HITTING THE GYM
Muscle Evolution is known to join beasts for training shoots. Just
look at the Shanti Mitchell spread in this issue on page 30. However,
intensity is not the domain of men exclusively. Intensity in the gym is a
key ingredient of every successful athlete’s toolkit. Femininity and gym
intensity also go hand in hand. Tiana trains with everything every time
she enters the gym, and that is the attitude of winners and what we
endorse. She pushes heavy weights when she is trying to build muscle,
but she always does exercises that really focus on the form, and range
of motion, not to mention the ever-important mind-muscle connection.
She zones in on the target muscle and focuses on squeezing and
fatiguing as many muscle fibres as possible in every workout. Look,
learn and admire: Tiana Flex hitting the gym.
SQUAT
Let's not beat around the bush.
Tiana knows that this exercise
is her bread and butter. Her
glutes and quads get a serious
amount of hammering with this
exercise. We all know that this
is the king of exercises, and it is
no different for her, as she has
added the necessary muscle and
shape to her frame.
From the rack, with the barbell at
upper-chest height, position the bar
high on the back of your shoulders
and grasp the barbell to the sides.
Dismount the bar from the rack and
stand with a shoulder-width stance.
Squat down by bending your hips
back while allowing your knees to
bend forward, keeping your back
straight and knees pointed in the
same direction as your feet. Descend
until your thighs are just past parallel
to the floor. Extend your knees and
hips until your legs are straight.
Return and repeat. Keep your head
facing forward, back straight and feet
flat on the floor, maintaining equal
distribution of weight throughout
forefoot and heel. Your knees should
point in the same direction as your
feet throughout the movement.
HOW TIANA TURNS UP THE INTENSITY
SETS: 4 sets per exercise REPS: 15 to 20 REST: maximum 1 minute
For the last three weeks before competition, FST-7 techniques applied to
every muscle group
LUNGES
Ask any woman who
loves legs and glutes
what her favourite
exercise is and she will
say lunges. Ask any
man what exercise he
should be doing to add
meat and thickness
to his legs and he will
answer the same. This
exercise takes it out
of you but the
proof is in the
pudding.
Stand with dumbbells grasped in each hand to your side. Lunge
forward with the first leg. Land on your heel, then forefoot.
Lower your body by flexing the knee and hip of your front leg
until the knee of your rear leg is almost in contact with the floor.
Return to the original standing position by forcibly extending
your hip and knee of the forward leg. Repeat by alternating the
lunge with the opposite leg. Keep your torso upright during the
lunge; flexible hip flexors are important. Your lead knee should
point in the same direction as your foot throughout the lunge. A
long lunge emphasises the gluteus maximus and a short lunge
emphasises the quadriceps.
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