1-ranked hurdler, Lolo Jones.

“I’ve had time’s where I wasn’t number one and I fought and crawled to
become number one.” – Lolo Jones.

Jones has worked for 12 years for the chance at 12 seconds of glory -
she is looking forward to getting her rings this summer (Olympic Gold)
The 28 year old hurdler Lolo Jones, is one of the world’s fastest (not
to mention beautiful) women. Be sure to catch her this summer at the
London Games.

Her Red Bull USA Profile : “One of the world’s fastest women, Lolo
Jones is a two-time World Champion in the 60-meter hurdles and the
kind of modern athlete who could easily stand in for a Greek statue.
She has the face and body of a model with the heart and legs of a
thoroughbred.

Jones’ rags-to-riches story is almost too good to be believable: Born
in Iowa and raised (along with five siblings) by a working mother so
poor that the family changed homes every year to dodge angry
landlords, Jones found her escape in track — first at Roosevelt High
in Des Moines, where she became the Track Athlete of the Year, and
later at LSU, where she won three national titles and was an 11-time
All-American (all the while working night jobs to feed herself).

As a pro, Jones just got faster, and was poised to be Team USA’s Next
Big Thing when she clipped the second-to-last hurdle while in the lead
at the Beijing Olympics and lost the gold medal she’d worked a
lifetime for. Don’t worry; that just pissed Lolo Jones off. She used
the mistake as motivation, set a personal best, broke the American
record, and is now laser-focused on London, where she plans to take
back the gold medal she should have won the last time. Run Lolo Run.”

Gatorade is beginning the new year with a NEW a tagline #WinFromWithin
and aggressive campaign that take an interesting new direction – That
takes action on  nutrition and against athletic gear for consumers’
dollars.

The commercial debut during college football bowl games, starring
Dwyane Wade, Usain Bolt, Abby Wambach, Serena Williams, Ryan Lochte
and various high school athletes as they train for their respective
competitions. There is a voice over spot which says “Your
moisture-wicking fabric isn’t enough. Your zero-weight shoes aren’t
enough. Your carbon-fiber racket isn’t enough…” Gatorade is
emphasizing that what you put in your body is equally important to
what you put on, and this spot conveys that really well.

Athletes/Runners Benefits
From traditional Vinyasa, Ashtanga and Yin to our own signature
styles, yoga at will transform your body, mind and spirit.
Yoga is more than just stretching; it gives you whole-body strength,
especially in the hips, core, and upper body – With regular practice,
you’ll enhance your stability, more focused, improve your balance and
flexibility and leave you stronger, healthier, more energized and
centered for your day.
Make It Happen!

The Warrior in You

When I decided to take a break from figure and bikini competitions this year, I knew I wanted to try other fitness challenges to keep the competitive fires burning in me. I’m not sure if I could have picked a more daring event than the Maryland Metro Dash—a day-long run race with an obstacle course of rusted cars, muddy slopes and burning fires that would try even the most fit athlete.

I decided to take the plunge with fellow figure competitor, Carla Machado and her boyfriend a fitness enthusiast, Keith Edelen who are both are avid cyclists and have taken part take in similar events before. I’m glad they were with me—they made my experience even better!  Afterall, this is a competition that comes with a warning:

Warrior Dash Obstacles

Completion of all Warrior Dash obstacles may be hazardous. It is the responsibility of the participant to leave the course if they are unable to complete an obstacle.  Course officials are stationed at every obstacle for participant safety.  It is the responsibility of the participant to notify course officials if the participant feels their safety is in danger or they are injured.  Any participant who receives assistance from any spectator or non-competitor on any obstacle shall be ineligible to receive an award.

I was a bit anxious, but excited…Carla told me about her past experiences so I kind of had an idea what to expect.

Although I was doing it for “fun,” that competitive spirit in me also wanted to excel;
I was looking forward to a new challenge and hoping that I could hang tough with some of the more experienced and competitive participants.

For sure, I could have picked an easier race, but I wanted to challenge myself! Then the day of the race dawned and I asked myself: What did I sign up for! I couldn’t help but wonder which obstacle would be the most difficult …crawling through mud, running through chilly water, hurdling over flames, rappelling down steep drops? I couldn’t help but wonder: Is there still time to back out?

I didn’t! In fact, I was one of thousands runners to show up for Maryland’s 2nd Warrior Dash on Saturday, May 21 at Budd’s Creek, in Mechanicsville, MD.  At registration, we picked up our packets, including our race bib, chip timer, t-shirt and Warrior helmet (which reminded me of the hats the Grand Poobahs wore in Fred Flintstone’s Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes).

The event was long -running from 7:30 am till almost 6 pm! “The Dash tested every bit of our strength and athleticism. We ran over rusted cars, rappelled down steep ravines, maneuvered up and over huge net walls and giant straw bales and scrambled beneath barbed wire.” By the end, every muscle was sore and I was grateful for all of the strength I’ve built up over the years in the gym and on the track. I needed it all!

The Dash brought out some thrill-seeking athletes and partygoers alike. (During the race, there was water station at half-way point and water and bananas were available at the end of the race. With a nod to the partygoers, after the race, each Warrior (of legal drinking age) receives one free beer. After a couple warrior wounds; scrapes and cuts and a rinse off from big water tank trucks…I saw a pile of shoes…It was cool to see that the Warrior Dash had an area set up for race participants to donate their mud-covered racing shoes to GreenSneakers, a group that recycles them for people in need around the world (hopefully they were powered washed)!

The definition of a warrior:

A person who shows or has shown great vigor, courage, or aggressiveness, as in politics or athletics (dictionary.com).

I have to say I definitely demonstrated my inner warrior! It was a great bonding experience for everyone who participated! It gave people of all ages, shapes, sizes and fitness levels an opportunity to go out and try a new challenge and have fun. With Warrior Dash setting up events in cities across the country, I would highly recommend giving a Warrior Dash a try (check out warriordash.com to find an event near you)!

Train Together, Stay Together

By Tracey Longo – How to Get the Most out of Your Workout (and Your Workout Partner)

Want to maximize your training and develop built-in motivation and accountability? Someone who can fire you up even on days when you can barely drag yourself out of bed? Or hold you to your goals, when that critical last rep feels like you’re lifting a freight train? If you’re looking for the type of coach who knows whether you’re giving it your all or just sleepwalking, consider training with your partner. Not just any partner. The one you date or live with. That’s right, I said it. YOUR partner.
The results of developing a live-in coach and training partner can be remarkable. Just ask Shera Ann Ruben and Mike Solomon of North Potomac, MD, who started training together just a few weeks after meeting three years ago. The results? Incredible finishes in bikini and bodybuilding competitions respectively, the result no doubt of decent genes and determination but also the dynamic they created by training together.
“She’s a personal trainer who is quick to point out the things I could be doing better,” laughs Solomon. “And my strength is my intense focus, which she needs sometimes. So between the two of us, we’re get a very focused, effective workout.” A business development rep at IBM, Solomon decided just three and half months before his OCB (Organization of Competitive Bodybuilding) show that he wanted to compete as a bodybuilder. “I was doing the diet to support Shera anyway, so I thought, I might as well go all the way.” Solomon took second place at in his weight class, an astounding finish for a new bodybuilder.Six weeks later, Ruben took sixth place in a very competitive NPC bikini battle—her first, after a series of figure contests.
What advice do they have for other couples who want to train together? “The best thing you can give each other is support and encouragement,” says Ruben. “This was the first time I had gone through all this competition with someone else and I have to say it made it much nicer. No matter what your goals are, just having someone else there saying you’re doing a good job is worth so much.”
Solomon says his relationship with Ruben is what propelled him to compete. “It’s nice to have someone who shares your interest. You don’t have to justify why you’re going to the gym. We can do different workout routines, but we’re still there for support, to help each other lift heavier and especially to do cardio together. We both love to jump rope,” Solomon adds.
“It was easy to see that this couple really supports each other and they both gain from it,” says Mike Cadotte, TUA’s Director of Photography. Cadotte shot the couple for our magazine and also did the shoot of Ruben for the cover of KettlebellSport and Fitness Magazine, Winter, 2010.
What will you get (and give) from training with a partner?

• Motivation. They’ll hold your feet to the fire, when you want to stay in bed or just curl up on the couch. You’ll do the same for them.
• New fire in your belly. With someone to push you to achieve new personal records, and a built-in spotter who has your back, you’ll be able to lift bigger and get more reps.
• More effective exercises and techniques. The best things I’ve ever learned in the gym have been from fellow lifters generous enough to share what they know. Watch, listen and learn.
• Another set of eyes. Whether you’re training to get on stage, lift big in your next competition or just look better, it’s a lot easier for someone watching you to see where your deficits are or your form needs correcting. A helpful critique can be priceless in maximizing your training and success.
• Less temptation at the table. Finally, you’ll have someone to eat, shop and cook with. That means less temptation and more success at developing and sticking to an eating plan that’s firing on all cylinders. “If mike hadn’t been dieting with me and was bringing home takeout, I don’t think I would have competed,” says Ruben. “It was amazing to not only find someone who supported me, but was willing to take that journey with me.” Hardcore, pre-competition dieting can make for cranky people, and Solomon admits if you’re doing it as a couple, it will invariably make for two cranky people at times. But dieting together is much easier than eating tilapia while your partner pours hot fudge on a huge bowl of Haagen-Daz.

It’s not for everyone—training as a couple. Some folks have such different training programs or mentalities (or already spend enough time together), that it’s just not feasible. And the gym is supposed to be a place you go to achieve your goals—not bicker.
But if you can make it work, the results can be rewarding. If you don’t believe me, just look at our photos. – TheUrbanAthletica.com ]]> http://theurbanathletica.com/training/train-together-stay-together//feed 0 http://theurbanathletica.com/blog/the-best-exercises-for-building-a-better-butt/ http://theurbanathletica.com/blog/the-best-exercises-for-building-a-better-butt/#comments Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:49:33 +0000 theurbanathletica http://theurbanathletica.com/?p=282

Define Your Behind: The Best Exercises for Building a Better Butt

If you want to know how to groom a body part like glutes, you turn to a pro. And that’s what we’ve done.

Tiffany Procopio, a newly crowned pro figure competitor who has one of the best bodies we’ve ever seen, invited us to the gym where she trains in Crofton, MD to share with us her state-of-the-art secrets of building a better butt.

Here Tiffany, with TUA’s very own Adriana Cesar, gets down to work to show us how to strengthen, shape and tighten your glutes. “I think it’s important to train glutes at least twice a week with intensity,” says Tiffany, who just had a great finish at the Kentucky Pro this year and plans to take the stage at the Arnold in March. Beyond squatting, lunging, box jumping and glute extensions, Tiffany likes to wear a weighted vest to get maximum results and fat-burning on glute training days. Other secrets to a smoother derriere? Tiffany recommends drinking a gallon of water a day and plenty of cardio, especially on the stairmaster and incline treadmill (where, you guessed it, she also wears her weighted vest). Watch here as she leads us through some of the glute exercises that helped her win her pro card this year.

To learn more about Tiffany and her training techniques, her competitive figure career and modeling, check out her website: http://www.tiffanyprocopio.com/bio.htm

Define Your Behind: The Best Exercises for Building a Better Butt