique Pro Guadeloupe Men’s Physique Superman

Articles Fatima Al-Aidaroos A WBFF Pro Diva’s Journey

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Baby got back

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A guide to the 2014 body part of the year The Butt.

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Tear Sheet Twist ‘n’ Stretch

Increase your mobility and relax with these stretches

Pushup Demolition Get your pecks potting!

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On the cover Trinidadian WBFF Pro Diva Athlete

Fatima Al-Aidaroos pg 34

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JAMAICA

We take notes from a Jamaican middle weight bodybuilder as he talks about his passion for his sport p16

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BERMUDA

We talk to Bermuda’s men’s physique athlete, as he talks us though his challenge to perfect his body p80.

GUADELOUPE

Newly crowned IFBB Women’s Physique Pro tells us about her trials and success p93.

BARBADOS

We speak to 3 ladies doing big things in Triathlon, we meet our newest Pro Bodybuilder, plus much more. pg 42 and 8

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

We’re at home with a Trinidadian WBFF Pro Diva pg 34 We also talk to a teacher turned Men’s Physique sensation pg 60

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Editor’s Note RICHARD BOYCE

As we add the last few pages of 2014 to the history books and we open the blank pages of 2015, I look back at all I have been blessed with and achieved in the past year, including the ability to cover so many regional competitions and meet so many athletes and fans, many of whom have inspired me and many of you to overcome our hardships and push forward to achieve our goals.

With the season’s festivities, the intoxicating smell of black cake and the lure of those tasty liquors can be irresistible. I know first-hand what it is like finding yourself in the kitchen standing in front of the fridge, in that wonderfully soft light that only a 2:00am fridge light can give, staring at that baked ham. That, coupled with most gyms closing over the season, could be the straw that breaks the back of your steely determination. I hope that you will be able to use the strength displayed in our athletes’ profiles to help steer you through temptation. We have added some useful tips to keep you working out, even with your gym begin closed.

This issue features our most diverse grouping to date, with Akeem Jackson, Men’s Junior Short Class Champion, taking us though his decision to compete for the first time and WBFF Pro, Fatima Al-Aidaroos, talking about her decision to move from IFBB to WBFF. Both are from Trinidad & Tobago. We have two athletes representing the Fitness competitors. New IFBB Pro Fitness, Tanisha Cross, talks about her excitement about placing second at CACs, only for it to be taken away.

Kerri Gibson, our guru of stretching, talks about her Fitness journey and her dream of competing as a Fitness athlete. I had the pleasure of interviewing a true legend in the sport of Bodybuilding, Mr Phillip Toppin.

We talked about bodybuilding then and now, plus loads more.

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RETRO-FIT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Richard Boyce

EDITORS

Koelle Boyce Ramona Morgan

WRITERS

Fiona Branker Richard Boyce Chiara Citro Ramon Dodson Kerri Gibson

PHOTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Photographflair Joel Asselin Raymond Catan Craig Harley Tekoa Photography

CONTACT US: e: retrofit.info@gmail.com w: http://www.retro-fitonline.com/ © 2014 RETRO-FIT MAGAZINE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED OR STORED IN ANY FORM BY ANY MEANS WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF RETRO-FIT.

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PROFILE

Barb

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TANISHA CROSS

badian Fitness Champion

Photography by Photographflair

Be careful what you ask for ...

RF: Where did your interest in fitness come from?

TC: I’ve been a dancer in Barbados for a long time. After returning from university in the UK in 2003, I joined Dance Machine and Matthew Pilgrim was the choreographer. He would come to rehearsals with his incredibly fit girlfriend, Rosalind Vanterpool, who competed for Barbados in Fitness at the time. I would say to them that I would love to be as strong as she was and look as fit as she did, and we’d just laugh it off because, who was I kidding?

Me, look like that? Yeah right. I didn’t think it was possible. Fast forward almost 10 years later: Matthew calls me one day to ask if I was serious back then or if I was just mucking around.

He said if I meant it and put in the work, I could do well in bodybuilding.

Aside from being surprised he even remembered, I was encouraged by his belief in my abilities. Never one to back down from a challenge, I said, ‘Sure!’

And so began the journey.

As a dancer, I was already pretty active, but I was nowhere near as ‘fit’ as I thought I was. Being in the gym with a trainer was a whole new ball game. The gym itself wasn’t new to me as I was an on-and-off gym goer, but I used to be happy with a few light weights and a lot of cardio. I even went through a period of what I thought was heavy lifting at the old C.O.B. gym and thought I was so very fit when I started

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to see my little biceps coming in! Late in 2012, when I joined Summit Pro Bodies, Matthew, Rosalind, Carl Moore and Lyndon Belgrave changed all of that. Suddenly I was not just working out because I should; I was working out with a purpose.

RF: Now, you initially started off in the Bikini Class and then moved over to Fitness. Tell us about that journey.

TC: Bikini is the women’s bodybuilding class that requires the least amount of muscle definition and allows for a bit more softness, and so it is probably the best one for most women who want to start competing. The look is more of a sexy, athletic beach body, but it is by no means an ‘easy’ category. It was a good introduction to the world of fitness and bodybuilding for me. I thoroughly enjoyed competing in the Bikini class, but I’ve always wanted to do Fitness, and once I was able to execute some of the strength moves, I was ready to try!

It was arguably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done; prepping for Bikini is rough, but prepping for Fitness is rough x 10! Luckily I was able to build a bit of muscle mass between Nationals 2013 and Nationals 2014, but to try to maintain that, while dieting to cut down body fat, plus strength training while trying to remain flexible, PLUS cardio AND routine practice AND a full-time job PLUS a part-time job.... It was insane.

Lessons in making the most of all you have RF: How did you train for the routine round of the Fitness Class?

TC: I started with gymnastics classes at Bimflip with Shane DeFreitas. I have a very limited gymnastics background, so I needed to see what was feasible to learn in the short period of time I had. At 33, it’s fairly unrealistic to expect someone to start backflipping and tumbling across the floor in a few weeks, especially when you’re scared of heights like I am! However, I was able to learn the fundamentals of straddle jumps, straddle holds and L-sits. My gym training was then adjusted for this.

My trainer, Amena, would have me practice Fitness elements during and at the end of some workouts to really build power and strength. For example, after a shoulder/chest workout, I would end with pushups to failure, or I would do tricep hinge pushups between sets. She would even make me do plyo or box jumps after a leg workout, which I initially thought was crazy and impossible... The way my legs would feel like jelly, I thought for sure I would miss the box entirely and face-plant on the other side. But we started with low heights, increasing gradually as I got better at it. I also had routine practice sessions with Ryall Graber, during which she would have me do strength holds and jumps with ankle weights to build strength and help me hold the moves for longer.

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way that best showcases their physique while making it look as effortless and comfortable as possible.

I also watched a lot of shows live and on the internet to see how it was done internationally and had impromptu posing practice sessions with my colleagues at Surfside.

RF: You had some challenges getting ready for competition. Can you tell us about them and how you overcame them?

TC: There were many challenges, and each one was somehow overcome, even when I didn’t see how it could be. When money was a major issue, sponsors, friends and family stepped in. I even had friends give me avocados and chicken breasts! My friend, Melaney Hurley, came to my rescue and choreographed for me when I was completely lost, even though she had no experience with Fitness routines.

We were permitted to use the Dance Strides studio when other spaces weren’t available. Dancer friends came to watch, and gave very helpful and honest constructive criticism. Amena, my trainer was an invaluable help, not just in training me, but also as a friend who was there for me when I wanted to quit.

RF: Posing for Fitness is completely different from Bikini. How did you learn / train for the poses?

TC: I was fortunate to have two awesome posing coaches in Ryall and Matthew, who both really know the intricacies of posing. It took a lot of practice as the poses can feel awkward and uncomfortable. The irony is that the sport requires athletes to pose in a

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One major obstacle showed up just a few days before Nationals this year. I was practising my routine for the last few times that morning. My body was warmed up, had run it a few times already and just wanted to adjust one particular movement. On the opening move, as I raised my leg, I felt something shift and pop in my hamstring. Suddenly I couldn’t raise that leg higher than 45 degrees, much less do the splits that came later in the routine. I thought that was it, no way I could compete now. I went for neuromuscular therapy with Liz Foley, used heat and ice, foam rolled, stretched, but up to the morning of the show, I still could not get into a full split. I stayed backstage stretching and rolling and working on it and miraculously, when it was show time, the leg went up and the splits were hit! I was hobbling a bit after, and had to really work to get that hamstring to work for CAC, but somehow I got it done.

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RF: Do you think that your past experience as a dancer prepared you for the stage as a Fitness competitor?

TC: It definitely did! I will tell you a little secret: I am incredibly shy! As much as I loved to dance, when I was younger, I was always hiding at the back of the dance class and my friends couldn’t get me up to dance anywhere at all.

As I grew up and started dancing professionally, I had to learn how to get

into character and perform, no matter how I was really feeling. The audience doesn’t really care how shy you may be or how bad of a day you may have had – they came for a show and it’s your job to deliver. And a Bajan crowd can be quite unforgiving if they don’t like your performance.

For bodybuilding, you could have the best physique, but if you can’t perform your poses, the judges won’t be impressed. Furthermore, the

audience will notice if you look like a deer in headlights and are shaking so hard you can’t walk in your heels.

The bodybuilding audience is not an easy crowd at all! So, just as when I am preparing to go on stage to dance, I spend time before really focusing. I envision what I want to do, focus only on the positives, I pray, put on my broadest smile ever and step on stage pretending to be the most confident and fearless person in the world! The ‘fake it till you make it’ philosophy certainly works in this situation!

Still, stepping on stage for bodybuilding is not any easier now than it was my first time. I am still very shy, and let’s be honest, those bikinis are tiny!

Also, willingly going on stage to be judged on one’s physique is absolutely terrifying. But, I have been trained to perform and it is something I love to do. The hardest part is the first step on stage, but once I’m there, it’s lights, camera, action!

RF: You have been able to get partial sponsorship. Can you tell us how you went about doing that?

TC: I feel truly blessed and honoured to have received as much support as I have throughout my preparation for every competition I’ve done. It started with Summit Pro Bodies for my first competition, which led to a one-year sponsorship contract with Allmax Nutrition, and now I am proudly sponsored by Ryall Fitness. I’ve also received assistance from Maggie Suits, Makeup by Tessa, Nubian Naturals, Bryden Stokes and Platinum Motors.

If I’ve learnt anything at all these last couple of years, it is ‘ask and you shall receive’, even if it is not how you envisioned receiving it! I am grateful beyond words for all of the help I’ve had and continue to have. My advice: ask for help! Market yourself well and approach companies professionally, speak to contacts and friends and you never know what may transpire.

RF: We see that you have been kitted out in some gear from Ryall Fitness...

TC: Ryfit by Bia Brazil is from Ryall Graber’s new line of athletic wear! I am honoured to be wearing items from the line for this shoot.

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Tanisha Cross Age: 33 Height: 5’5” Off season weight: 130 135lbs Competition weight: 123 128lbs Competition History: Barbados Bikini and Men’s Physique Competition, March 2013: 2nd Place Barbados Nationals, Bikini, August 2013: 4th Place Barbados Nationals, Fitness, August 2014: 1st Place Central American and Caribbean Bodybuilding Championships, Fitness: 1st Place and Pro Card

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Tanisha’s typical diet My diet changes up depending on how I’m feeling and looking as well as where I am in competition prep or maintenance mode. Calories, macros and meal timing are all manipulated to build muscle/strength, cut body fat, maintain, etc. This is just a sample of how a day may look in the off season: Meal 1: Eggs + oatmeal/whole grain bread + coffee

Tanisha’s Diet

Meal 2/post workout: Protein shake

My diet changes depending on how I’m feeling and looking, as well as where I am in competition prep or maintenance mode.

Calories, macros and meal timing are all manipulated to build muscle/ strength, cut body fat, maintain, etc. This is just a sample of how a day may look in the off season:

Meal 3: Chicken breast/fish + sweet potato/rice + vegetables Meal 4: Plain Greek yogurt + blueberries/banana Meal 5: Salad with lots of fresh veggies + chicken breast/ lean ground beef + brown rice/ sweet potato

Meal 1: Eggs + oatmeal/ whole grain bread + coffee

Meal 6: post workout: Protein shake + peanut butter

Meal 2 (post workout): Protein shake Meal 3: Chicken breast/ fish + sweet potato/rice + vegetables Meal 4: Plain Greek yogurt + blueberries/banana Meal 5: Salad with lots of fresh veggies + chicken breast/ lean ground beef + brown rice/sweet potato Meal 6 (post workout): Protein shake + peanut butter

Putting some passion into dieting and training

factor for energy before and recovery after practice. Certain supplements also help, such as BCAA’s, multivitamins, Omega 3 oils and glutamine.

RF: Was there a change in your diet when you switched from Bikini Fitness to Fitness?

RF: How do you deal with cravings when you are dieting for competition?

TC: Yes; I now needed to eat to support the extra physical work I was putting in with routine practice. That meant a bit more calories, which is always a good thing! Meal timing was also a major

TC: It’s hard. Sometimes the cravings really drive you crazy! It becomes a mental game of you versus the food.

I had to take it one day at a time, remembering that my meal plan was

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structured with a purpose to get me ready to compete, and diverting from it would only set me back. I got creative with my food: making my breakfast of egg whites and oats into pancakes; making baked oatmeal or my own granola; using low-calorie condiments like salsa and mustard; using seasonings like garlic, onion, pepper, paprika, fresh and dried herbs; using protein powder to make pancakes, puddings and mug cakes... Food should always be delicious, even if it’s ‘diet’ food!

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RF: What is your training split like?

TC: Depending on whether I am training for strength, to target certain areas, to build muscle or to cut fat, my training programme would be modified to suit. I have four to five strength training days per week, usually split between legs, back/ biceps and chest/ shoulder/ triceps.

The week is always organised to allow adequate recovery time between each body part – so no back-to-back leg days, for example.

I also try to incorporate at least one gymnastics class, one CrossFit workout and several stretch and flexibility sessions per week.

Routine practice happens as often as possible, when I have the space available. Oh, and I typically have anywhere between one and four dance rehearsals a week!

Tanisha’s take on... ... The CAC experience It was very different to competing in Barbados! For one, we were competing against the best in the region, so the stakes were very high. Also, we didn’t have the support we would have had at home, in terms of friends and family in the audience. However, we had each other and the team spirit was strong.

My crew wasn’t physically there, but I still heard my name, “Cross!” shouted across the auditorium! The Bajans who were in St Maarten were very loud, vocal and enthusiastic and it was heart-warming to hear us as a team rallying behind each other.

When I came second, I was elated!

I was so happy just to be there, representing Barbados in a sport I didn’t think I could do, that I was already celebrating before any places were announced! I had already achieved my own personal goals, so I could not have been happier. Or, so I thought. When I got the call that an error was made and I was in fact the winner, I very nearly fell out my chair!

To this day, I am still overwhelmed.

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Honoured, proud, happy, excited, terrified, astounded all come to mind when I think about how I feel about it.

trust me, I nearly gave up about a million times. It is important to remember why you’re doing it and stay the course. It is worth it, so don’t give up!

... Fitness Myths ‘Lifting weights will make women look like men.’ It is maddening how many people still believe this! Also, talking about just wanting to ‘tone up’ and not actually ‘build muscle’, when ‘toned’ is how you look when you lose fat and show the muscle that lies beneath – if there’s no muscle, there’s no ‘tone.’

Toning is building muscle! Don’t be afraid of the weights, ladies. ... Tips for competing in the Fitness class Start by believing you can. Things only seem impossible until they’re done.

Be realistic and patient. Re-shaping your body and learning the skills needed takes a lot of time and will not happen overnight.

Enjoy the process! Competing in Fitness, and any other bodybuilding category is extremely challenging.

There will be many moments of selfdoubt, discomfort and struggle, and

... The future Right now, I work full-time as a Project Assistant in Communications, dance as often as I can and teach group exercise classes (Zumba and TRX) at Surfside Wellness Centre. I’m a Certified Personal Trainer, but I would like to earn more certifications in Fitness, especially in fitness nutrition.

I hope to return to school to do my PhD in Cultural Studies to carry on research I began for my MA on ideals of beauty, aesthetics and identity in the Caribbean, now with an added component for what I’m learning of the bodybuilding world.

Sometime next year, provided all goes well, I will be making my debut on the Pro stage, so I am focused on improving everything from now so that I can bring my absolute best package ever! Bodybuilding is about constant development and improvement, so I am excited to see how things continue to progress.

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PROFILE

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DWAYNE WALKER

Jamaican middle weight bodybuilder

Photography by Craig Harley

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FROM SMALL SCREEN TO BIG STAGE

competition. He told me that I had potential and I had nothing to lose.

He started to guide me in my training routine and also taught me the poses.

RF: What was it that triggered your fitness journey?

RF: How long did it take you to achieve the physique you have now?

DW: Growing up, television and video games were my main source of entertainment. I would watch cartoons and wrestling and other television series. The characters in these games and tv shows were usually of muscular build. These were the characters who got the attention - lead roles, who saved the day, who were the Prince Charming. That gave me the impression that the ideal look for a male was to be muscular and strong, the prince charming, the hero. As I matured in age and became more attracted to the opposite sex, I told myself that, just as a man prefers a woman with a nice butt, wide hips etc. then it’s only natural that a female would have certain criteria for a male, being abs, nice biceps, nice chest etc.

Having all these perceptions I started my journey and decided to mould my body at the gym in February 2011.

RF: Who or what drove you to compete in your first show?

DW: I started training initially to attain my desired physique. The owner of the gym where I was training, Steve Satchell, who is also a past competitor, encouraged me to enter my first

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DW: I began training in February 2011 so my physique is attributed to more than 3 years of consistent training.

RF: What has been the most memorable moment in your fitness journey so far?

DW: Stepping out on stage at my last competition in July 2014. The support and cheers I received were overwhelming.

GETTING INTO CHARACTER RF: What advice would you give someone wanting to be fit?

DW: Note, whether mentally or written, what your goals are. Research what is required of you to achieve your desired goals, and implement them... Surround yourself with people who share a similar target.

RF: Speaking to a younger you, what keys to success would you share?

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DW: You have to absolutely love what you do and be passionate about it. The earlier you discover what your passion is, the better for you. Research what is required of you to be amongst the best in that particular field and do exactly what it takes. Be true to yourself and be relentless.

RF: What do you think is the reason for your success in bodybuilding?

DW: Consistency! I always compare myself to others in the same field. I identify my weak areas and the tools and training necessary to improve these areas and I implement them consistently.

RF: What keeps you motivated?

DW: What keeps me motivated are the goals that I have set but have yet to achieve. These unachieved goals are a reminder that I have to keep going and the mission is not complete until I have accomplished what I set out to do and become the person I aspired to be.

RF; What keeps you competing?

DW: Competing allows me to display my physique and have it judged and compared against other athletes. This provides an avenue for me to know how good a bodybuilder I am. The thrills and excitement of competing help to boost ego and build confidence.

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Dwayne’s upper-body workout Mondays: I train my upper body.

Chest Bench press - 3 sets, 12 reps superset with dumb-bell flies Incline bench press – 3 sets, 12 reps superset with incline dumbbell flies Back Lat pull down – 3 sets, 15 reps,

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one-arm dumb-bell row, 3 sets of 15 Shoulder Shoulder press - 3 sets, 15 reps Lateral raisesn - 3 sets, 20 reps Arms Skull crusher - 3 sets, 12 reps superset with close grip press tricep extension (cable); 3 sets, 15 reps superset with reverse tricep extension

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HEADING BACKSTAGE ...

RF: Top 3 favourite exercises and why?

DW: Pull ups, Push ups and Squats.

These exercises are fundamental, Each individual exercise works several muscle groups. If performed properly and on a routine basis they will develop a beginner’s physique. By mastering these exercises, an individual should have no problem performing other exercises.

RF: How do you split up your training sessions?

DW: I think it is because I have been consistent in my training over the years.

My training is effective for muscle development and overall growth. I remain true to myself, I’m hardworking and, most importantly, I love what I do.

things that motivate me and remind me why I’m doing it.

RF: What is your competition mindset? How do you maintain your focus in the weeks leading up to a big event?

DW: I’d say my physique is not only muscular but it’s appealing to the eyes.

I’m symmetrical and proportioned.

I’m also a good poser and I make it entertaining.

DW: My mindset is to outdo myself. I’m my biggest competition. Not only am I going to win the competition, but I’m also going leave a lasting impression on the judges and audience. I also hope to inspire someone. I maintain focus by surrounding myself with

RF: What is it about your physique and stage presence that so often places you ahead of the pack?

DW: Currently I train chest, back, shoulders, and arms on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays. I train calves, quads, hams, and glutes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Saturdays, I perform compound lifts like deadlifting, clean and press and t-bar rows.

RF: Cardio can be a big part of maintaining a good physique. What kind of cardio do you like best and why?

DW: Personally, I don’t do much cardio at the gym, but when I do, I would spend half an hour on the treadmill or stair master. On Sundays, I play football.

RF: Apart from your Sunday football fixture, do you train outside of the gym?

DW: I participate in 5K walks/runs for charity. I also participate in fitness competitions.

RF: Name the one part of your physique that you’ve seen improve the most and the one part that you think needs the most improvement.

DW: I think my back and arms have improved the most over the past year. The focus now is on getting my hamstrings and trapezius more developed.

RF: Harder part of contest prep: dieting or training?

DW: For me, the harder part is dieting.

That’s when your discipline and dedication to the sport are truly put to the test.

RF: Why do you think you have been so successful at bodybuilding?

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CHANGING THE SCRIPT

CLOSING CREDITS

RF: What is your current take on the sport in Jamaica? And what change would you like to see, if any?

RF: Who are the bodybuilders / fitness competitors that you look up to internationally and locally?

DW: In Jamaica, the sport needs to be marketed and promoted more. It doesn’t get the recognition that it ought to. Because of this, not many people want to become bodybuilders. I also think that more corporate entities need to become a part of the bodybuilding community and support and invest in the sport... work together with athletes of the sport to build a mutually beneficial relationship.

RF: Tough question: why do you think bodybuilding and fitness are on the outside of mainstream sports in the Caribbean?

DW: I think it’s on the outside of the mainstream because it’s not brought to children from the primary school level.

It is not highlighted in the media to inspire children to want to be a bodybuilder. Competitions are not recorded and shown on television for the general public to see.

Only people in the bodybuilding and fitness circle are aware of competitions and bodybuilding events. Also, unlike the popular football and track, which only need an open area for training, with other things improvised, bodybuilding needs a facility with equipment and proper knowledge of training or one can be injured. It’s like a cash crop versus a plant that has to be harvested over a period of time.

DW: I look up to Kai Greene. He is a great athlete and teaches about the sport of bodybuilding and how to be a successful bodybuilder. Kai is a great source of motivation and knowledge. Seeing his journey from being an orphan to one of the best bodybuilders in the world and, with all his success, still remaining humble...

That has inspired me.

RF: Do you have any shout-outs to fans, friends or loyal supporters?

DW: It’s important that I give recognition to Spartan Health Club. They have provided me with the best environment and equipment to train. Since training at Spartan, I must say this where I have grown the most.

Spartan Health Club has been a great sponsor and supporter over the past year. Matthew Smith-Barret has been an awesome friend who has been with me throughtout the entire journey, I must thank him for his patience and tolerance. Thanks to my mother, Doreen Angus, and my brother, Adam Senior, who support my bodybuilding habits and lifestyle and aid in my prep and everyday duties and responsibilities, making the journey less stressful and challenging.

SECRETS & SEQUELS RF: Before we go, you have to tell us some interesting things that people may not know about you...

DW: I am actually a shy person and I’m really conscious about the things people say or think about me. On competition days, I am nervous and shy when on stage but I usually exude a lot a confidence, which hides all other emotions.

RF: What are your goals for your fitness career and will we see you back on stage this year?

DW: My goal is to bring bodybuilding to the forefront in my country. I want to use my body to show that it doesn’t start and stop with just bodybuilding. I want to change the mindset of people about the sport, eliminate all myths and misconceptions.

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TEAR SHEET

Twist ‘ ’ Stretch Personal Trainer

Kerri Gibson

Try these yoga poses to unlock your shoulders and upper back.

Mid Trapezius Stretch

1a

•Stand with your arms parallel to the floor.

• Medially rotate the back of your hands to touch each other.

1b 1c

• Cross your right hand over the left, palms touching.

• Interlacing your fingers and tucking your chin to your chest, reach your arms away from your body, feeling the stretch through your mid back.

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Seated Spinal Twist Stretches: shoulders, hips, and back.

Also increases circulation, tones abdomen and strengthens obliques.

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended.

• Cross your right foot over the outside of your left thigh; bend your left knee. Keep your right knee pointed toward the ceiling.

• Place your left elbow to the outside of your right knee and your right hand on the floor behind you.

• Twist right as far as you can, moving from your abdomen; keep both sides of your butt on the floor. Hold for 1 minute.

• Switch sides and repeat.

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PROFILE

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Photography by Photographflair. Historic images courtesy Phillip Toppin

In conversation with Editor -in -Chief, Richard Boyce

PHILLIP TOPPIN

P

hillip Toppin has to be one of the Caribbean’s best kept secrets. With a long list of UK bodybuilding titles under

his belt, competing and winning against the likes of Bertil Fox, Phil has also had a significant hand in sculpting the regional bodybuilding landscape and has helped to guide, instruct and train great athletes, such as Carmichael Bryan, Roger Boyce and, in more recent times, IFBB Pro, Ryall Graber, to name a few.

I have known Phil for the last 4 years and we often talk about the state of bodybuilding, common mistakes he sees me and other bodybuilders (if I do dare to call myself that) make. I felt the need to try to share with you all the passion that makes Mr. Phillip Toppin so special.

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RB: How did bodybuilding?

you

get

into

PT: I was always crazy about muscles as a kid. I was very young, must have been 10 or 12, and I used to see a guy - I think they called him Big John - on the beach in Barbados and that is what gave me the idea that I wanted to be like this guy. But looking back now he couldn’t have been that big... (laughing).

I used to go around to a gym in Mile and a Quarter (Barbados). They wouldn’t let me train because of my age but I used to go in there and just watch the guys.

I was crazy about muscle. Because I couldn’t use the gym, I used to play around with push ups and chin ups and things like that.

RB: Did you always know that you wanted to compete?

PT: Yeah, from day one. I was 16 when I started to train at the YMCA in London, and it was just a long bench and a bar, portable squat racks. After about 6 months the instructor came to me and said, “Look, I know that you want to compete. I like you being here but you have outgrown this gym” and he told me about the gym in South Hall, about 2 miles away so I went and joined that.

It took me about a year and a half to do my first competition. There was only one class back then - Juniors. Yeah, I was 18 and I went up against Fox, Bertil Fox. It was his first competition as well. He won Bodybuilder of Merit, which was a photo in the magazine, Bodybuilding Monthly. We clicked form there. He won and I came second.

RB: What federation did you compete under?

PT: National Amateur Body-Builders Association (NABBA). I also competed in International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) shows but then the IFBB came up with this rule banning any athlete who competed in a federation that was not affiliated with them. I was never really a member of the IFBB …so I continued with NABBA, but if they had banned me I would have gone over to the IFBB. RB: Between the time that you competed and now, given that you have been very active in the sport, have there been significant changes in the type of physiques, the strategy and methods of contest prep?

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PT: Yes, the conditioning is a lot better now and the guys are a lot bigger as well. But strategy and training aren’t that much different. The guys are still generally doing the same old thing but the athletes are becoming more precise with the advances in equipment. I think that you stand a better chance of injuring yourself with free weights than with machines. I believe in modern technology but I am not saying that it is better than free weights. I think the new equipment allows you to get on with your work and target the specific areas that you are working on more easily.

I also think that, in general, the athletes have learnt a lot more about nutrition now compared to when I was competing. But, that said, there is still a lot of wasted time and products. I know that it is an extreme sport but I think that some guys just go over the top.

There are a lot of supplements and products out there now, so that if you are lacking in certain areas of nutrition, they can rectify that, but in my day we did not have that.

RB: Do you think that the challenges have changed for the athletes who are trying to turn Pro? PT: I think that the competition is the same. Everyone has access to the same information, the physiques have improved but technology has improved as well.

I think that there is a better opportunity to earn a living as a bodybuilder now.

Back then, the ones who made a living from the sport were the gym owners.

You are talking about a time when Mr. Olympia made $1,000. So unless you were given a contract by Joe Weider - and even then a lot of the athletes used to work in his warehouses - there was no chance to live as a professional bodybuilder. You might have gotten an apartment, free membership at a gym and some supplements, but it didn’t pay that much.

RB: How did you get into training athletes?

PT: After I won the South East Britain, the owner at the gym, an old guy, came to me and said that he realised I was helping more people than he was and that he was getting on in age and wanted to stop. He suggested that I take over. He leased me the premises and weights and that is how it all started.

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RB: So, how long did you compete?

PT: I competed until I was 31, when I took over that gym, which was the gym that Fox and I trained at. The very year I took it over I was going to compete.

I started to prepare for a show - it was the South East Britain - but my mum fell ill. I am a single child so I was going to the hospital everyday to see her and I stopped the prep. Then the next year I was so busy preparing people for shows that I never got back to it.

RB: Of all the local bodybuilders that you have trained, who was the best?

PT: I would have to say Roger Boyce.

He was not the biggest but he had the best all-round symmetry.

RB: Do you think that there is something that can be done at the local level to improve our regional athletes’ performance on the international stage?

PT: I think that one of the things here is the pool that we have to pull from. If you look at the total number of bodybuilders here versus the number of bodybuilders in one state in, say, America, we don’t have the numbers. You are far more likely to find genetically gifted athletes there.

RB: What do you think bodybuilders can do to raise the visibility of the sport in the Caribbean?

PT: I think that the guys need to be a lot bigger than they are. Bodybuilding is an extreme sport and people want to see extreme bodies. Going to the shows that we have here in Barbados, there are not many extreme bodies.

Until the federation can get the seats in their show filled, I don’t think that they will make any money and the job of the federation is not just to send athletes overseas, it is to make money. One way to fill the seats is for the athletes to come out and compete and be different, to be big.

I think looking back at Patrick Nicholls and Albert Scantlebury, those guys were quite big back then. We need to get some more meat on our bodybuilders. I think we need to push more size.

RF; Do you think that there has been a shift in judging towards athletes being shredded and that it is affecting their ability to put on that mass?

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PT: Yes, that may have an effect on them. The Mr. Olympia is used as the benchmark for judging, but what a lot of athletes don’t realise is that those bodybuilders are massive and shredded.

At the end of the day, if an athlete is cut and he is carrying a lot of muscle and balance he can still win a contest against an athlete that is shredded and skinny. but if you go too far in either direction, trying to get too big and lose your conditioning or trying to get too shredded and sacrifice too much muscle, you are going to lose out.

THE NAME OF THE GAME IS MUSCLE RB: How do you feel about the Women’s Physique and Bikini Fitness classes being added to competitions and the elimination of Women’s Bodybuilding?

PT: I think that they could have introduced Women’s Physique without removing Women’s Bodybuilding.

There are women out there who want this massive look and there are lots of women who want to look athletic.

I think that it is unfair to the women bodybuilders to just try and phase it out. All adults are in charge of their own body and destiny. If a female wants to carry the mass the current Miss Olympia has, that is up to her. I will stick to this argument: if a woman was running faster than Usain Bolt, they would not say: “That’s a woman; she should not be running so fast”.

The same applies to bodybuilding: if a woman wants to be that big, it is entirely up to her.

RB: Do you think the business of bodybuilding has caused the removal of Women’s Bodybuilding and the introduction of Bikini Fitness and Women’s Physique as well as Men’s Physique because they are more marketable?

PT: Well, there is that side of it. The Women’s Physique and Bikini Fitness physiques are more attainable and possibly more acceptable. But for years we have had Women’s Bodybuilding fans. I think that they have done an injustice to the female bodybuilder and the bodybuilding fans.

I can see problems down the road, because if you look at past Miss Olympias years and years ago, the physiques were not as hard or defined

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but over the years they got bigger and better. The same thing is going to happen to the female Physique class.

In the Men’s Physique class, again it is a little slippery. I think the guys in that class don’t want to get too big or a lot of them can’t get the size they need to be competitive in the other classes, so there is room for it. What I don’t like is that they are encouraging guys to have half a physique because you have guys on stage now with no legs. A lot of the athletes that compete in Men’s Physique don’t even train legs because they say you can’t see them. How can you have a physique competition without judging legs? I think that is wrong.

RB: Some people believe that bodybuilding is becoming an oversexualisation of women. What do you think?

PT: I don’t see it. It would be interesting to see who is saying that. It would not surprise me if it were persons not involved in the sport, who may take up a magazine and think that the images of the women are too sexy. I don’t think it is anything new. The same person may take up another magazine and see a woman in a negligée and say it is too revealing.

Titles Held include:

Mr. Metropolis Mr. Adonis Mr. London Mr. Commonwealth

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I can see how a female bodybuilder or Fitness athlete may have initially taken offence to picking up a magazine and seeing a Bikini Fitness athlete begin promoted. To them, they have had to train that much harder to get their bodies to the point where they are competitive. Initially, when Bikini Fitness started, I believe that a woman with good genetics and an athletic, well-balanced physique could go on stage and win contests.

But, as I said before, I think that the classes are going to evolve to the point where the athletes start to develop their physiques more. If an athlete wins a competition carrying

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TOP TIPS FROM TOPPIN Advice for today’s athletes, based on Phil’s wealth of knowledge Nutrition: “If you stick to a balanced diet you can go far wrong.” more muscle than the second place finisher, the athlete in second place is going to add more muscle to try to win.

RB: You have done some editing for an international magazine, as well as graced the cover of a few international magazines. How did that happen?

PT: By winning competitions, I guess... (laughs). No one was more surprised than me when I picked up Bodybuilding Monthly and saw that I was on the front and back covers. I have been in quite a few magazines because I did quite a few shows. I even won some of them.

(Phil won: Mr. Metropolis, Mr. Adonis, Mr. London and Mr. Commonwealth) I got into writing for the magazines through Fox. He used to advertise his clothing line in British Flex Magazine and, as a result, they wanted him to have a column. I was the one behind the scenes answering those questions on his behalf but I did not do any features or articles or anything like that.

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Training: “Know your recuperative ability.

It will take a bit of time but learn how long it takes for your body to recover from training.

I think that one of the biggest errors I see bodybuilders make is to not keep a journal.

They come into the gym and pound out the weights but they can’t look back in 4 weeks’ time to compare and see if they have made any improvement. I don’t believe in instinctive training. I think that if you love to train you are going to want to come and train every day, but you have to look past that and know that I should train every day or I need to rest every 3 days. You need to figure out your recuperative ability.”

Competition: “To psyche myself up, in the off season, if someone had beaten me, I used to picture them before my workout and I would tell myself ‘I’m going to beat them’ while I was training. Also, If I felt that a particular body part was below par, I would prioritise that body part. This was something that I believed and I say this to the bodybuilders that I train: ‘If you bring that body part up to par, you have achieved and no judge can take that from you. Whether you come second, fourth or win, you have done what you needed to do.

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PROFILE

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FATIMA AL-AIDAROOS

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO’S FIRST WBFF PRO DIVA ATHLETE

Photography by Photographflair

On writing a romance RF: How long have you been training?

FA: I have trained in the gym over the last 10 years but trained competitively for 4 years.

RF: What was your life like before you got into fitness?

FA: Before I fell in love with the gym, my life was dedicated to raising my son, working and furthering my education. I was not an active individual and did not pay much attention to a healthy diet.

RF: So, how did you fall in love with the gym?

FA: There are various factors that led me down this fitness path, the main one being the fact that my mother didn’t have a very healthy lifestyle and died of cancer at a young age. I decided to live a healthier lifestyle as a result.

Then there is the greatest show on earth, aka Trinidad Carnival, which is a huge spectacle. Many participants

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strive to be in the best shape possible for the two days of the “march of the bands.” I found myself also striving to be in peak condition for this festival and trained for it. It was my trainer at that time, Carla Pillai, who encouraged me to compete. She believed I had what it took to train, compete and win locally but also get my Pro Card. As a result, I decided to train for my first amateur show. From this, my fitness story began and I am still writing new chapters.

FA: In my opinion, there are some key differences. The WBFF organisation focuses on promotion of their athletes as fitness models. They also offer several amateur shows throughout the year and across the globe, giving athletes numerous opportunities to obtain Pro status. Another major difference is that the WBFF offers a different twist in their competing divisions, for example, Fitness Diva includes theme wear and Bikini includes formal gowns.

The right title

RF: Of course, there were lots of other classes. Why did you choose the Pro Diva class?

RF: You used to compete as an amateur in the IFBB ranks. Why the move over to WBFF? FA: I was attracted to the WBFF because they offered a Diva Fitness Category which was very different to IFBB. The WBFF seemed more focused on the overall look - having to be fit and athletic-looking but yet beautiful. I believed my body type was more compatible with what the WBFF was looking for.

RF: What are some of the differences between the federations?

FA: Absolutely love a muscular yet feminine physique. However, the pizzazz of the Fitness Diva presentation has its attraction as it reminds me of my carnival.

RF: What do you enjoy most about competing in the WBFF? FA: I get to share the stage with the best of the best. Stand toe to toe with competitors that I’ve admired.

I feel part of a growing, evolving federation that focuses on growth and development of its athletes as much if not more, than competition placing.

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FATIMA’S TRAINING SPLIT I change my workouts regularly because my body quickly adapts to a routine. I typically work out using weights in the mornings and cardio work in the afternoons. I train legs 2-3 times a week and upper body the other three days Mondays - Rest Tuesdays - Quads & Glutes Wednesdays - Shoulders & Abs Thursdays – Hamstrings & Calves Fridays - Biceps & Triceps Saturdays - Quads & Glutes Sundays - Back

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A few flashbacks...

RF: Do you remember how you felt stepping on stage for the first time?

FA: I was a nervous wreck. I am always nervous stepping on that stage and being an introvert doesn’t help.

That’s why I compete; it challenges me to come out of my comfort zone.

RF: Have you had any setbacks on the way to achieving your physique?

FA: Yes, I work full time as a Process Safety Engineer. It is a demanding job.

I initially competed in the Figure class but decided to change categories because I felt I was unable to attain the muscle mass needed to be competitive in that division. As a result, I changed categories to Fitness Diva.

RF: What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?

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FA: I participated in my first Pro show at the WBFF Worlds in Las Vegas this year as a Pro Diva Athlete. I am the first Pro Diva from Trinidad.

Well-developed characters RF: How do you maintain your fitness during the off season?

FA: I try my best not to gain too much body fat in the off season. I maintain a clean diet and work on my weak points. Cardio is still very much a part of my routine. I also set fitness goals, which keep me focussed all year long.

RF: What kind of cardio do you like best and why?

FA: I love outdoor cardio, especially sprinting. I incorporate Stadium sprints, Stadium stairs and hills into my regular workout.

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A little introspection RF: Speaking to a younger you, which secrets to success would you whisper?

Understanding the importance of: Nutrition Posing and stage presence Self-promotion and networking Competition preparation...

Those final days/weeks and what works best for me.

RF: Why do you think you have been so successful?

FA: I have ‘bad mind’. I’m stubborn as hell.

energy source. My carbs are tightly controlled. Like most Fitness athletes I have eliminated wheat, as well as most simple sugars.

RF: Do you cook all your own food at once for the week? How do you stay on track throughout the week and when you’re on the go?

FA: I cook my meals fresh every morning before I go to work. It can be tiring at times but I prefer freshly cooked meals. When I’m on the go, I try to carry meals in a lunch bag or if I’m out I try to select healthy options.

I try my best to speak to the chef and request how I like my meals to be prepared. It can be embarrassing at times when you’re out with family and friends but I’m getting over this now.

RF: What does your diet look like when you are trying to get lean?

RF: Do you have a pre-contest ritual?

Meal 1: 7:00am (100g) Lean steak and nuts

FA: No, I just try to keep my nerves in check.

Meal 2: 10:00am (120g) Chicken breast, vegetables and quinoa or sweet potato

RF: What is it about your physique and stage presence that so often places you ahead of the pack?

Meal 3: 1:00pm (120g) Chicken breast, vegetables and quinoa or sweet potato

FA: I have worked hard to get my shoulders popping and a wellconditioned upper back. As for my stage presence, I have been told that I have a piercing stare and engaging eyes.

Meal 4: 4:00pm Tuna, vegetables

The table of... contents RF: What is your favourite cheat meal?

FA: Anything chocolate.

RF: What’s in your lunch box?

FA: My lunch box is packed with my five meals for the day. Of course, I have my green tea. I keep my choices simple and easy to prepare. My protein sources include chicken, lean beef and fish. I have vegetables with every meal. Except for morning meals where I use fats, typically nuts, as my

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Meal 5: 7:00pm Protein pancakes with almond butter RF: What is your favourite recipe?

RF: Have you ever felt unmotivated and what did you do to come back?

FA: Yes, I have felt unmotivated to compete but rarely ever felt unmotivated to work out. When I lose my competitive spirit, I remember that this is just a temporary state of mind.

I refocus on my goals and my love of the sport.

RF: Where do you want to take your fitness career?

FA: I want to motivate others to live a healthy lifestyle. I want to influence other women, especially in my country, to see fitness and healthy eating as life choices, not just a seasonal goal (e.g. Carnival). I also want to demonstrate that any woman, regardless of her profession, can attain her desired physique.

Last but not least, the dedication RF: Tell us about your biggest bodybuilding/fitness influences.

FA: Carla Pillai (T&T Fitness Professional), Andreia Brazier (WBFF Fitness Diva World Champion), Monica Brant (WBFF Figure World Champion) and Emily Sterling (WBFF Figure World Champion).

RF: Do you have any shout-outs to fans, friends or loyal supporters?

FA: My main supporter, Seun Harewood.

FA: Steak, steak, steak… Oh yes, I love beef.

The happily-everafter RF: What keeps you competing?

FA: The desire to improve and be a better version of myself. Competing is addictive: the training, the prep, the glamour of showing off your final product. It is not only about winning or placing well; it’s more about conquering my fears. Thus, I have learned to compete against myself.

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FEATURE

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Barbadian Fitness Champions

TRIPLE THREAT Photography by Photographflair

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Jennifer Moana Wosminity Age 36, mum of 3

H

ow do you progress from working out to competing in a triathlon? Barbadian triathletes,

Jennifer Wosminity, Marissa Bradshaw and Chanda Gooding spoke to RETRO-FIT Editor-in-Chief, Richard Boyce, and gave him some insight into their journeys.

Jennifer confessed that she “always loved sports and being active though I never excelled in any sport growing up, except maybe show jumping. I have always enjoyed going to a gym... remember loving “super circuit” at Universal back in the old days! I started with running to get fit, got enticed to try 5k, 10k, then half marathon. I always admired triathletes and secretly wished I could be that fit. I watched the Ironman NBC special and that was pure inspiration. I guess I wanted a new challenge. I trained for maybe a few months before my first tri.”

Marissa developed a passion for running back in the early 2000’s and participated in many running road races. “I can’t honestly remember how I got interested in triathlons,” she admitted, “but I remember just having won my age group in a 5k in Chaguaramas, Trinidad, while visiting my parents and somehow ending up in Geronimo’s bike shop buying my first bike (other than the one I remember going over the handle bars on as a child!) in order to start “triathlon-ing” back in Barbados.”

Chanda’s path to triathlon also involved participating in sport from an early age.

“Growing up I was always involved in some form of sport. I starting swimming with Pirates swim club at the age of 6 and continued into my teenage years, competing in many swim events both in Barbados and other islands. I did my first tri around 12/13 years old and even though I had a few years of being “TRILESS” the tri bug was still in me. [I found myself] picking it back up years later and still loving it.”

I was curious about the level of steely determination that lay below these ladies’ quite reserved exteriors. How far had they pushed themselves in terms of distances?

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Started with local try-a-tri (400m swim/ 10km bike/ 3km run), then did local sprint and Olympic distance races.

National Champion at Olympic distance in 2005 and 2007. Moved overseas and decided to try longer races - Half Ironman in St. Croix, Ironman-distance race in Florida in 2006 called The Great Floridian, (winning her age group (in 12hr, 40min), Ironman Arizona in 2008 (in 12hr 39min). Since 2009, she’s been “expanding the family while competing a little in between kids”.

National Champion again in 2012.

Jennifer has done all the distances.

“I am not a speedster so I tend to like longer and slower! Currently I am just doing local races as my family is too young to travel much for races, so that limits me to sprint (750m swim, 20k bike, 5k run) and Olympic (1.5k swim, 40k bike and 10k run) distances.”

Marissa, too, has “competed in several sprint distance triathlons over the years and a couple of Olympic distance tris.”

Marissa Bradshaw Age 41, mum of 3 Most recently, Barbados National Triathlon: Sprint distance 2013 Olympic distance 2014

Chanda, while having competed at both sprint and Olympic distances, had actually started with a try-a-tri 400m swim, 13k bike and 2.5k run. She explained: “From that I went and stayed at the sprint distance for some time...

I’ve just completed my 3rd Olympic distance tri . Can only go up now… Half Ironman is in my future plans.”

Chanda Gooding Age 36, mum of 2 3x Barbados National Triathlon at Olympic Distance Local road races.

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It was clear from talking to these three that triathlon had united them on a quest to push the limits of their endurance. I wondered how they had come together.

Jennifer explained: “When I trained before having kids I did it mostly alone.

I knew Marissa but we hadn’t really trained together before. Chanda and I started training together a few years ago. I started CrossFit while pregnant, doing CF lite with Dr. McIntyre aka Coach G. I resumed after baby was born and joined the girls and jumped into the CrossFit Tri group training. I guess CrossFit is what has brought us together most recently”.

Marissa remembered Chanda becoming interested in triathlons back in 2009: “Chanda, Jen and I began a little training together …then I got a running injury and dropped off the triathlon scene altogether.”

Her interest in triathlon was re-ignited when she started running again with the Endurance Squad from CrossFit IslandFit. “The coaches of the squad were into triathlons and so it was just inevitable that I would jump back in with their encouragement. So Jen, Chanda and I are all in the CFIF tri-club and have spent a lot of time training together in the last couple of years.”

“TRAINING TOGETHER IS SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST ABOUT THE TRAINING. IT’S THERAPY.” Camaraderie, yes, but could training together give them an edge?

Chanda was insistent that, hands down, it gives them an edge: “Don’t mind [that] on race day it’s you vs you.

Having the group to train with keeps us far more committed and motivated.”

Jennifer described it as more than just contest prep: “I think training together is so much more than just about the training. It’s therapy, it’s girl talk, it’s social, it’s advice....it’s fun! With all of us being moms of young kids, time is precious.”

This was echoed by Marissa: “Having the support of like-minded women in similar situations - wives, mothers of young kids - has been tremendous.

We can problem-solve about how to fit it all in, empathize with each other when plans get de-railed, celebrate our improvements together and kick each other in the butts when it is called for!”

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I had to find out how this team worked on race day.

Jennifer summed it up nicely: “We are all competitive, I think, or we wouldn’t be racing triathlons. We don’t really focus on beating each other so much as beating our old selves and old times. Marissa is definitely the bike powerhouse. I guess swimming is my strength but I feel like I am ok at all 3, not really outstanding in any one discipline. Chanda is really consistent in all, and yeah she is the crazy one...!”

“I DO IT TO PUSH MY LIMITS AND BE THE BEST ME I CAN BE. I JUST WANT TO BE FASTER EVERY TIME.” Each of these women had stopped competing to start families. It must have been hard to start competing again after that...

Jennifer, mum of 3 girls, ages 5, 3 and 1, remembered trying to get in some exercise through each pregnancy “whatever my body could tolerate, basically. I competed in between kids yes, though mine are pretty close so there wasn’t a lot of time! It was harder each time to get back into it, not so much physically but just from the standpoint of finding the time to train, lack of sleep etc. This time I wanted to get back into triathlon training because I was inspired by my friends last year. I helped at the national race last year with my huge 8-month belly and I watched Chanda win the National Championship and Marissa blaze the sprint, and I just said to myself, ‘I will be out here next year... maybe just doing the sprint, but I want to be racing somehow’. I think time is the key now. Trying to balance the family with training is a big challenge.

I need exercise to feel well; it’s a very important aspect of my life so I make time. With little ones I try to do it when it will least impact the family e.g. at 4:30 am when everyone is sleeping!”

Chanda was philosophical: “It’s funny, after starting a family and life becoming extremely busy, how my goals also seemed to get bigger and more challenging. Everything has a season. Our kids are babies only for a short time. I enjoyed every single minute of the baby stage. I missed all the “hardcore” training but I also knew that it was only for a time. I embrace motherhood and all it has to offer.

My daughter is 10 and my son is 7. I started back triathlon about 6 months

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before I got pregnant with my son so after he was born it was not that long before I picked back up where I had left off. I am a very competitive person, but competitive against myself. I have nothing to prove to anyone. I don’t do this to please anyone; I do it to push my limits and be the best me I can be.

I just want to be faster every time!”

As a father of two young boys, I’m convinced that, for most parents just finding time to think is hard.

So, how did they find the time to train for an extremely gruelling sport, raise a family and have a career?

Jennifer clued me in: “You have to make time. I negotiated with hubby how many early mornings he could manage (when I train at. 4:30 a.m. most times he can’t go back to sleep either!). All other training had to be done when kids were at school and baby napping etc.

I was also exclusively breastfeeding Emma, so that was another challenge.

I am a physiotherapist but on a very long sabbatical! Full time wife and mom right now. The early mornings do take a toll, especially when babies are up during the night, too. I did miss some sessions, for sure. But I’m not training for the Olympics here; this is

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recreation, so I tried to just go with the flow and do what I could.”

Chanda was adamant: “Family comes first and that is why when everyone is snuggled up in bed, I hit the road and head off to meet all the other crazies at 4:00 a.m. We have another name for 4:00 a.m. but I would prefer to leave that out!” she laughed. “It’s a full day and it starts early but that is the commitment that I am talking about. Home from a good early morning session and pedal to the metal to get kids to school and start work at 8:00 a.m.”

I was curious about what they considered the biggest challenge to staying fit enough to keep competing.

Chanda put her hand up: “Keeping my nutrition on track! There, I said it.”

For Jennifer and Marissa, consistency is their biggest challenge.

Jennifer was clear that “Consistency is the most important thing in triathlon training. As a mum of little ones, my life is often unpredictable, so making a schedule and sticking to it is near impossible. I’ve had to improvise many a time. Lack of sleep was a big challenge!”

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WEEKLY TRAINING: Marissa: Training weeks can vary greatly, but an example could be: Monday CrossFit WOD, and maybe a swim Tuesday 4:30 a.m. CrossFit IslandFit (CFIF) run intervals Wednesday 4:00 a.m. group ride, CrossFit WOD Thursday 4:30 a.m. ride/run with CFIF Tri Club Friday swim when girls can find a mutual break in work schedules, and maybe an early morning run Saturday 4:30 a.m. group ride Sunday 5:00 a.m. longer run

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TYPICAL TRAINING DAY: Jennifer: 4:00 a.m. Wake up. Coffee, if there is time.

4:30 a.m. Run. 5:45 a.m. Get home and feed family breakfast. Drink protein shake, may eat a banana.

6:30 a.m. Husband leaves for work; I get kids ready for school.

7:30 a.m. Leave to drop kids to school.

8:30 a.m. Sometimes a WOD at CFIF, or grocery or other chores.

10:00 a.m. Eat again (coffee, eggs/ cheese/veg/fruit).

10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Time with Emma (her youngest). Chores. Lunch around noon (meat and veggies).Prepare dinner.

2:30 p.m. Pick up kids at school. Snack (nuts and fruit or protein shake).

3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Family time.

Dinner (meat and veg, sweet potato).

7:30 p.m. All kids in bed!

8:30 p.m. I’m usually in bed!

TRIATHLON DISTANCES NAME SPRINT OLYMPIC ITU LONG HALF FULL

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SWIM 0.5mi (750m) 0.93mi (1.5km) 1.86mi (3km) 1.2mi (1.9km) 2.4mi (3.8km)

BIKE 12.4mi (20km) 24.8mi (40km) 49.6mi (40km) 56mi (90km) 112mi (180km)

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RUN 3.1mi (5km) 6.2mi (10km) 12.4mi (20km) 13.1mi (21.09km) 26.2mi (42.195km)

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Jennifer was convinced that CrossFit had helped her to train more efficiently: “I used to do a lot of “junk miles” in hindsight. Now, with a focus on high intensity, constantly varied workouts, it gives a lot more bang for the buck.

Gone are the days of LSD, not the fun kind... I mean “long slow distance” which was the hallmark of my first time training for IronMan. CrossFit has definitely improved my [physical] strength and power, and my mental strength... knowing that even though I feel to die, I can actually keep going just a little more.”

Marissa seconded that: “CrossFit has been great for increasing my strength and explosiveness and just overall toughness.”

Chanda was its strongest advocate, confirming that “CROSSFIT WORKS! The high intensity and varied movements have played a huge part in my success of tri. CrossFit builds greater strength, power, agility and speed. I got faster and improved after I started CF.” I dared to ask if they competed in any other sports.

Jennifer had done some running road races and open water swims in Barbados.

Marissa had dabbled in road cycling competitions “for a year or two while I was on my running break (completely got bitten by the cycling bug when I was forced to avoid running in 2009). I also compete in International Practical Shooting (IPSC), which is a type of pistol competition where you move through a course of fire with paper and steel targets for accuracy and time.

But I’ve been on a break for a year or so. There are only so many things one can fit in!”

Marissa agreed: “Consistency! I used to get a lot of colds from the kids before I changed my diet, and it was so frustrating having my progress so frequently interrupted when I had to take time off to recover. Now that I eat plenty - I really mean plenty - green vegetables and fruit, I hardly ever get sick. But, of course, there are many, many other interruptions to training with the ever-increasing demands of the kids’ activities and school work etc.”

So how does one recover after the main event?

Jennifer: “Recovery depends on the distance of the race but also on how important the race is on your calendar, for example: was it a training race or

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was it your #1 goal race of the season?

For us as recreational athletes we usually just take a couple weeks off and plot our next race! Can’t say I intentionally adjust my diet to recover.

Tend to eat a bit more “loosely” postrace for sure.”

Marissa: “This year I decided to take a week or two completely off after the Olympic distance triathlon to recover and rest both mentally and physically after the training process. I don’t think I took more than a week of easier training after the shorter sprint last year.”

I asked the trio to fill me in on the benefits of including CrossFit in their training.

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Chanda had been toying with the idea of competing in a CrossFit challenge: “CrossFit IslandFit hosts a competition that I would love to enter but I need to work on strength and a few other skills first… ahem pullups!”

Of course, I wanted to hear about their ultimate goals in triathlon Jennifer: “My ultimate dream is to race in Kona at the IronMan World Championships. I beat my Olympic distance PR this year. Next I would like to beat my Half IM PR. But for now, family is my first priority, and I would be happy just to be able to compete locally and regionally over the next few years.”

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Marissa: “I would absolutely love to do an IronMan Triathlon some day, but I have tried training for a marathon before and ran into problems with my knee, so who knows if I will be able to achieve that one. In the meantime I will go for the sprint and Olympic tris that are offered here by our BFIT association—hoping to keep improving my times.

Chanda: “Always better my last race time and, for sure, IRONMAN!!!”

“YOU JUST HAVE TO START. TAKING THAT FIRST ACTION IS THE HARDEST.” They offered some parting words of advice to our readers who are thinking about getting into shape.

Jennifer: “I would say: find something you love to do, a sport or exercise you can be passionate about. Try new things, you never know what it might be! Exercising will make you a better you, guaranteed.”

Triathlon Prep Gameplan Chanda took me through: “We usually start gently about 6 months before and then ramp it up 3 months before.

Nutrition should be adjusted to suit.

That, as I mentioned before, can be a challenge but I try the best I can to stay focused. It feels better when you fuel your body with what it needs! Distances will increase during training for sure. To settle our minds, we usually do a 40k bike /10k run about 3-4 weeks before the race.”

the weather, crazy drivers; have to train early to avoid traffic etc.”

Marissa: “For me the run is the toughest, because I tend to injure easily. So I have to be very careful not to do too much at once.”

Chanda: “THE BIKE!!! I love being on the bike and riding. I HATE THE CARS! Due to the lack of respect that cyclists are given on the road I struggle with getting in the rides the most out of everything.”

Mastering each discipline

Tips and tricks

Jennifer: “I think swimming is the hardest to master as it is so technical and skilldependent. But for me the hardest one to train for is biking... We have to train on the road, so we are at the mercy of

Marissa: “The transition is the key. There are lots of little tips for transition speed... leaving bike shoes on the bike, elastic laces in runners, lots of practice!”

Marissa: “Well, you just have to start. Taking that first action is the hardest. It is always easier to join a group and I cannot recommend the fit-family at CrossFit IslandFit with enough enthusiasm. You DON’T have to be fit to start… Roll off the couch and come along!”

Chanda: “Stop procrastinating and stop making excuses. A goal is a goal. No goal is too small. Dream big! If you want to improve your quality of life and be happy, then feeling good about yourself and having a healthy, active lifestyle is a certainly a step in the right direction.

Get up and got get it!”

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FEATURE

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Is the pole the new barbell?

POLE FITNESS

by: CHIARA CITRO, INSTRUCTOR/ OWNER AT MOVE 2 MORE STUDIO Photography by Photographflair

At RETRO-FIT, we are always looking for interesting ways to get fit (the clue is in the name!) So, for those of you in the know, it should be no surprise that we have ventured into the very creative, highly technical, seductive world of pole fitness.

To take us on our introductory tour, we enlisted the help of Chiara Citro. She is a talented dancer, visionary and certified Fitness professional. Her training includes gymnastics, ballet, pilates, acrobatics as well as strength and cardiovascular conditioning and she has a real passion for creative dance and fitness. Added to this, she is the owner-operator of one of the leading pole dance studios in Barbados, Move 2 More.

After two private sessions of pole fitness in Miami, Chiara was hooked.

“I am always looking for sports and art forms combining sensual expressive creative dancing with balance, control, concentration, power and strength and I found all of that in pole fitness.”

That passion turned into Move 2 More.

at the time. I wanted to teach and instruct fitness my way which is “fun” above everything else! Once you are hooked you don’t want to miss the fun. You will be more consistent, more confident more active and as soon as you see results you feel like a winner!

You’re moved 2 more.”

Pole is becoming more popular for many reasons.

“My lifestyle, my nature is to motivate with an open heart and be full of passion. I had and still have a desire to promote health and to teach movements to achieve wellbeing of mind and body. I was the first person certified as an instructor in Barbados teaching pole and promoting it. I guess you could say that pole fitness was introduced in Barbados through me.

“Pole is already very popular all over the world. For some, it is an athletic sport to compete in and for others an amazing, sensual, powerful art form, whether in heels and sexy, or contemporary and expressive. In all of its forms, it’s fitness with no limitations.

Women feel empowered and confident through pole.”

Initially, I bought 11 poles and taught in a fitness club. I was also presenting pole fitness at many events before I opened Move 2 More.

“It does not feel like exercise. At least that is what my students say. It’s not a vanity fitness mindset where you join the gym to get “the” perfect body. Pole fitness is comparable to life with ups and downs, success and relapses but with unique results. It’s a complete

I knew that I wanted to have the first authentic pole fitness and dance studio in Barbados as there was none

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But is it ‘exercise’?

workout, sculpting for the body and a makeover for the mind.

Pole fitness combines strength and muscular endurance with flexibility and cardiovascular fitness. Especially when it is put together in a pole fitness choreography, which, as a coach, is my ultimate goal for my students.

All of the muscles are used [during a pole class] because it’s a complete body workout. However, the major muscles involved are biceps, pecs, lats, traps, seratus anterior, rotator cuffs, deltoids, hip flexors, adductors, gluteus, forearms and, not to be forgetten, the core.

Most of the time spent working out involves the pole; however there are some movements and dance elements, which we call floor work.

Fillers are important as they help to ease the muscles to avoid over usage. They also complete the pole fitness class experience. For me, it is important for a pole fitness class to be well balanced and always include all fitness components to build a strong, flexible physique and, of course, make it a fun workout.”

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There are different poles, different styles, different levels ...

Basics for the beginner

“There are different materials and forms of poles that are used: steel, chrome or brass; permanent pole mounts for studios or stage poles and portable poles for home usage and performances. Poles are available to purchase for private usage at home and most pole addicts have a pole at home.

The “Fireman” - one of the first spins you learn.

Chinese pole is one example of a different form of using a pole as equipment. Pole fitness in general has different styles, depending on the individual performer, teacher or class. It’s very personal and unique. It can be very dance-oriented or just learning how to execute a trick. At Move 2 More we offer a combination of both.

Everybody has to start at the basic level and will experience a personal progression and conditioning, moving up to an intermediate level in their own time frame. No experience is required, nor do you need a certain level of fitness.”

Interm

The “Chop

This is like a master it. A up and hug t when it bec you lift your with complet

”.... and different gear for pole fitness “The notion of wearing “almost nothing” just to show off skin is false. In every sport you have a dress code. A karate student looks completely different from a boxer and the reason is very straightforward: different sport, different attire. Same here. Pole fitness requires the friction of the skin on the pole to be able to execute almost all intermediate and advanced movements safely.

The classic pole fitness attire is sports top and pole shorts. There are also gloves, shoes and other accessories available to emphasise the training.”

Not for women only “I started a kid’s class in September and men are doing it too!

Intermediate Another intermediate move is The “Outside leg hang”

Finally, you are hanging and you ‘ve learnt how to trust your arm pit and your leg to hold on.

There are competitions for the male and kids/teens categories and even categories for different female age groups like 40+ or 50+. That old stigma is pretty much long gone.”

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mediate

pper” or “Straddle”

an Amen when you can At first you kick yourself the pole to straddle, but comes second nature, rself up with ease and tely straight legs.

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Advanced The “Twisted Handspring” and the “Iron X”

- two strong holds for the back, shoulders, hip flexors and core. I call these tricks “The heroes feel”, because you feel like one when you finally get them. Your body has to be conditioned for them, through previous exercises and practice.

Flexibility: The “Jade Split”

- a good example of a movement for flexibility. Once you can execute the Jade in a full split, you can put your crown on!

It requires advanced flexibility (front split), balance and control.

I recommend joining our stretch classes early so that your body is conditioned for it and the execution and form will be perfect.

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Floor work: The “Backbend�

- a conditioning exercise for shoulder and back flexibility or used to enhance your own style and floor work in your routine.

The execution and expression make a difference - shoulder and wrist aligned with the chest and, as shown here, a variation in heels, with the leg up into a split and extremely flexible hips.

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Baby’s got back(side)

by Fiona Branker

The low down “Bumper”, “bamsee”, “bum bum” or “bottom”; no single body part has gotten more attention lately than the rear end. Some are small, some are wide, some are flat and some are, well, just large.

Regardless of size, they all comprise three (3) main muscles. Without getting too technical, they are: the Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius and Gluteus Minimus. Beyond the correct anatomical name for the muscles of

V-shape Full at the top and narrow at the bottom of the butt Square Usually flat and broad Round

Literally has a full and round appearance (also known as the bubble butt) Inverted heart Starts narrow and flares closer to the thighs

the butt there are four distinct types: Bet you didn’t know there was so much behind… your behind!

Thanks to A-list celebrities, designers and social media, the “glutes”, as it’s known as in the fitness world, is

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receiving more than its share of the spotlight these days. What happens if you have a less-than-desirable butt?

Plastic surgery, injections, implants?

These are not only costly but potentially dangerous solutions to a relatively simple problem.

The good news Regardless of type, you can improve the overall appearance of your posterior through simple dietary changes and, of course, exercise. Now let’s keep your expectations realistic: if your butt is flat as a board, don’t expect a Nicky Minaj backside. There aren’t enough squats in the world! But even the flattest butt can gain shape and roundness with consistent exercise, progressive overload (talking weights here, ladies), correct cardio and balanced eating.

Today, we’ll discuss dietary changes necessary to improve your butt. Many people make the mistake of focusing only on exercise and neglecting diet.

This ultimately leads to a smaller butt (gasp!). It would be awful to squat and lunge away at the gym and not see results or, even worse than that, to see your behind actually shrink! Always remember: when it comes to your body, 80% of the battle is what you eat.

Protein Protein is the building block of muscle.

Remember, as I mentioned earlier, the butt consists of three muscles (yes, muscles), which means if you want a better butt, you’ve got to eat quality protein.

Look for proteins that have a complete set of essential amino acids, like meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs, beans/ legumes, lean red meat and whey.

Fat

Don’t panic! Eating healthy fats won’t make you fat. As a matter of fact, healthy fats actually help your body to utilize fat more efficiently. Just like water, when your body doesn’t get enough fat through a healthy, balanced diet, it begins to store fat (double gasp!). Healthy fats include: olive and coconut oil, nuts and seeds, fatty fish like sardines and salmon and even real butter. Always remember, even with healthy foods, to watch your portion sizes because while healthy fats don’t make you fat, overeating healthy fats (or any food, for that matter) makes you fat.

Carbohydrates Carbs or carbohydrates have gotten such a bad rap over the years but, just like fat, not all carbs are the same.

Your body needs carbs for all vital processes and for muscle (and butt development). Think sweet potato, yam, oatmeal, brown rice, fruits and vegetables. Stay away from simple and refined carbs like white bread, french fries, refined-grain pasta and sugary drinks.

Water Not a food group, but your body cannot function optimally without it, so it’s worth mentioning. Aim for about six to ten glasses per day – or more, depending on your activity level.

Don’t be fooled Now, there’s a lot you can do to improve your behind. One thing you shouldn’t do is to be taken in by the scam artist companies. There are no pills, potions or creams that will give you a bigger butt. NONE! Trust me, there are no shortcuts to a better bum, despite what the latest infomercial promises.

You’ll do much better investing your finances in gym membership and some exercise clothes.

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PROFILE

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TRINIDADIAN MEN’S PHYSIQUE COMPETITOR

AKEEM JACKSON Photography by Photographflair

THE REARVIEW RF: How did your interest in fitness start?

AJ: Like many persons, during my teenage years I started to be selfconscious about my physique and being underweight. This is what initially got me into fitness. Around the same time, I met Lee Beatrice (T&T National Bodybuilder), who has since guided me in accomplishing my fitness goals.

RF: How did you move from training to be fit to competing in your first show?

AJ: Most of my knowledge about the sport came from Lee Beatrice.

His passion for the sport became contagious and so my interest grew.

He encouraged me to compete in 2013 but I was not as confident in my physique as he was and I was intimidated by the idea of being on stage in front of so many people. Later that year, I saw a picture of the athletes representing Trinidad and Tobago at the Central American and Caribbean Championships (CAC). I knew some of them because I had seen them

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train with Lee. I was amazed by their progress. I remember thinking, “I want to represent Trinidad & Tobago too’’ and so my interest in competing came about.

RF: What has been your biggest accomplishment so far in your fitness journey?

challenge for me was funding my supplementation and dietary needs.

This led to poor diet choices. When preparing for my first competition, dieting was a great challenge. I started to get sugar cravings, so much so that I would literally just eat sugar.

RF: You’ve now been through your first off season. How did you maintain your fitness?

AJ: I would have to say my biggest accomplishment is overcoming fear - fear People say ‘diet’, I of being negatively say ‘nutrition’, but scrutinized or whatever you call it, critiqued by others. By it is the foundation competing, I was able that all physiques to face this entrenched are built on. fear that I had.

WINDING ROAD RF: What has been the biggest challenge to getting the physique that you have now?

AJ: At the time [that I started out] I was a full time student and the biggest

AJ: Oh, I definitely did not maintain that pre-competition diet (laughs). After winning the National Juniors, I started to binge on anything sweet from that very night: ice cream, cake, juice, snacks, you name it!

RF: After the training and the diet for the show was it hard to get back to the gym?

AJ: After the competition, I did struggle for some time to return to my regular workout schedule. Around that period I also began experiencing my abdominal pains, and I couldn’t train

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Akeem’s FavourIte Exercises Pull Ups They remind me of the progress I’ve made. When I had just started to train, I struggled to do even one.

Leg Curls I’m a bit sadistic with this exercise. I enjoy the pain I experience from leg curls.

Hanging leg raises They are really effective for strengthening my core.

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my core for a while. This demotivated me from training some days but I was able to overcome it.

RF: Which body part(s) are you trying to improve upon for your next competition?

DRAWING (AND FOLLOWING) THE MAP

AJ: In general, I’m working on becoming more ‘shredded’ and defining my core.

RF: Tell us about those times when your joints are aching, you’re tired and hungry, but you have to go and train. What motivates you to push on?

AJ: Laughs My joints are almost always aching! Before every workout I paste myself in muscle rub so much so that some persons at the gym always tease me about it by saying I smell like a hospital. At times I also feel tired and hungry (despite eating), especially when I am dieting. I follow a lot of athletes on Instagram and I draw motivation/inspiration from them whenever I feel like stopping.

RF: Did you change your training to be geared specifically for Men’s Physique?

AJ: My training has been more or less consistent from day one until now. The main change has been to add more exercises that focus on my core.

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RF: What kind of cardio do you like best and why?

AJ: (Laughing) Unless walking to the gym counts as cardio, then, none. I do not like cardio and I avoid it.

FUELLING UP RF: What was your diet like before you decided to compete?

AJ: People say ‘diet’; I say ‘nutrition’; but whatever you call it, it is the foundation that all physiques are built on. Before competing, I ate any and every thing possible. The only thing I made sure to do was to get enough protein on a daily basis. I ate a lot of junk food, which I still do off-season. I had to learn to monitor my sugar and carb intake for competition, which I still struggle with.

But I am improving.

RF: What is your favourite cheat meal?

AJ: Fried chicken and, to be honest, I haven’t cut it out of my diet. I’m almost addicted really.

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Akeem’s Split On average, I train 4 days a week: Thighs/Hamstrings Chest/Triceps Back/Biceps Shoulders/Core/Calves I rest either every other day or every two days of working out.

I start off with a warm-up set (light weights) followed by 3 – 4 sets. I increase weights with each set and decrease the number of reps slightly. I usually finish off with a drop set.

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RF: How important is supplementation to your diet?

AJ: It’s been very important in my diet, especially when I had just started. It was very difficult for me to gain size so I started off using several weight gainers.

Now I just use lean whey after my workout or when I am unable to prepare a solid meal.

RF: So we can guess, between dieting and training, which is the more difficult part of contest prep for you...?

AJ: Dieting is more difficult. I have become disciplined with my training over the years but dieting is something new to me.

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AKEEM’S STATS Age: 25 Profession: Teacher Height: 5’ 6’’ Off season weight: 175 lbs Competition weight: 165 lbs Competition history: 2014 - TTBBF Juniors National - 1st Place in Men’s Physique Short Class 2014 - TTBBF Seniors National - 1st Place in Men’s Physique Open 2014 – Caribbean and Central American Championships

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ROLLING OUT ...

RF: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

AJ: I want to represent my country at several international shows and possibly become a professional physique athlete.

RF: If you could give someone only one fitness tip what would it be?

AJ: Discipline!

RF: Do you have any shout-outs to fans, friends or loyal supporters?

AJ: Definitely! I must acknowledge my mentor, Lee Beatrice; Charlene Beatrice, for always encouraging me and giving that extra maternal support; Khadine Guerra and Pinky Julien for keeping my hair in a presentable state (laughs); and all those who have always supported me in my endeavours, including my mother - Anna Maria Jackson, grandmother, step-grandfather, Tessa, Ms. Joseph, Ayanna, Russell and Tony.

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TEAR SHEET

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PUSHUP DE

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EMOLITION

By Ramon Dodson Fitness Professional, IFBB Pro athlete and owner of FWD Shape Up Transformation System®

Blast your chest, shoulders and triceps with this hasslefree calisthenics workout! No equipment is required and the movements can be performed anywhere (even in confined spaces). What’s more, you can complete this workout in just 15 minutes! Too good to be true….right? Well… almost…

The trade-off for this super-convenient workout is the majestic pump that sets in by round 3 or thereabouts… but perhaps I’ve said too much… On to the workout!

Perform 5 rounds of the following circuit. Do as many reps as possible of each exercise, in the allotted time, and flow from one exercise into the next without breaking. When you have completed the final movement, you may rest for 30 seconds before beginning the next round.

Piked Pushups (30 secs) Wide Pushups (30 secs) Plyo Pushups (30 secs) Traditional Pushups (30 secs) Diamond Pushups or variant (30 secs) Rest (30 secs)

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Piked Pushup START: Position your body like an inverted letter ‘V’. Your legs may be together or apart but do not bend your knees. Set your arms shoulder-width apart and keep them rigid with your elbows slightly bent.

MOVEMENT: With your legs straight, draw your tummy in, bend your elbows and lower the top of your head toward the ground. Your entire body should rock forward and down. Do not let your elbows flare outward. With a forceful breath out, push your entire body up and back to the start position in an explosive manner. This constitutes one rep. Repeat.

Wide Pushups START: Assume a planked position.

Set your arms approximately 12 inches wider than shoulder-width apart on either side and turn your hands outward so that both sets of fingers are pointing away from each other.

MOVEMENT: Whilst keeping your body perfectly straight from head to heels, bend your elbows, inhale and lower yourself as close to the ground as possible. Pause, and then explode up to the start position with a forceful breath out. Repeat.

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Plyo Pushups START: Assume a planked position and set your arms shoulder-width apart.

Traditional Pushups START: Assume a planked position and set your arms shoulder-width apart.

MOVEMENT: Whilst keeping your body perfectly straight from head to heels, bend your elbows, inhale and lower yourself as close to the ground as possible. Avoid flaring the elbows outward. Pause, and then explode up to the start position with a forceful breath out. Repeat.

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MOVEMENT: Whilst keeping your body perfectly straight from head to heels, bend your elbows, inhale and lower yourself as close to the ground as possible. Avoid flaring your elbows outward. Pause, and then explode through the start position as quickly as possible, with a forceful breath out. Attempt to push your body up high enough so that your hands leave the ground. Return to the starting position and repeat the exercise. For added difficulty, clap your hands while you are air borne.

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Diamond Pushups or variant START: Assume a planked position and set your arms close together, such that your index fingers and thumbs are touching (this will require a slight inward rotation of your hands). If this causes too much pressure in the wrists or elbows, you can forgo the inward rotation and just keep your arms as close together as possible.

MOVEMENT: Whilst keeping your body perfectly straight from head to heels, bend your elbows, inhale and lower yourself as close to the ground as possible. Avoid flaring your elbows outward. Pause, and then explode up to the start position with a forceful breath out.

Repeat.

Beginners may perform the required movements with the knees on the ground. Advanced persons may transition to a beginner variation instead of taking breaks if the need arises.

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Barbadian Fitness Athlete

Kerri GIBSON

Photography by Photographflair

PROFILE

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Who is Kerri Gibson?

Kerri: I am the mother of a beautiful 14 year old daughter. I work as a Health Claims Processor. I am also a Personal Trainer, a Qualified Group Fitness, Spin and Yoga Instructor and a Fitness competitor.

Tell us a bit about your discipline.

Kerri: I compete in the Fitness category, in which there are two rounds: the Fitness Routine round and the Bikini round. For the Fitness routine you are scored on four elements: strength (which includes push ups, balance holds); flexibility (front splits, side splits, backbends etc); agility (the ability to quickly and easily transition from one move to another); and power (any explosive movements like straddle jumps, power push ups etc.) The fitness routine should consist of each of these elements and should look effortless and energetic. In the Bikini section you are scored on muscularity, shape and body symmetry, stage presence and overall presentation.

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What has your Fitness journey been like?

Kerri: I had absolutely no background in anything before I began competing in Fitness. I was never an athlete, had never danced or done anything athletic, though I was always fascinated by gymnastics and dance. I became interested in training and fitness probably in my teen years, mainly because I was always a chubby child and was teased constantly about it.

As I got older I became more health conscious and exercise became a regular part of my day. I remember one of my very first workouts was with a pair of purple 2lb dumb bells and an exercise routine clipped out of a magazine...

Why Fitness?

Kerri: I remember going by my aunt once and seeing these feminine, toned, strong looking females on ESPN and thinking “that is what I want to look like!” …..and then I saw them perform their fitness routines and I was hooked!

Not only did they have perfect bodies,

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Kerri’s STATS Age: 34 Height: 5’7 Off season weight: 145lbs Competition weight: 135lbs Competition History: 14 years

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but their routines contained a bit of everything that I had always loved but never had the opportunity to do. I knew right then that Fitness was what I was going to do.

Do you remember your first show?

Kerri: The first show I ever did was Nationals 1998. I remember having the semi-finals around 10 ‘o’ clock the Saturday morning. I was petrified when it was my turn to go onstage and I forgot my routine completely but still somehow managed to make it through to the final round. I didn’t place in the finals but I felt like I had taken home the prize because I was now one of those girls I had admired so much on television.

What has been the most memorable moment in your fitness journey so far?

Kerri: My most memorable moment has to be representing my country in Reno Nevada at the Miss Fitness World competition. It was so surreal sharing the stage with women I used to see on ESPN and in Fitness magazines.

I competed against Olympic Silver Medallist, Vanda Hadarean, one of my biggest inspirations. Even though we didn’t place we made a huge impression with our routines and Caribbean flavour.

How hard was it to get back into fitness after you had your daughter?

Kerri: It wasn’t that hard really; my body returned to normal pretty quickly after having her. I was home doing pushups and sit-ups about a week after she was born (laughing). She was nine months old when I entered my second

You moved from Island Fitness to competing in the Barbados Amateur Body Building & Fitness Federation. Why did you make the move?

Kerri: I wouldn’t really say that I made the switch from Island Fitness to IFBB so much as I was inspired to compete again. At the time I was helping one of the Island Fitness competitors with her routine prep for the show. Through helping her I realized that after a three year break I really missed being onstage and so I made the decision to compete at Nationals. The move was difficult physique wise. In the Island Fitness Pageant, competitors are marked down for too much muscle tone, whereas with IFBB muscularity is a requirement. It was tough for me mentally because I have a hard time gaining muscle mass and I tend to stress myself out when my body doesn’t respond the way I want it to but I’m now enjoying the challenge of getting my body to change and loving the fact that I’m getting stronger.

How did you go about getting ready for your first show?

Kerri: For my very first show I worked with Dave Waldron, who was with the IFBB at the time. He helped with everything from training back down to my routine music. I must say, he is a very patient man because back then I couldn’t even do a push up, yet somehow we managed to get a two minute routine together. I wouldn’t say that prep has changed that much from when I first started. I will say that I now have a “bigger bag of tricks” now so it makes constructing a routine a bit easier. Sometimes I wish I had more time to do all of the tricks that I want to do. A minute and a half is so short!

competition

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Kerri’s

Training split for weight training Sunday Legs Mondays Chest and Triceps Tuesdays Shoulders Wednesdays Rest Thursday Back and Bicep Fridays Rest For routine training I do a lot of plyometric and endurance work, like burpees, box jumps, explosive push ups, squat jumps, sprints etc. I also do gymnastics once a week.

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Do you have any advice for someone thinking about competing in Fitness?

Kerri: My advice to anyone looking to compete in Fitness or any of the disciplines would be to do your research.

Gather as much information as possible on the particular discipline that you are interested in e.g.: dieting, posing, swimwear, training, fitness routine requirements etc. Speak to persons who have experience in the particular field, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Once you have all of your information together, get to work! Train hard, eat clean, stay focused on your goals and if at first you don’t succeed, try again. You can only get better with experience.

What is the most challenging part of competition and how do you deal with it?

Kerri: The most challenging part is trying to balance my time. I work a full

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time job, teach classes in the evening and still have to take care of my daughter so it’s tough to fit in training and still find time to rest. There are not enough hours in a day! It’s not easy but I try to balance it as best as I can.

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Kerri’s

meal plan

As with all forms of physical competition nutrition is important.

My meal plan is usually the same everyday as I don’t have time to try different things.

Meal 1: 5:00 am (if I train in the morning) - protein shake.

Meal 2: 8:00am - 1/2 cup oats (raw), 4 eggs (usually made into a pancake) and 1 cup green tea.

Meal 3: 11:00am – 4ozs basmati rice or sweet potato, 3.5ozs lean protein and 1 cup green veg.

Meals 4 and 5 2:00pm and 5:00pm - usually the same as meal 3.

Meal 6 - lean protein and greens. I also supplement with fish oils and a multi vitamin and drink lots of water.

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PROFILE

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BERMUDA’S MEN’S PHYSIQUE CHAMPION

HAFID JAMES

Photography by Tekoa Photography All about that motivation

RF: What motivated you to become a Men’s Physique competitor?

HJ: I grew up playing basketball but, due to an injury, I was prohibited from playing for a few months, so I needed something to do to keep me in shape.

I had always gone to the gym but I started to take it more seriously. Then, after being challenged by a friend and encouraged to try it by Ross Caesar, a Bajan trainer at my gym at the time, I decided to do it and I have been competing for the last three years now.

New perspectives

RF: Why did you chose the Men’s Physique class?

RF: How do you maintain your fitness during the off season?

HJ: I chose to do Physique because I was told it was more about shape and size, that they’re looking for a more athletic look than a big bulky one. But physique is still bodybuilding and I enjoy the learning process: learning the science behind the sport and learning how my body best operates and, of course, seeing improvements and getting better as I go through my journey.

HJ: I don’t like to use the term ‘off season’. Unlike most athletes, bodybuilders don’t really have an off season. Yes, we may take some time off to rest after competing, but for me, we have a ‘growing’ and ‘cutting’ season. Our growing season is where all the work happens when it comes to development. Knowing this keeps me focused on my nutrition and training.

Cutting season is simply when you shed the fat to reveal the new, improved muscle from growing season. So, if your growing season was poor, don’t expect to see much improvement.

RF: What keeps you motivated?

HJ: I believe you should have as many things to motivate you as possible. For me the number one thing will always be to be a better me. But I might also use a recent heartbreak, knowing I

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want to help others, people I want to make proud, being the best, beating an individual or proving someone wrong... whatever it takes to get the job done!

I don’t like it when I hear people use motivation as an excuse: “Oh I’m not motivated to go workout and/or eat healthy.” If you have a goal, whether it be going to school, buying a house, getting healthier, that is your motivation.

Don’t use lack of it as an excuse. There are days I do not want to be in the gym but I know I am here for a reason and I will not let an emotion stop me from reaching my goal.

RF: What has been the biggest challenge to your fitness?

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STATS Hafid James Personal: Age: 28 Height: 5’11”

Competition History: 1st place at Bermuda Night of Champions 2012-2014, 4th place at the Arnold Amateur 2013 in Ohio (Medium Class) 5th place at CAC 2013 3rd place at CAC 2014

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HJ: The biggest challenge in my fitness journey has been this past growing season, being under the guidance of yet another Bajan, Carmichael Bryan, a.k.a CM. In the past, whether it be bodybuilding, basketball, the arts or any other thing I was involved in, I would get tips and pointers but I mainly had to do all the research, trial and error and planning on my own. So to go from that to having someone tell me what, when, how to eat, train and live as it relates to bodybuilding was hard! Harder because it was growing season, so my body fat was higher and I couldn’t see the results, so all I could do was trust CM and train, without looking for results

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but knowing that if I was doing what I should do, the results would come. And by the time my next competition came around the results were easy to see.

RF: What has been the most memorable moment in your fitness journey so far?

HJ: The most memorable moment in my fitness journey so far was losing at 2013 CAC. Before that, I didn’t care to take supplements or go through a growing season. I looked good and didn’t really want to get any bigger. But after losing, that all changed. It felt like I had got dumped ten times over and I never

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wanted to feel that again. So, doing my own research and taking advice from my coach, CM, I started taking supplements and went through a real growing season. That loss, no matter how heart-breaking it was, made me want to improve and come back better than ever.

RF: Can you take us right back to your first show? How hard was it to get ready for that?

HJ: For my first show, I didn’t know what I was doing and just hearing about the process I had to go through made me rethink the whole thing. I

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mean tanning ...I am dark-skinned.

The thought of making myself darker on purpose confused me. Even now, I refuse to look at pictures from my first show - I didn’t know how to smile or open my lats... It was a real mess.

RF: Now, fast forward to your most recent competition. What was the single most important thing that you learned?

HJ: After this last CAC (2014), the single most important thing I learned was just how my body works. My coach put me through like four different meal plans and two different approaches to

getting me ready for competitions and at CAC I was the fullest, most vascular and leanest I have ever been.

The nitty gritty RF: Top 3 favourite exercises and why?

HJ: My top three exercises will always change based on what I need to work on most. So, my first year, I noticed my back was really under-developed so my favourite day was back day.

Now my coach and I want to focus on getting a fuller chest, so my favourite day and exercises deal with the chest.

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RF: What is your favourite and least favourite body part to train?

Hafid’s competition meal plan Meal 1 - egg whites and whole grain rice Meal 2 - chicken breast and sweet potato Meal 3 (post workout) - two pieces of tilapia and white rice Meal 4 - tilapia and broccoli Meal 5 - tilapia and broccoli Meal 6 - salmon and broccoli Meal 7 - 95% lean ground sirloin and spinach Meal 8 - casein protein shake

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HJ: My favourite body parts to train currently are chest - because I want to improve on it - and legs. It might just be the basketball player in me but I love leg day. And honestly, I can’t think of a least favourite.

RF: How do you split up your training sessions?

HJ: I can’t really answer. I do what my coach says, which can change as the season goes on. But we usually hit a different body part every day, MondayFriday.

RF: What kind of cardio is most effective for you?

HJ: When it comes to cardio, I believe in doing a mix of steady state cardio and High Intense Interval Training (HIIT). So

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after my workouts, I always do steady state and about three times a week I do HIIT sessions.

RF: Do you train outside of the gym?

HJ: I train outdoors only during cutting season, when my coach would have me do hill sprints until failure. We would do this every Saturday until conditioning is where he wants it.

RF: Harder part of contest prep: dieting or training?

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HJ: The harder part of contest prep for me will always be cardio. I love to cook and enjoy the challenge of cooking healthy food with taste. Lifting weights is hard but once you get into it it’s easy to push through, but cardio can be long and boring. But with my music and headphones I am able to do it.

RF: Speaking of food, what is your favourite cheat meal?

HJ: My favourite cheat meal has to be any pastry made by my good friend, Kara. Or any cheesecake that the local cheesecake scientist, Monica, thinks up.

Learning... and teaching RF: Who are the bodybuilders / fitness competitors you look up to internationally and locally?

HJ: Two international bodybuilders I admire would be Jeremy Buendia and Sadik Hadzovic. They are two Physique competitors that I believe define what Physique should be. But when it comes to the bodybuilder I look up to and whose example I follow, it would have to be my coach, CM. He is the one who changed me from a

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HAFID’S BACK WORKOUT “My routine changes based on how close I am to a competition or if we (my coach and I) are trying something different. So my back day now is done as a circuit: Reverse grip lat pull down Behind the head pull downs Single arm rows Bend over rows Cable rows This is done 3 times for 12 reps - increasing the weight after each set.”

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guy who lifted weights and made me live the real bodybuilder lifestyle.

RF: If you had to speak to a younger you what would you tell him about your sport?

HJ: If I could speak to a younger version of me I would tell myself to get growing!

Bodybuilding is a time sport… the earlier you start and have the proper knowledge, the better.

RF: What is your current take on the sport? And what changes would you like to see, if any?

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HJ: I truly enjoy the whole bodybuilding lifestyle. I’m the type of person that loves learning and being challenged mentally and physically to better myself, so it suits me perfectly. Competitions are a little different. I do enjoy competing but I don’t go to the extremes I hear about from other athletes to get on stage. From cutting out carbs completely for months, injections and I have even seen ab implants. This takes away from the healthy aspect of the sport and moves more towards the mentality of ‘I just want to look good, which only gives bodybuilding a bad representation to the general public.

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RF: What’s the biggest misconception people have about it?

HJ: There are a lot of misconceptions about bodybuilding - so many that it is really hard to pick what I think the biggest is. I can say one of the most annoying ones is that a woman who lifts weights and is fit looks like a man. When you see [female athletes] on stage they are dry, with really low body fat to best show their muscles. They do not look like that all year long. That same woman you see on stage is the same woman revered by others when she is out wearing certain clothes or on the beach. A woman who squats is a BEAUTIFUL thing!

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Looking ahead RF: What are your goals for your fitness career and will we see you back on stage soon?

HJ: When it comes to my goals, I know achieving my Pro Card as an IFBB competitor is one major one. But honestly, I am not that type of person that can plan long term... I work hard and smart, stay focused and capitalize on positive opportunities that arise. I know I still have a lot of room to improve so I will be taking time off to focus on growing in the hopes of competing again for our local Night of Champions competition in August 2015.

RF: Do you have any shout-outs to fans, friends or loyal supporters?

HJ: Have to give a shout out to my amazing support team of my coach Carmichael Bryan, as well as his Body on Fire team and Positive Results gym; my brother, Shae James, and my good friend, Kara Simmons, who have both had more faith in me then I have had in myself at times; also to my real friends for being understanding when I go missing for most of the year to train and/or am unable to take trips to go see them.

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PROFILE

SARA

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WOMEN’S PHYSIQUE IFBB PRO

AH-AUDE SALBOT Photography by Raymond Catan and Joel Asselin

F

or me, bodybuilding is a spiritual discipline

that allows me to explore my own limits, accept them and seek an even greater power that allows me to accept difficulties, frustration, pain, doubts. And for me, this power is faith.

Journey to my IFBB Pro Card

category. It’s actually very funny, because, at the time, I was less muscular...

I have been training for bodybuilding for 6 years but, before that, I did other sports such as rhythmic gymnastics, athletics, volleyball, dancing, Thai boxing and capoeira, to name a few.

I’ve almost always played a sport, except from age 18 to 23, when I gained 20kg and weighed 70kg.

My best moment, though, has been winning the French National because I was able to share it with my partner at the time.

There were so many obstacles in my life related to my ex federation... finances... personal relationships... a general instability. These all started to take a toll on me... Really, my victory [at CAC 2014, Women’s Physique] is a big miracle for me. I could not have won without divine help! Sport saved my life.

Show time I remember my first competition (Morne-à-l’eau Open in Guadeloupe). I was excited! I thought of it as a game!

I decided to enter my first competition at the start of 2014 because I had changed jobs to become a sports coach and I was doing some training on sports nutrition. I wanted to have the competition experience in order to better understand how the human body works. And I really threw myself into it, because I already had the competitive spirit. Previously, when I was part of a natural bodybuilding federation, I competed in the ‘bodybuilding’

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All change I agree with the move to stop Women’s Bodybuilding. That decision hasn’t affected the way I train because I’m only in my first year of competition.

But I’m very happy about it! I think that category required too many sacrifices on the part of female athletes. That was like an unhealthy torture.

I would like to see competitors being a bit more humble and trying to improve the image and understanding of our sport among the public. Many people still have a negative image of our sport.

It’s very misunderstood. People are fascinated by it and fearful of it at the same time.

For instance, people assume that athletes inject themselves to get muscular. That drives me crazy. At the moment, I’m completely natural. I won CAC while being 100% natural – that’s my greatest victory!

Gym Talk RF: How do you maintain your fitness during the off season?

SS: I don’t allow myself to gain more than 5kg and I train almost all year round. I’m strict with my diet during the week and on weekends I give myself a little break.

RF: What are your favourite exercises?

SS: Absolutely all of the glutes exercises!

RF: Which is your favourite and least favourite body part to train?

SS: Favourite: back, because I need to develop it. Least favourite: legs!!!

RF: What’s in your gym bag?

SS: I have two bags... one for training – 2 towels, a change of sports clothes, beauty products, training gloves, my MP3, my laptop, anti pain patches ...

The second bag holds my supplements, food and water.

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Eat to grow “When it comes to food preparation, I’m very organized. I cook all of my meals on weekends and if I have to travel, I also plan ahead.”

Calorie intake: “For a competition: 1100 kcal approximately I don’t have an offseason diet. I start dieting 8 weeks before a competition. In an effort to limit my weight gain during the off season, I try to keep my diet clean. Beyond that, I only need to stay strong because it can become very challenging.”

Sarah-Aude’s Competition Diet Meal 1 : Egg omelette Meal 2 : Protein shake with an apple Meal 3 : Chicken – rice – green food Meal 4 : Protein shake Meal 5 : Chicken – green food Favourite cheat meal: Caribbean meals with rice

In her lunch box: Rice Asparagus Chicken

TRAINING LEGS

Fish Eggs

Leg extension: 3x15 Her supplement stack: - protein (powder) - creatine - BCAA - glutamine

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Squat: 3x15

Sarah-Aude’s split Monday: pecs, arms Tuesday: legs

Press: 3x15

Wednesday: back

Ischio: 3x15

Thursday: shoulders, arms

Gluts: 2 exercices 3x15 hard weight and many core!

Friday: pecs

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Saturday: legs in circuit Sunday: OFF

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STATS Sarah-Aude Salbot Age:

34

Height:

156cm

Off season weight:

53 kg

Competition weight:

48 kg Competition class: Physique Competition History: October 2014 : IFBB CAC Championship : Physique Class – 1st place and Pro Card June 2014 : European Championship : 52kg Class – 2nd place May 2014 : French Nationals (Championnat de France) : 52kg Class – 1st place April 2014 : Guadeloupe Nationals (Championnat de la Guadeloupe) : 52kg Class – 1st place February 2014 : Morne-à-l’eau Open (Guadeloupe): Novice – 2nd place

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INFLUENCES RF: Who are the bodybuilders / fitness competitors that you look up to internationally and locally?

SS: Dana Linn shoulders !!

Bailey!!

Love

her

FUTURE GOALS RF: Which show are you planning to make your first Pro competition?

SS: I really don’t know for now. New York Pro maybe...

THANK YOUs RF: Any shout-outs?

I want to thank my friends and fans for their support and understanding.

When I’m preparing [for competition], I do not get out much and I do not see my friends a lot. I thank them for understanding my passion and my way of life. I love them with all my heart.

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