Jeans 4 Genes

FRIDAY AUGUST 3 

Here's your chance to earn some good karma - don't pretend you don't need some! By donating to Jeans For Genes, you're supporting Children's Medical Research Institute - a pioneer in the field of paediatric medical research.

 

How can you get involved?

 

Gary Bigeni design for J4G

• Wear your jeans (ONLY time "jeggings" are allowable in gym)
• Get your school/workplace to establish a gold coin donation deal
• Purchase a designer t-shirt at mycatwalk.com ($29.95) in August
•  Woolworths supermarkets are stocking products to fund Jeans 4 Genes

Jeggings only this once

Get updates at Jeans For Genes Facebook

Gorgeous glutes - why and how!

Your glute muscles are like 13 year olds lying on the couch - the longer you avoid disciplining them and MAKING them work, the flabbier and lazier they'll get. And they won't support you - ever.
Here are the reasons WHY you need and want strong butt muscles:

Great Glutes

• protect your back and spine
• balance out the over-used front of your legs (quads)
• protect and stabilise your hips and pelvis
• they look great in shorts
• they look great in everything

Here's a few moves you can do TODAY:

Deadlift Dumbbell

  1. Deadlift with Dumbbell - maintain a long, straight spine as you lower the dumbbells straight down - only lower as far as you can maintain a straight back and raise SQUEEZING YOUR BUTT

Glute Bridge

2. Glute Bridge: Squeeze butt to raise hips and lower - lower with CONTROL! Don't just drop. Raise, squeeze, hold, lower. Repeat.

Single Leg Deadlift

3. Single Leg Deadlift - go for light weights or NO weights. Maintain a long, straight back as you lower the weights and extend one leg back parallel to the floor. As you rise, bring the leg back in (advanced: don't touch down). Repeat.

4. Go to BodyPump, Pilates, Dance, but whatever you do, FOCUS ON SQUEEZING and USING your glute muscles because they are lazy unless you make them work.

Friday: your inner Vixen is ready to be unleashed!

Theatre of the Nameless

Ever fantasised about who you were in a past life? I wish I'd been Anita Berber - Berlin cabaret star, muse to painter Otto Dix, a writer and actress (oh ok, and a prostitute!) Notorious in the Berlin underground tribes for her black kohled eyes and bright red bob, she died 10th November 1928 of suspected tuberculosis.

Everyone who is truly unique is underground in so many ways, and we all have to find our ways to break out on our own terms. - Deborah Lazaroff, author

While I don't encourage rampant cocaine use and walking around naked bar for your pet monkey in Berlin nightclubs (though I won't disown you if you do!), I DO ABSOLUTELY encourage you to wear:

Illamasqua shades

Metallic, supershiny powder pigment Berber

 and grape-stained (or tuberculosis-inflicted) purply-pink Resist 

Be a vixen.

Be original.

Be a Weimar-era cabaret star!

 

I was fortunate that highly skilled and experienced Illamasqua Key Makeup Artist, Mikele Simone, could tell me more about the collection. Enjoy.

“Each collection revolves around a story and inspiration. The colours we decide to launch are inspired deep within the story we are trying to tell. They revolve around a mood or feeling provoked through the main story.” 

Mikele Simone, Illamasqua Key Make-up Artist and member of the Illamasqua Art team.

How can the shade "Depravity" be applied?
Depravity is from the Illamasqua Cream Pigment family and is quite a versatile shade. It can be applied all over the eyelid using the Illamasqua Eyeshadow brush either as an eyeshadow base or even on its own.

It can be used a gorgeous magenta lip colour by applying on the lip with either your finger or the Illamasqua Lip Brush and also on the cheeks; buff the cream pigment in with the Illamasqua Highlighter Brush to get a gorgeous blush shade.

Illamasqua Berber

What about “Berber”?
The Illamasqua shade ‘Berber’ refers to Anita Berber, German Dancer from the 1900’s. Last year Illamasqua launched the Theatre of the Nameless Collection, which paid homage to the amazing influencers like Berber and her partner, Sebastian Droste.

Can Illamasqua be ordered online and where?
In Australia we are stocked exclusively in MYER and can be found on counter at MYER Sydney City, Melbourne City, Brisbane, Chadstone, Robina & Bondi Junction and of course online at http://www.myer.com.au/beauty_illamasqua.aspx

Anita Berbe

I’m awaiting these books from The Book Depository:

The Seven Addictions and Five Professions of Anita Berber: Weimar Berlin's Priestess of Depravity

WeimarCulture: The Outsider as Insider

EXCLUSIVE COMPETITION ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE

No more jump squats for me...

BEFORE YOU READ THIS: I will STILL be teaching Pump. This is NOT a resignation!

I really wasn't sure I wanted to share this, but what the hell...I had an MRI on my left hip on the weekend after I was feeling a lot of pain about a year ago. I expected perhaps a hip impingement or a tear. I did not expect to find serious osteoarthritis throughout that left hip.
I cried. I blamed myself. I was angry. But in fact, I don't feel that pain since I really began to focus on building strength through my legs, glutes and back. My posture has improved, the pain has gone and I feel strong. I will continue to focus on LOW IMPACT cardio and strength building. There is no "cure" for the damage apart from a hip replacement.

Why do I have damage to my hip that appears as if I've been in a serious car accident?

In my teenage years I had an addiction to running that saw me doing absurd mileage EVERY day, even when injured, even sick, even when I couldn't actually walk afterwards. I wasn't eating healthily and I suffered for this physically and mentally.
Why am I sharing this?

Because I changed. And that took pure strength and support of some really fabulous people and we all have treated our bodies in ways we regret but it doesn't mean we can't change.
Thankyou to my brother, Stephen and his beautiful girlfriend, Billie for their assurances that blaming myself and crying wouldn't get me anywhere!  

And thankyou for reminding me that there are people with all sorts of afflictions and setbacks and obstacles that STILL stay fit as hell and this is just something I will manage.

Supersets: What and Why

Supersets involve switching between two (or more) different exercises with no rest period in between.
Why? Because it means you are:

1. maximising your gym time (less time, better results, woo)
2. keeping your heart rate up
3. burning more calories NOW and for a longer period afterwards
4. keeping yourself focused on what you're doing by minimising time to get distracted!

What does this look like in action? You have options. You can work the same muscle group in different ways. So...

Set ONE: Chest press from bench with dumbells x 10
Set TWO: Wide grip push-ups on the floor x 10


Push up

Repeat these two exercises three times EACH without resting between sets


Dumbbell Chest Press

Even the slightest change in positioning the muscles forces them to work differently and engage more and different muscle fibres - greater strength and endurance gains.

Working an upper body muscle group and then supersetting with a lower body exercise - this forces the blood to rush from the upper to the lower body and back again, which BURNS more energy and forces the heart rate up  for great cardio fitness gains. So...

Set ONE: Narrow grip deadrows with a barbell x 10
Set TWO: Plyometric lunges x 10 (5 per leg)
Repeat these two exercises three times EACH without rest between sets


Plyometric lunges

True...

To remind myself that really, I need to rely on this much more when it sometimes feels like the world is a big, chaotic place and I get a bit lost. And, as my brother kindly pointed out, if I ever "get over it" - I can add "No More" underneath and give myself some 90s-era-cool cred. Thanks, bro.
Big, big thankyou to Jake at Dynamic Tattoo in Richmond. Totally professional and such a sweetheart. Can't recommend this place enough.

faith

Loving...Fashion Addict

As most of you know, I am a ridiculously talented shopper. I can just pick a good buy like the needle in the haystack (god, that cliche sucks...sorry, last coffee was 4 hrs ago). The haystack being a whole lot of dodgy stuff that looks good and doesn't match up when it arrives (IF it arrives...ahem, Clinique...ahem!)

Top of my list of totally dependable, affordable and super fast delivery? Fashion Addict. It's Melbourne-based (supporting the hometown!) and the range of products is awesome. I have been experimenting with the BYS limited edition shadows which look like neon madness in the package but are ACTUALLY really subtle and easy to wear. True!

Electric Lavender

But honestly? Favourite favourite new colour? Electric Lavender. $3.95 worth of pure, purple joy!

Also - check out the blog for tips, trends and ideas. I am particularly excited about the Victorian Gothic revival in fashion. Any excuse to wear rosary beads and crosses brings out the 15-year-old goth in me. Hey, I still love Depeche Mode. Don't smirk.

Victorian Gothic

Loving!

Neon. Brights. Nobody is shocked, I know! As some of you are aware, there is a no all-black-outfits in my fitness classes. It's just depressing! So here is what I'm loving when it comes to colours right now... how about you? Wearing anything that gives you an energy boost just by looking at it?

Topshop smudge stick

Topshop smudge stick for eyes - mmm metallics!

Eco Minerals bronzer

Eco Minerals Bronzer in Uluru (wearing bronzer to the gym? guilty)

American Apparel leggings in orange

American Apparel leggings

Korres blusher in Peach

Korres Zea Mays blusher in Peach (GREAT as an eyeshadow, very intense for the cheeks...up to you!)
SERIOUSLY coveting:

Illamasqua collection

Some really dramatic Illamasqua eye/lip colours. I'm working on adding these to the cabinet - stay tuned for photos!

BYS eyeshadow

BYS eyeshadow pallette (cheap but I've found their eyeliners/shadows are fabulous)

Nike Air Presto

Nike Air Presto in pink/white (of COURSE)

Swift by name, swift by nature

Jack Swift Olympian 2012

I really hit the jackpot this week. After the pleasure of interviewing Barry Hall I had the great fortune on Monday to quiz a London Olympian and Cleo Bachelor of The Year 2011 (sorry Jack, I think it's awesome - if it were me, I'd wear a sash full time).

Jack Swift is one of the Australian Paralympic Team competing in the 4 x 100m amputee relay team and the 400m individual sprint against South African Oscar Pistorius - a threat that he's not taking lightly.

For the past six months, Jack has been on a scholarship at the Victorian Institute of Sport working with seasoned strength and conditioning trainers, massage therapists, physios and sports psychologists. His training at present is 7 days a week. He soon leaves for Cardiff where his training will taper off and the focus will be on technical issues such as starts.

Jack is a personal trainer at Macleod YMCA and considering doing his Dip. Ed. to teach physical education. He's enormously intelligent and dedicated to training - whatever he chooses to do, I have no doubt that he'll achieve it and more. Here is his week:

Mon: strength & conditioning training (1.5 - 2hrs)

Tue: track work

Wed: strength & conditioning (includes rower/bike/bench press/cable hip extension/Smith Machine single leg squat)

Thu: track work

Fri: strength & conditioning (includes 10 minutes of core work and stretching)

Sat & Sun: track work

On August 9th, he leaves for London - congratulations Jack. You worked to get to the 2012 Olympics and you deserve to win.

Hello Short Shorts Saturday!

Why short shorts in this awful Melbourne weather? Because you're going to attempt this one with me and trust me, if you're going to work hard, you want to remind yourself why.
So! Get yourself some Kylie Minogue style gold hotpants - hang them where they'll remind you why you're doing this and not eating a family sized block of Top Deck chocolate (mmm...tempting) and here's the strategy (Jaimie Baird of Rx Fitness pictured below):

Smith Machine Press

1. Place a level bench underneath the Smith Machine
2. Put a LIGHT load on the bar (Jaimie uses a 20kg plate either side to begin)
3. Lie on the bench with hips DIRECTLY below the bar
4. Brace your abdominals and do NOT arch your back!
5. Place the arches of your feet against the bar
6. Release the bar and control it on the downward movement and again on the upward
7. Do not lift your glutes off the bench - this will guide your range of movement

Single leg is an option. Master the double leg first!

IF YOU ARE NOT 100% CONFIDENT IN DOING THIS RIGHT, ASK A TRAINER TO SUPERVISE!

Use your Core

Core

First of all, your "core" is your abdominals (transverse, rectus and obliques OR deep, front, sides), your bum and your back.

Think of this: from your belly button, your strength of movement extends out like a spiderweb. Once you've engaged and braced your core muscles, EVERY other movement is an extension of that and becomes easier.

Pull your abdominal muscles IN and UP towards your belly button as if you are trying to squeeze into your skinny jeans! There - feel it?
There are numerous "core training" classes out there now. Be wary - if these are not instructed by someone qualified, you might be doing more damage than good.

I advise you to SEEK a personal trainer who can teach you how to SAFELY and EFFECTIVELY strengthen your abdominal, glutes and back muscles (like....ME!) and THEN get along to...

mountain climber

•  pilates
• CX WORX
• yoga
• Ab Blast

Working out and not seeing weight change?

I see it allll the time - people running and spinning and aerobic-ing themselves silly and then complaining they're not losing any weight! Or there's just a stubborn pouch of tummy fat that won't budge...why?
A lovely lady said to me yesterday, "Maybe it's just a silly little thing like hormones..."

Chill out on the cardio time

Bang on, I reckon.

Most of your immune system is housed in your gut. When you get stressed (physically and mentally), hormones including cortisol take a big toll on the ability of the immune system to function. Raised cortisol levels send the message to your body "start storing fat - we're in stress and survival mode here!"
So here's what to do, in a nutshell, and PLEASE if you are stressed on a regular basis, or depressed, PLEASE see your doctor and be brave enough to ask for assistance!

• Adopt an exercise class or routine that is nurturing and non-stressful to your body (yoga, pilates, tai chi)
• Cut down on caffeine (including coke, chocolate, "energy" drinks)
• Moderate sugar intake and highly processed foods (anything wrapped in plastic!)
• Take a multivitamin and omega 3 supplements (fish oil or flaxseed)

Fish oil supplements

Most importantly, look at your lifestyle and what it is about it that is causing stress and work out what you can change now and in the longer term to make sure your health and happiness is a priority.