The science is in: Exercise isn’t the best way to lose weight
The science is in: Exercise isn’t the best way to lose weight.
1/19/2017
Best Home Workout Programs
It's little wonder so many people resolve each year to lose weight, eat better, get stronger and treat their bodies better. When you're healthy, you feel better, look better, and are all around more happy.
6:-Ways Masturbation Kills Gains. (hard work)
6: Ways Masturbation Kills Gains
#1 – Masturbation is Catabolic
#2 – Masturbation Lowers Testosterone
#3 – You Have No Energy After Fapping
#4 – Loss of Muscle Glycogen
#5 – One Arm Bigger Than the Other
#1 – Masturbation is Catabolic
#2 – Masturbation Lowers Testosterone
#3 – You Have No Energy After Fapping
#4 – Loss of Muscle Glycogen
#5 – One Arm Bigger Than the Other
#6 – Procrasturbation
11/22/2016
How to choose your exercises?
Exercise Tips
You will find in this section tips on weight training exercises. They will help you perfect your technique and optimize the structure of your training program. Find out which exercises are most effective for you, the different variants with their advantages and disadvantages, and advanced techniques for rapid progress
How to choose your exercises
You will find in this section tips on weight training exercises. They will help you perfect your technique and optimize the structure of your training program. Find out which exercises are most effective for you, the different variants with their advantages and disadvantages, and advanced techniques for rapid progress
How to choose your exercises
Bodybuilding is a discipline that includes many movements. Yet, a program can not contain all of them. At some point, you have to make choices and select the ones you are going to practice. However, how to make that choice? This is not an easy task, especially for a beginner, and sometimes even for a confirmed practitioner. Here is an explanation on how to choose your exercises
A personal choice
The first thing to understand, before making a choice of exercises and building a bodybuilding program, is that each person is different. The body of some is large, medium, small, but the difference does not stop there. For each has a length of arms, legs, and busts, different. Shoulder width is also personal. In short, each morphology is unique. Therefore, the choice of exercises must be individual. It is not a question of resuming the ready-made program of a friend or the one found in a magazine. For, some of these exercises will go to you, but others much less
To understand this concept, here are two concrete examples. The first is that of pumps. It is a basic exercise and is generally recommended to everyone. However, it should be noted that not all practitioners are equal to this movement. It is very simple, if you have short arms, you will have more ease to perform the exercise, on equal weight, than a person who has longer arms. Indeed, you will have less distance to go to the ground
The second example is that of squats. This time, the difference is in the length of the legs. If you have long thighs, you will have much more to lean forward than if you have short thighs, all to keep the balance. This results in a greater danger for your back
Special exercises
If you have to choose the exercises according to your morphology, you must also select them according to your objectives. Indeed, each movement has advantages and disadvantages. In addition, they require certain muscles rather than others. It is therefore necessary to keep your objective in mind and to direct you towards the most advantageous exercises to accomplish this one, and whose disadvantages will hinder you the least
Each exercise is unique, but there is a distinction that already makes it possible to classify them into two groups, the basic exercises and the insulation exercises. The basic exercises involve several joints at the same time and therefore many muscles. This is the case with the squat, for example. They allow a strong muscle load in a short time and lift heavy. However, they are tiring and they do not necessarily put a muscle at the center of priorities. Now, according to the morphologies, certain muscles can take precedence over the others. For example, on pumps, some practitioners will especially feel their triceps work and the pectorals will take less effort. For others, it will be the reverse
Isolation exercises are those that require only one joint. Fewer muscles are involved and these exercises are less effective in developing muscle mass. However, they require less energy and it is possible to target particular muscles
9/20/2016
Natural Bodybuilding Tracking Quickly Builds Muscle
Natural bodybuilding precision is a technique that is sure to maximize muscle gain in the shortest possible time. Some natural bodybuilders even see the results of steroid users by paying very close attention to their training precision. If you are a natural bodybuilder, and want huge results, now is the time to start paying attention to the word precision
In natural bodybuilding, there leaves very little room for training error. Natural training with precision is crucial for significant muscle achievement. Let's face it, a steroid induced bodybuilder is granted a greater margin of error in training, and nutrition. Steroids aid bodybuilders in recovering faster, and can support longer, more intense bodybuilding training sessions. This enables bodybuilders the liberty to train and eat with less precision, and still reap fantastic muscle development. However, natural bodybuilding athletes must pay very close attention to detail in order to benefit from great muscle building results. Witnessing excellent bodybuilding results can be the difference between performing too many training sets, and not enough intensity
You most likely ask how you can determine if your natural bodybuilding routine is precisely what it should be in order to achieve massive, steroid-free results. Are you working out with the precise amount of training sets per body part? How about the reps, or rest days between workouts? Is your training intensity significant enough to illicit a natural bodybuilding response?
There is an easy way to find out! If you learn only one thing from this natural bodybuilding article, please let this next tip be it. To determine if your training program is the most effective natural bodybuilding routine, pay close attention to detail by recording, and tracking your bodybuilding workouts
Being a drug free bodybuilder, and knowing what your numbers are at all times, is being an intelligent bodybuilder. Can you imagine not tracking your checking account balance? What a silly question! Not closely tracking your bodybuilding progress is considered just as silly. Besides overtraining, lack of tracking your progress is the biggest mistake fellow bodybuilders are making
How can you train with maximum effort and efficiency to improve your musculature if you don't know really where your numbers are? Remember, developing natural muscle is much more challenging, but a sense of precision is gained when you track your progress. Without bodybuilding workout precision, it is like driving a car in a strange place blindfolded
The results of tracking can assist your natural bodybuilding efforts by making the whole story visible. Tracking will help determine if the amount of rest days between workouts are optimal or not. If your strength is improving with each and every workout, you are getting the precise amount of rest needed for optimal growth. If it is not, your rest days are not optimal. Therefore, tracking can direct your muscle building workouts into a precise science
As soon as your natural bodybuilding log reveals a few training sessions that show no gains or decreasing strength, you are most certainly overtraining. Training more than is necessary is the worst enemy for any natural bodybuilder. Just remember, your body won't be able to recover from the training stress as rapidly as a steroid induced bodybuilder can. Therefore, if you try to duplicate a steroid aided training program, you will be dead in the water. Your natural muscle building results will definitely suffer. Once again, focusing on a specific program for you, and you only, is a key point to remember. Consider your training log the key to all the information necessary for significant natural bodybuilding gains
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/292306
9/18/2016
Top 10 Ways to Gauge Your Fitness
It may be difficult to measure your fitness level if you wish to understand how healthy you are, or if you are starting a new workout regimen. Everyone's fitness level is different, and are personally based on factors in a few different categories including aerobic fitness, muscular fitness, flexibility and body composition. Fitness is more than how fast or long you can run, how much weight you can lift or what your body looks like in a bathing suit. If you want to know how healthy and fit your body is, try assessing your fitness level with these tests
Resting Heart Rate (RHR)- Your resting heart rate can be a good, simple indication of your overall fitness level. The number of times your heart beats each minute, asses your aerobic fitness capacity. When your body is at rest and relaxed, count the number of heart beats you feel in a 60 second time period. A lower RHR corresponds to a stronger cardiovascular system and higher aerobic fitness level
Mile Run (or brisk walk)- This test indicates the level your cardiovascular fitness is at. Using a flat and measurable route, see how long it takes you to complete 1 mile running, or if you have to, walking quickly. If you don't get winded or dizzy you are in a good fitness position; if you do, you need to work on improving your cardiovascular fitness. Ideally, you should be able to complete one mile in 9 minutes or less
Push Ups- Push ups are a great exercise for overall fitness, and can be a good indicator of upper body strength and endurance levels. There are many people that have trouble performing even one proper push-up. This exercise involves the shoulders, chest, triceps, abdominals and some legs, and are a great way to asses your upper body fitness. See how many you can do in row; women should aim for 12 and men should aim for 20
Wall Sit- This exercise is used to asses lower body and leg strength and endurance. "Sitting" in an invisible chair with your back up against a wall for as long as possible, is a good way to gauge your lower body fitness, as well as the endurance in your leg muscles. With your knees at a right angle, breathe freely while seeing how long you can hold the position
Flexibility- Fitness is also a measure of how flexible your body is. To asses flexibility, sit on the floor with your legs stretched out, and then try to reach and touch your toes. If you can't touch your toes this does not mean you are not fit, many people can't reach this far. However, you definitely need to work on this area of fitness if you can't reach much further than your knees. Flexibility is important to overall health, so work on stretching each day to improve flexibility and fitness
Balance- Like flexibility, balance is also an important factor in good fitness. An overall healthy body relies heavily on being well balanced, and the risk or injury and broken bones from falls increases drastically with age. To asses your fitness level in this area, try standing on one foot with your arms at your sides for a period of one minute. If you feel as if you may fall, stand close to a wall, table or chair. Work on improving fitness levels in balance, try practicing exercises that focus on and promote good balance like yoga or Pilates
Plank- This is a great exercise to asses your core strength and stability. Your fitness level relies on those deep, stabilizing muscles that are in the trunk of your body. Your core strength and fitness can be assessed by practicing holding the plank position for as long as you can. Proper planks are held with the forearms on the floor, toes curled under, and your back straight and parallel to the floor. Doing this exercise each day will increase core muscles and overall fitness
Vertical Jump- As kids, this part of our fitness level was certainly up to par, and used often. However, when you get older it is a much looked over part of overall health that can indicate the power exertion your body possesses as well as the power in your muscle fibers. See how high you can jump with markings on a wall or a 2-foot tall box
Waist to Hip Ratio- This fitness test is used to asses body fat distribution. The waist to hip ratio indicates the proportion of fat stored around the waist compared to hip girth. Those who hold more weight in their midsection as belly fat, are more likely to experience health problems like heart disease and diabetes, as well as a lower fitness level. To calculate your waist to hip ratio, measure the circumference of the widest part of your hips, and smallest part of your waist. Then divide the waist measurement by the measurement of your hips. For women, a healthy ratio is less than .8, and for men it's less than .9
Burpees- This full body exercise is a good way to indicate your fitness level if you can do even a few in a row. A burpee is an intense workout that challenges your muscular fitness, cardiovascular fitness, endurance and body power. Perform as many as possible in one minute to really test and push your fitness level
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7301973
Mental Fitness: The Missing Link for Wellness
Recently, we experienced another tragic event: a mass stabbing at a Pittsburg-area high school. Just one week prior it was yet another mass shooting at Fort Hood. And before that a long line of devastating and preventable tragedies of the kind that are seemingly becoming more common by the day. The Navy Yard, Aurora, Newtown, Virginia Tech, Columbine: once names that simply brought to mind placid locations across our great nation that, sadly now, conjure devastating memories of unspeakable heartbreak
In the midst of all of this, a national dialogue has again begun to emerge. It's one that, given the questionable mental stability of a great many of the shooters in these events, involves discussions revolving around our nation's attitudes and policies regarding mental health
~ Are we doing enough to treat the mentally ill?
~ How can we better screen people for mental illness?
~ How can we keep guns out of the hands of those with histories of mental instability?
And so on...
But here's a question I've yet to hear: "What can we do to prevent mental illness to begin with?"
Seems logical. And truthfully, if we were dealing with an epidemic of flu, obesity, or some other physical malady, prevention would be at the top of this list. But strangely, our culture's attitudes and habits pertaining to mental health differ significantly from those toward physical health
Consider this
In the realm of the physical, it's universally recognized (albeit not always practiced), that if you want a healthy body, you've got to do preventative maintenance: brush your teeth, eat reasonably healthy food, exercise, get enough rest. Day in and day out we engage in a host of chores designed to help enhance the well-being and longevity of our physical selves
In other words, we understand that physical fitness is a precursor to physical health. Yet, in matters pertaining to our mental and emotional selves, we find a different story
Developing habits to nourish and exercise our mental and emotional selves is not something regularly considered by most Americans. On the contrary, most of our effort aimed at attending to our mental and emotional needs are more about coddling than fitness. Feeling stressed? Grab a beer with friends. Sadness got you down? Go see the latest blockbuster movie. Anxious about work? How about a round of golf?
Rather than increasing our mental capacity, we medicate ourselves. We engage in activities to make us feel better in the short run, but without really addressing the root problem which revolves around an insufficient ability to absorb and cope with life's difficulties. It's like addressing your weight gain by removing all the mirrors in the house. Sure it may make you temporarily feel better, but what does it do to solve the problem?
The truth is it's an approach that all too often produces what can only be described as free-range, feral minds
Mental Fitness Defined
To be clear, in this context Mental Fitness does not refer to the development of knowledge or even mental acuity. This is an important point. Many of the mental activities we undertake to develop our minds have very little to do with Mental Fitness, as referred to here. Examples of activities that DON'T dramatically increase our Mental Fitness levels include
~ Digesting data as part of the learning process
~ Exercising one's cognitive facility to make the mind more nimble
~ Participating in activities that soothe and nurture the agitated mind and emotions
This is not to say that these activities aren't worthy and valuable, for they obviously are vital in our development as productive and happy human beings. Even so, for the most part, they are not helping to increase our ability to synthesize a relatively ease-filled experience in the most challenging of circumstances. And cultivating that ease-filled experience is heart of Mental Fitness
The key to the understanding Mental Fitness is the notion of capacity. Mental Fitness is the measure of one's capacity to weather life's challenges without being thrown unduly off balance. It's the capacity to withstand a layoff, to bear a health diagnosis, or to endure a financial challenge with grace, élan, and a sense of confident calm
We all know people like this, who never seem to be ruffled. A layoff? No problem. IRS audit? Fine. A traffic accident? No biggie. While everyone around them is sent into tailspins, these folks stay calm, cool, and collected no matter what life throws at them. So what is it about these people that makes them so well-equipped to cope artfully with life's challenges?
You guessed it: they have a level of Mental Fitness that allows them to artfully ride out such things. The greater your Mental Fitness level, the greater your mental and emotional capacity, and the greater your capacity for living happily-despite the curve balls life throws your way
Clearly, this immunity to being buffeted by life's ups and downs seems to be more naturally developed in some people than others. And it's true, some people seem to be born with a natural ability to artfully weather life's challenges-that is to say, they are endowed with a higher than average Mental Fitness level. But-and this is crucial-this in no way is to say that one's Mental Fitness level is fixed
Again, we can take clues from the physical realm. For the same is true of our innate physical fitness levels. Some of us are natural born athletes, others are anything but. Despite the fact that we humans come in shapes and sizes and physical abilities, no matter what one's natural level of physical fitness is, we ALL can benefit from exercising our physical selves-and improve our physical fitness and live healthier, happier lives
And so it goes with Mental Fitness
This means that we are not victims of our natural level of mental fitness, nor of our circumstances. Remember, the greater our Mental Fitness, the easier we can remain undisturbed by the inevitable difficulties that life throws our way. So it paves the way for more happiness and contentment-in good times and bad
And just as importantly, developing ourselves in this regard can serve as an important component in the health of our communities. Physical fitness aids to stave off physical illness. Mental Fitness aids to stave off mental illness. It's a simple means to enhance the well-being of us all
With this understanding, the problem becomes one of increasing our Mental Fitness - our capacity to remain mentally and emotionally undisturbed in more and varied circumstances, especially in situations that have historically thrown us off balance
How do I increase my Mental Fitness?
So, this all begs the question: "How do we increase our Mental Fitness level?" Surprisingly, it's more simple and straightforward than you might think, and truly is not all that different from the way we build more physical fitness!
Think about it. To build our physical capacity, for example your capacity to lift weight, you physically challenge yourself. To lift more weight, you need to lift more weight. Strength builds as you deliberately lift just a bit more weight than you're comfortable with. If you can easily lift 80 pounds, lift 85; once you can lift 85 without difficulty, move up to 90; and so on. You're expanding your capacity for weight lifting by always lifting just a bit more than is comfortable and by staying with the burn
The same principle applies when you're working to expand your mental and emotional capacity. Here, too, the invitation remains the same: do a bit more than is comfortable and stay with the burn. But for the expansion of our mental and emotional capacity, rather than needing physical weight to provide the resistance needed for growth, we need difficulty or challenge
Here's the thing: life's challenges, the ones that typically throw us into a tizzy, are for our Mental Fitness, like the weight is to our physical fitness. They are challenges that can be used to increase our capacity to calmly weather life's challenges-but only if we see the opportunities for what they are
I confess. There is much more nuance to effectively increasing our Mental Fitness levels than is presented in this simplistic explanation. Nevertheless, the premise remains sound. And this I know from experience
You see, helping people cultivate optimum mental and emotional fitness is my life's work. Over the years I've seen thousands upon thousands of people forge lives of great equanimity and fulfillment even amidst torrents of disappointment and challenges. My chosen tools are drawn from the ancient wisdom of yoga (tapping the lesser-known mental and emotional aspects of the practice beyond mere yoga postures and breath), but that is not to say these are the only tools that can be used to this end
Is this orientation toward Mental Fitness a silver bullet? Will it end mental illness and completely stave off future killings and other such tragedies? Not by a long shot. For the truth is that Mental Fitness can't completely eradicate mental illness any more than physical fitness can totally end physical illness
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8475241
Fitness Equipment Glossary
There are dozens and dozens of different type of fitness equipment out
there so keeping track of them can be quite the task, even for an
expert. The constantly influx of new type of innovations and equipment
also do not help and can intimidate newcomers to the fitness world. We
have compiled a list of the most common terms regarding fitness
equipment and break them down to simple to understand, non-jargon
explanations. We have also detailed which body part the equipment
targets, if applicable. If words like ergometer, P80 console and smith
machine baffle you, this list will be your friend. We have gathered up
all the fitness equipment names that we could find and we are constantly
adding to this list
Ab Bench
Category: Strength
Body Parts Targeted: abdominals
An ab bench is a fitness bench that is generally at a decline, usually with padded leg rollers to hook your legs or foot around to perform a crunch or sit-up. There are also adjustable versions of these where you can perform different exercises on
Adjustable Bench
Category: Strength
Body Parts Targeted: N/A
Similar to a flat bench, but they are adjustable to either become a flat bench, an incline bench or a decline bench
AMT
An abbreviation for the Precor AMT (Adaptive Motion Trainer) which is an all-in-one elliptical machine. It is able to change strides and adapt to the user without any manual adjustments
Arc Trainer
Category: Cardio
Body Parts Targeted: hamstrings, quadriceps, gluteus maximus, core (if it includes upper body: triceps, biceps, back)
A cardio machine created by Cybex that closely resembles an elliptical, but the independent floating pedal mechanism further reduces impact on your lower joints
Assisted Chin Dip
Category: Strength
Body Parts Targeted: triceps, deltoids, pectorals, abdominals, biceps
An assisted chin dip machine is a tower with two protruding rods. Some machines will have the user either kneel or stand on a weighted platform. The user starts with their arms at a 90 degree angle and extends their arms to perform the exercise
Crosstrainer
See entry for elliptical
Curl Bench
Category: Strength
Body Parts Targeted: N/A
Also sometimes called a preacher curl. This bench resembles a seat with a padded section in front. The user places their arm over the padded section of the bench and can perform curls with proper form
Cybex
One of the leading manufacturers of fitness equipment. They mainly specialize in producing strength equipment with over 150 unique pieces. Cybex is also known for their innovative Arc Trainer cardio machines
Decline Bench
Category: Strength
Body Parts Targeted: N/A
A weight bench where the user's legs are higher than their head. It is used for bench presses that target the lower portion of the chest
Elliptical
Category: Cardio
Body Parts Targeted: hamstrings, quadriceps, gluteus maximus, core (if it includes upper body: triceps, biceps, back)
An elliptical is a stationary cardio machine that simulates running or climbing. Users stand on pedals which allows for a low impact workout. Some elliptical also have movable arms which will also allow for an additional upper body workout. Also sometimes referred to as an elliptical crosstrainer or a crosstrainer
Flat Bench
Category: Strength
Body Parts Targeted: N/A
A flat bench is designed for users to lie flat on top of. It is designed to support users while they are performing bench presses
FreeMotion Fitness
A fitness equipment manufacturer that produces both strength and cardio equipment. They are best known for their FreeMotion Functional Trainer, which uses pulleys and cables to allow a more dynamic range of motion
Functional Trainer
Category: Strength
Body Parts Targeted: Entire body
Functional trainers are all-in-one fitness machines that usually look like one large tower. Many of them utilize cables or pulleys in order to accommodate a wide variety of different exercises. Functional trainers target upper body, lower body and the core. The type of exercise varies depending on the model
Hoist Fitness
Hoist Fitness is a San Diego based company that produces strength-training and indoor cycling products for commercial and home markets
Incline Bench
Category: Strength
Body Parts Targeted: N/A
A weight bench where the user's head is higher than their legs. Generally used in bench presses and curls
Incline Press
Category: Strength
Body Parts Targeted: pectorals (upper chest), deltoids, triceps
The incline press machine is a weight machine that consists of a seat with two handles located in front of the user that are attached to weights. The user extends their arms and slowly brings them back to starting position to complete a repetition
How to Make It As a Fitness Mode
So You Wanna Be a Fitness Model?
People that follow my
stuff know I generally write about nutrition, supplements, training, and
other topics that are more science based than subjective topics, such
as what is covered in this article. I decided to shuck my science geek
persona, and write on a topic I know will be helpful to thousands of
would be and want to be fitness models
As well a known "hard
core" science based no BS writer, why I am writing what some will
perceive as a "fluff" article? Over the years I have gotten hundreds,
perhaps thousands, of gals that ask me via email, letters, or in person
"how do I become a fitness model Will? You have been in the business a
long time, surly you of all people should know." I get this from newbies
and I get this from women that have been at it a while but have been
unable to "break in" effectively
The fact is, I have been in the
fitness, health, and bodybuilding biz a long time, and though I am known
as a science and nutrition based "guru" type, I have trained many a
fitness athlete, and judged fitness and figure/bikini shows for the NPC,
Fitness America, Fitness USA, and other federations as well as given
marketing and business advice to all sorts of athletes, including
fitness models. So, it's not as far fetched as it might seem that I am
going to use this space to cover a non scientific topic, which is, how
one goes about being a fitness model
This article will be useful
to both experienced and novice types looking to "break in" to the biz.
If you are already a professional and successful fitness model, I am
sure you may still glean some useful information from this article
First
the bad news, there is no one way to become a successful fitness model.
There is no single path or magic secret. There are however some key
things a person can do to greatly improve their chances of "making it"
in the fitness biz as a model, and perhaps using that success as a
launching pad to greater things, such as movies, TV, etc
Several
of the top fitness models (Trish Stratus and Vicki Pratt come to mind
but there are many others) have gone onto careers in entertainment of
all kinds. Bottom line, though there is no magic secret to being
successful as a fitness model, this article will be about as close to a
blueprint for success as you will find
"Do I need to compete?"
This
is a question I get asked all the time and it's not an easy one to
answer. In fact, the answer is (drum roll) yes and no. The person has to
deicide why they are competing in the first place to answer that
question. For example, do you need to compete if your goal is to be a
successful fitness model?
The answer is no. Many of today's
well-known fitness models have never competed, or they competed in a few
small shows and it was clearly not part of their success as fitness
models. However, competing does have its potential uses
One of
them is exposure. At the upper level shows, there will often be editors,
publishers, photographers, supplement company owners, and other
business people. So, competing can improve your exposure. Also,
competing can make sense if you are trying to build a business that is
related to your competing or will benefit from you winning a show
For
example, say you have a private training gym you are trying to build.
Sure, having the title of say Ms Fitness America, or winning the NPC
Nationals and being an IFBB pro, will help your reputation and the
notoriety of your business. There are many scenarios were it would help
to have won a show for a business or other endeavors
On the other
hand, it must be realized that winning a show does not in any way
guarantee success in the business end (and it really is a business) of
being a fitness model. The phone wont ring off the hook with big offers
for contracts. Also, it's very important to realize that it's common
that the 4th or 6th or 8th place finisher in a fitness or figure show
will get more press than the winner. Why? Though the winner might have
what it took to win that show, it's often other gals the editor,
publishers, supplement companies etc, feel is more marketable
I
have seen it many times where the winner was shocked to find she didn't
get nearly the attention she expected and other girls who placed lower
have gotten attention in the form of photos shoots, magazine coverage,
etc. Something to keep in mind when you ask yourself the important
question "do I need to compete and if so, why am I competing?" Answer
that question, and you will know the answer to the heading of this
section. Winning a title of some sort can be a stepping stone, but it is
not in itself any guarantee of success in the fitness industry. It's
like a college degree; it's what you do with it
Now. If you
compete for the fun of it, then by all means go for it, but the above is
focusing on competing as it relates to the business aspect of being a
fitness model
Right body, wrong federation?
Ok, so after
reading the above you have decided you are going to compete, or will
compete again. If you don't plan to compete, you can skip this section.
The biggest mistake I see here is so many gals have the right body for
the wrong federation. Each federation has its own judging criteria and a
competitor will do poorly simply because they didn't bother to research
which show would be best suited for them
I will give you a
perfect real world example of this. Recently I judged a show whose
criteria for the figure round was the women should be more on the curvy
softer side with some tone, vs. being more muscular and athletic with
less bodyfat that other federations might allow. At this show one of the
most beautiful women I have ever seen came out. She was very
proportional, great muscle tone, lean, and athletically shaped with
narrow hips and waist and wider shoulders. How did she do at this show?
She didn't even place in the top ten!
Why? Because she was not
what we were instructed to look for and didn't fit the criteria. After
the show I informed her that she looked great, but this may not the
federation for her. I told her she had much more of an NPC type body,
where a little more muscle, athletic build, and less bodyfat is
rewarded
The following week I was judging an NPC fitness, figure,
and bodybuilding show and there she was. How did she do? She won the
entire show with all judges voting her number one unanimously
Conversely,
if your body type tends to be more rounded and toned, but with a little
more bodyfat, wider (but not fat!) hips, you may be better off
competing in say the Fitness America Pageants. If you are going to
compete:
(1) find out exactly what the judging criteria is for that federation and
(2)
go see those shows as a spectator for several different federations and
see which one your physique, style, etc will fit into best
(3)
You have to decide if you truly have the athletic abilities to compete
in a fitness competition (which requires a routine) or a figure/bikini
competition
I often see women who would do well in a figure show
but really don't have the athletic abilities do the routines required to
be competitive with other athletes in the show. Some shows will allow
you to do both competitions and some wont
Networking 101: dos and don'ts...
In
so many respects, this is the area that will make or break you in any
business, and yet, people in the fitness industry do an amazingly poor
job at it. If you don't network and market yourself properly, you can
pretty much forget about having any real success as a fitness model, or a
success in virtually any business. For the sake of space, we will stick
to fitness
When I first started out, I was a self marketing
machine. I could be found at every show I thought might be an
opportunity, walking the isles of trade shows, bodybuilding, shows,
fitness show, and others. I gave out a zillion cards and I took a
million home with me, and followed up on each and every one. I went to
as many industry related meetings, outings, parties, etc. as I could get
into. I now have the reputation and experience in the industry that I
don't have to go to such a show unless I feel like it, or have meetings,
but they were quite helpful in the beginning
I am always amazed
at the number of fitness models who contact me who have never even been
to the Arnold Classic Fitness Weekend, or the Mr. Olympia, or the trade
shows like the NNFA Expo West and others. If you want to make it in the
fitness business you sure as hell had better treat it like a business
I
have seen many a pretty girl who wants to be a fitness model who thinks
if they stand there looking pretty long enough, someone is going to
offer to put their face on the cover of a magazine. News flash, there
are millions of beautiful women out there and to be noticed, you have to
hussle to get that business like everyone else by networking your butt
off, or having a good agent (if you can afford such a thing) who is
doing it for you
Pick a few major industry shows to attend (some
of which were mentioned above) and go to them every year. Have a plan of
attack of exactly how you plan to market yourself and network. Many
fitness models, bodybuilders, etc see a show as one big party. If that's
you, then have fun at the party, but don't think you are really
marketing yourself as a serous business person or athlete
Another
thing that always amazes me is the number of fitness models who either
have no business cards, or have some cards they printed up on their
bubble jet printer at home! They ask me to help them or what ever and I
say "give me your card" and they look at me like "I am so pretty I
should not need a card you fool." This attitude turns off editors,
photographers, writers, and industry people faster then if they found
out you were really a transvestite. Don't do it. For every pretty girl
out there who thinks the world owes them a favor, there are 100 who are
ready to act like professionals
Ever wonder why some fitness
model you know is doing better than you are even though you know you are
prettier than her? That may be why...never ever go to a show to network
without good cards, bios, and professionally done head and body shots
you can give to said editors, publishers, photographers, industry types,
etc. Don't stand around looking pretty assuming they will find you,
find them first and introduce yourself. And of course it should go
without saying you should be in good condition and have something of a
tan to look your best
You want to go to the shows and party?
Fine, but do it in private after the work is done and don't make a fool
out of yourself at some industry sponsored get together. Hell, I was
virtually poured into a cab at last years Arnold Classic after going to a
sushi place with some well know industry types and companies owners
(you know who you are!) but at least no one saw me! We had our own
little private get together after the show to let loose
Let me
give you one final real world example of how NOT to market yourself.
Last year I was on retainer as a consultant to a mid sized supplement
company. The owner of the company asked me if I knew a couple of fitness
model types that could work his booth for a trade show. In fact, he
requested "unknowns, some new faces people had not seen yet but had real
potential to grow with the company." I went and found him two such gals
I thought fit the bill
He offered to pay their flights, room,
and food plus a thousand dollars each for the days work. The two girls
were told to be at the booth 9am sharp. The night before at the hotel, I
saw the two girls getting in a cab at 11pm or so dressed to kill,
clearly on their way out to party. The next day they showed up at the
booth an hour and a half late and hung over! What was the result of
this? (1) it embarrassed me to no end as I had recommended them to the
company owner (2) they would never get work from that company again (3)
they would never get any work from me again and (4) they would not get a
reference from either of us for other jobs
I see this type of
thing all the time in the fitness biz, and it's not limited to fitness
models. Amazingly, a few weeks after the show they emailed me and the
company owner wanting to know when their next job would be! Amazing
...
...
Who loves you baby?
If
there is one universal truth, it's that the camera either loves you or
it does not. Any professional photographers will tell you this. For some
unknown reason, some people are very photogenic and some are not. Truth
be known, there are some well known fitness models (who shall remain
nameless as they would probably smack me the next time they saw me) who
are not all that attractive in person. It's just that the camera loves
them and they are very photogenic, but not terribly pretty in person
Conversely,
I have seen the reverse many times; a girl who is much better looking
in person than in photographs. Such is the fate of the person who wants
to be a model of any kind, including a fitness model. If you find you
are not very photogenic, keep working with different photographers until
you find one that really captures you well and pay that photographer
handsomely!
Now, to be bluntly honest, there are also some want to
be fitness models who are not "unphotogenic", they're just "fugly"!
There are some people out there who have no business trying to be
fitness models. It does not make them bad people, it just means they
need to snap out of their delusions and find a profession they are
better suited for, like radio personality....
"How do I get in the magazines?"
This
section sort of incorporates everything I have covered above, and adds
in a few additional strategies. For example, as I mentioned before,
competing in fitness shows and or figure/bikini shows can increase your
exposure, thus getting the attention of some magazine publisher or
photographer. Networking correctly at the various trade shows may also
have the same effect, and of course having a good portfolio done by a
photographer that really captures your look, a good web site, etc., will
all increase your potential for getting into the magazines, or getting
ad work, and so on
However, all of these strategies are still
somewhat passive versus active in my opinion. It's still the fitness
model waiting to be "discovered." As far as I am concerned, waiting is
for bus stops and pregnancy tests. Success waits for no man...or woman
as the case me be. So, after all the above advice is taken into
consideration as having an added effect to getting you magazine
coverage,
what else can be done?
what else can be done?
For one thing, you should read
and be familiar with all the magazines you want to be in so you know who
is who and what the style of the different magazines are. I can tell
you right now, if say the Editor-in-Chief of a good sized fitness or
bodybuilding publications and says "hi, I am the Bob Smith what's your
name?" and the fitness model has no idea who Bob Smith is, Bob will not
take kindly to that. Why should he? You should know who the major
players are in the publications you want to be seen in. He is doing you
the favor, not the other way around. You should know who the major
players are and actively seek them out, don't wait for them to
"discover" you
If you look at the masthead inside any magazine,
it will tell you who the publisher is, who the Editor-in-Chief is and so
forth. The mailing address for that magazine, and often the web site
and email, can also be found. What is to stop you from looking up those
names and mailing them your pictures and resume directly? Nothing,
that's what. If you see a photo spread you think is really well done,
what is to stop you from finding out who the photographer is and
contacting them directly and sending them your pics? Nothing, that's
what
My point being, you want a get a break in the business, make
the break, don't sit there thinking it's looking for you, because it's
not. Be proactive, not reactive! Luck is the residue of design. Be
successful by design. As my older brother used to say to me as a kid
when I told him I was too scared to ask out a pretty girl "what's the
worst that can happen Will? All she can say is no." That's the worst
that can happen to you also
Beware of web idiots, schlubs, morons, perverts, scum bags, and sleazoids!
This
part is sort of self-explanatory but worth mentioning. As with all
industries that deal in entertainment based media (e.g., television,
theater, modeling, etc.), the fitness industry attracts its far share of
web idiots, schlubs, morons, perverts, scum bags, and sleazoids, to
name just a few
There is also the class of person known as the
schmoe, but we will leave that for another place and time. Point is you
want to meet the right people while not getting involved with that group
of worthless types who will only drag you down, delay you, or just flat
out screw you up and over
For example, a guy comes up and says
he wants to "shoot you" for the magazines, but what do you really know
of this guy? He has a camera and some business cards, so that makes him a
photographer right? Wrong! If someone want to shoot you and they are
not a well-known name (and you should know who the well known
photographers are because you researched that already!), find out who
they are. Do they have references you can call? Girls you can contact he
has shot before and were happy with the work? What magazines has he
published in? Does he do it professionally or as a hobby? That type of
thing
Another thing I see is the big web scam. I'm amazed how
many girls get scammed by these web idiots. Lesson here is you get what
you pay for, so when some person wants to build you a web site for free,
you are getting what you pay for. Yes, there is good money to be made
on the 'net, and the net can be great for marketing yourself and making
contacts, but most of it's a scam
You are better off paying a
good web designer and web master who has experience with other fitness
model types and has references you can talk to. I can't tell you the
number of girls who have been screwed over by some internet thing that
went to hell, like the "fan" who volunteers to build a free web site and
either runs off with any money made from the site or puts their picks
on porn sites and any number of other things that made them regret like
hell ever agreeing to the site in the first place
Clearly, I
can't go down the list of all the possible pitfalls of the web idiots,
schlubs, morons, perverts, scum bags, and sleazoids out there to be
found in the entertainment business, but you get the idea. Be careful
!
!
Conclusion
Well
that pretty much concludes my down and dirty guide to the basics of
"making it" as a fitness model. Of course there are tons of business
related issues I could cover and tricks I could give, but the above is
the best advice you are going to find in s small space and will do more
for you-if properly followed-than you may realize
Good luck and see you in the magazines!
