HOW TO EMPOWER WOMEN THROUGH SELF DEFENCE TRAINING

 

I believe it is essential for women to be fearless in order to survive in today’s world. I recently started teaching unarmed combat to a few women from my gym and they have all reported feeling more empowered to negotiate their daily lives after undergoing some sessions of self defence training.

 

Self-defence is a psychological endeavour. Unfortunately, women who come to my classes often feel that they aren't young or fit or flexible enough to defend themselves from attackers. This is the first issue that needs to be addressed, as fear is what the attacker counts on.

 

I usually start by improving the client’s fitness levels and building their confidence alongside. I then repeatedly put them in situations when they are under attack and teach them how to combat the threat. It’s an elaborate process that aims at empowering them, and more often than not, the ladies rapidly rise to the challenge, pushing themselves to levels of performance which they never believed they could achieve.

BODY SCULPTURES

These individuals have sculpted muscle into works of art, building strength and athleticism at the same time.

 

Moorea Wolfe

This fantastic looking girl from Arizona has been training and competing in bodybuilding since the early 2000’s, having started at age 19. She started out dancing and competing in gymnastics before she moved on to fitness competitions. On top of her competitive career she has also worked as a personal trainer.

 

 

Born and raised in Nairobi Kenya, Jane Mukami is probably the sexiest female body builder in Kenya. Currently residing in Atlanta, Jane also known as ’fitkenyangirl’ could be pass for a model with her sexy and trim shape.

 

Charlize Theron












 

 

15 WEEKS BODY TRANSFORMATION - FREELETICS

When a man takes his destiny into his hands and proceeds to shape himself into whom he wants to be, he ceases to be a mere man, and approaches apotheosis. #LegallyMuscled bites

"A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts."

"As the physically weak man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man of weak thoughts, can make them strong by exercising himself in right thinking."

The Aphrodite workout is the beginners phase of the freeletics workout program. It is helpful if you perform it in a group with other trainees; this keeps you motivated when you start to hurt.

APHRODITE

Your first workout is called Aphrodite. It does not require equipment. There are no mandatory breaks. That means you are supposed to complete the workout without taking breaks - if possible. It is important to complete it in the exact same order as stated below and to work through it as fast as possible. Quitting is not an option.

WORKOUT STRUCTURE

5 Rounds Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5
Burpees     50           40            30          20          10
Squats       50            40            30         20           10
Situps        50            40            30         20           10

BURPEES

Start: Start from a standing position. Knees, hips and shoulders are in a vertical line. Make sure to keep your core tight.

Movement: Make your chest touch the ground. Get back up (however you want to, not necessarily a strict push-up) and perform a jump – both feet have to leave the ground, knees, hips and shoulders have to be in a vertical line and the hands have to touch behind the head.

End: When your feet touch the ground again, one repetition is completed.

Modified version: If burpees are too difficult or become too difficult during the workout, do the modified version:

Move into the push-up position without touching the ground with your chest.

SQUATS

Start: Start from a standing position. Knees, hips and shoulders are in a vertical line.

Movement: Lower your hips below your knees.

End: Return to starting position to complete one repetition.

Additional remarks: Make sure to keep your weight on your heels, your chest up and your back flat. Push your knees out and keep your torso as vertical as possible.

Modified version: If squats are too difficult or become too difficult during the workout, do the modified version:

Lower your hips as far as you can instead of lowering them below your knees.

SITUPS

Start: Start from a sitting position. Both of your hands touch the ground in front of your feet.

Movement: Move your torso downwards and touch the ground behind your head with both hands.

End: Return to starting position to complete one repetition.

Additional remarks: Your butt may never leave the ground. Make sure too keep your core tight.

Modified version: If situps are too difficult or become too difficult during the workout, do the modified version: Touch your knees instead of the ground in front of your feet.

WORKLOAD
In general, we recommend you to train Freeletics at least four times per week. Since this is your first week, three times is fine as well.
Freeletics is really tough, especially at the beginning. Workout times exceeding an hour are totally normal. Also, don’t be discouraged if you can’t make the workload from day one. It is all part of the process. You will improve much faster than you think.

Your fastest time is called personal best (PB). If you complete a workout without a single modified repetition, the workout time receives a star (*). Star times are always ranked before workout times without a star, even if they are slower.

We recommend you to warm-up before every training session and to stretch afterwards. Jogging, jumping jacks, arm circles, light stretching and the like are suitable to warm-up.

Please take a picture of your body before you train Freeletics the first time. Take a new one every ten days. Pictures are important to evaluate physical changes. Since you only change a little every day, you will not be able to track your progress properly without pictures.

Have fun in your first week as Free Athletes!

Freeletics Instructor Team

 

10 REASONS TO HIT THE GYM.... HARD

Using Outdoor Gyms for Muscle Gains 2

You will recall that I wrote about training in outdoor gyms sometime ago. I just found a video on Youtube which shows how you can use the outdoor gyms to maximise your fitness gains without spending a penny. In addition, training with the gym equipment generates kinetic energy which is converted to electricity and stored in batteries for use by the community.

 

Sample workout:
Pullups: 5 sets of 30, 25, 20, 15,10 reps  Superset with Muscle ups on the lower bar for the same no of reps.
Dips: 5 X 30,25,20,15,10 reps Superset with rows on the lower pullup bar
Jump over the section dividers for a core workout and use the floor area for a Capoeira workout

 

 



DEADLIFT YOUR WAY TO A FIT BODY!!!

 It has been a long time since I last posted on LegallyMuscled. I hope you are getting closer to you goal of maintaining a fit mind and a strong body - a body that is living and pulsating with the vigorous energy of aliveness through lifting weights.

Many people have a love-hate relationship with the deadlift. I rather dread the deadlift myself because of the soreness I normally feel when I use them in my training.

 

Deadlifts is one of the few exercises that truly stimulate both the lower and upper body. The same cannot be said of squats, which focus mainly on the lower body. Deadlifts work your backside, giving it a firm and rounded look.  upper thighs, hamstrings, lower back, upper middle back, traps, and gives a kind of "fullness" in the chest (take note guys). 

Do not round or flatten your back at any time! This is very important. If you round or flatten your back on the initial pull or to get that last rep you're risking a serious injury that might set you back months or totally end your weightlifting career. If you cannot do deadlifts with good form then do not do them, period. 

 Do not deadlift when you have a pinch in the lower back, it may be a warning sign of injury.

Why You have that Stomach Fat

Before you begin burning belly fat and toning your abs, you need to understand a bit more about how your body works and discover why you are battling the bulge.

A lot of people believe that it stems from improper eating or lack of exercise. While this may be the most common case, there can also be other reasons:

Menopause

After menopause occurs in women, fat begins storing itself in different places and often times focuses around the tummy.

Genetics

There are two common body types: apple and pear.

If you gain and store fat in lower parts of your body then you would be considered pear-shaped.

If you’re the kind of person that stores more fat in your stomach and middle section than anywhere else then you would be considered apple-shaped.  

Think about your relatives…especially those that are overweight.

If a lot of them are heavier around the middle area then it’s quite possible that you have the genes that make you genetically apple-shaped when you put on excess weight. Meaning your body is more likely to store its fat in your stomach than anywhere else.

Stress

This is a big one. And of course, stress doesn’t just make your stomach bigger, it can make everything bigger if you’re not careful.

When you are under stress, your body releases the hormone cortisol. In turn, this hormone causes your liver to make excess sugar that your body doesn’t really need. As a result, you begin to feel hungrier and begin to eat more.

And guess what…a lot of those calories go straight to your stomach!

Improper Digestion

This can also be caused by stress. Improper digestion due to stress may cause several kinds of gastrointestinal problems leaving you gassy and bloated.

Many people who complain about persistent belly fat often times have gas which causes the bloating effect.

Slow Metabolism

As we get older, our metabolism tends to slow down. That means you don’t burn calories as fast or as easily as you did when you were younger. A slower metabolism can also result in extra storage of fat…particularly around the middle.

Poor Posture

Bet you never thought about this one! If you have poor posture, it can give you that "pot belly" appearance. Stand in the mirror hunched over and look at your abdominals. Now stand erect. Look at the difference in how your belly protrudes when you are hunched.

Don't get me wrong, there is probably some unwanted fat there too, but your posture can make a huge difference in how your stomach looks.

Eating Late at Night

If you want to control your stomach fat, you should never eat within three hours of your bedtime. You want your food to have a chance to fully digest before you retire for the evening.

Going to bed with a full stomach puts you at greater risk for fat storage around the middle area. If you are going to munch late at night, eat something healthy like a banana or a small handful of almonds.

Determine Your Cause

As I said earlier, the number one cause of excess stomach fat is improper diet and lack of exercise. We all need to be mindful of that no matter what size we are.

However, as you’ve just seen, there are other factors that contribute to tummy fat as well so it’s important to learn more about why you may have this problem. Particularly if you tend to gain more fat in your stomach than any other part of your body.

The 6 second Ab workout

Basic Crunch

The 6 Second Abs basic crunch is like performing a regular crunch in a seated position.

·         Sit on a stable surface with your feet flat on the floor. Your torso should be upright.

·         Hold the 6 Second Abs machine on your lap with the padded base against your thighs. Hold the handles with your palms facing up.

·          Crunch forward by rounding out your lower back and pressing down on the ab machine.

·         The unit will click six times telling you that you have completed the crunch.

·         Slowly return to the starting position.

Side Crunch

The side crunch with the 6 Second Abs machine targets the obliques, or side abs.

·         Sit on a stable surface with your feet flat on the floor. Place the device next to your right thigh.

·          The base should be sitting on the surface next to you and your arm should be hanging over the unit with the handles pressed into your armpit. Crunch to the right, bending at your waist.

·          Complete the full crunch through all six clicks before returning to the starting position. Complete all repetitions for one side, and then move to the other side.

Reverse Crunch

The reverse crunch is used to target the lower half of the abdominal wall, often called the lower abs.

·         Start in an upright seated position with your feet flat on the floor. The base of the 6 Second Abs device should be against your thighs.

·         Hold both handles with your palms facing up.

·         Keep your upper body still, pulling your feet off the floor and pressing against the  machine with your legs. Continue pressing up with your legs through three clicks before slowly returning your feet to the floor.

    6 Second Abs is very helpful in developing correct form and building discipline while performing crunches.