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contents JULY / AUGUST 2017

features

48
The Oxygen Challenge 2017
If you really, truly want to transform
your body and your life, it’s time to
take the Challenge.

56
Get a Leg Up
Follow our 12-week plan to leaner,
stronger legs.

64
Carb Cycling for Fat Loss
Break through your diet plateau and
kick your metabolism into overdrive
with this four-week plan.

72
Menopause and the Fit Woman
Regular physical activity is crucial for
women facing menopause. Consider
what physical activity can do for you
— and how to apply fitness tips for
menopause to your daily routine.

76
Eat Right for Your Sport
Tailor your eating to your workout
passion and get maximum results!

78
The 10 Best Bodyweight
Moves — Ever
You already own the greatest gym
machine around: your body.

Cover Photo by Cory Sorensen / Hair and

Makeup by Donna Gast / Jamie’s Top by
Elisabetta Rogiani, Shorts by JPowers by
Rogiani, Shoes by Under Armour / Kaisa’s
Pants and Top by Lululemon / Shoes by Nike
 Don’t
let low
on the cover
28
44
Seriously sculpted. Target your triceps for sexy arms
Fierce body, calm mind. Meditation to crush your goals
calcium
cramp your
style. 36
48 The Oxygen Challenge is back! Get fit in three months
56 12 weeks to leaner legs
64 Kick your metabolism into high gear
76 Foolproof eating for better performance
78 Sleek, sexy & strong. This total-body workout does it all

21
INHALE
Let Oxygen be your
personal trainer.
move
24 The Latest
Up-to-date news in the
world of exercise physiology.
26 Fast Fitness
A plate and an empty space
are all you need to get a
heart-pounding total-body
workout.
28 Form & Function
Tri’s aren’t just for the guys:
Exercise your right to bare
arms with these strength and
power moves.
30 Mobility
Set your upper back free
and enjoy better results
with these T-spine-
targeting mobility drills.
32 Burn
Put the burn on your
lower body with this
stability-ball metcon.
fuel
34 Research Says
We feed your need to
know what to eat.
36 Eat Smart
Quick bites of nutrition
news.
40 One Food, Five Ways
July is National Watermelon
92 Spotlight
New mom Amber Dawn Orton
Month, but here’s another rea-
son why this summer staple
finds new ways to stay fit while
cutting herself some slack.
deserves a place on your plate
all year-round. 94 How She Fuels
For Bikini athlete Sarah Brown,
42 Replenish fitness is a family affair.
Check out our primer on
amino acids and see why
they’re so important. boost
96 Supplements
thrive A look at some of the latest
products.
44 Mind & Body
You exercise your body, but
what about your mind? Check
98
out the range of benefits medi-
tating can have on your body
and your brain.
INSPIRE
Find your inspiration here.

87
32 EXHALE
transform
88 Success Stories
Queing Jones and Sarah
Wallace

fit factor
90 Future of Fitness
We hear from the rising stars
in fitness.

july / august 2017 9

 fit feed

oxygenmag.com
#OXYGENEXHALE 1.
@gymgirl130 Squat form
The 2017 CAN’T GET
What is your fitness
on lock!
Oxygen ENOUGH
inspiration? Whether
2.
@glofitnessx3 Gotta try Challenge OXYGEN?
it’s your favorite this new TRX technique.
Is Here! Sign up for our
workout, a run through
the neighborhood or
3.
@goldaasmith The calm Now that free weekly
your yoga mat, we want
before the storm.
you’ve gotten newsletter and
to see what inspires 4.
@maguirefirefitness
a preview of have workouts
you. Share it with us Strong in more ways
than one.
our world- and nutrition tips
on Instagram or tweet class coaches
us using the hashtag
sent directly to
5. (Page 48),
#oxygenexhale and @_robinball A good-
head over to
your inbox.
lookin’ group! #gunshow
your photo could be oxygenmag
featured in an upcoming 6.
@ erinsinsidejob .com/oc3 to
issue of Oxygen! Midworkout handstands. LET’S GET
Why not? register to
further your SOCIAL:
physique Post, pin, tag and
tweet us. We want
and improve
to connect with
your health. you online!
Plus, opt in for
The Oxygen
Challenge
Cover Girl
Competition KEEP IN TOUCH
1 and you can
Tell us what you
like about this issue
2 4 earn a chance and let us know what
to be featured we can do better. Tag
on the cover us in your posts
of Oxygen! @oxygenmag and
you could be featured
here!

3
5
Iron-Plated Physique
Who says you need an entire gym to get a total-
body workout? Grab a single weight plate and
find an open area to complete this 20-minute
6 iron-woman endurance and strength routine!

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @oxygenmagazine JOIN US ON FACEBOOK facebook.com/oxygenmag HASHTAG US ON INSTAGRAM #oxygenmagazine

VISIT US ONLINE oxygenmag.com or youtube.com/oxymagazine VISIT US ON PINTEREST /oxygenmag EMAIL US editorial@oxygenmag.com

10 oxygenma g. com
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 oxygen Group Publisher Brand and New Media Director
Joanna Shaw Alexander Norouzi

Editor-in-Chief Maureen Farrar

EDITORIAL
Fitness Editor Lara McGlashan
Copy Editor Jeannine Santiago
Special Projects Editor Vicki Baker

ART
Art Director Tara Thompson

PRODU CTION
Production Manager Patrick Sternkopf
Video and Photo Editor Richard Alexander

D I G I TA L & M A R K E T I N G
Online Editor Michael Nystrom
Marketing Manager Laureen O’Brien

ADVERTISING SALES
Associate Publisher BJ Ghiglione
Advertising Account Manager Donna Diamond Riekenberg

CONTRIBUTORS
Michael Berg, Todd Bumgardner, Erin Calderone, Paul Duarte, Sarah Tuff Dunn,
K. Aleisha Fetters, Donna Gast, Ronnda Hamilton, Nancy J, Dwayne N. Jackson,
Matthew Kadey, Jerry Kindela, Susan M. Kleiner, Peter Lueders, Linda Melone,
Myatt Murphy, Virginia Pelley, Shoshana Pritzker, Robert Reiff, Tosca Reno,
Elisabetta Rogiani, Carey Rossi, Jessie R. Shafer, Cory Sorensen,
Michelle Basta Speers, Steven Stiefel, Eric Velazquez, Joe Wuebben, Allison Young

President & CEO Andrew W. Clurman

Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer Michael Henry
Chief Innovation Officer Jonathan Dorn
Executive Vice President of Operations Patricia B. Fox
Vice President, Controller Joseph Cohen
Vice President, General Manager Kim Paulsen
Vice President, Information Technology Nelson Saenz
Vice President, Research Kristy Kaus

Oxygen is printed in the U.S.A. © 2017 by Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in
whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited. The information in Oxygen is for educational
purposes only. It’s not intended to replace the advice or attention of health care professionals. Consult
your physician before making changes in your diet, supplement and/or exercise program.
OXYGEN, 5720 Flatiron Pkwy., Boulder, CO 80301. Toll Free: (800) 951-2259

Oxygen (USPS 015-783, ISSN 1095-7073) is published bimonthly by Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc., an
Active Interest Media company. Advertising and editorial offices at 5720 Flatiron Pkwy, Boulder CO
80301. Periodicals postage paid at Boulder, CO, and at additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Oxygen, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235.
Subscription rates in the United States are one year $24.97. Canada: $39.97. Foreign: $54.97 (US
funds only). The publisher and editors will not be responsible for unsolicited material. Manuscripts
and photographs must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed return envelope. Vol. 20,
No. 4. Printed in the United States by RR Donnelley, Strasburg, VA. Copyright © 2017 by Cruz Bay
Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced, either in whole or part, in
any form without written permission from the publisher. To remove your name from promotional lists
write to: Oxygen, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235.
editor's note

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14 oxygenma g. com

Rudy Mawer
Author of “Menopause
& the Fit Woman,”
Page 72
Fitness Journey: Rudy
Mawer, MSc, CISSN, is
a trainer, sports nutri-
tionist and researcher.
He also runs an online
female fitness com-
munity with more than
500,000 members.
Female Muscle: We
thought it was curious
that a man had done
Photos by Cory Sorensen (Hammermeister and Lemus)
so much research on
menopause! “I believe
the fitness/weight-loss
world is oversaturated
with information tailored
to males,” Mawer says.
“I wanted to add value
to women who were
battling hormonal issues
and a busy lifestyle,
moving them away from
the short-term fad diets
and providing them with
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prepping for this year’s
Olympia. Following her
first Figure competition,
her passion for help-
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their fitness goals
flourished. She earned
her personal training
certification through
the International Sports
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and started her own
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Happy Feet: “Weird little
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inbox LETTERS

STRONG & LEAN THE BEST NEW CHEST WORKOUT I’m not one to write in to magazines. I’m a
longtime reader of Oxygen, and I have to say,
your cover and feature on Misty Copeland is
absolutely stunning. As a figure competitor,
TRAIN SMART. EAT RIGHT. BE STRONG.
LOTS OF I struggle with self-image on a daily basis.
Seeing how lithe, sculpted and flexible, while
The Power
Strength of
IMPROVE LOVE FOR looking absolutely bad-ass Misty looked
YOUR
MISTY! in her pictures, has given me some much-
MISTY LIFTING
POTENTIAL
MOBILIZE YOUR
needed motivation to keep training. There
are so many different body types based on
Copeland SHOULDERS
the type of athlete you are, and I completely
agree that ballerinas are athletes, too. Kudos
May/June
GET FIT 2017 issue on a great issue. 
IN A FLASH of Oxygen — GAIL, VIA EMAIL
20-Minute
Fat Blaster I’m not quite sure what changes you made
GO GREEN TO to the magazine, but being a subscriber
Is collagen a
game changer GET LEAN since 2009, your May/June issue with Misty
for your skin Copeland on the cover was the best visually
& joints? and contentwise. I love it!
— VERONICA, VIA EMAIL

Holy smokes! I was totally inspired at the

first glance of that cover. It took Oxygen to
new heights. I absolutely love when you guys
branch out and include different types of
athletes. I have diverse interests like all the
other readers, I’m sure, and your cover girls
(most notably for me were Ronda Rousey and
Misty Copeland) are totally meeting us. I want
to inspire my kids, too. I want them to know
that being fit doesn’t mean just bodybuilding
and that when you’re a fit woman, you can do
anything, including being the first African-
American ballet dancer for the American
Ballet, or the seriously tough professional
UFC fighter, or even the stay-at-home home-
schooling mom, like me. Thank you for your
inspiration, again.
— SHASTON, VIA EMAIL
I just received my May/June copy of Oxygen.
Your cover truly stunned me with its simplic-
ity and beauty. The image of Misty just draws
you in and challenges you to try to look away.
Definitely one of my favorite Oxygen covers,
ever, and I am not a ballet groupie in any way.
Not only is she regal and breathtaking, I have
never seen legs that are as perfectly sculp-
tured. I also have to admit seeing a dancer
en pointe all the time made me weirdly fas-
cinated and curious with the thought of the
damage it must do to their feet, but her feet
are just as beautiful as the rest of her.  Please reach out to more women of color in
The one single line that bothered me was
the thought that some do not view ballerinas
as athletes. The amount of work and dedi-
cation she has put into her dance shines
through in every single muscle of her body,
and I would challenge anyone to deny she
is the consummate athlete. A truly inspiring
story that makes me proud that Oxygen is
the only magazine I will always subscribe
to. Kudos to your staff for capturing the
spirit of this subject so wonderfully!
— MELISA, VIA EMAIL
Misty Copeland on the cover of Oxygen
magazine, YESSSSSSS! You did that,
Oxygen! I was so excited to see her on
the cover. Great choice! I was inspired,
intrigued — the whole nine yards! I
couldn’t wait to tear into it. You should
definitely feature mainstream women of
color more often: Serena Williams, Venus
Williams, Jennifer Lopez, Debi Thomas,
Simone Biles, Gabriel Douglas, Teyana
Taylor. I would love to see anyone of those
women on the cover of Oxygen because
they have swag, fan base and sensational
bodies that I’d love to learn to achieve.
the future. All content submitted to Oxygen will be
considered for publication.
— BESSITA, VIA EMAIL We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.
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Help shield your immune system.*
Glutathione plays an essential role in supporting immune health and helps protect cells from the damaging effects
of oxidative stress and toxins. While our bodies make glutathione, levels can become depleted through poor lifestyle
choices—and even the natural aging process. A strong immune system is critical
for good health. Support it with good habits like eating right, regular exercise,
and by taking Setria®—the first glutathione clinically studied
to raise levels in the body.1*

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on body stores of glutathione. J.P. Richie. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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GOOD
inhale LET
OXYGEN
BE YOUR
PERSONAL
TRAINER

MOVE 24
MEDICINE FUEL 34
Medicine balls are
an excellent tool to THRIVE 44
enhance strength
and power.

july / august 2017 21

FUEL YOUR
WORKOUT
What goes into a great training session? You spend time picking out your
tunes, your kicks and your clothes. And you don’t dare leave the house
without your fitness tracker. But how much thought do you put into your
preworkout supplement? Take a few minutes to read up on some of
the ingredients that go into a great preworkout and how they can
help you get the best results — no matter what your goals are!

MENTAL FOCUS AND ENERGY SUPPORT

Caffeine
Aids alertness and workout
capacity (more sets and reps)
Helps release fat from fat cells
Boosts metabolic rate
L-Carnitine L-Tartrate
Helps muscles burn fuel
efficiently to maintain peak
workout intensity
Delays fatigue

Strengthens muscle Reduces performance-

contractions (more weight) hindering muscle damage

L-Tyrosine L-Theanine
Makes it easier to focus Provides calm, cool focus (no
during challenging workouts jitters or later crash)

Supports mood Enhances the benefits of caffeine

MUSCLE-PUMP ASSISTANCE
Indian Gooseberry (Capros)
Facilitates oxygen delivery to working muscles

Delivers nutrient-rich blood to muscles for greater gains

Arginine (NO3-T)
Boosts nitric-oxide production for increased blood flow to muscles

Helps delivery of oxygen, hormones and nutrients to muscles

 MUSCLE-BUILDING BENEFITS
Branched-Chain Amino Acids
Prompts muscle protein synthesis

Optimizes metabolism, helping to burn fat

Preserves lean muscle during strict diets

L-Citrulline
Provides sustained increase of
arginine for enhanced muscle action

Lessens recovery time between sets

TRAINING AND NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS

Vitamin C
Decreases feelings of fatigue and exertion

Synthesizes carnitine, required for fat burning

Protects the immune system

Increases blood flow (nitric-oxide availability)

Cordyceps militaris
Mushroom Blend (PeakO2)
Expands time to exhaustion

Boosts power output

Improves exercise capacity

Astragalus and Ginseng

Herbal Blend (AstraGin)
Supports the immune system

Enhances amino-acid, glucose and

vitamin absorption
Looking for a great
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 move THE LATEST By Lara McGlashan, MFA, CPT

Step it up
Hold off on that second (or
third) cup of afternoon cof-
fee: New research published
in Physiology & Behavior
found that 10 minutes of
walking up and down
stairs at a regular pace was
more effective at energiz-
ing people than ingesting
50 milligrams of caffeine
— about the same as you’d The Centers for
Disease Control
get in two cups of green tea. and Prevention
Take a quick break for every estimates that
hour you sit (whether at the 43 percent of
Americans drink
office or at home) and do a less than four
reviving climb. cups of water
per day, and 7
percent consume
no water at all!

Low
Impact
for More
Impact
Need to focus
or refresh? Just
go for a stroll.

30,000
Research-
ers from New
Mexico Highlands
University found
that the impact of
your foot striking
the ground sends
pressure waves
through the arter-
ies that increase
the blood supply
The number of strides you’d have to take to complete a marathon to the brain. It
turns out the
more you walk,
the more nutrients
Don’t … But about 40 percent of you reading this article right now do not have a
psoas minor muscle. That’s right — you straight up don’t have one. Like wisdom
and oxygen hit
your gray matter
Freak teeth, some people are born without this tiny muscle, but not to worry: The
action of the hip is largely dominated by the psoas major and the iliacus (collec-
and the better

Out … tively known as iliopsoas), with little to no assistance from the psoas minor.
your cognitive
skills become.

24 oxygenma g. com
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 move FAST FITNESS By Liz Jackson, AFPA, Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant

Note:
Use an iron plate
rather than a
rubber-coated
one or a bumper
plate. The iron will
slide best on most
surfaces.

PLATE PUSH
Place the plate flat on the floor and hold it by the
edge. Drop your hips and knees so your shins are par-
allel with the floor while keeping your core braced and
your back and arms straight. Drive through your toes, OVERHEAD
taking quick, short strides to push the plate forward as SUMO SQUAT
fast as possible. Hold the plate by the sides and
minute workout: Make it easier: Move slower or choose a lighter plate. fully extend your arms over-
plate push head, elbows by your ears.
Stand wider than shoulder
OVERPLATE width and turn your legs out
LATERAL JUMP from the hip. Keeping your
Stand to one side of the plate with back straight and the plate

Push it your feet hip-width apart. Kick your

hips back and drop into a squat,
then extend your legs and leap lat-
erally over the plate with both feet,
balanced, drop your glutes
straight down, tracking your
knees over your toes until
A plate and an landing lightly on the other side
your thighs come parallel to
the floor. Return to start and
empty space is all and going right into another squat. squeeze your glutes at the top.
you need to get a Continue, alternating sides. Make it easier: Hold the plate
Make it easier: Step over the plate
heart-pounding at your chest, elbows bent.

Photos by Cory Sorensen / Hair & Makeup: Nancy J / Model: Stephanie Hammermeister / Top: Reflex / Pants: Iron Lily / Shoes: Adidas
and perform a squat.
total-body workout.
With all the complicated workout WORM TO PUSHUP
programming these days, there’s Get into a plank with your toes on the plate, core
something to be said for simplic- tight. Press down with your toes as you lift your hips
ity — and nothing could be simpler up, pulling the plate toward your hands as you pike.
than a single weight plate and Then walk your hands back into a plank and repeat.
Complete as many reps as you can of the worm,
a stretch of flat real estate. This
then perform push-ups to failure.
workout moves quickly, hitting all
Make it easier: Use a lighter plate or put a towel
your major muscle groups, build-
under your toes if the plate is too heavy.
ing cardiovascular endurance,
muscular strength and explosive
power, burning a ton of calories in 
Move Distance/Reps
the process.
Plate Push* 50 yards OVERHEAD
After warming up with some WALKING LUNGE
light cardio and dynamic stretch- Overhead Sumo Squat 10 Hold the plate over-
ing, alternate between pushing a Plate Push 50 yards head, elbows by your
plate for distance and performing ears. Step forward and
Thruster 10
a strength move for reps. Use the bend both knees into a
same plate for all your moves and Plate Push 50 yards
deep lunge until your
transition quickly from one exer- Over-Plate Lateral Jump 10 (each side) rear knee touches the
cise to the next, resting one minute Plate Push 50 yards ground lightly. Step
between rounds. Complete as your feet together and
Overhead Walking Lunge 10 (each side)
many rounds and reps as you can continue, walking for-
within your 20-minute time cap. Plate Push 50 yards ward for reps.
Then next time you do the work- Worm to Push-Up To failure Make it easier: Hold
out, try to push yourself — and the Plate Push 50 yards the plate at your chest
plate — a little harder to beat your and do your lunges
previous score. *Beginning athletes: Use a 10-/25-pound plate. stationary.
Seasoned athletes: Use a 35-/45-pound plate.

Read more at oxygenmag.com.

26 oxygenma g. com
move FORM  FUNCTION
Triceps
target
practice
Tri’s aren’t just for the
guys: Exercise your right
to bare arms with these
strength and power moves.
FORM: DUMBBELL
SKULLCRUSHER
Most triceps moves like overhead exten-
sions and kickbacks tend to target a specific
triceps head. Skullcrushers, however, hit
all three equally by placing the arm at a
90-degree angle to the body. This creates
the optimal length-tension relationship to
carve that sexy horseshoe shape into your
upper arm while also tightening up that
infamous bat-wing area.
While a straight bar requires that your
28 oxygenma g. com
wrists and elbows rotate outward to gain a
firm grip, which can be uncomfortable, hold-
ing a set of dumbbells in a parallel (hammer)
grip reduces this stress. It also allows for equal
resistance on each arm so your dominant
arm can’t take over.
Lie faceup on a flat bench and hold the
dumbbells straight above your chest. Some
people like to angle their arms back over their
heads to cause a greater stretch. However, this
shifts some of the focus to your chest, lats and
serratus, detracting from, rather than adding to,
the focus of the exercise.
Ideally, your feet should be planted
firmly on the floor to create stability and
total-body tension while also maintain-
ing a neutral curve in your lower back.
Lock your upper arms into place by consciously
pulling your shoulder blades together under-
neath you so no visible movement occurs at the
shoulders. Then lower the weights slowly in uni-
son toward your ears by bending your elbows
while keeping your upper arms perpendicular
to the floor.
Keep the motion controlled so that your arms
stay an even distance apart and your elbows
are pointing toward your feet. If you let your
elbows flare out, your chest and shoulders get
involved, which could compromise your shoul-
der joints if you lose control.
Lower the dumbbells just enough to feel ten-
sion and a good stretch in the triceps — then
stop. Overstretching the triceps with a load can
pull and strain the tendon that inserts into the
ulna (the bony part of your elbow), causing pain
and inflammation.
Extend your elbows to press the weight back to
vertical — going for full extension but not hyper-
extension — and squeezing your triceps hard at
the top.
Use skullcrushers after multi-joint moves like
dips, triangle push-ups or close-grip bench
presses, and keep the weight light to moder-
ate to be kind to your elbows. When using it
as a finisher, get a partner to spot you. If your
triceps are overly fatigued from previous
moves, you might discover how this exercise
got it’s catchy name.
SAMPLE FORM TRICEPS WORKOUT
Exercise Sets Reps
Close-Grip Bench 3 8-10
Press
Dip 3 8-10
Cable Triceps 3 10-12
Pressdown
Dumbbell Skull- 3 10-12
crusher
 by Erin Calderone, MS, CSCS, NASM-

FUNCTION: MEDBALL
SOCCER THROW Catch the ball as it returns to you, then switch your
The triceps’ main role
When you push, press or throw, your triceps act in forward foot and repeat. Changing your stance is to extend the elbow,
concert with your shoulders, chest and trunk, and will prevent overuse injuries and promote muscu- an action that gives
they are one of the last links in the kinetic chain lar balance between your two halves. you powerful throwing
that transfers the power from the lower body capacity while also
and core out through your arms, elbows and Incorporate this move into programming that chiseling sexy definition
wrists. This move uses a medicine ball to mimic includes additional pressing and pushing moves into your upper arms.
These two moves help
an overhead throwing action, using your total or upper-body plyometrics to get the most out of you develop power and
body from your calves through your glutes to your triceps. shape.
the hip flexors through the core to the lats, pecs,
shoulders and finally the triceps.

Choose a lighter medicine

ball — about 6 to 8 pounds.
Since this move requires a
whipping action from the upper
body, too much weight could
mean a muscle strain. Then stand
10 to 15 feet away from a wall, ensuring there
is enough room for the ball to hit the wall and
bounce back to you.

Hold the ball in front of your chest and assume

a wide split-stance position with your back foot
up on your toes. Begin with your weight over your
front leg, then quickly and smoothly shift it back
to your rear leg as you lift the ball overhead and
bend your elbows to lower it behind your head.
Photos by Cory Sorensen / Hair & Makeup: Nancy J / Model: Samantha Lemus / Sports Bra: Ryu / Pants: Bellini Sport / Shoes: Nike

Exhale as you quickly shift your weight forward

once more, pulling the ball forward, contracting
your abs, and powerfully extending your shoul-
ders and elbows to throw the ball against the
wall in a whipping action.

While you want to create enough tension to

generate that whip-like action, don’t become so
tense that you shrug your shoulders or tighten
your lower back and core, which will cause you
to decelerate rather than accelerate through the
move.

Release the ball just above eye level, flick-

ing your palms away from you and following
through with your arms to release your power.
If you try to stop short, it could negatively affect
your joints and connective tissues.

SAMPLE FUNCTION TRICEPS WORKOUT

Exercise Sets Reps
Med-Ball Soccer Throw 4 6-8

Med-Ball Chest Pass 4 6-8

Med-Ball Triangle Push-Up 3 8-10

Med-Ball Overhead Wall Dribble 3 30

july / august 2017 29

 move MOBILITY By Erin Calderone, MS, CSCS

Spinal t(ap) Set your upper back free and enjoy better results
with these T-spine-targeting mobility drills.

My upper back is always

tight. What can I do to
loosen it up and get rid of
the stiffness?
Because of its tendency to be
so achy-breaky, your lumbar
area usually hogs all the spinal
glory, but the thoracic spine
(T-spine) is an important link
in the chain and is perhaps the
most disregarded area when it SEGMENTAL FLEXION/ THREAD THE NEEDLE
comes to mobility: Stiffness and lack of extensibility EXTENSION WITH THE PEANUT Get on all fours with your hands
in the soft tissue surrounding the T-spine can cause Lie faceup with your knees bent, feet directly under your shoulders and
shoulder strain and promote compression of the nerve on the floor. Place the peanut between your knees directly under your hips,
roots, which can lead to pain and numbness in your the floor and your midback just below spine neutral. Keep your hips square
shoulders, neck and fingers. And if you do a lot of your rib cage. Loop a towel behind as you reach your right arm under-
chest presses, crunches and even lat pulldowns, you your head and hold an end in each neath you as far as you can, and rest
could be tight in your pecs, lats and shoulders. This hand to support your head and neck. your right shoulder on the ground.

can affect your overhead position when performing
moves like pull-ups and overhead squats because the
upper back can’t extend to align the arms overhead.
The following moves are designed to release and
retrain your T-spine to extend and rotate freely, correct-
ing posture, decreasing pain and injury potential, and
improving your workout results. Do these moves before
an upper-body workout or after any long period of flex-
ion — and hit the reset button on your back.
Start in neutral alignment, then inhale
as you slowly lower your shoulders
to the ground. Exhale and perform a
small crunch, rounding the upper back
as you lift. Repeat for two to three slow
repetitions, then move the peanut up
to the next vertebra. Continue until you
reach the base of your neck (T1).
Tip: To release the deeper back
muscles like the rhomboids and erector
spinae, pinch your elbows together to
pull the scapulae apart, allowing for a
Photos by Cory Sorensen / Hair & Makeup: Donna Gast / Model: Juliana Daniell / Top: Elisabetta Rogiani / Pants: JPowers by Rogiani / Shoes: Nike
Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat on
the opposite side. Do one to two sets
of four to five reps on each side.
Tip: Make this stretch more dynamic
by adding rotation: After threading
the needle, rotate the opposite direc-
tion and extend your arm straight up
toward the ceiling. Repeat for five to
six slow reps each side.

T-Spine more concentrated stretch.

Talk
The large, bony pro-
trusion at the base of
your neck marks the
first of 12 vertebrae
in the thoracic region
(T1-T12). This area
creates a concave
curvature in the
upper back and it
connects your neck
and lower back, sup-
ports your rib cage
and works with your
shoulder blades to
provide stability to
the upper body and
coordinate complex
movements.
What’s
a peanut?
Make your own
peanut by taping two
tennis or lacrosse balls
together, or purchase
one on Amazon —
prices vary.
IRON CROSS
Lie faceup with a foam roller along
your left side. Bend your right hip and
knee to 90 degrees, then cross your
knee over your body and rest it on top
of the roller. Inhale, then exhale and
press your right shoulder blade into the
ground, aiming to rotate your T-spine
rather than stretching your chest. Hold
for three to five seconds, then release.
Repeat four times, then switch sides.
Tip: If you can easily get your shoul-
der blade to the ground, add some
dynamic mobility by sweeping your
arm up overhead and back again,
keeping it in contact with the ground.
PRONE COBRA
Lie facedown with your arms at your
sides, spine neutral. Brace your abs
and press them into the floor, then
externally rotate your arms so your
thumbs point upward, palms facing
away. Draw your shoulder blades
down and back and lift your arms to
raise your upper body off the floor
slightly, keeping your chin tucked
and your lower body anchored.
Hold for two to three seconds, then
return to the floor. Do one to two sets
of eight to 10 reps.
Tip: Focus the movement at your
shoulder blades to do the lift to
prevent compensation at the lower
back and hips.

30 oxygenma g. com
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 move BURN

Ball bearings Put the burn on your lower body with

this stability-ball metcon.

ou probably
think of the stabil-
ity ball as a tool for ROLLING LUNGE
core strengthen- Stand on one leg and extend the other leg behind you and
ing and, yes, it is place your foot, laces down, on top of the ball. Bend your
a killer modality for that standing knee and lunge down, rolling the ball behind you
aim. However, there are as you descend, keeping your front knee over your toes
other ways to use the ball and your chest lifted. When you’ve come as low as pos-
sible, press your rear leg down into the ball to activate the
you might not have thought
quads and hips and roll it forward as you stand. When you
of, such as these moves that
start to add weights, you can hold them either at your sides
work your legs 360 degrees
or at your shoulders for a greater challenge.
around as well as your glutes
and hips. Arranged in a met-
con circuit, these exercises
become a fat-burning work-
out, bar none.
Warm up with some
light cardio and dynamic
stretches such as leg swings,
toe touches, high knees and
butt kicks. Next, do two
sets of rolling lunges per leg
without weights to warm up,
then get into the workout:
Perform five sets of rolling
lunges using incrementally
heavier dumbbells to push
your strength limits, add
lean muscle and exhaust
your glycogen stores while
also training your balance
and proprioception. Keep
your rest to no more than
30 to 60 seconds between
sets to recover just slightly,
pushing your metabolic
threshold.
Next come two supersets
using high reps and short
rest periods to elevate your
heart rate and kick your
burn into high gear. These
are programmed as body-
weight moves, but if you
want to make the workout
more intense or strength
oriented, add dumbbells
or plates to the exercises.
Follow up with some static
mobility work such as fig-
ure-4 stretches and runner’s
lunges.

32 oxygenma g. com
 By Lara McGlashan, MFA, CPT

STABILITYBALL METCON
Exercise Sets Reps ONELEGGED
LATERAL SQUAT
Rolling Lunge 5* 20, 15, 12, 10, 5 Stand on one leg
(each leg) and extend the
One-Legged Lateral Squat 2-3 20-25 (each leg) other leg to the side
– superset with – so your ankle rests
Superman Squeeze 15-second hold on top of the ball,
(3x) leg straight. Kick
your hips back and
Two-Legged Bridge 2-3 20-25 bend your standing
– superset with – knee, rolling the ball
Prone Glute Lift To failure laterally away from
you. Extend your
*This does not include two warm-up sets of 10 to 15 reps per leg to stand back
side using bodyweight only.
up, pressing down
into the ball to
activate your inner
thighs as you roll it
toward you.

SUPERMAN SQUEEZE
Lie facedown with your arms
extended overhead and hold a sta-
bility ball between your feet or shins.
Squeeze your legs together as you
lift your legs and upper body off the
floor and hold for 15 seconds. Lower
slowly to the start, rest five seconds,
and then repeat.
Photos by Cory Sorensen / Hair & Makeup: Nancy J / Model: Samantha Lemus / Top: Victoria Sport/ Shorts: Avia / Shoes: Nike

TWOLEGGED
BRIDGE
Lie faceup on the
floor and place both
feet on top of the ball,
legs straight. Extend
your arms along
your sides, then press
your hips up to align
with your knees and
shoulders and pause.
Slowly lower to the
start and repeat.

PRONE GLUTE LIFT

Lie facedown on top of the ball with your hips
fully supported, your head neutral and your
hands placed flat on the floor. Extend your
legs behind you and open them a foot or so.
Hold your upper body steady as you lift your
legs to come in line with your hips and pause,
then lower slowly to the start.

july / august 2017 33

 fuel RESEARCH SAYS By Jessie R. Shafer, RD

Waking up to pee?
Interrupting sleep to urinate is a con-
dition known as nocturia, and it can
result in increased stress, irritability
and tiredness. Nocturia is common
during pregnancy and in people 60
and older, but it is becoming more
common in younger people. The
amount of salt in your diet could be
Can you
really lose
weight at
any age?
Yes! But the unfortunate
truth is that weight loss
gets harder with age.
Even women who are
active throughout life
lose muscle mass every
decade beginning in
their 30s, replacing it
with fat, according to
research. Because mus-
cle tissue uses up more
energy than fat tissue,
a decreasing muscle
mass means a slower
metabolism and the
need for fewer calories.
Combat and slow the
inevitable muscle decline
by continuing to focus
on a combination of
healthful eating, weight
training and cardio as
you age, and focus on
your general fitness, how
your clothes fit and how
energetic you feel rather
than obsessing about a
number on the scale.
one of the causes of nocturia, accord-
ing to a new study conducted at
Nagasaki University in Japan. When
the 200 study participants reduced
their salt intake by an average of 3
grams per day, their average night-
time trips to the bathroom to urinate
fell from 2.3 to 1.4 times per night.

TURN OFF WEIGHT GAIN BY TURNING OFF THE TV

WHILE EATING Families that never watched TV or videos during
family meals were 37 percent less likely to be obese compared with fam-
ilies that always watched TV while eating, according to new research
conducted at The Ohio State University aimed at examining the link
between family meal practices and obesity risk.

34 oxygenma g. com
OC
#
#
 fuel EAT SMART By Jessie R. Shafer, RD

Ask the Nutritionist

Q: I get cramps in my
legs and feet during
and after workouts. I
eat a lot of bananas, so
I think I get plenty of
potassium. What else
could be causing the
cramps?
A: You’re right: As long as
you’re eating plenty of fruits and
vegetables and have normal
functioning kidneys, potassium
deficiency is likely not your
problem, unless you use diuret-
ics, vomit often or have frequent
diarrhea, which can decrease
your potassium supply. Instead,
low-calcium intake could be
the culprit of your cramps. You
should be aiming for 1,300 mil-
ligrams of calcium — and no
less than 800 milligrams of
calcium — per day. You can near
those numbers by drinking two
to three glasses of milk a day (8
ounces of milk contains about
300 milligrams of calcium) and
eating other dairy products, such
as yogurt, cheese sticks or cot-
tage cheese. You also can add
to your calcium intake by eating
more beans, seafood and leafy
greens. If you opt for nondairy
milk, be sure to look for brands
that are fortified with calcium.

+ + =
Quick Bites

3 radishes, sliced ¼ cup ricotta cheese 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil midmorning snack

8 whole-grain crackers + 2 tbsp hummus + 8 cucumber slices = afternoon pick-me-up

4 cups popped popcorn + 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted + ½ tbsp Za’atar spice = nighttime nosh

36 oxygenma g. com
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Follow Us On...
 fuel 1 FOOD, 5 WAYS By Lara McGlashan, MFA, CPT

Watermelon
July is National Watermelon Month, but here’s
another reason why this summer staple
deserves a place on your plate all year-round.
ummer is just not summer without watermelon. This iconic picnic
fruit is directly related to cucumbers, pumpkins and gourds, and
besides containing a cool 92 percent water, watermelon also boasts a
host of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to keep you healthy and
KDSS\DOO\HDUURXQG+HUHDUHÀYHQHZZD\VWRHQMR\WKLVUHIUHVKLQJIUXLW
and keep your nutrition on point.

Fun fact:
According to
Guinness World
Records, the
world’s heaviest
watermelon
weighed 350.5
Tips pounds!
on choosing
a watermelon
A ripe watermelon should feel
heavy for its size; this means the
water content is high.
The rind should be dark green
with a creamy yellow (not white)
“ground spot” — the part that was
resting on the ground.
When you thump it with a knuckle,
a ripe watermelon should sound
hollow and bass, not dull.

1. As a post- 2. As a skin- 3. As an 4. As a frozen treat 5. As a snack

workout juice
Watermelon juice con-
tains L-citrulline, an
amino acid that has been
shown to reduce muscle
soreness and improve
recovery postworkout. It’s
also reputed to increase
nitrous-oxide levels, help-
ing blood vessels expand
and relax, thereby reduc-
ing blood pressure. To
make your own relax-
and-recover juice, blend
2 to 3 cups of watermelon
chunks, then strain the
mixture into a pitcher and
serve over ice.
saving salad
Watermelon is super high
in vitamin C, which helps
combat inflammation and
oxidative damage. It also
helps your body produce
collagen for healthier skin
and hair. Combine mag-
nesium-rich watermelon
with a cheese such as feta
and the magnesium will
facilitate the absorption
of the calcium from the
cheese — making bones
stronger and providing
a further boost to your
immune system.
unexpected side
Though most people toss
the rind, this part of the
watermelon also contains
lots of L-citrulline as well
as a healthy dose of fiber
to promote regularity and
stave off intestinal dis-
eases and cancers. Slice
off the green peel and
then use the firm white
part like a vegetable:
Shred it into a coleslaw,
puree it with ripe toma-
toes for gazpacho, slice
and pickle it as a condi-
ment or chutney, or dice it
and use in a stir-fry.
Watermelon is mostly
water and contributes
more than its fair share
to your daily hydration
needs. And with only 42
calories per cup, it makes
for a low-cal refresh-
ing treat on hot summer
days. Create the easiest
frozen treat in the world:
Slice the watermelon into
wedges, cut off the rinds,
punch a popsicle stick
into the bottom of each
wedge and freeze until
solid.
(instead of as a
projectile)
Take a break from your
seed-spitting competition
and eat your watermelon
seeds as a snack. One
ounce contains about
156 calories, 8 grams of
protein and 16 milligrams
of folate, which promotes
a healthy cardiovascular
system and helps your
body convert food into
energy. Toss seeds in
olive oil and sea salt and
roast at 325 degrees for
10 to 15 minutes. Voilà!
Instant snack.

40 oxygenma g. com
OC
#
#
 fuel REPLENISH

Understanding amino acids

Nonessential Amino Acids
Check out A second group of amino acids is
known as nonessential. There are five
our primer in this group that can be manufactured
on these by your body through ingestion of
critical essential aminos and other protein
compounds. Therefore, supplementa-
nutrients tion of these is not critical for health
and see why so long as you eat a balanced diet.
they’re so The nonessentials include L-alanine,
L-asparagine, aspartic acid, L-glutamic
important. acid and L-serine.

Conditionally Essential
Amino Acids
Finally, there are six conditionally
essential amino acids that cannot be
produced by the body in sufficient
amounts to meet specific demands,
such as catabolic distress from crash
dieting or high-intensity training. In
addition, these are shown to provide
significant health benefits through
supplementation. The six in this
category are L-arginine, L-cysteine,
L-glutamine, L-glycine, L-proline and
L-tyrosine.

Branched-Chain Amino Acids

e all know that protein provides the building blocks
for muscle. And it’s common knowledge that on the
molecular level, amino acids provide the building
blocks for protein. But not all aminos are the same, and
the amounts of each you need vary based on overall protein consumption
and the requirements of your fitness lifestyle. To understand more about
these critical nutrients and why you need them, let’s take a closer look.
There are 20 proteinogenic amino acids that create proteins in the
body to perform countless physiological and chemical processes,
including muscular development and maintenance. These are catego-
rized according to their need to be supplied in the diet or the body’s
ability to manufacture sufficient amounts for health. The three catego-
ries are known as essential, nonessential and conditionally essential.
Essential Amino Acids
Eight amino acids are considered essential for adults in that they are
required to be provided by food consumption. Your body requires
these to synthesize proteins to support anabolic muscular growth
and reduce catabolic muscle breakdown, yet it cannot manufacture
them. The essential amino acids are L-isoleucine, L-leucine, L-lysine,
L-methionine, L-phenylalanine, L-threonine, L-tryptophan and
L-valine. In addition, two additional aminos are considered essential
for infants only: L-arginine and L-histidine.
Three of the essential amino acids
noted above — leucine, isoleucine and
valine — are unique in the way they
are synthesized and used in the body.
Known collectively as branched-chain
amino acids, this trio helps produce energy within muscle tissue
that is even more efficient than glucose (typical muscular fuel). In
addition, they stimulate protein synthesis, which promotes muscular
growth. Leucine specifically triggers an increase in mTOR activity,
which activates anabolic growth. For this reason, BCAA supplements
typically have ratios that include extra leucine versus isoleucine and
valine (such as 4:1:1 or even 10:1:1).
Specific Benefits of Select Aminos
Dietary protein assimilation is handcuffed by something known as
the “limiting amino-acid factor.” In essence, this means that if any
essential amino acid is not present in sufficient quantities compared
to the others, it limits protein synthesis. This is why blends of plant-
based proteins, which are deficient in various aminos, are more
anabolic than individual ones. Of course, whey is considered the
king of proteins because of its complete amino-acid profile.
Yet the benefits of amino acids extend beyond protein consump-
tion and digestion. Extensive research shows that individual aminos
provide specific health benefits that can be achieved through supple-
mentation. Leucine and the BCAAs are an obvious example when it
comes to building muscle, improving recovery and providing energy
for exercise. But there are others with research-backed benefits. (See
accompanying chart.)

42 oxygenma g. com
 By Steve Downs, CSCS
R

Required Consumption of Aminos

Because they are required to be provided AMINOACID
via the diet or supplementation, the essen-
tial amino acids have specific requirements
BENEFITS
for daily ingestion. These easily should be
met through a balanced diet consisting of
L-arginine: Nitric-oxide
production, stronger immunity, TRAIN BETTER TM

about 30 percent of your caloric intake from
complete protein (poultry, lean red meat,
whey supplements, etc.). Here are the mini-
mum daily needs for aminos, according to
the Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy,
Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids,
Cholesterol, Protein and Amino Acids (The
National Academies Press, 2002 and 2005):
Histidine: 14 mg/kg bodyweight per day
Isoleucine: 19 mg/kg
Leucine: 42 mg/kg
Lysine: 38 mg/kg
Methionine (plus cysteine): 19 mg/kg
Phenylalanine (plus tyrosine): 33 mg/kg
Threonine: 20 mg/kg
Tryptophan: 5 mg/kg
Valine: 24 mg/kg
To determine your basic needs, first calcu-
late your bodyweight in kilograms. Do so
by dividing by 2.2 (i.e., 100 pounds / 2.2
= 45.5 kilograms). Then multiply by the
indicated number to obtain your basic need
(for leucine it would be 42 x 45.5 = 1,911
milligrams). Incidentally, that’s not a whole
lot of leucine for someone who exercises.
For instance, use of BCAAs at 2.5 grams
(2,500 milligrams), with 76 percent leu-
cine (1,900 milligrams), have been shown
to increase protein synthesis and reduce
muscle breakdown. As a result, research-
ers have suggested increasing the average
minimum requirement to 45 milligrams/
kilograms or more — which would mean
about 2,048 milligrams (45 milligrams x
45.5 kilograms). However, please note that
this amount should be even greater for exer-
cising individuals.
Obviously, this is only the beginning of
a complex subject, but it will provide the
basics to help you know more about amino
acids. To get the most out of your training
and be as fit as possible, amino supplemen-
tation is something to look at more closely.
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L-histidine: Recovery,
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L-isoleucine: Muscular growth,
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 thrive MIND  BODY
The power of meditation
You exercise your body, but what about your mind? Check out the range
of benefits meditating can have on your body and your brain.
our body is a temple and you
treat it as such — fueling it with
nutrition, keeping it strong and agile
with exercise, and nurturing it with
rest and serenity when it’s time to
recharge. But what are you doing to reduce
stress, enhance focus, or deal with emotional
issues like depression and pain? Mediation
can do that and more.
“Many people think meditation is a practice
used solely to still the mind,” says Joey Klein,
martial arts champion, personal development
expert and author of The Inner Matrix: A Guide
to Transforming Your Life and Awakening Your
Spirit (Balboa Press, 2014). “A better way to
think of it is as exercise for the mind, body,
emotions and nervous system. My philosophy
of meditation is more akin to the way I think
of diet and exercise — it’s a training system to
optimize mind, emotion and body.”
Many Meditation Methods
Just as not all CrossFit or yoga classes are the
same, not all meditation practices are equal.
In fact, there are many types of meditation
that offer different benefits. The key is to pick
the form of meditation that creates the results
you seek.
44 oxygenma g. com
Some forms can significantly decrease
stress and anxiety, while others help create
emotional stability. “There are meditation
practices that are great for moving from a fear-
based emotional state to a love-based state
like love, joy or compassion, anchoring love-
based experiences so they are more prevalent
in your day-to-day life,” Klein says. “Other
meditation practices have been shown to have
a physical, epigenetic benefit by turning on
the genes for disease prevention and turn-
ing off the genes for disease causation. Some
meditation practices have even been shown to
reduce symptoms of breathing disorders such
as asthma and shortness of breath.
“There are also benefits that almost all
forms of meditation share. Primary are the
neurological effects on the brain: Meditation
transforms how the brain works, activating the
prefontal cortex and reducing the size of the
part of the brain responsible for activating fear-
based emotions.”
Meditation can be categorized in five ways:
mindfulness, mantra, breathing, awareness
and moving meditation. Mindfulness medita-
tion techniques are used to train the mind
and emotion to work on your behalf. Mantra
meditation — in which you recite a phrase
By Jill Schildhouse
over and over to help still and focus the mind
— also can be effective in activating or induc-
ing higher states of experience such as a deep
sense of peace or relaxation.
There are a family of breathing techniques
that can produce shifts in the body, oxygen-
ate the system, and diminish or eliminate
disorders tied to stress and anxiety. Awareness
meditation is a form of meditation in which
a practitioner will engage in different mental
focus techniques or other strategies designed
to create greater personal awareness — how
their mind works, what they are feeling in
their emotions, or awareness of how they are
reacting and responding to the world. Moving
meditation techniques include practices such
as qigong and tai ch in which you combine
movement and breathing in a specific way to
train the nervous system, relax the body and
induce a state of well-being.
Practice Makes Perfect
If you’re new to meditation, a great way to get
started is to sit on a cushion cross-legged or in
a chair, remove all distractions and focus on
the breath. Begin by sitting down, closing your
eyes and relaxing your body from your head
to your toes. Inhale through your nose for four
seconds. Pause gently at the top of the inhale.
Exhale through your nose for four seconds.
Pause gently at the bottom of the exhale. If
your mind becomes distracted (and it will!),
gently bring the focus back to the breath. Then
repeat this breath pattern for five minutes
(working your way to 20 minutes over time). 
Once this becomes easier, you also can
take your meditation off the cushion and into
your day-to-day life. For example, you can do
a quick few rounds of the four-sided breath
to center yourself before an important meet-
ing or athletic competition. Parents can use
breathing practices to stay centered during
challenging moments with their kids. 
“Think of a meditation practice as though
you were going to start an eating plan or
exercise regimen,” Klein says. “Consistency
is key, but if you miss a session, just pick it
back up without being hard on yourself. If you
do it at the same time and in the same place
every day, the nervous system actually acti-
vates in anticipation and facilitates a deeper
mediation. Similarly, if you go to the gym on a
consistent basis, your body and mind prepares
themselves in response to being in the gym.”
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 e s , p i z z a , a n d
D e a r c o o k i g s ,
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c k o f c
entire blo

IT’S
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an unchecked appetite.
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 2017
Jamie Eason
Middleton

It’s
Back!
 If you
really, truly The last few years we’ve
brought you two amazing Oxygen
want to Challenges — the first with
coaches Erin Stern and Amanda
transform Latona and the second with
coaches Ashley Kaltwasser and
your body Christmas Abbott. Each Challenge
was unique and inspiring, the
and your trainers were all radically different
and the transformations of the par-
life, it’s time ticipants — all we can say is wow.
For our third Challenge — which
Kaisa
Keranen
to take the we are affectionately calling OC3
— we added two more exceptional
Challenge. A-listers to our matchless roster:
Kaisa Keranen and Jamie Eason
Middleton.
Each coach created her own
90-day training and nutrition
program exclusively for Oxygen
that will change the way you look,
train, eat, think and feel. Through
video content accessible on AIM
Fitness Network, your coach takes
you step by step through each and
every exercise in her workout,
offering form tips and insider tricks
as well as modifications for special
populations and intensifiers for
more advanced athletes. So no
matter your current fitness level or
starting point, these programs will
allow you to reach your goals and
be in the best shape of your life.
Your coach will also provide
you with a nutritional plan that
outlines her theory on food and
dieting, guidelines for meal prep,
grocery lists, recipes and other
expert tips for fitting healthful
food into your life. This helps make
getting in shape easy as well as
delicious and can further your phy-
sique and health results.
OC3 could be just the launching
pad you need, either to get started
with fitness or to take your perfor-
mance and physique to the next
level. Therefore, the question is
not should you sign up but rather
which coach should you choose?
Here’s a little about each trainer to
help you make your decision.

BY LARA MCGLASHAN, MFA, CPT

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CORY SORENSEN
If energy took human form, it would
arrive as Kaisa Keranen. With legs
like springs and an infectious smile,
Keranen bases her protocol on body-
weight training.
“After college, I realized that I could
squat and deadlift a bunch of weight,
but I had a hard time moving my own
body around,” says Keranen, who
was a heptathlete at the University of
Washington. “As I started to train cli-
ents, I realized that if you don’t master
the first workout tool you have at your
disposal — your body — it will be hard
to master any other tool after that.
It’s the foundation of all exercise, and
once you build a strong foundation,
you can do anything you want.”
Keranen’s goal is to get people mov-
ing every day, so for all 90 days of her
program, you’ll be doing something,
whether it’s high-intensity circuits or
low-intensity recovery. Her workouts
increase in intensity and duration over
the course of 12 weeks, require mini-
mal equipment, and are scalable and
adaptable for all fitness levels. “Even
if you’ve been athletic your whole life,
there is a program element here that
introduces a whole new way to move,”
she says. “You’ll gain a whole new
understanding of your body and take
your performance to a new level.”
Keranen’s nutritional philosophy
focuses on simple, clean eating.
“Nutrition is a science, and with
science comes an abundance of infor-
mation,” she says. “This can be very
overwhelming, so when it comes to
food, I tell my clients to keep things as
simple as possible. This Challenge is
an opportunity to connect to how good
your body feels when you move and
fuel it properly.”
All of Keranen’s recipes are glu-
ten- and dairy-free, and she includes
not only breakfast, lunch, dinner and
snack options but also recipes for
condiments, dressings and — yes —
desserts. She strongly believes that
nutrition is not about cutting every-
thing out and depriving yourself of
what tastes good. “It’s simply asking Kaisa Keranen grew up playing a multitude of sports, from
you to think twice about what you gymnastics to soccer. She took up track to keep in shape for
choose to put into your body,” she says. soccer and was so adept at the discipline that she attended
“Your body is an amazing machine, the University of Washington as a heptathlete. After gradu-
and if you honor and love it for all it ating, she became a certified trainer through the National
can do, you will surely succeed.” Academy of Sports Medicine, established her business
KaisaFit, and then went back to school to get her MS in
exercise science, sports performance and injury prevention.

KAISA KERANEN
 Kaisa: Uncovered
Oxygen: What is up
with all the shoes you
post on social media?
Kaisa: [laughing] I have a
problem! Embarrassing truth — I
converted my food pantry into a
shoe closet. But there is a story:
Back in the day when I won my
first race, I won a pair of Nike
Hair & Makeup: Donna Gast / Clothing: Lululemon / Shoes: Nike
shoes, so psychologically it has
been planted into my mind that
shoes mean something. Then
every time it was my birthday or
Christmas, my grandfather would
take me shoe shopping. And it
went from there.
O: Do you ever not
wear a top bun?
K: No! I pretty much only ever
have my hair in a top bun. I can
wear my hair down for like 10
minutes, then it goes up. It’s pretty
Kaisa Keranen,
MS, NASM-PES
Age: 31
Height: 5’6”
Hometown: Seattle
Instagram:
@kaisafit
long and really curly, so 10 ponytail
holders and a hundred bobby pins
and some hair spray and it’s up in
a bun!
O: Do you still hit the
track?
K: To be honest, I don’t. There
came a point when I realized that I
didn’t love it as much as I thought
I did, so when I graduated college,
I gave myself the freedom to do
whatever I wanted. Everything
in fitness and movement goes in
cycles for me, so when I wanted to
get back into competition, I tried
CrossFit and triathlons, and when
I wanted to be around people, I
did group classes. If one day I want
to go back to the track, I have the
freedom and the flexibility to go
back. But the track has not called
to me yet.
KAISA’S SUPERSIMPLE
SNACK COOKIE
Here is a taste of the kind of amazing
recipes you’ll get with Coach Kaisa.
SNACK COOKIE / MAKES 18 COOKIES
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup unsweetened
shredded coconut
½ cup almond butter
¼ cup dried fruit of choice
(raisins, Craisins,
dried apple bits)
1 egg
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
O: What has been
calling you lately?
K: I am taking dance les-
sons, and it’s by far the hardest
thing I have ever done. I am
obsessed with Misty Copeland,
so my teacher is having me do
a combo of modern and ballet
styles, and I love it because it’s
so hard and I am sooo not good
at it!
O: Are you a girly girl
or a tomboy?
K: I grew up a tomboy and was
friends with all the guys, and
I was out there doing sports at
recess. But I am girly at heart
— pink and teal are my favorite
colors, and I would be suited
and booted and dressed up with
my hair did and full makeup all
day every day if I could!
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350
degrees. Mix all
ingredients together
in large bowl. Line
baking sheet with
parchment paper and
place tablespoon-size
drops of “dough” onto
sheet. Bake for 10 to
12 minutes, or until
golden brown. Makes
about 18 cookies. Store
in refrigerator for up to
a week.
july / august 2017
KAISA’S
KILLER CORE
WORKOUT
Get a sense of what it’s
like to train with Coach
Kaisa with her quickie
core workout.
Grab two small towels
for hardwood floors or
paper plates for carpet.
Perform each move for
30 seconds and rest 15
seconds.
Do three rounds, and
rest one to two minutes
between rounds.
KNEE TUCK TO
PIKE: Get into a full
push-up/plank position
with a towel/plate under
each foot. Keeping your
hips low, slowly pull your
knees in toward your
elbows, then extend
back out. Lift your hips
skyward into a pike,
pause, then return to the
start. Continue, alternat-
ing moves.
LATERALMOVING
MOUNTAIN
CLIMBER: Get into
a full push-up/plank
position with a towel/
plate under each foot.
Keeping your hips low,
alternately bring your
knees toward your chest
quickly while simul-
taneously shuffling
your hands laterally to
the side. Do four to six
shuffles one way, then
switch.
KNEELING SLIDE
OUT: Kneel on the floor
and place a towel/
plate under both hands
in front of you. Slowly
slide the plates forward
until your chest hits the
floor, or as close as you
can get. Pull your hands
under your shoulders
into a push-up position,
then push yourself up
and back to the start.
51
Most longtime Oxygen readers will recognize the name Jamie
Eason Middleton — a former pro dancer and two-time breast can-
cer survivor turned figure competitor/model and trainer — whose
incredible physique landed her on the cover of this very magazine
numerous times.
Today, Middleton is the mom of two young boys (August, 3, and
Beau, 1) and knows what it is to be short on time and energy. “I really
care more about quality over quantity, and I like to design time-
efficient workouts that use a combination of bodyweight moves, free
weights and bands to get you the highest return in the shortest amount
of time,” she says. “And though you can’t beat the atmosphere and
motivation of a gym, you can get fit and be in great shape at home!”
Middleton splits the 12 weeks of her Challenge program into two
halves, with the first focused on building muscle and the second
dedicated to leaning out. She incorporates high-intensity interval
training, metcons, straight sets, supersets and other advanced tech-
niques to boost the intensity and the burn. Because they are scalable,
her workouts will suit anyone at any level of fitness: Beginners will
love the at-home aspect, while advanced athletes are guaranteed a
challenge with her exercise intensifiers and advanced techniques.
Middleton does not drive a stake in any one camp when it comes
to nutrition. “All diets have one thing in common — to raise aware-
ness of what you’re eating and help you be more mindful,” she says.
“Paleo, vegan, counting macros — they all focus on eating quality
food and unprocessed things. And the more good stuff you eat, the
less room you have for the bad stuff.”
Middleton loves to cook and shares her favorite family recipes
with her Challenge participants. “I do provide the nutrient profile for
the meals because I know some people live and die by the numbers,
but I don’t wholly advocate calorie counting,” she says. “I got a little

Styling: Julia Perry / Hair & Makeup: Donna Gast / Top: JPowers by Rogiani / Shorts: Elisabetta Rogiani / Shoes: Reebok
neurotic about weighing and measuring my food in the past, and
both myself and my family were miserable. I really want you to pay
attention to what you’re eating and focus instead on eating whole,
clean foods in the proper portions.”
Motivationally, Middleton is the personification of a transforma-
tion story. “I did not get started in fitness until I was almost 30 years
old; I was really flabby — with 30-plus-percent body fat — and
no muscle to speak of,” she says. “But I made the commitment to
get healthy and fit after my second cancer surgery, and within six
months, I was onstage winning a figure competition. This is doable.
If I can do it, so can you.”

Jamie Eason Middleton is a

former professional ballroom
dancer and NFL Cheerleader
from Houston. She survived
breast cancer twice, and in
Jamie Eason Middleton
2005, she entered a figure
Age: 41
competition as a motivational Height: 5’2”
goal and ended up winning her Hometown: Houston
pro card. Since then, Middleton Social Media:
has appeared on numerous @jamieeasonmiddleton
magazine covers and became a
sought-after online coach and
instructor around the world. She
is the co-owner of the Lean Body
for Her supplement line, a Gold’s
Gym Fitness Institute instructor
and a Reebok athlete.

JAMIE EASON
 Jamie: Uncovered
Oxygen: Truth: How
hard is it to stay on track
now that you have kids?
Jamie: It’s sooo much harder!
Before I had kids, I was that coach
who was like, If fitness is impor-
tant to you, you’ll find time to
exercise. Then I had one kid and
I wanted to punch myself in the
face. Then I had two, and I really
knew I was an a-hole!
O: How hard is it to
resist all that kid food?
J: Oh, my gosh, one of the hard-
est things is staying out of their
food. I was addicted to sugar
and junk growing up because
my mom gave me food as love,
and I find I am doing that now,
as well. My kids love treats and
there are treats everywhere
— school, parties, you name
it. That inspired me to try to
make these things they love in
a healthful way so they don’t
feel deprived — and so I can
have some of it, too!
O: You have a back-
ground in dance.
Would you ever want
to be on Dancing With
the Stars?
J: I would love to! I was on
the Texas A&M Couples Dance
Team, and my grandmother
owned a dance school with
Patrick Swayze’s mother, so I
grew up with a strong love of
dance. I think I would do well
except for when they lift a leg
up in the air. Sadly, I am not that
flexible anymore.
SHORT
O: Wait, rewind: CIRCUIT
Patrick Swayze? Did Try one of Jamie’s
you get to dance with timesaving circuits for
him? yourself!
J: I was really little, so no I didn’t Do each move for
dance with him, but he would
10 reps with no rest in
come into the studio once in between.
a while, and I have very good Go through the work-
memories of him being extremely out for three rounds.
sweet and kind and encouraging Rest one minute
to the little ones. between rounds.
O: What is your dream PIKE PUSHUP
vacation? Get into a push-up
J: I feel like I already had it on position with your
hands under your
my honeymoon — we went to
shoulders. Lift your
Lake Como in Italy. It was so hips toward the ceil-
romantic and only five minutes ing, keeping your back
from the Alps. You could hop straight, and hold them
on a train and be in Switzerland there as you perform
before you knew it. I would love your push-ups at an
to go back, though. angle, lowering your
forehead toward the
floor rather than your
chest.

POP SQUAT WITH

EASON’S EATS HEEL CLICK

Take a shoulder-width
This recipe is a Jamie Eason Middleton family favorite. Try it for yourself! stance with your feet
angled out slightly.
CHIPOTLE SHRIMP TACOS / MAKES 8 SERVINGS Lower into a squat,
then extend your legs
2 (16-oz) bags of large shrimp, peeled for serving and set aside. Mince 2 explosively so you leave
the ground. While in
and deveined teaspoons of chipotle peppers and
the air, click your heels
1 clove garlic, minced add to large mixing bowl. Place garlic together, then quickly
1 (12-oz) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in large skillet sprayed with nonstick return your feet to their
2 tsp ground cumin spray and saute for a minute over original position and
½ tsp salt medium-high heat. Add shrimp and go immediately into the
next rep.
¼ small head red cabbage, shredded cook for about three minutes, or until
1 small yellow onion, chopped pink. Once cooked, add shrimp to ALTERNATING VUP
1 small bundle fresh cilantro, chopped bowl with peppers, then add cumin TOE TOUCH
1 avocado, sliced and diced and salt and stir until shrimp is fully Lie on the floor with
4 limes, sliced coated. Cover with foil and set aside. your legs together,
arms overhead. Lift
1 jar salsa verde Place another large nonstick skillet over
your feet off the floor
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas medium-high heat. Wet each tortilla in about a foot, then
large bowl of water, then place it into alternately lift one leg
INSTRUCTIONS: hot pan. Warm until lightly browned. toward your head as
Place cabbage, onions, cilantro, salsa Assemble tacos by filling warm tortilla you reach both hands
for your toes, then lower
verde and limes into small, individual bowls with toppings of your choice.
yourself back down.

MIDDLETON july / august 2017 53

Could YOU be on the cover of Oxygen?
Oxygen Challenge Winner 2016:
ONE Patricia Arredondo

OF THE coach: Ashley Kaltwasser

hometown: Grand Junction, Colorado

DRIVING age: 21 (at time of Challenge)

occupation: Realtor and amateur
FACTORS figure competitor

for many Patricia “Trish” Arredondo started

reading Oxygen when she was 14, and
who sign she always made fitness a priority.
up for The Arredondo signed up for and began the
Challenge in 2015 but was forced to stop
Oxygen because of personal reasons. But as soon
Challenge as the 2016 Challenge was announced,
she leapt at the opportunity.
is the rare Though she already knew her way
around the gym, Arredondo was sur-
opportunity prised at the level of discipline she
Oxygen Challenge Winner 2015:
to be on the Fabiana Ferrarini
needed to make the improvements she
was looking for in her physique: to lose
cover. Any coach: Amanda Latona body fat and add muscle for a figure com-
hometown: Philadelphia petition, and to take a shot at the cover.
woman from age: 27 (at time of challenge) Nailed it.
any walk of occupation: Stay-at-home mom “Winning the cover gives me an abun-
dance of hope! I proved to myself that
life is eligible A former victim of bullying, Fabiana “Fabi” I’m capable of doing anything I set my
and has a Ferrarini made a promise to herself at a
young age to aim high and always give
mind to.”

chance at it her all. So when she signed up for the

initial Oxygen Challenge, she did just
winning. See that — even though it meant cutting back
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mealtime her whole life.
fresh, new look TRAIN SMART. EAT RIGHT. BE STRONG.

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Oxygen magazine! For more details, visit oxygenmag.com/oc3.

54 oxygenma g. com
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The 12-week
plan for leaner,
stronger legs
BY JENESSA CONNOR, CPT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CORY SORENSEN

GET A
Is leg day starting to feel
more like Groundhog Day?
It’s easy to fall into a rut and do the
same workout week after week, but the
problem is that your body adapts quickly
to a repeated stimulus. Eventually, you’ll
find yourself atop the dreaded plateau,
or worse — get sidelined with an injury
because of overtraining.
Using periodization helps you
formulate a well-rounded, progressive
plan, allowing you to reach your goals
within a certain time frame while also
allowing for adequate rest and recovery.
There are different ways to approach
periodization, but in a recent study
published by the Journal of Strength and
Conditioning Research, women who used
undulating periodization — a model that
LEG UP
changes the training variables within
a relatively short time frame — saw a
greater increase in lower-body strength
than women who used other methods of
periodization.
This 12-week lean-and-mean plan
starts with a month of stabilization,
ramps things up with a strength phase,
then launches into four weeks of
undulated lower-body training designed
to get you the best legs of your life. Each
phase uses familiar lifts and exercises
that are specifically arranged to keep
your muscles stimulated. At the end of the
three months, you can cycle through the
program again. Just be sure to increase
your weight or make the movements
more challenging. If you want hot legs,
you’ve gotta keep the workouts spicy.
 STABILITY PHASE: WEEKS 14
This phase is the foundation of your training, working to correct
muscle imbalances and prepare the joints and connective tissues
for more rigorous work. You’ll keep the resistance light and the reps
high, but don’t let the lack of heavy weights fool you — these moves
will challenge your balance and fire up your quads, hamstrings,
glutes and core, and each exercise quickly becomes a barnburner as
you progress through the sets.

INSTRUCTIONS:
For each move, do MONDAY
three sets of 18 reps Pistol Squat
using light weight. Stability-Ball Hamstring Curl
Allow 90 seconds of Stationary Lunge
rest between sets for Single-Legged Glute Bridge
adequate recovery.
For the step-ups
and touchdowns, use WEDNESDAY
a platform that is 12 BOSU Ball Squat
inches or higher for Single-Legged Deadlift
best results. Bulgarian Split Squat
(bodyweight)
Lateral Step-Up
FRIDAY
Step-Up
Single-Legged Touchdown
Banded Lateral Walk
BOSU Ball Lunge
STABILITYBALL
HAMSTRING CURL
Lie faceup with your
arms at your sides and
your calves and heels
on top of a stability
ball, legs straight. Lift
your hips off the floor
to align with your heels
and shoulders, brace
your core and squeeze
your glutes. Keeping
your hips lifted, bend
your knees and roll the
ball toward your glutes
until the soles of your
feet are on top of the
ball and your knees are
at 90 degrees. Roll the
ball back to the start
position slowly, then go
into the next rep without
returning to the floor.
Make it harder: Float

Hair & Makeup: Nancy J / Model: Stephanie Hammermeister / Shorts: Lululemon / Top: Victoria Sport / Shoes: Adidas
one leg above the ball
while curling with the
other.

58 oxygenma g. com
PISTOL SQUAT
Position a plyo box or bench directly behind you and stand with your
feet hip-width apart. Lift one foot off the floor and extend your leg in
front of you, then kick your hips back and bend your standing knee
slowly, maintaining control of the movement until your glutes lightly
touch the bench. Keep your chest up and, without using momentum,
stand back up. Continue, alternating sides, for reps.
Make it harder: Use a shorter bench or a small stack of bumper
plates and work your way closer to the floor.
STRENGTH PHASE:
WEEKS 58
In this phase, you’ll continue to work on
stabilization while adding resistance to
build strength. Your moves are paired
together into supersets — two moves done
back-to-back with no rest in between —
systematically engaging opposing muscle
groups and allowing you to crank through
high volume with minimal rest. Because
the intensity is high and you’re work-
ing with a weight that brings you close to
failure, you’re only doing four moves (two
supersets) per workout.
INSTRUCTIONS:
For each move, do three sets of 12 reps using a
moderate to heavy weight. The last couple of reps of
each set should be challenging but not impossible.
Do your moves back-to-back with no rest in between.
Rest one minute or less between supersets.

MONDAY
Sumo Goblet Squat
– superset with –
Barbell Good Morning

Weighted Wall Sit

(1 rep; hold 60 seconds)
– superset with –
Reverse Lunge^

WEDNESDAY
Dumbbell Squat*
– superset with –
Weighted Walking Lunge*

Bulgarian Split Squat#

– superset with –
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

FRIDAY
WEIGHTED WALL SIT
Barbell Pause Squat+ Hold a weight (dumbbell,
– superset with –
medicine ball or plate)
Lateral Dumbbell Lunge*
at your chest with both
Dumbbell Step-Up# arms, and stand with
– superset with – your feet about hip-width
Barbell Glute Bridge apart and your back flat
against a wall. Step your
*Hold the dumbbells at feet out in front of you,
shoulder height. then sink down along the
#Hold the dumbbells at your wall until your legs make
sides. a 90-degree angle. Hold
+Hold at the bottom for two
here, breathing deeply,
counts. for one minute.
^
Hold a plate, dumbbell Make it harder: Extend
or medicine ball at chest one leg in front of you; do
height.
30 seconds each side.

60 oxygenma g. com
BARBELL PAUSE SQUAT
Hold a barbell across your
traps and upper back with
your hands outside your
shoulders, elbows down,
core braced. Stand with your
feet about shoulder-width
apart, legs angled outward,
chest lifted. Kick your hips
back and bend your knees to
squat down, going as low as
you can while keeping good
form. At the bottom, pause
for a slow count of two. Then
drive through your heels and
quickly extend your legs and
hips to return to standing.
Make it harder: Add a half-
squat to increase your time
under tension: Pause two
seconds at the bottom, then
rise up about halfway and
pause again. Lower to the
bottom and pause, then
drive all the way to the top.
UNDULATING
PHASE: WEEKS 912
Here’s the money round: In
this phase, the movements are
designed to build strength, stimu-
late hypertrophy (the increase in
muscle size) and develop power
— the ability to deliver the great-
est amount of force in the shortest
amount of time. The overall result
is lean, defined legs that literally
kick ass.

INSTRUCTIONS: WALL BALL

Each week, you’ll have one strength day, one Face a wall about an arm’s
hypertrophy day and one power day: length away and hold a
nonreactive medicine ball
Hypertrophy at chest height with both
Superset your two moves together using a hands, elbows stacked
weight at about 75 percent of your one-rep max. under your wrists. Stand
Do three supersets of eight reps per move. with your feet about hip-
Rest a minute or less between supersets. width apart, legs angled
outward slightly, then kick
Power your hips back to lower into
Do four sets of 12 reps per move. You can a full squat — going ass-to-
either superset the moves or perform them as grass, if possible. Explosively
straight sets. drive up, pushing through
Use a moderate-weight medicine ball for your your heels, and as you
wall ball, but use bodyweight for the other three come to standing, use your
plyometric moves. momentum to extend your
Do your moves as quickly as you can with good arms and toss the ball up
form to develop fast, explosive power. and against the wall about
Rest a minute or less between sets. 10 feet above the ground.
Catch the ball and bend
Max Strength your arms to absorb the
Superset your two moves together using a impact and lower right into
weight that is about 85 to 95 percent of your 1RM. the next rep.
Do five supersets of three reps per move. Make it harder: Aim for
Rest up to three minutes between sets. the 12-foot mark, or use a
heavier ball.

MONDAY: Hypertrophy
Barbell Deadlift
– superset with –
Barbell Front Squat

WEDNESDAY: Power
Wall Ball
Switch Lunge
Squat Jump
Speedskater
Long Jump

FRIDAY: Max Strength

Barbell Deadlift
– superset with –
Barbell Front Squat

62 oxygenma g. com
BARBELL FRONT SQUAT
Hold a barbell across your upper chest and front delts
in a front-rack position with your arms underneath,
supporting the bar with your elbows lifted and your
hands crossed over top to hold it steady. Step your
feet a little wider than hip-width apart, legs angled
outward slightly, and keep your elbows lifted as you
kick your hips back and bend your knees to squat
down. Engage your core and lift your chest to prevent
the bar from pulling you forward as you descend to
knee level or just below. Drive through your heels to
return to standing, keeping your elbows lifted.
Make it harder: On hypertrophy days, focus on
tempo: Take a full two seconds to descend and a
full two seconds to stand. On max strength days, go
heavy: Don’t be afraid to fail on a lift; simply let the
bar roll off your shoulders and drop in front of you if
you hit a sticking point.

SWITCH LUNGE
Assume a wide, staggered stance — one
foot forward, one foot back — and bend
both knees into a deep lunge, keeping your
front knee over your ankle and descending
until your back knee hovers above the floor.
Explode upward and switch legs midair so
you land with your back foot forward and your
forward foot back. Land softly and repeat
right away.
Make it harder: Pick up the pace. Set a timer
and see if you can shave a couple of seconds
off each set.
CARB
cycling
FOR
FAT
LOSS
 ere’s the deal, carbs are good for pretty much one thing — providing
energy. And let’s face it, going too long without them can take your
workouts from awesome to crummy and leave you feeling like a certified
couch potato. On the flip side, cutting carbs, even by just a small amount, can help
you get (and keep) the summer bod you’ve always wanted. The struggle is real: This
love/hate relationship with our favorite macronutrient has got to go. The fix? Carb
cycling. It may just be the happy medium you’re looking for.

Carb Cycling 101

Carb cycling is a simple dietary approach in which you alternate the amount of carbs
you consume on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis. There’s no one right or wrong
way of doing it — if you eat fewer carbs today than you do tomorrow, you’re carb
cycling. So why do it? There aren’t many scientific studies surrounding the protocol,
but we can take some insight from how macronutrients are used in the body and what
we want to get out of our training and nutrition habits.
While carbs provide energy — we need them to perform at an optimal level —
we don’t need carbs all the time. That’s why it makes sense to use them only when
needed the most — during intense physical training. On the days we’re not training to
our fullest — maybe it’s an off day or a light training day — cut back on carbs to help
improve metabolic flexibility and help the body learn to use fat as fuel. And because
the body uses stored glycogen (sugar from carbs) during training, strategic high-carb
days can help replenish your supply and increase strength during workouts.
The other cool thing about carb cycling is that targeting your carb intake around
training days can help improve insulin sensitivity. If you’re insulin sensitive, the
body only needs to release a small amount of insulin to use and store glucose (blood
sugar). This factor alone can keep you from putting on too much body fat and
prevent you from getting Type 2 diabetes.
To get even better weight-loss results, pair carb cycling with a caloric deficit
(reduce calorie intake and/or burn more calories).

Your Four-Week Carb-Cycling Meal Plan

While there are a handful of ways to interpret carb cycling, this plan is based
around your training routine. Our plan is laid out for you to use the high-carb and
moderate-to-low-fat and protein menus for endurance/cardio or intense training
days. On off days and weight-training days, you’ll follow the high-protein, high-fat
and low-carb menus. If you’re someone who doesn’t do any cardio or does cardio
and weights on the same day, use the high-carb days on weight-training days and
follow the low-carb days on off days.
Since we’re changing the amount of carbs we’re eating based on training, we’re
going to do the same with protein and fats. You’ll notice that on high-carb days, protein
and fat are reduced, while on low-carb days, you’ll be eating more protein and fat
throughout the day to maintain satiety and keep calories similar throughout the week.
Though protein has been lowered on high-carb days, it’s still considered “high” in
the mainstream nutrition world. This is because no matter what day it is — training,
Break endurance or off day — protein is always important. It helps boost metabolism,
burn fat, improve recovery and build/maintain muscle. Plus, it helps keep us full
through your and satisfied long after eating.

diet plateau How to Tweak the Plan to Your Routine

The meal plan is laid out as follows:
and kick your Monday/Wednesday/Friday = Weight-Training Day = Low Carb
Sunday = Off Day = Low Carb
metabolism Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday = Endurance/Cardio Day = High Carb

into overdrive The weekly calendar follows an every-other-day approach to training and cardio
days. If your workout schedule follows a two-on and one-off approach, simply use
with this the endurance meal-plan days for on days and the training/off menus for your off/
rest days. You can manipulate the meal plan based on your own schedule as needed.
four-week So if you workout three days with two days of rest in between, update your meal
plan accordingly.
meal plan. If you’re not seeing the results you’re looking for or have hit a plateau, you can
try reducing carb intake to about 30 grams total for the entire day on off days only
(aka days of complete rest). Another option is to reduce calorie intake by 100 to 200
By Shoshana Pritzker, on weight-training and off days — this is the equivalent to cutting out one snack —
RD, CDN, CSSD, CISSN while your high-carb days will remain the same.

july / august 2017 65

 Carb Cycling
SALMON
POKE BOWL
Note: Poke bowls are generally
made with raw fish or tofu. However,
this dish is still fabulous if you choose
to cook the salmon or use a smoked
variety. To cook the salmon, mari-
nade it in the sauce recipe provided,
and either cook on a hot grill or bake
in the oven at 400 degrees for 12 to 15
minutes, or until cooked through.
MAKES 1 SERVING
Ingredients:
3 oz fresh sashimi-grade salmon
cubed into ¾- to 1-inch pieces
(You can find this at your local
Whole Foods or other fresh
market.)
½ cup cooked quinoa or brown rice
¼ cup shredded purple cabbage
¼ cup sliced cucumber
¼ cup sliced carrot
1 tbsp chives, chopped
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
For the sauce:
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or
liquid aminos
1 tsp rice vinegar
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp toasted sesame seeds
½ to 1 tsp Sriracha hot sauce, or to
taste (optional)
Directions:
1. In medium bowl, whisk together
ingredients for sauce. Add salmon
and toss well. Set aside.
2. To assemble your poke bowl, add
rice first. Then top with the rest of the
ingredients and seasoned salmon.
3. Garnish with fresh chopped chives
and toasted sesame seeds. Top off
with remaining sauce.
Nutrition Facts (per serving): calories
549, total fat 39 g, saturated fat 6 g,
trans fat 0 g, protein 21 g, sodium 369
mg, carbs 32 g, fiber 5 g, sugar 3 g
66 oxygenma g. com
RECIPES
PIZZA MAC
N’ CHEESE
CASSEROLE
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
Ingredients:
2 cups whole-wheat elbow
noodles or gluten-free elbow
noodles (Banza chickpea pasta
is awesome!)
½ cup nonfat milk
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ cup nonfat milk
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup + ¼ cup part-skim shredded
mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp butter
12 turkey pepperonis
½ cup tomato sauce
Directions:
1. Cook noodles as directed on
package until al dente. Drain and
set aside.
2. In small saucepan, add ½ cup
nonfat milk, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼
teaspoon oregano, ¼ teaspoon
garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon
onion powder, and bring to a
simmer.
3. In separate small bowl, mix
cornstarch with ¼ cup nonfat milk
and add to saucepan. Mix well
and continue to stir over heat for
a few minutes until sauce starts
to slightly thicken, about three to
four minutes.
4. Shut off heat and mix in 1
cup mozzarella cheese. Stir
until melted throughout. Mix in 1
tablespoon butter.
5. Combine cooked noodles
with cheese sauce until well-
combined. Add cheesy noodle
mixture to casserole dish.
Pour tomato sauce over the
top. Sprinkle with remaining
mozzarella cheese and top with
turkey pepperonis.
6. Bake in oven at 375 degrees
for 20 to 25 minutes, or until
the top is slightly brown and
gooey.
Nutrition Facts (per serving):
calories 358, total fat 7 g,
saturated fat 3 g, trans fat 0 g,
protein 21 g, sodium 379 mg,
carbs 58 g, fiber 8 g, sugar 1 g
PESTO
CHICKEN
SANDWICH
MAKES 1 SERVING
Ingredients:
2 slices light whole-wheat bread
3 oz grilled chicken breast
1 tbsp pesto sauce
1 slice mozzarella cheese
2 slices fresh tomato
1-2 tbsp olive oil mayonnaise
Directions:
1. Heat skillet over medium heat
or preheat a countertop panini
press or indoor grill.
2. Slather olive oil mayo on one
side of each slice of bread. Then
spread pesto onto the opposite
side of each slice of bread.
3. Assemble sandwich starting
with chicken, then tomato and
finish with slice of mozzarella
cheese. Top sandwich with
second piece of bread and
place onto heated skillet
or grill.
4. Cook about two minutes
per side (on the skillet), or until
bread is toasted and cheese is
melted (when using the grill).
Nutrition Facts (per serving):
calories 419, total fat 24 g,
saturated fat 5 g, trans fat 0 g,
protein 30 g, sodium 575 mg,
carbs 24 g, fiber 5 g, sugar 5 g
 Directions:
FRENCH TOAST 1. In small bowl, whip egg, egg white,
WITH CARAMELIZED cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.
BANANAS 2. Dunk and coat bread slices in egg
mixture, and cook on grill or skillet until
MAKES 1 SERVING they are golden brown, about one minute
per side.
Ingredients: 3. Add butter to skillet and place over
1 large egg medium heat. Once butter has melted,
1 large egg white add sliced banana, cinnamon, vanilla
dash ground cinnamon extract and maple syrup. Stir to combine
dash ground nutmeg and saute until they are just cooked and
1 tsp vanilla extract soft, about three minutes.
2 slices light whole-wheat bread 4. Pour cooked bananas on top of French
2 tsp butter toast. Top with a dollop of whipped
½ medium banana, sliced into ¼-inch cream and dash of cinnamon.
rounds
½ tsp cinnamon Nutrition Facts (per serving): calories 324,
1 tsp maple syrup total fat 13 g, saturated fat 6 g, trans fat 0 g,
¼ tsp vanilla extract protein 16 g, sodium 369 mg, carbs 40 g,
fiber 6 g, sugar 15 g
Carb Cycling MEAL PLAN

week 1
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

Training - Endurance/ Training - Endurance/ Training - Endurance/ Off Day -

Low Carb Cardio - Low Carb Cardio - Low Carb Cardio - Low Carb
High Carb High Carb High Carb

Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast

4 egg whites + 1 ½ whole-wheat 3 large eggs + 2 ¾ cup dry 1 slice Ezekiel 2 Ezekiel waffles 3 eggs + 1 slice
tbsp crumbled bagel + 2 tbsp slices bacon + 1 oatmeal + ½ cup bread + 2 large + 2 tbsp pea- pepperjack
feta cheese + 1 light cream cup diced melon Fairlife brand eggs + ¼ avo- nut butter + ½ cheese + 1-2
light multigrain cheese + ½ high-protein cado medium sliced tbsp salsa + ¼
English muffin grapefruit nonfat milk + banana avocado
+ ½ medium Snack ¼ cup mixed
tomato, sliced 10 slices turkey berries + 1 tbsp Snack
Snack pepperoni + 1 chopped walnuts 2 hard-boiled Snack Snack
1 medium apple Babybel cheese eggs 5 oz plain nonfat 1 scoop whey
Snack + 2 tbsp peanut round Greek yogurt + 1 protein powder +
¾ cup 4% butter Snack cup sliced straw- 1 cup brewed cof-
cottage cheese 1 small bag Lunch berries fee + 10 almonds
+ 1 (100-calorie) Lunch SkinnyPop Pop- large salad + 4
pack almonds Lunch 4 oz chicken corn oz grilled chicken
1 (4-oz) can breast + 1 small breast + 2 tbsp Lunch Lunch
white tuna + 1 sweet potato + light dressing of 4 oz grilled 1 (4-oz) can
Lunch tbsp olive oil 1 cup vegetable Lunch choice chicken breast white tuna + 1-2
Pesto Chicken mayonnaise + 1 of choice + 1 tbsp 4 slices deli + 1 cup brown tbsp olive oil
Sandwich* serving whole- butter turkey meat + rice + 1 cup mayonnaise + 1
grain crackers 2 slices Ezekiel Snack mixed veggies of serving whole-
bread + lettuce + 1 scoop whey choice grain crackers
Snack Snack sliced tomato + 1 protein powder
1 scoop whey Snack ¾ cup 4% cup grapes + 1 cup brewed
protein powder 1 serving pretzels cottage cheese coffee Snack Snack
+ 1 cup brewed + ¼ cup hummus + 1 (100-calorie) 1 small bag 10 slices turkey
coffee pack almonds Snack SkinnyPop Pop- pepperoni + 1
½ whole-wheat Dinner corn Babybel cheese
Dinner bagel + 1-2 tbsp 4 oz ground round
Dinner 1.5 cups whole- Dinner tomato sauce + turkey breast
Salmon Poke wheat pasta 4 oz grilled ¼ cup shredded + 2 tbsp pesto Dinner
Bowl* (cooked) + ¼ cup salmon + 2 tbsp part-skim moz- + 1 cup cooked 3 oz lean sirloin Dinner
tomato sauce pesto + 1-2 cups zarella cheese whole-wheat steak + 1 medium 4 oz chicken
+ ½ cup diced steamed veggie (toast to make a pasta + 1 cup sweet potato + breast + ¼ cup
grilled chicken of choice pizza bagel) vegetable of 1 cup broccoli shredded part-
breast + 1 cup choice + 1 small mixed skim mozzarella
steamed veggie greens salad + 1 cheese + sliced
of choice Dinner tbsp light dress- tomato (top
4 oz grilled ing of choice chicken with
chicken + 1 cup cheese and to-
brown rice or mato and bake
jasmine rice + in oven until
2 tbsp teryaki cheese is melted
sauce + 1 cup and chicken is
mixed veggies of heated through)
choice + 1-2 cups
steamed veggies
of choice

Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts:

calories 1,540, calories 1,613, calories 1,556, calories 1,550, calories 1,516, calories 1,576, calories 1,513,
total fat 81 g, total fat 51 g, total fat 80 g, total fat 32 g, total fat 62 g, total fat 45 g, total fat 77 g,
saturated fat 18 saturated fat saturated fat 29 saturated fat 7 saturated fat 15 saturated fat 8 saturated fat
g, trans fat 0 g, 9 g, trans fat 0 g, trans fat 0 g, g, trans fat 0 g, g, trans fat 0 g, g, trans fat 0 g, 20 g, trans fat
protein 124 g, g, protein 93 g, protein 136 g, protein 110 g, protein 143 g, protein 110 g, 0 g, protein 136
sodium 2,052 sodium 2,686 sodium 3,642 sodium 4,103 sodium 3,243 sodium 1,635 mg, g, sodium 3,823
mg, carbs 92 g, mg, carbs 200 g, mg, carbs 72 g, mg, carbs 205 g, mg, carbs 94 g, carbs 181 g, fiber mg, carbs 69 g,
fiber 15 g, sugar fiber 30 g, sugar fiber 14 g, sugar fiber 29 g, sugar fiber 26 g, sugar 32 g, sugar 39 g fiber 15 g, sugar
16 g 50 g 35 g 23 g 16 g 20 g

68 oxygenma g. com
week 2
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

Training - Endurance/ Training - Endurance/ Training - Endurance/ Off Day -

Low Carb Cardio - Low Carb Cardio - Low Carb Cardio - Low Carb
High Carb High Carb High Carb

Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast

French Toast 1 cup shredded 2 large whole ¾ cup dry 2 large eggs + ½ whole-wheat 2 large whole
With Caramel- wheat cereal + eggs + 2 egg oatmeal + ½ cup 3 slices bacon + bagel + 1 tbsp eggs + 2 egg
ized Bananas* ½ cup Fairlife whites + ¼ Fairlife brand ½ cup oatmeal peanut butter + ½ whites + 1 cup
brand high- avocado + 1 cup high-protein cooked in water medium banana sliced veggies of
protein nonfat sliced veggies of nonfat milk + sliced choice (cook as
Snack milk + ½ sliced choice (cook as ¼ cup mixed an omelet) + ½
1 scoop whey medium banana an omelet) + ½ berries + 1 tbsp Snack grapefruit
protein powder + 1 large hard- grapefruit chopped walnuts ¾ cup 4% cottage Snack
+ 1 cup brewed boiled egg cheese + 1 tbsp 1 Babybel
coffee sugar-free fruit cheese round + Snack
Snack Snack spread 1 bag SkinnyPop 5 oz plain nonfat
Snack 5 oz plain nonfat 1 scoop whey Popcorn + 1 cup Greek yogurt + 1
Lunch 1 small box Greek yogurt + 1 protein powder grapes tbsp sugar-free
4 oz grilled raisins + 1 tbsp sugar-free + 1 small box Lunch dark chocolate
chicken breast (100-calorie dark chocolate rainsins + ½ 4 oz grilled chips + 1 tbsp
+ ¼ avocado + pack) almonds chips + 1 tbsp grapefruit salmon + 2 cups Lunch peanut butter
2 cups mixed peanut butter mixed veggies 2 slices Ezekiel
veggies bread + 1 (4-oz
Lunch Lunch can) white tuna + Lunch
1 cup lentil soup Lunch 1 cup lentil soup Snack 1-2 tbsp olive oil 4 oz grilled
Snack + 1 cup brown 4 oz grilled + 1 cup brown 2 lightly salted mayonnaise chicken + ¼
¾ cup 4% cot- rice salmon + 2 cups rice rice cakes + 2 tbsp avocado + 2 cups
tage cheese + 14 mixed veggies peanut butter mixed veggies
cashews Snack
Snack Snack ¼ cup hummus +
2 cups frozen Snack 1 slice Ezekiel Dinner 1 serving pretzels Snack
Dinner fruit of choice ¾ cup 4% cot- bread + 1 tbsp 1 cup cooked 2 Babybel
Bunless bacon + 1 scoop whey tage cheese + 14 peanut butter whole-wheat cheese rounds
cheeseburger: protein powder cashews + ½ medium pasta + 6 jumbo Dinner + 1 (100-calorie
3-oz lean + ¾ cup high- banana sliced shrimp (or 4 oz ½ cup black pack) almonds
ground beef protein nonfat grilled diced beans + ¾ cup
burger + 3 slices milk; blend until Dinner chicken breast) brown rice or qui-
bacon + 1 slice smooth 4 oz grilled Dinner + 2 tbsp pesto + noa + 3 oz grilled Dinner
Swiss cheese + sirloin steak + 3 oz grilled 1-2 cups sauteed chicken breast + 6 jumbo shrimp
1 cup steamed ½ cup cooked sirloin steak vegetables of sauteed pep- (or 4 oz grilled
broccoli Dinner quinoa or brown + 1 medium choice pers and onions diced chicken
3 oz grilled rice + 1 cup baked potato + + 2 tbsp salsa + breast) + 2 tbsp
chicken breast mixed veg- 1 cup steamed ¼ cup shredded pesto + 2 cups
+ 1 medium etables broccoli romaine lettuce sauteed vegeta-
sweet potato + + 2 tbsp diced bles of choice
1 cup steamed tomato
broccoli

Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts:

calories 1,519, calories 1,539, calories 1,610, calories 1,517, calories 1,593, calories 1,568, calories 1,601,
total fat 64 g, total fat 27 g, total fat 65 g, total fat 32 g, total fat 69 g, total fat 48 g, total fat 66 g,
saturated fat 22 saturated fat saturated fat 17 saturated fat saturated fat 18 saturated fat saturated fat
g, trans fat 0 g, 5 g, trans fat 0 g, trans fat 0 g, 6 g, trans fat 0 g, trans fat 0 g, 9 g, trans fat 0 20 g, trans fat
protein 150 g, g, protein 100 protein 146 g, g, protein 93 g, protein 127 g, g, protein 97 g, 0 g, protein 137
sodium 3,366 g, sodium 993 sodium 3,235 sodium 1,296 mg, sodium 4,256 sodium 2,601 mg, g, sodium 5,742
mg, carbs 94 g, mg, carbs 229 g, mg, carbs 115 g, carbs 216 g, fiber mg, carbs 113 g, carbs 190 g, fiber mg, carbs 120 g,
fiber 19 g, sugar fiber 35 g, sugar fiber 21 g, sugar 33 g, sugar 50 g fiber 21 g, sugar 29 g, sugar 17 g fiber 29 g, sugar
32 g 84 g 38 g 18 g 47 g

july / august 2017 69

Carb Cycling MEAL PLAN

week 3
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

Training - Endurance/ Training - Endurance/ Training - Endurance/ Off Day -

Low Carb Cardio - Low Carb Cardio - Low Carb Cardio - Low Carb
High Carb High Carb High Carb

Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast

2 large eggs + ½ whole-wheat 3 large eggs + 2 French 3 large eggs + 2 ½ whole-wheat French Toast With
3 slices bacon + bagel + 2 tbsp slices bacon + 1 Toast With slices bacon + ¼ bagel + 1 tbsp Caramelized
½ cup oatmeal light cream cup diced melon Caramelized avocado + 1 cup peanut butter + ½ Bananas*
cooked in water cheese + ½ Bananas* diced melon medium banana
grapefruit sliced
Snack Snack
Snack ¾ cup 4% cot- Snack Snack 2 Babybel cheese
2 Babybel Snack tage cheese 1 light multigrain 2 hard-boiled Snack rounds + 1
cheese rounds ¼ cup hummus + English muffin eggs 1 light multi- medium apple
+ 1 medium 1 serving pretzels + ½ cup ricotta grain English
apple Lunch cheese + ½ muffin + ½ cup
½ cup cooked cup sliced fruit Lunch ricotta cheese + Lunch
Lunch whole-wheat (strawberries 1 slice light ½ cup sliced fruit large salad + 4
Lunch Chicken Pesto pasta + 4 oz and banana) whole-wheat (strawberries and oz grilled chicken
large salad Sandwich* grilled diced bread + 4 slices banana) breast + 2 tbsp
+ 4 oz grilled chicken breast deli turkey breast light dressing of
chicken breast + 2 tbsp pesto + Lunch + 1 slice provolone choice
+ 2 tbsp light Snack 1-2 cups sauteed 1 cup lentil soup or Swiss cheese Lunch
dressing of 1 bag SkinnyPop vegetables of + 1 cup brown + 1 cup baby 1 (4-oz) can white Snack
choice Popcorn + 1 small choice rice or cooked carrots or sliced tuna + 1-2 tbsp 1 scoop whey
box raisins quinoa celery olive oil mayon- protein powder
naise + 1 serving + 2 tbsp peanut
Snack Snack whole-grain butter + ½ to
1 scoop whey Dinner 1 hard-boiled Snack Snack crackers ¾ cup nonfat
protein powder 1 cup cooked egg 1 bag SkinnyPop 5 oz plain nonfat high-protein milk;
+ 1 cup brewed whole-wheat Popcorn Greek yogurt + ½ blend with ice
coffee pasta + 4 oz cup fresh berries Snack until smooth
grilled diced Dinner + 1 (100-calorie 1 small box raisins
chicken breast Salmon Poke Dinner pack) almonds + 1 (100-calorie
Dinner + ¼ cup tomato Bowl* 3 oz grilled pack) almonds Dinner
Salmon Poke sauce + 1-2 chicken breast Pesto Chicken
Bowl* cups sauteed + 1 cup beans Dinner Sandwich*
vegetables of of choice + 2 4 oz grilled sirloin Dinner
choice cups mixed steak + 1 small Pizza Mac n’
vegetables baked potato + Cheese Casse-
1 tbsp butter + role*
1 cup steamed
broccoli

Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts:

calories 1,554, calories 1,521, calories 1,630, calories 1,633, calories 1,547, calories 1,581, calories 1,604,
total fat 84 g, total fat 48 g, total fat 89 g, total fat 51 g, total fat 73 g, total fat 61 g, total fat 76 g,
saturated fat saturated fat saturated fat 22 saturated fat saturated fat saturated fat saturated fat
23 g, trans fat 11 g, trans fat 0 g, trans fat 0 g, 19 g, trans fat 0 26 g, trans fat 18 g, trans fat 0 25 g, trans fat
0 g, protein 109 g, protein 93 g, protein 120 g, g, protein 94 g, 0 g, protein 132 g, protein 89 g, 0 g, protein 131
g, sodium 1,790 sodium 2,484 sodium 2,685 sodium 2,870 g, sodium 2,638 sodium 1,819 mg, g, sodium 2,081
mg, carbs 95 g, mg, carbs 184 g, mg, carbs 91 g, mg, carbs 206 g, mg, carbs 93 g, carbs 180 g, fiber mg, carbs 107 g,
fiber 16 g, sugar fiber 28 g, sugar fiber 14 g, sugar fiber 44 g, sugar fiber 18 g, sugar 23 g, sugar 44 g fiber 20 g, sugar
27 g 50 g 28 g 35 g 34 g 46 g

70 oxygenma g. com
week 4
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

Training - Endurance/ Training - Endurance/ Training - Endurance/ Off Day -

Low Carb Cardio - Low Carb Cardio - Low Carb Cardio - Low Carb
High Carb High Carb High Carb

Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast

French Toast 1 light multigrain 2 large whole 2 Ezekiel waffles 1 slice Ezekiel 1 cup shredded French Toast With
With Caramel- English muffin eggs + 2 egg + 2 tbsp peanut bread + 2 large wheat cereal + ½ Caramelized Ba-
ized Bananas* + ½ cup ricotta whites + 1 cup butter + 1 eggs + ¼ avocado cup Fairlife brand nanas*
cheese + ½ sliced veggies medium sliced high-protein non-
cup sliced fruit of choice (cook banana fat milk + ½ sliced
Snack (strawberries as an omelet) + Snack medium banana Snack
¾ cup 4% and banana) ¼ avocado + ½ 1 light multigrain + 1 (100-calorie) 1 (4-oz) can white
cottage cheese grapefruit Snack English muffin + ½ pack almonds tuna + 1-2 tbsp olive
+ ½ grapefruit 1 small box cup ricotta cheese oil mayonnaise + 1
Snack raisins + ½ cup sliced fruit serving whole-grain
1 small box Snack (strawberries and Snack crackers
Lunch raisins + 1 5 oz plain nonfat banana) 2 cups frozen
1 (4-oz) can (100-calorie Greek yogurt + 1 Lunch fruit of choice + 1
white tuna + 1-2 pack) almonds tbsp sugar-free Pesto Chicken cup high-protein Lunch
tbsp olive oil dark chocolate Sandwich* Lunch nonfat milk; blend3 oz chicken breast
mayonnaise + 1 chips + 1 tbsp large salad + 4 until smooth + ¼ cup part-skim
serving whole- Lunch peanut butter oz grilled chicken mozzarella cheese
grain crackers ½ cup black Snack breast + 2 tbsp + sliced tomato (top
beans + ¾ cup ½ whole-wheat light dressing of Lunch chicken with cheese
brown rice or Lunch bagel + 2 tbsp choice 2 slices Ezekiel and tomato and
Snack quinoa + 3 oz large salad + 4 light cream bread + 3 oz bake in oven until
1 scoop whey grilled chicken oz grilled chicken cheese + ½ grilled chicken cheese is melted and
protein powder breast + sauteed breast + 2 tbsp grapefruit Snack breast + ¼ avo- chicken is heated
+ 1 cup brewed peppers and light dressing of 5 oz plain nonfat cado + 1 cup baby through) + 1-2 cups
coffee onions + 2 choice Greek yogurt + 1 carrots or sliced steamed veggies of
tbsp salsa + ¼ Dinner tbsp sugar-free celery choice
cup shredded Pizza Mac dark chocolate
Dinner romaine lettuce Snack n’ Cheese chips + 1 tbsp
Salmon Poke + 2 tbsp diced 1 scoop whey Casserole* peanut butter Snack Snack
Bowl* tomato protein pow- 1 slice Ezekiel 1 scoop whey
der + 1 cup bread + 1 tbsp protein powder + 1
brewed coffee Dinner peanut butter + ½ tbsp peanut butter
Snack + 1 (100-calorie 4 oz chicken medium banana, + ½ to ¾ cup nonfat
1 slice Ezekiel pack) almonds breast + ¼ cup sliced high-protein milk;
bread + 1 tbsp part-skim moz- blend with ice until
peanut butter zarella cheese smooth
+ ½ medium Dinner + sliced tomato Dinner
banana, sliced 4 oz grilled (top chicken Pizza Mac n’
salmon + 2 tbsp with cheese and Cheese Casse- Dinner
pesto + 1-2 cups tomato and role* Bunless bacon
Dinner steamed veggie bake in oven until cheeseburger: 3-oz
3 oz grilled of choice cheese is melted lean ground beef
sirloin steak and chicken is burger + 2 slices
+ 1 medium heated through) + bacon + 1 slice Swiss
sweet potato + 1-2 cups steamed cheese + 1 cup
1 cup steamed veggies of choice steamed broccoli
broccoli

Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts:

calories 1,589, calories 1,507, calories 1,571, calories 1,639, calories 1,553, calories 1,557, calories 1,625, total
total fat 81 g, total fat 45 g, total fat 71 g, total fat 58 g, total fat 67 g, sat- total fat 35 g, fat 69 g, saturated
saturated fat saturated fat saturated fat 15 saturated fat urated fat 25 g, saturated fat fat 23 g, trans fat
20 g, trans fat 15 g, trans fat 0 g, trans fat 0 g, 15 g, trans fat 0 trans fat 0 g, pro- 7 g, trans fat 0 0 g, protein 155 g,
0 g, protein 116 g, protein 101 g, protein 146 g, g, protein 79 g, tein 142 g, sodium g, protein 95 g, sodium 2834 mg,
g, sodium 2,212 sodium 1,443 mg, sodium 2,943 sodium 1,666 mg, 2,000 mg, carbs sodium 912 mg, carbs 93 g, fiber 15
mg, carbs 110 g, carbs 178 g, fiber mg, carbs 91 g, carbs 211 g, fiber 98 g, fiber 23 g, carbs 228 g, g, sugar 31 g
fiber 14 g, sugar 30 g, sugar 53 g fiber 24 g, sugar 32 g, sugar 60 g sugar 25 g fiber 38 g, sugar
34 g 38 g 51 g

july / august 2017 71

Regular physical
activity is crucial
for women facing
menopause.
Consider what
physical activity
can do for you —
and how to apply
fitness tips for
menopause to
your daily routine.
BY RUDY MAWER, MSC, CISSN

Menopause
& the fit woman
It’s the dreaded “M” word! For many years,
menopause has been a taboo subject, often referred to in quiet whispers
as “the change.” Women didn’t talk publicly about it, despite the fact that
menopause is a perfectly normal — and unavoidable — part of a woman’s life.
Your body is going through some drastic changes at this point that will
probably affect your training and nutrition — and unfortunately not the ones
you want. Luckily, some advanced research studies show how you can
combat the hormonal alterations that negatively impact your body and
still reach your goals.
Here’s everything you need to know about menopause and, more important,
how to use advanced dietary and training techniques to conquer it.
HORMONES AND MENOPAUSE
Biologically speaking, menopause is simply the cessation of your
period. As you age, your ovaries produce less estrogen and proges-
terone — the hormones that regulate menstruation — and your
fertility declines.
Throughout a woman’s life, estrogen levels will fluctuate and
change, noticeably impacting mood, energy levels, sleep, phy-
sique, performance and overall quality of life. During menopause,
the decline in estrogen levels can cause an increase in body fat. In
women, estrogen is the main hormone responsible for fat mobi-
lization and usage; therefore, as levels decline, storing excess fat
in the fat cells is more likely. The fat around the stomach is known
as visceral fat and surrounds our internal organs. Fat accumula-
tion in this area has been repeatedly proven to increase the risk of
health issues such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Declining
estrogen also can reduce bone density, weakening the structure of
your bones, putting you at greater risk of injuries like stress frac-
tures or even breaks.
Finally, another key hormone that can decline during meno-
pause is sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), which impacts
numerous aspects within the body, such as transporting other
key hormones (e.g., estrogen and testosterone) to their receptor
sites. Additionally, SHBG can affect carbohydrate tolerance and
digestion, allowing an individual to use carbs for energy more
efficiently. In a similar fashion to estrogen, SHBG also plays a role
in how our bodies store and use fat. In other words, healthy and
high SHBG levels will allow other key hormones to function more
efficiently and help you metabolize the food you consume in a
more effective manner, thereby storing less fat. As you can see, the
reduction of SHBG levels can lead to further issues and barriers.
But not everything is doom and gloom — you can tailor your
diet and exercise regime to combat most of these alterations and
get your body back on a level playing field with your younger self.
WHAT CHANGES OCCUR DURING MENOPAUSE?
Based on research, weight gain can normally be expected dur-
ing menopause — anything from 2 to 10 pounds per year during
menopause or shortly after. Of course, some individuals will not
gain any weight, and the total amount will obviously depend on a
number of factors such as diet, calorie intake, exercise levels and
hormones.
There are several key metabolic and hormonal adaptations
that explain this. Research has shown that you are likely to
experience increased food cravings and the desire to snack.
This can be explained by changes in your hunger hormones,
in particular key hunger-regulating hormones such as leptin
and ghrelin. When this occurs, you will obviously have a much
harder time trying to lose weight or reduce your total daily
calorie intake. This is linked to increased binge eating and yo-yo
dieting, especially as the weight accumulation after a diet tends
to pile back on at a rapid rate. Interestingly, leptin and ghrelin
are also strongly connected to sleep. When people aren’t sleep-
ing well, they tend to overeat and crave processed foods
and sugars.
Along with the desire to eat more calories, studies have
shown that postmenopausal women also have a reduction
in daily energy expenditure (known as non-exercise activity
thermogenesis, or NEAT) or calorie burn. This can be partly
explained by a decrease in metabolic rate, which dictates
how many calories you burn per day for basic activities such as
walking, fidgeting or even just when sleeping. This also can be
linked to a decrease in hormones, including estrogen, thyroid,
leptin and ghrelin. It may be partially explained by lifestyle
alterations, activity levels and a reduction in structured exercise.
Finally, another key factor that should be considered is sleep.
Research shows that sleep duration and sleep quality suffer fol-
lowing menopause with the most common issues including hot
flashes, sleep-disordered breathing and insomnia. Although
you may not think your sleep is closely correlated to fitness or
your physique, dozens of studies have proven that those who
get seven to eight hours of quality sleep per night are less likely
to store fat, are more likely to metabolize their food more effi-
ciently and have better overall health. For example, improved
sleep has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity, which is
the ability to use carbs for fuel. It’s also been shown to increase
how many calories you burn per day, increase muscle growth,
improve hormone levels such as testosterone, and help you
maintain healthy levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
As you can clearly see, these alterations basically mean you are
burning less but are also predisposed to eat more. Remember,
total calorie intake is the key factor in weight loss; therefore, you
ideally want to do the opposite: Eat less and burn more.
july / august 2017 73
WORKING IT OUT
There are several ways to maximize your
gym time to combat the negative effects of
menopause and keep your physique from
becoming a statistic.
Metabolic Resistance Training
Metabolic resistance training (MRT) is simi-
lar to circuit training, in which you perform
several exercises back-to-back without rest.
The beauty of this advanced method is that
it provides all the benefits of normal or con-
ventional strength training but also puts your
metabolism into overdrive, reduces hunger,
improves carbohydrate tolerance and helps
you burn dangerous belly fat.
Although it’s fairly simple to perform,
it does require a lot of hard work and will
challenge both your cardiovascular and
anaerobic energy system. In short, it’s like a
full-body weight-training session combined
with a high-intensity aerobic session.
To perform MRT, simply take two to four
exercises and perform them all back-to-back
without rest. After the two to four exercises,
rest 60 to 120 seconds and repeat for two
more sets before moving on to your next
block of exercises. This type of training has
been proven to increase key fat-burning
hormones such as growth hormone by up
to 200 percent because of the large spike
in lactic-acid levels. To add further benefit,
research has shown that MRT also causes a
large spike in excess post-exercise oxygen
consumption (EPOC), which is your body’s
increased need for fuel and energy, boost-
ing your metabolism and the amount of
calories you burn for up to 48 hours after the
actual workout. Finally, this type of training
provides the perfect amount of volume, fre-
quency and intensity for you to lay down new
lean muscle, which can add slight increases
to your metabolism in the long term, but
in the short term (within 48 hours), it also
improves insulin sensitivity and carbohy-
drate tolerance.
You can pick any combination of exercises
and get creative. I recommend rep ranges of
10 to 20 to maximize fat loss and keep the
rest periods to a minimum to burn as many
calories as possible.
High-Intensity Interval Training
Along with metabolic resistance training,
another popular technique is high-intensity
interval training (HIIT), which can provide
all the benefits of typical exercise sessions in
about 10 to 20 percent of the time.
While other workouts require an hour or
more, HIIT can be performed, start to finish,
in just 10 to 20 minutes max while still pro-
viding all the benefits of a normal 60-minute
workout, such as boosting your metabolism,
reducing hunger levels, burning visceral fat,
increasing carbohydrate tolerance, improv-
ing your health and reducing disease risk.
Rather than imagining it as cardio
exercise, picture each and every interval
as a single workout in which you give
100 percent effort and intensity. To start,
pick any machine or activity — tread-
mill, bike, elliptical, Prowler sled, tire
flips, battle rope or rower. After a brief
warm-up, perform one sprint at a flat-out
intensity, lasting 20 to 40 seconds. Rest
for double or triple that time, i.e., 60 to
120 seconds, then perform another four
to nine sprints, depending on your cur-
rent level of fitness and time limitations.
Optimize Your Training Regime
These two training methods should now
become the staple of your workouts,
along with any other form of exercise you
may do more for enjoyment. Combined,
they are going to counter most of the
issues you may face during menopause
and cover every aspect of health and fit-
ness, from developing strength and bone
density to increasing your aerobic fitness
and heart health.
Because of the negative adaptations
during menopause, you also may need
to increase your training frequency.
As long as you can recover well, this is
recommended because it will keep your
metabolism fired up and help you burn
more calories per day. If time permits,
aim for four to six workouts per week.

Here’s how a standard seven-day workout split may look using mainly
high-intensity interval training and metabolic resistance training.

1
Monday
2
Tuesday
3
Wednesday
4
Thursday
5
Friday
6
Saturday
7
Sunday
10 x 30-second 10 x 30-second
60-minute MRT HIIT Rest 60-minute MRT 60-minute MRT Rest
HIIT

Sample MRT Workout

EXERCISE PAIR SETS REPS TEMPO REST
Bench Press 1a 3 12 2:0:1:0 60 seconds
Barbell Back Squat 1b 3 12 2:2:1:0

Dumbbell Stiff-Legged Romanian Deadlift 2a 3 10 2:1:1:0 60 seconds

Lat Pulldown 2b 3 12 2:0:1:0

Lying or Seated Leg Curl 3a 3 12 3:1:2:2 60 seconds

Bent-Over Row 3b 3 10-12 2:0:1:0

Overhead Shoulder Press 4a 3 12-15 3:1:2:2 60 seconds

Dumbbell Front Squat 4b 3 10-12 4:1:1:0

Standing Dumbbell Curl 5a 3 12 2:0:1:0 30 seconds

Cable Triceps Extension 5b 3 12 2:0:1:0

74 oxygenma g. com
 Metabolic resistance
training has been
proven to increase key
fat-burning hormones
such as growth
hormone by up to

200
percent
because of the large spike
in lactic-acid levels.

NUTRITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
DURING MENOPAUSE
Nutrition is key for women in menopause
because there are several metabolic adapta-
tions that make it even more vital that you
optimize your nutrition. Here’s an overview
and key principles you should follow:
High Protein: High-protein diets have
been shown to increase fat loss, support
your training, improve hunger hormones
such as leptin and ghrelin, and help you
maintain stable energy levels. Focus on pro-
tein sources from meat, fish, eggs, beans/
legumes, yogurts and supplements such as
whey protein powder. Avoid poorer qual-
ity sources of protein such as soy, which, in
excess, can negatively impact estrogen levels.
Monitor Portion Sizes: Because there
are numerous factors that can lower your
metabolic rate and energy expenditure, it’s
very important to monitor how much you
eat. Although you may be eating healthfully
or focusing on single-ingredient foods, these
can still take you over your daily calorie
needs if you aren’t careful. If your main goal
is fat loss, specific attention to portion sizes
can help. For example, if you eat three to four
meals per day, try to have a palm-size portion
of protein such as meat or fish and 2 to 3 cups
of vegetables. Limit fats or starchy carbs to
just one portion per meal.
Focus on Fiber: A higher fiber intake also
may be key during menopause to help control
calorie intake and facilitate long-term and
sustainable weight loss. Focus on higher fiber
foods that will reduce your desire to snack
or binge-eat. High-fiber foods are incredibly
healthy for your heart, gut health and metabo-
lism. They also tend to be nutrient dense and
high in antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.
Try to get a mix of vegetables, fruits, beans/
legumes and healthy mixed whole grains.
Other Key Points: Along with eating more
protein, monitoring your daily intake/por-
tions and being consistent with the basics
such as vegetable and water intake, there are
a few more advanced methods that may pro-
vide extra benefits when you are ready to take
things a step further. For example, adding
collagen supplementation at about 10 grams
per day can improve joint and bone health
(which may decline during menopause) and
improve skin quality. Other supplements
such as vitamin D3 at 3,000 IU per day, vita-
min K at 1,000 IU, vitamin E at 1,000 IU and
magnesium at 400 to 500 milligrams also
can support bone density and provide other
health benefits like aiding sleep. Aside from
possibly adding in extra supplements, it’s
important to remember that strength train-
ing or MRT will improve bone density to a
greater extent than any single supplement.
CONQUER MENOPAUSE
Now that you have all the advanced and
proven tools to conquer your physique and
any adaptations that may occur, it’s time
to get to work and apply the content of this
article into a long-term sustainable plan.
While it may seem that the world is against
you, preventing you from achieving the body
of your dreams, these advanced methods are
extremely powerful and have already worked
for thousands of women going through a
similar battle to your own.
Try these methods today and see how
your results and body quickly change for the
better.

july / august 2017 75

EAT f you’ve worked up the motivation for another sweat fest, good
for you — that’s half the battle. The other essential half of the work-
out equation is eating the best foods for your sport of choice. The
path to improved performance and staying lean is much smoother if you

RIGHT
nail your nutrition needs for before, during and after exercise. Here’s
how to dial in your sports nutrition to maximize your workout returns.

THE CORE PRINCIPLES

FOR
Preworkout: Pumping fuel into your body before your workout can
give you a much-needed burst of energy so you’re ready to perform at
your best.
During workout: Hoping to get more out of your epic workouts? Be
sure to add fuel to your gas tank so you can keep on motoring.

YOUR
Postworkout: Smart post-training eats help maximize your recov-
ery, making you stronger and faster in the long run.

1. WEIGHTLIFTING/CROSSFITTING

SPORT
BEFORE
What you need: A growling tummy and sagging energy levels are not
conducive to a bragworthy workout. And when you aren’t able to pump
iron or perform burpees full blast, there is less chance you’ll experience
optimal physique gains. As long as you took in a well-balanced meal a
couple of hours beforehand, a light snack of 150 to 200 calories should
suffice to keep you energized on the gym floor. Including some pre-
Tailor your eating lifting protein in that snack can work to limit muscle damage during

to your workout your workout. In fact, there is data suggesting taking up to 10 grams of
branched-chain amino acids mixed with water before resistance train-

passion and get ing can lead to less muscle soreness and even quicker recovery time.
Good eats: String cheese and a handful of grapes, a rice cake with

maximum results! low-fat ricotta and almond butter spread on banana slices

DURING
By Matthew Kadey, MS, RD
What you need: Most lifting or CrossFit sessions aren’t long enough
to warrant taking in extra calories during exercise. Drink water and
rely on your preworkout fuel to keep you going strong.

AFTER
What you need: Tossing around the iron and punishing sets of box
jumps damages muscles; taking in protein afterward helps build them
back up and switch on muscle protein synthesis. And that’s key for a
more toned and stronger physique. Aim for 20 to 30 grams of high-
quality protein shortly after shelving the weights. To replenish energy
stores, consume about the same number of carbs as protein — say, a
carb-to-protein ratio of 1:1 to 2:1.
Good eats: Greek yogurt topped with berries, a protein shake, jerky
and a handful of dried cherries
Extra credit: Of all the amino acids that make up protein, leucine
is the most important for switching on muscle protein synthesis in
response to training. Whey protein powder, ricotta cheese, beef and
poultry are reliable sources of leucine.

2. SWIMMING
BEFORE
What you need: When gearing up for some serious training in
the pool or open water, the right preworkout fuel can help stymie
the premature fatigue that results in less fitness gains and calories
burned. But opt for lower-glycemic eats. These will raise your blood
sugar more slowly, resulting in a steady stream of energy as well as
improved fat burning. Reach for a 150- to 300-calorie snack with at
least 60 percent carbs about 45 minutes before jumping in. And down
a couple of cups of water for better pre-hydration.
Good eats: Apple slices with nut butter, low-fat yogurt with diced
pineapple and a small energy bar
DURING
What you need: Generally, if you’re swimming for an hour or less,
you shouldn’t require any supplemental calories to get you to the
end of a workout. But if your thrill is marathon swims, you should
consider surfacing on occasion for a carb-rich fuel to keep those swim
strokes strong. (Roughly 20 to 30 grams of carbs during each fueling
period should suffice.) If in the throes of a triathalon, the post-swim
transition is a good time to fuel up in preparation for the tasks ahead.
Good eats: Gels, sports drinks, dried fruit and chews
AFTER
What you need: Eat within 60 minutes of exercise cessation, and
make it about a 3:1 carb-to-protein ratio to refill your glycogen stores
and kick-start muscle repair. That can be a snack containing 40 grams
of carbs and 15 grams of protein.
Good eats: Hard-boiled egg and banana, cereal and milk, and qui-
noa with canned tuna
Extra credit: Modern science shows that probiotics can help bolster
immunity in endurance athletes like swimmers and runners. Eat fer-
mented foods, including yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut and tempeh.
3. RUNNING
BEFORE
What you need: A little bit of nutrition before pounding the pave-
ment or tackling treadmill intervals can help top up your energy
reserves so you can work at a higher intensity for longer, resulting
in greater performance gains overall. To go strong from the get-go,
reach for a 150- to 250-calorie snack consisting of about 75 percent
carbs taken 30 to 60 minutes before a run.
Good eats: Plain instant oats topped with dried cranberries, a rice
cake with hummus and Medjool dates stuffed with nut butter
DURING
What you need: Most runs lasting less than 90 minutes can be
fueled on water alone, but anything longer requires extra energy to
keep you from coming to a standstill. Running is hard on the digestive
track, so bring along easily digested foods that will give you 30 to 60
grams of carbs for each hour of activity. Carbs (in the form of blood
glucose and muscle glycogen) are the body’s preferred fuel source,
and a supply of them will keep your muscles from zeroing out. To stay
on top of your hydration needs during endurance workouts, make it a
habit of drinking 2 to 3 cups of fluid for each hour of exercise.
Good eats: Sports drinks, gels, chews and boxed raisins
AFTER
What you need: Running causes more muscle damage than cycling
or swimming, so protein needs are slightly elevated to stimulate the
repair process. Your post-run nosh should contain at least 20 grams of
protein. Refuel smarter by also consuming twice that amount of car-
bohydrates to start restocking spent energy stores. The harder the run,
the more you need to carb up.
Good eats: Yogurt topped with muesli, a ham and cheese sandwich,
and rice cakes topped with canned salmon
Extra credit: Research shows that honey mixed with water can
promote recovery in runners by improving hydration and restocking
glycogen — your main energy reserves when working hard.
4. CYCLING
BEFORE
What you need: Whether you’re venturing into the great outdoors
or a high-tempo Spin class, a pre-exercise nibble provides your work-
ing muscles with an extra energy source so you can go hard from the
get-go. For easier rides, eat 150 to 200 high-carb calories about 30 to
45 minutes before hopping on the saddle. If you’re going to go hard
and long, bump this up to 300 calories. As with all endurance exer-
cise, avoid too much slow-digesting fiber, fat and protein pre-ride to
sidestep stomach woes.
Good eats: Mashed sweet potato topped with pumpkin seeds, half
an English muffin topped with almond butter and fresh berries
DURING
What you need: Push into the 75-minute or longer time frame on
your bike and you’ll likely perform like a champ and steer clear of the
dreaded bonk by consuming extra energy to keep your blood sugar
and muscle energy reserves from dipping too low. Forget the protein
bars and go instead with carb-heavy items that offer up 30 to 90
grams of carbohydrates for each hour of saddle time. Take any fuel
with water to help dilute the sugar concentration and prevent GI dis-
tress. A low-sugar electrolyte product like Nuun can be helpful to slip
into your water bottle for especially sweaty Spin classes.
Good eats: Banana, energy bars, chews and Fig Newtons
AFTER
What you need: Following a hard ride, think of your body as a dry
sponge ready to soak up recovery nutrients. Recharge your body with
a postworkout snack or meal containing roughly a 3:1 carb-to-protein
ratio. Because cycling can tax your energy reserves, aim for 1 to 1.25
grams of carbs per kilogram of bodyweight. And chug back 2 cups of
water for every pound you shed during exercise.
Good eats: Pasta with meat sauce, pita with hummus and a berry
smoothie
Extra credit: Nitrates have been shown to increase exercise toler-
ance by lowering the oxygen cost of working out. Beets are Mother
Nature’s nitrate powerhouse, so a couple of hours before endurance
exercise, drink a cup of beet juice or a concentrated beet powder like
Healthy Skoop mixed with water.
5. HIKING
BEFORE
What you need: If you’re heading out for an ambitious hike, grab a
pre-tramp snack that provides about 300 calories consisting of quality
carbs and a bit of protein to stave off the hunger monster and also give
your legs a little extra gas.
Good eats: Peanut butter on toast, small wrap with sliced ham and
muesli with milk
DURING
What you need: When out for the long haul, your body requires
some fuel to help you push farther down the trail or bag a summit.
The moderate pace of most hiking is easier on your digestive system,
so it can handle more complex foods than when in the throes of other
endurance activities like running. So be sure to reach for your feed
bag every hour or so during your forest bathing to avoid cueing up
muscle fatigue and brain fog.
Good eats: Trail mix (duh!), homemade energy bars and balls,
dried fruit, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
AFTER
What you need: Recalibrate your system by seeking out protein to
help repair the muscle damage associated with striking the ground
and carbs to start building back the energy stores you spent hiking
up a storm. As with running, seek out foods that give you about a 2:1
carb-to-protein ratio. If it was a particularly sweaty hike, allow for
extra liquid and a shake of salt to replenish sodium.
Good eats: Cottage cheese with mango, chicken with brown rice
and toast with sliced hard-boiled egg
Extra credit: Mega-healthy omega-3 fats, which dampen inflamma-
tion in the body, may hold the answer to less muscle pain after impact
exercises like hiking and weightlifting. Get what you need by eating at
least two servings of fatty fish like sardines and salmon each week.
july / august 2017 77
The 10 Best
Bodyweight
Moves —Ever
You already own the greatest gym machine around:
your body. Use these all-time best bodyweight
exercises to add muscle, burn fat and improve your
conditioning — no iron necessary.
BY JOE WUEBBEN / PHOTOGRAPHY BY CORY SORENSEN

b
arbells, dumbbells, cables and kettle-
bells are great, but technically speaking,
they’re not necessary for sculpting a lean,
strong physique. (Helpful? Yes. Imperative?
No.) The phrase “I can’t get to the gym” is
not a viable excuse for skipping a workout
because some of the most challenging mus-
cle- and strength-building moves known to
womankind are bodyweight exercises.
There are endless moves you can do with
your bod as equipment, so to boil it down to
the best of the best, we asked a handful of our
favorite trainers and strength coaches their
opinions on the moves that reign supreme.
Using their nominations, we devised this top
10 list — the ultimate collection of exercises
to add muscle, increase strength, improve
flexibility and beef up endurance. These
moves are infinitely scalable, and for each,
we offer both easier and harder variants to
accommodate individuals of all fitness levels.
There is one thing these exercises don’t
accommodate, however: excuses.

july / august 2017 79

1 Burpee
Muscles Targeted: Full body
COACH’S COMMENTARY:
“Burpees strengthen your
whole body, help with coordi-
nation and stability, and can
be used effectively for con-
ditioning,” says Jenna Torres,
CF-L1, head coach at CrossFit
James Island in Charleston,
South Carolina (crossfitjames
island.com).
How-To: Stand with your feet
hip-width apart, then crouch
and place your hands flat on
the floor in front of you. Jump
your feet behind you into a
push-up position, then do one
push-up. Jump your feet back
underneath you, then quickly
extend your legs and hips to
explode upward, reaching
your hands overhead as you
jump vertically off the ground
as high as you can.
Make It Harder: See the
“Combine & Conquer” sidebar
for an advanced variation.
Make It Easier: Nix either the
push-up or the jump (or both),
depending on your level.
80 oxygenma g. com
Combine
& Conquer
As we said, there are
endless variations and
combinations of body-
weight moves you can
devise. Here are two kick-
ass combos designed by
Los Angeles–based celeb-
rity fitness and wellness
coach Leslie Maltz, NASM,
(lesliemaltz.com) to maxi-
mize your work capacity
and boost your burn.
MULTIPLANAR
LUNGE/SQUAT
Perform a forward lunge,
then push off the front
foot and immediately step
behind you in a reverse
lunge with that same foot.
Push off again and come
to standing as you do a
kick to the front. Put your
foot down and do an air
squat to complete one
rep. Continue, alternating
sides.
BURPEE PLUS
OVERHEAD SQUAT +
SIDE-PLANK REACH +
Model: Juliana Daniell / Hair & Makeup: Donna Gast / Sports Bra & Shorts: Elisabetta Rogiani / Shoes: Under Armour
PUSHUP
Reach your arms over-
head and lower into an
air squat. Stop at the bot-
tom, place your hands on
the floor and walk them
out into a push-up posi-
tion. Perform a push-up,
then turn into a side plank,
reaching your top arm
toward the sky, shoulders
and hips stacked. Return to
the start, do another push-
up, then repeat the side
plank and reach to the
opposite side. Return to
the start, walk your hands
back to your feet, sink your
hips into the squat, reach
your arms overhead and
stand back up. Feeling
badass? Add a jump.
 Air Squat
Muscles Targeted: Quads, glutes,
hamstrings, core

COACH’S COMMENTARY:
“Air squats build strength and power
in the hamstrings, quads, hips and
glutes while stabilizing the core,”
Torres says.

How-To: Stand with your feet shoul-

der-width apart, legs turned slightly
outward and arms extended in front
of you at shoulder height. Kick your
hips back and bend your knees to
squat toward the floor, weight in
your heels, chest lifted, focus forward.
Descend until your hips drop below
your knees, then stand back to
the start.

2
Make It Harder: Try pistol squats — the
one-legged version of the air squat.
Make It Easier: Place a chair behind
you and touch your glutes to the chair
with each rep.

Bear Crawl
Muscles Targeted: Core,
shoulders, quads, hip flexors

COACH’S COMMENTARY:
“Bear crawls improve core
and upper-body strength,
scapular stability and overall
shoulder health,” says Molly
Galbraith, CSCS, owner of
Girls Gone Strong (girlsgone
strong.com).
Make It Harder: Take your crawls
on the move laterally, in reverse or
in patterns.
Make It Easier: Hold stationary, in
the start position, for time (five to
30 seconds).
3
How-To: Get on all fours with
your feet and hands both
slightly wider than shoulder
width. Pick your knees up a
few inches off the floor while
keeping your back straight
and your head neutral. Crawl
forward by taking small, con-
trolled steps using the opposite
hand and foot while keep-
ing your butt down and your
knees close to the floor. Crawl
for total reps, distance or time.

july / august 2017 81

 Forward Lunge
Muscles Targeted: Quads, glutes,
hamstrings, inner/outer thigh

COACH’S COMMENTARY:
“Working unilaterally with lunges is
a great way to train similar muscles
as squats without loading the
spine,” says Julia Ladewski, CSCS,
a sports-performance coach in
Highland, Indiana (julialadewski
.com). “You also get some added
core and adductor/stability work
by using one leg at a time.”

How-To: Stand tall in an open

area with your feet together. Take
a large step forward with one leg
and bend both knees, dropping
the back one toward the floor
while keeping your front knee over
your toes. When your front thigh
comes parallel with the floor (or
slightly beyond), push off the front
heel and pull with the glute and
hamstring of the back leg to return

4
to standing. Continue, alternating
legs.

Make It Harder: See the “Combine

& Conquer” sidebar for an
advanced variation.
Make It Easier: Do stationary
lunges, in which your feet remain
fixed in the staggered stance
throughout.

Push-Up
Muscles Targeted: Chest, shoulders,
triceps, core

COACH’S COMMENTARY:
“Push-ups are not only a great muscle and
strength builder for the upper body ‘push’
muscles, but they also develop core stability,”
says Jim Smith, CPPS, owner of Diesel Strength
& Conditioning (dieselsc.com).

How-To: Place your hands shoulder-width

apart on the floor, then extend your legs behind
you so your head, hips and heels are aligned,
body rigid, head neutral. Keeping your elbows
pointed backward (not out to the sides), bend
your arms to lower your body toward the floor,
maintaining a tight core. When your elbows
break 90 degrees, press back up to the start.

Make It Harder: Elevate your feet on a bench,

chair or step, hands on the floor (decline).
Make It Easier: Put your hands up on a bench,
feet on the floor (incline).

82 oxygenma g. com
 Body-
weight
Blast
Crafting your own body-
weight workout is simple:
Choose one lower-body
move, one upper-body
push (chest/shoulders/tri-
ceps), one upper-body pull
(back/biceps), one core
move and one full-body
exercise and arrange them
in a circuit. Here are a few
examples:

TRX Row THE CIRCUITS

Muscles Targeted: Upper back, rear Repeat the circuit three to
delts, forearms, grip five times, depending on
your fitness level.
COACH’S COMMENTARY: For muscle building and
“Using a TRX for rows and inverted strength, rest one minute
rows minimizes the stress on the wrists, between each exercise.
elbows and shoulders that is often For cardiovascular condi-
associated with fixed bar work,” Smith tioning and fat loss, rest as
says. “A pull-up bar doesn’t allow for little as possible between
small adjustments as you perform the moves and one to two min-
movement, thus causing inflammation utes between circuits.
and irritation due to common immo- Sub in any “harder” or
bility issues like tight lats, internally “easier” variations of the
rotated shoulders and a weak back.” listed exercises, if desired.

How-To: Grasp a set of TRX handles

with your palms facing inward, arms
extended. Walk your feet forward until
your body is at about a 45-degree THE BASIC
angle to the floor and your head,
hips and heels are aligned. Keep your Exercise Reps
body rigid as you drive your elbows Air Squat 20-25
back and draw your shoulder blades
together to pull your chest up to the Push-Up To failure
handles. Pause briefly, then slowly
TRX Row To failure
lower to the start.
Dead Bug 10-15
Burpee 10
Make It Harder: Place your
heels on a box so your body
is horizontal, parallel with THE BADASS
the floor.
Exercise Reps
Make It Easier: Walk your
feet back under you so Tuck Jump 10-15
you’re more vertical.
TRX Row To failure
Burpee Plus 10-15
Dip To failure
Multi-Planar Lunge/Squat 10 each leg
Back-and-Forth Bear Crawl 20 steps forward, 20 backward
Dead Bug Advanced (arms + legs) 10 each side

july / august 2017 83

7
Tuck Jump
Muscles Targeted: Glutes,
quads, hamstrings, core
COACH’S COMMENTARY:
“This dynamic movement
helps strengthen the lower
body while building explo-
sive power and engaging
the core,” Torres says.
How-To: Stand in an open
area in an athletic “ready”
position — feet hip-width
apart, knees slightly bent,
ready to explode. Quickly
bend your knees and hips
to load up your glutes and
quads, then jump vertically
as high as possible. While
in the air, lift your knees to
your chest in a tuck and then
extend your legs and land
softly, absorbing the impact.
Collect yourself, then repeat.
Make It Harder: Add a
lateral element — jumping
a few feet to the side while
tucking the knees up.
Make It Easier: Eliminate
the knee tuck; do vertical
jumps only.
84 oxygenma g. com
Dead Bug
Muscles Targeted: Core, hip
flexors
COACH’S COMMENTARY:
“This deceptively challenging
exercise targets the anterior
core (abs) and can even out
asymmetries from side to
side,” Galbraith says.
How-To: Lie faceup with
your knees and hips bent
90 degrees and your arms
extended over your shoul-
ders, perpendicular to the
floor, palms facing inward.
Press your lower back into
the floor as hard as you can,
then hold that position as you
slowly extend one leg toward
the floor, simultaneously
lowering the opposite arm
behind your head. Stop when
your leg and arm are a few
inches from touching down,
then return to the start.
Make It Harder: Hold the
extended position for longer
time increments, or do all reps
on one side before switching.
Make It Easier: Hold the start
position for time (10 to 30 sec-
onds), or eliminate the arms
and only extend the legs one
at a time.
 Dip

9 Muscles Targeted: Chest,

shoulders, triceps

COACH’S COMMENTARY:
“These develop overall upper-
body strength and will improve
your bench and overhead press,”
Ladewski says.

How-To: Sit on the edge of a box

or bench with your hands on either
side of your hips, fingers forward.
Extend your arms to lift your glutes
up and forward, then bend your
elbows, lowering until they break
90 degrees. Forcefully press back
to the start.

Make It Harder: Lift one leg, or dip

on parallel bars for a greater chal-
lenge.
Make It Easier: Bend your knees
and use your legs to assist on the
upward drive.

Single-Legged
Romanian
Deadlift
Muscles Targeted: Hamstrings,
glutes, outer thigh, lower back,
core

COACH’S COMMENTARY:
“RDLs are a great strength builder,
warm-up/activation exercise or a
glute/ham tie-in move,” Ladewski
says. “Factor in the unilateral ele-
ment and your hamstrings really
have to work hard.”

How-To: Stand tall with your feet

hip-width apart, knees slightly
bent, arms reaching toward the
floor. Straighten one leg behind
you so all your weight is in your
standing leg, then hinge at the
hips and lower your torso down
as you raise your extended leg
up at the same rate, keeping your
back flat and your hips square.
When your torso and leg come
parallel with the floor, reverse the
motion and return to the standing
position. Do all reps on one side
before switching.

Make It Harder: Hold a small

weight in one hand.
Make It Easier: Keep your rear toes
in contact with the floor instead of
lifting your leg for more stability.

july / august 2017 85

 WORDS OF
WISDOM
FROM THOSE
IN THE
KNOW exhale

TRANSFORM 88
FIT FACTOR 90
SPOTLIGHT 92
TEAMWORK HOW SHE FUELS 94
A good training partner BOOST 96
can keep you motivated. INSPIRE 98

july / august 2017 87

transform SUCCESS STORIES
Inside out
Sometimes you have to
overcome your inner struggle
to transform your outer self.
hubby. Big-boned. Thick. These
are the adjectives Queing Jones used to
describe herself growing up, finally set-
tling on “obese” as her ultimate physical
descriptor as she entered her 30s and 40s. A steady
diet of fast food and disappointment meant the
slow creep of the scale, until Jones maxed out at
246 pounds.
“Eating was a way of coping for me, and I used
food as a balm,” says Jones in retrospect. “I was
trying to soothe the feelings of hopelessness
because of the transitions that constantly plagued
me — loss of a job, moving, my grandmother’s
death, financial pressure and the elusive quest to
lose weight.”
The final straw was a bad breakup. “I was so
heartbroken, but as cliché as it sounds, I wanted
to be better, not bitter,” she says. “I vowed to give
myself the love that I had been longing to get from
someone else and started by practicing compas-
sion toward myself. I knew I needed that more
than anything else because if my body was going to
change, my thinking and feelings about myself had
to change first.”
88 oxygenma g. com
This is a typical cycle for many women, build-
ing up their friends and loved ones but then
tearing themselves down. “I’d never tell my bes-
tie, ‘You are so fat I can’t stand to look at you,’”
Jones says. “Therefore, I could no longer tell
myself things like that, either.”
Eat …
Jones took a hard look at her diet — and didn’t
like what she saw. A quick Google search of
“clean eating” brought up endless info on nutri-
tion, meal planning and food prep, all of which
Jones absorbed as fast as she could scroll. She
ditched her fast-food habit and began to track her
macros. “The hardest part was developing dis-
cipline around eating every three hours,” Jones
says. “I was so used to eating what I wanted when
I wanted.”
Of course, the transition wasn’t all unicorns
and rainbows. “Sometimes I’d sabotage my
efforts and a cheat meal would turn into a cheat
day,” she says. “That would lead to feelings of Before photos
defeat, which would lead to emotional eating and of Queing
so on. It was a roller-coaster ride at times, but
every new day I tried again.”
stats
Pray … Queing Jones/
Jones’ first exercise goal was simply to walk for an Chicago
hour a day four days a week. She cruised around
age: 43
the lakefront of Chicago and spent some time on
height: 5’6”
self-reflection, meditation and prayer, and she
began to slowly drop some weight. She hired a old weight: 246
personal trainer for a bit but did not resonate current weight: 146
with the trainer’s drill-sergeant style and looked occupation:
elsewhere for her ideal exercise outlet. Soon Kindergarten teacher
enough, she found her people: a fitness boutique favorite mantra:
specializing in strength training and boot camps. “Commitment is not
“This was a culture of sisterhood and empow- always convenient.” —
erment — exactly the type of motivation that I Dr. Bill Winston
was missing — and I thrived on it,” Jones says. favorite bodypart to
train: “I love shoulders!
Love … My favorite move is
Jones lost 13 pounds her first month at the studio upright rows with a
and went on to lose 60 more, which shuttled her straight bar.”
to her 100-pound weight-loss goal in the summer
of 2016. She still trains there today with the inten-
Weekly Training Split
tion of adding some lean muscle and lifting heavier
weights, as well as getting her group fitness certifi- Monday: Chest, Biceps
cation and possibly entering a figure competition. Tuesday: Cardio, Calves
It took Jones about two years to lose the Wednesday:
weight, but she’d argue it was time well-spent. Hamstrings, Abs
Thursday: Shoulders,
After Photo by Rufus Sanders Photography
“My advice: Let go of the deadline of when you
want to lose the weight,” she says. “Be aggres- Triceps
sively compassionate with yourself, and celebrate Friday: Cardio, Calves
your victories not by what the scale says but by Saturday: Back
whether or not you kept your word to yourself Sunday: Quads
each week. Transformation starts from within.
It’s absolutely a spiritual endeavor first.”
Want to share your ory? Email us at successories@oxygenmag.com!

From rock
bottom to
rock star
ewind a year and a half: Sarah Wallace was
in Europe for the trip of a lifetime, and although
she had many amazing experiences, one dark
time overshadowed them all. “I was walking down
the street in Brussels when two men behind me started
After Photo by Devon Wallace (Outer Orbit Creative)
oinking and making cruel comments,” says Wallace, who
at the time weighed 347 pounds. “This continued for two
whole city blocks, and with every oink, more and more
tears welled up in my eyes. Normally, I would have turned
around and let them have it, since I am usually forward
and outspoken, but in that moment, I was at my lowest.
My emotional tank was officially empty.”
Wallace had always been overweight, and though she
masked her unhappiness with a bubbly, goofy personality,
inside she was hurting. “Like Fat Bastard in Austin Powers
says, ‘I eat because I’m unhappy and I’m unhappy because
I eat,’” she says. “I was slowly killing myself with food and
I didn’t care.”
By Lara McGlashan, MFA, CPT
The callousness of two unknown men at first
plummeted Sarah Wallace to a critical low —
but ultimately buoyed her to an all-time high.
On the Upswing
But despite the malicious intent of those
anonymous men, something in Wallace
turned that day for the better. She decided
stats
Sarah Wallace/
Calgary, Alberta,
to change her lifestyle and approach to Canada
eating, though in a rather unconventional
way: She refused to count calories, weigh age: 30
her food, track points or keep a food diary. height: 5’9”
“I knew that the habits I developed had to old weight: 347
last a lifetime, so I kept it simple and only current weight: 212 (and
ate healthy, nutritious, unprocessed foods, counting!)
and I ate only until I was satisfied — not goal weight: 180-190
full or stuffed,” she says. “Do not get me occupation: Training
wrong, there were days when I would liter- coordinator/analyst
ally break down and cry over a Jujube! But
no matter what, I refused to give in to my
temptations.” Sarah’s Fitness Kit:
Jump rope
There’s an App for That Resistance bands
Next, she tackled exercise, beginning at first Pilates ball
by walking 10,000 steps a day and tracking Yoga mat
her progress with a Fitbit. As she dropped TRX
weight, Wallace was able to walk longer Ankle/wrist weights
distances and worked up to a daily 5K. “I
was also big on having dance parties in my
Wallace’s Wise Words:
living room either by myself or with my step-
Strike that horrible word
daughter,” she says.
“diet” from your vocabulary
Wallace downloaded several workout
apps for variety rather than joining a gym, because it implies that this
and she created a fitness kit to keep in her change is only temporary.
car and take to various parks. “All I need is You are not a dog. Do not
my kit, a little creativity and an app and I reward yourself with food.
can work out anywhere,” she says. “I also Remove all toxicity from
use items in the park, and on any given day, your life — food, alcohol
you can find me hugging a big rock or using and people who don’t
a children’s jungle gym for various body- respect your choices.
weight exercises.” Losing weight is hard.
Being fat is hard. Choose
Sexy in Her Skin your hard.
Fast-forward to present day and Wallace is
down 135 pounds — and counting. “The scale
isn’t moving much lately because I increased
my weight training — but I am still losing
inches!” she says. Wallace has also taken up
running and plans to do several 5Ks in 2017.
“I was at my lowest a year ago, and today
I couldn’t be happier,” she says. “Coming
from a place of morbid obesity to finally feel-
ing confident, comfortable and even a little
sexy in my skin is completely new to me. I
hope this is a feeling that I will never take
for granted.”
Before photos
of Sarah
Follow Wallace’s Inagram at @funeral.for.my.fat.
 fit factor INSPIRATION

Age is a number: Kelley Mello dreamed

of competing in a bikini competition.
“However, I thought that ship had sailed
because of my age,” she says. Inspired by
Meet 5 Tosca Reno, Mello forged ahead and entered
her first competition four years ago. “I saw
women what she accomplished in her 50s, and it

of fitness
who’ve
got the fit
factor.
made me look into fitness competitions,” she
says. Mello has been competing ever since.

Early bird: A morning person, Mello trains

at 5:30 a.m. five days a week. “It’s when I
have the most drive,” she explains. She rests
on weekends, but she’ll occasionally take
a yoga class on Sundays. And Sundays and
Future
Wednesdays are also for meal prep. “Grilled
chicken, salmon and tuna are my go-to pro-
teins,” she says. “As for carbs, I lean toward
brown rice, oatmeal and sweet potatoes.”

Maria Pontillo Just do it: Mello didn’t place her first few
shows, but she chalks them up to learning
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
experiences. And she just did her first pro
Stats: 32 • 115 lb • 5’
show with WNBF in 2016 and placed fourth
Gig: Doctor of physical therapy
in Masters Bikini. “I earned my pro card in
Masters Bikini in 2015,” she says. When
things get tough, Mello thinks about all the
other women who aren’t quitting. Plus, she
DIY fitness: Maria Pontillo has been likes the idea of being a role model for the
working out since she was a kid with her women her age who think they are too old or
dad in their garage. “I remember using soup that it just can’t be done at this stage of their
cans as dumbbells to do biceps curls,” she lives. “My favorite quote is, ‘There is a way to
says. Involved with competitive cheerlead- do it. Find it.’”
ing when she was younger, Pontillo got
serious about working out in college when
she tried out for the Florida State University
cheerleading team and didn’t make it.
“Discouraged, I refused to give up, so I hit
the gym hard to train hard to try out the
following year,” she says. “I didn’t follow
through, though, because I found my pas-
sion in group fitness.”

CALLING ALL Low stress: Pontillo started doing yoga

FIT WOMEN
while studying for her physical therapy boards
in 2010. “My stress levels were high, and I’m
convinced yoga had a direct link to passing my
Think you have boards, getting my license and now working as
what it takes? a physical therapist,” she explains. She’s also
Send your story to a fan of cardio and weights. “I’m always pro-
futureoffitness moting cross training and recovery for injury
Photo by Alex Dumas / Photo by Matt Shepley

prevention, so I’m a fan of HIIT workouts.”

@oxygenmag.com.
Feel good: When asked for her favor-
ite fitness tip, Pontillo says, “I see a trend
among athletes, fitness enthusiasts and
Kelley Mello
trainers: Recovery, mobility, stretching and
dynamic warm-ups are often neglected.”
Dartmouth, Massachusetts
Focusing on those can help prevent and Stats: 48 • 123 lb • 5’4”
decrease risk of injury. She suggests listen- Gig: Licensed aesthetician
ing to your body, remove self-judgment and
focus on how you feel, not on how you look.

90 oxygenma g. com

Joy Kushner
Missoula, Montana
Stats: 34 •126 lb • 5’3”
Gig: Owner of Joy Personal
Training fitness studio
Back on track: In spite of the challenges
in Joy Kushner’s life, she has learned to thrive
in the face of adversity. Born with spina bifida
occulta (a fault in the spinal column in which
one or more vertebrae fail to form properly),
Kushner has always struggled with back pain.
Plus, two car accidents in two years left her
recovering from neck and back injuries.
Core power: After giving birth to her first
child, Kushner wanted to get back in shape
and entered a local figure competition. She
fell hard for the gym and quit her job as a
Photo by James Patrick Photography / Photo by Chris Hayden / Photo by James Patrick
surgical technologist and became a personal
trainer. “I opened my own studio for women
soon after, and that’s when I found my call-
ing,” she says. After her accidents, Kushner
gained weight and became depressed — she
worried that she could no longer do a job she
loved. “I was told I could either have surgery
or live with the pain.” Kushner knew there
was a third option: “I was convinced I could
heal my injuries if I strengthened my core and
corrected my imbalances.” She has devoted
the last three and a half years to keeping her
body strong and healthy without surgery.
Motivating mom: When Kushner is
struggling, she imagines what she would
do if her kids were watching her. “I want
them to know that quitting is not an
option.” And her advice to clients? “Find
balance. Physical, spiritual and mental
health are all equally important,” she says.
By Maureen Farrar
Figure it out: This Division I college
track athlete started training seriously
after her college graduation. “After being
an athlete for so long, I missed being so
regimented with training and being active,
so I set a schedule for myself,” Lauren
Findley explains. Inspired by Nicole Wilkins,
Findley began competing in figure. “I will be
competing in my first national show in the
summer of 2017, and I attribute much of my
motivation and inspiration to Nicole and her
dedication to fitness,” she says.
On the run: Although she loves weights,
Findley still enjoys going for long runs and
doing sprint intervals on the treadmill.
“There’s nothing better than working up an
awesome sweat. It’s also an amazing feeling
to hit a new PR in the weight room or finally
mastering a difficult exercise,” she says. “I
just love to be active any way that I can.”
Eat clean: When she’s not training,
Findley is making sure she has a steady sup-
ply of healthy food. “I usually prep my meals
the night before,” she explains. “I like my
meals to be super fresh, so I never prep for
an entire week at a time.” She keeps it sim-
ple with favorites like chicken, shrimp, fish
and veggies along with some jasmine rice.
But it’s not all good food all the time: “My
favorite cheat meal is a cheeseburger and
sweet potato fries,” she says. “Right now, I
indulge once a week.”
Lauren Findley
Philadelphia
Stats: 25 • 117 lb • 5’2”
Gig: Business
Helen Frisch
Charlotte, North Carolina
Stats: 59 • 135 lb • 5’9”
Gig: Flight attendant
Competitive spirit: Helen Frisch’s par-
ents were athletes, and she wanted to follow
in their footsteps. She lettered in four sports,
including a championship track and field
and cross-country team. “My father was an
accomplished collegiate athlete. He even
qualified for the Olympics in track,” she says.
Fitness on the go: Being a flight atten-
dant presents a few challenges for staying fit
on the fly. “I try to plan layovers in cities with
gyms,” she says. “Luckily, I’m normally able
to train five to six days a week, hitting all
major muscle groups at least twice.” She also
gets cardio in at least five days a week, train-
ing 10 to 45 minutes, depending on whether
she’s preparing for a contest. Frisch started
competing in NPC Masters Bikini in the 40+
and 50+ categories four years ago. “I plan
to bump up to figure this year!” she says.
Overcoming cancer: Three years ago,
Frisch was diagnosed with chronic lympho-
cytic leukemia. It was discovered during a
routine physical. “I was shocked, but I was
determined to stay proactive in keeping this
cancer at bay,” she says. Frisch continued to
train for shows, eat clean, do acupuncture
and sought out homeopathic care. “Now I
am in the best shape of my life!” Frisch says.
“I am living proof that a healthy lifestyle,
training, eating clean and trying to keep my
body as alkaline as possible can ward off dis-
ease and increase longevity.”
july / august 2017 91
spotlight AMBER DAWN ORTON
Baby on board
New mom Amber Dawn Orton finds new ways to
stay fit while cutting herself some slack.
mber Dawn Orton wears
many hats to fulfill her desire
of helping others reach their
health and fitness goals: National
Physique Committee judge and fitness model,
endorsed athlete, posing instructor, personal
trainer and owner of ADOFitness. But it’s her
latest role — mother to a 5-month-old boy
— that is her newest passion. “I absolutely
love being a mom,” she says. “However, it
definitely makes health and fitness even more
of a challenge.”
WHY AMBER’S STAPLE PRODUCT IS
DYMATIZE’S GLUTAMINE MICRONIZED
“Glutamine is amazing for recovery, but it’s also great for digestive health — which
a lot of people don’t realize. So I take 5 to 10 grams postworkout and before bed to
maintain gastrointestinal health because it’s a vital nutrient for the intestines.”
92 oxygenma g. com
As many new moms quickly learn, your
personal routine is no longer the priority.
And with that acceptance comes a new way
of doing things. “Being a mom has taught me
patience and balance in all aspects of my life,”
says Orton, who is sponsored by Dymatize.
“Now I don’t get down on myself if I miss a
workout; I just focus harder on my nutrition.
And I find ways to work in exercise with the
baby now. Even if I have to strap him to a
front pack and walk on the treadmill, I just
find a way to move!”
By Jill Schildhouse
AMBER’S WORKOUT
SCHEDULE:
Monday:
 Glute-focused leg day + HIIT
cardio
Tuesday: Shoulders and abs
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Back and shoulders + HIIT
cardio
Friday: Lower-body plyo and abs
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Arms and chest + HIIT cardio
Amber’s Playground-Inspired Circuit
Want to work out at the park while your
children burn off their own energy? It’s
easy to keep an eye on your little ones
while doing this full-body circuit:*
60 jumping jacks
1-minute wall sit (or tree or any surface
you can sit up against)
20 push-ups on a bench
50 crunches
40 step-ups (Use a chair or bench.)
45 air squats
20 triceps dips (Use a chair or bench.)
1-minute high plank on wrists
45 seconds high knees in place
45 walking lunges
20 push-ups on ground
20 hanging knee-ups for abs (Find
something to hang off of at the playground
and bring your knees to your chest.)
*Repeat three times through as fast as
possible, with three to five minutes of rest
between rounds.
With her newfound respect for realistic
options, Orton doesn’t believe there is just
one path to reach your health and fitness
goals: “I have an open-minded diet phi-
losophy that creates sustainability for the
individual, meaning I customize programs
for what’s maintainable over the long term, in
everyday life.”
Photo By Eric Wainwright
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 how she fuels SARAH BROWN By Maureen Farrar

Family fitness For Bikini athlete Sarah Brown,

fitness is a family affair.
or 31-year-old Sarah Brown, health and fit-
ness is a huge part of her family dynamic. So
much so that she says, “Our son has been attend-
ing bodybuilding and fitness events with us since
he was 6 days old! Yes, days!”
It’s no surprise because being active is definitely in
Brown’s DNA. As a teen, she dabbled in ice skating and
competitive cheerleading, and she even earned a black
belt in seidokan karate. Back in 2011 when she went to
a bodybuilding show with her husband (who is a body-
builder), she saw the Bikini division for the first time and
thought, Now that’s a great look for me. I want to prep
for one of these shows. She asked her husband to train
her, and she placed in the top five at the Flex Bikini Model
Search in early 2012. “From that point on, I was hooked!”
Just five months later, she competed in her first NPC
show. “I loved training for something and setting a goal
for myself,” Brown says.
After some trial and error Brown, who is sponsored
by Optimum Nutrition, developed a practical approach
to nutrition. “It took me a while, trying out different diet
techniques and playing with my macros to really grasp
what works for me,” Brown says. “Moderation and bal-
ance are the keys to success. I really had to change the
way I looked at food. I made it more of a life change than
a diet; diets seem restrictive and immediately make you
start craving the foods you know you shouldn’t have.
Healthy and nutritional foods make me feel better and
more energized. While I enjoy cheat meals from time to
time, if I don’t go overboard, I’m able to have them more
often and keep from having cravings.”
While managing her salon, working on her clients (she
is a cosmetologist), helping her son with his homework,
competing and being a wife, Brown still dedicates time
to get her training in and prep her meals. “It’s not always
SARAH’S SAMPLE
easy, but if you make it a priority, you will find a way to
ONEDAY MEAL PLAN
Breakfast: ½ cup egg whites, 1 whole egg,
get it done,” she says.
2 slices Ezekiel toast with light spread of
Sarah’s Favorite Optimum Nutrition Products honey or spray butter
Opti-Women Multivitamin: It’s packed with 40 Snack 1: 2 scoops Optimum Nutrition Gold
active ingredients, including botanicals and antioxidants. Standard 100% Whey protein in water
Protein Water: Not only does it contain 20 grams of Lunch: 1 fish fillet and 5 asparagus spears
protein, but it’s also conveniently pre-mixed and supports Snack: Optimum Nutrition Opti-Bar
hydration and muscle recovery. Dinner: 6 oz sirloin steak and 6 oz sweet
Fitness Fiber: I have this every day mixed with my Sarah’s potato fries, small salad with mixed leafy
morning cup of coffee. It provides digestive support and favorite greens and garden veggies with oil and
helps me reach my daily recommended intake of fiber, Optimum balsamic vinegar*
which most people lack. products *I usually train at night, so I like to have
Essential Amino Energy: I love this because I can carbs with my last meal on training days.
use it as anytime energy by taking just a couple of scoops,
Photo by Gabriel Guzman

or I can add a couple of more scoops and use it as a pre-

workout. It never makes me jittery, and it’s packed full of
aminos.
Gold Standard 100% Whey: I love this stuff because
there are so many different delicious flavors. It is also
very versatile. I love to add it into my oatmeal or pancake “MODERATION AND BALANCE
mix. ARE THE KEYS TO SUCCESS.”
94 oxygenma g. com

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boost TRAINING
PreCharge your body
This energy product from Novaforme will help
improve your workouts, results and health.
reCharge was designed by
Novaforme with the intent of
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PreCharge provides green-tea
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This product contains green-tea extract
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Antioxidants from green-tea extracts
and other nutrients in PreCharge help
destroy free radicals. In addition, these
green-tea extracts enhance production
of norepinephrine, the brain chemical
that boosts energy, as well as increasing
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), an
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THE GREENTEA EXTRACTS IN PRECHARGE PROVIDE
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96 oxygenma g. com
By Adam Gonzalez
PreCharge delivers natural caf-
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This product provides caffeine from
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HOW ARE WE HELPING YOU

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inspire

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98 oxygenma g. com
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*All flavors are gluten free except Cookies N Cream. All trademarks, copyrights, patents and other intellectual properties are owned by their respective owners. All rights reserved.