The Urban Athletica

How This Ultimate Runner Does it All

theurbanathletica — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:22:06 +0000

Inside the World of Endurance Athlete Teresa Murphy /
By Tracey Longo

What an ultra running, weight lifting, police cadet mom can teach us all. Here Teresa Murphy sits down with us to talk

Fifty miles.

Not highway miles. Not straightaway. Not track. Fifty miles of gravel and dirt and sheer 350 degree cliffs along the Potomac River.

That’s what Teresa Murphy will run June 2 as she tests her mettle for the second time in the Gore-Tex 50, a 50-mile endurance challenge hosted annually by North Face. The single mom of three young boys came in second last year and is dead serious about beating her 2011 time of less than eight hours. This year she’ll step up to the starting line again– all while putting in grueling 12-hr days as a cadet and team leader in the Prince George County, Maryland Police Academy. She is also fighting plantar fasciitis, a muscle tissue disorder that causes stabbing pain on the bottom of her feet.

“I’d like to hit first,” says the understated Murphy thoughtfully of the 50-mile race. “I never know until the day. I always push my hardest, but 50 miles is a long run.”

Perhaps it is the unknown, the need for sheer gut strength and a refusal to quit, that attracts Murphy to ultra running. If a challenge is something with no guaranteed outcome, ultra endurance running, over rocks and mountains and fast-moving rivers, certainly qualifies. On her worst day she can strap on running shoes and run a very, very long way. But scaling rock faces in downpours without equipment? Making sure you don’t twist an ankle or go down in all kinds of weather, in mud and gravel, ruts and gullies? There are no guarantees on a 50-mile endurance trail. It is designed to eat the weak. Much like the police academy.

But Murphy seems difficult to deter—all 5”1 and 110 pounds of her. She gets up at 3:30 am to run, logging some 50 miles per week to prep for the race. Then it’s off to the police academy from 6 a.m. until 6 pm, home to get dinner, drop the kids off at soccer practice, gym for her, then kids homework, her academy studies and bed at 11pm. Repeat. Glitches are a matter of course for Murphy. Last week, she was zapped in “pepper spray training” at the academy, called to the ER for her son who injured himself in school and still made it to Crossfit training that evening, though she admits she could barely see the bar.

She has a mule-like refusal to quit. She was appointed team leader by her superior officers at the PG County Police Academy for that reason her first day of training. “There was a lot of physical fitness and they push you hard to see if you’ll quit. I was outlasting everyone else so they chose me to be team leader. I don’t give out unless my body gives out,” says Murphy. So now instead of just being responsible for he own success, as team leader she’s responsible for the attendance and success of all her 50 fellow recruits, a role she takes obvious pride in.

“I’ve always wanted to do something with public service or the military. I really wanted to give back and this allows me to do that,” she says of her new career as a police officer. This academy seems to be a great fit for Murphy, too, because it requires cadets to “run” through a variety of neighborhoods to see up close and personal the types of challenges they’ll encounter on their beats. “We call it “Running the Beat,” says Murphy, who as class leader, is the literal front-runner on the runs, telling recruits where to go and what to do. “We run through high crime areas,” says Murphy. “There are people living in boarded up houses. It gives me an opportunity to see reality and different opportunities to help.”

Her diligent training schedule pays off in training times and physique, too. About now you should be asking how Murphy maintains her muscle through 50 miles of running each week. “I build it and it comes off and I rebuild it and it comes off and I rebuild it,” laughs Murphy. She packs her already tight schedule with Crossfit training twice a week and weightlifting another two days a week (dedicating one day to upper and one to lower body training). “There are no excuses and no one makes the time for you. You have to find the time for the things that are important to you,” says Murphy, who worked as a trainer for two years and still teaches a Saturday morning bootcamp at Waldorf Fitness, Waldorf, MD.

She took up Crossfit just six months ago to gain strength quickly for the Police Academy. But she so impressed Southern Maryland Crossfit co-owner Lonnie Zeimetz, that she invited Murphy to sign up for an open challenge where she placed in the top quartile of more than 2,000 competitors. “She has endurance that is never-ending and a great grasp of bodyweight movements,” says Zeimetz. “There’s no off-button on her. Even when weight is heavy, I’ve never seen anyone attack a bar the way she does.” Zeimetz hopes that when Murphy graduates (at the top of her class, no doubt) from the police academy this summer, she’ll double her training to four times a week.

A trainer herself, Murphy’s determination makes her very coachable, says Michael Brooks, her personal trainer at Waldorf Fitness Center. “I work on her speed and agility and her ability to turn over her miles faster,” says Brooks. “She’s just driven. You tell her to do something and she just does it. She finishes in the top percentile of any race she enters,” Brooks adds.

Her winning determination has attracted corporate sponsors, too, including Rocktape, Aquaphor, Glimmer Gear, Lin Socks and Vivo Water. “Teresa is a great endurance athlete and it’s obvious she’s passionate and committed to her sport,” says Dale Pinneke, director of national sales for Rocktape, which was designed to help athletes cope with injuries so they can increase endurance and performance. Murphy will use Rocktape for her 50-mile run to help her manage the pain from her plantar fasciitis. “We sponsor athletes like Teresa to help them strive toward and achieve their goals,” says Pinneke.

Our own Mike Cadotte, senior director of photography at TUA. Was strategic in introducing Teresa to most of her growing list of sponsors. “I just think she makes a great spokesperson because she epitomizes the determination and accomplishment that make a winning athlete,” says Cadotte, who shot all of the photos of Murphy in this story.

At The Urban Athletica, our goal is to celebrate athletes like Teresa Murphy, too, and bring their dedication to the attention of a growing audience. It may be a long, grueling run, the Gore-Tech 50, with physical and mental challenges no one can foresee, but our money is on Teresa Murphy. –TUA.

(all photography by MidAtlantic)

GYM SWAG – Where Gym Meets Street

theurbanathletica — Sun, 13 May 2012 01:28:55 +0000

The Summer Style Lowdown from Cindy Whitehead, the stylist Nike Execs, Monica Brandt and yes, even Tiger Woods ask for by name.

Whether you’re Derek Jeter, Tiger Woods, Monica Brant or Mia Hamm and you want to look super boss for a magazine cover, ESPN interview or product launch, this is the woman you call. California sports stylist extraordinaire Cindy Whitehead is the California-based style maven who Addidas, GQ, ESPN and Flex call when they want someone who can capture an athlete’s true sensibilities while giving them that almost indefinable panache. Nike hired her to polish up Giants relief pitcher Brian Wilson and his glorious, beastly monstrosity of a beard for its “DEFY” campaign (http://cindywhitehead.blogspot.com/2011/07/nike-defy.html). And if you’re Gatorgade launching your advertising campaign for your new G Series Fit…you guessed it, Whitehead on speed dial. Pronto.

Whitehead comes to her stylist career with no lack of athletic street cred herself. She took up skateboarding at 15, and by 17 the petite blonde had turned pro and was ranked the number one female skater in the US for half pipe and pool riding.

Whitehead knows Rad. And we’re lucky she’s agreed to let our own Adriana Cesar pick her brain about the coolest gym and street chic as we head into full-blown summer.

1. Wildfox Couture Flash Dance Tee
2. Splendid Racer Back Tank
3. American Eagle Sports Bra
4. Adidas Snakeskin Run Short
5. Nike Pro Core Capri Tights
6. Alexander Wang Marti Backpack
7. Nike Free Run-2 Sneakers
8. Nixon Stainless Steel Watch

Here’s Cindy’s take on what’s in and what’s ahead for the well-dressed gym rat and adrenalin junky in each of us:

Adriana Cesar: Thanks for being with us Cindy! Let’s get right to it. Is grey the new navy?? You feature it all the time in your blogs (www.cindywhitehead.com) and portfolios (http://www.workbook.com/portfolios/whitehead) Why do you like this neutral tone so much?

Adidas Snakeskin Run Short

Cindy Whitehead: I love grey because it lightens up an otherwise all black outfit. And it adds some darkness in a subtle way when wearing bright colors like flourescents (which are very in style right now) and gives an all white outfit some “mystery”. It’s a color that is perfect in every way.

Adriana: What about sequins? We’re seeing them on collars, fronts of shits, on pockets. Are sequins OK for hardcore gym workouts?

Cindy: I can not think of one reason why sequins would ever be OK when working out in the gym. Unless you are RuPaul.

Alexander Wang Backpack

Adriana: How important is the essential gym bag?

Cindy: It’s as essential as your “work bag” for the office. It’s important that you have everything you need in the gym bag so there are no excuses for not working out. Everything from a water bottle and energy bar to a sports bra and sneakers should be in there. And wraps and gloves and whatever equipment you need, too. You wouldn’t go out to dinner with your friends without your purse right? Same thing.

Adriana: What do you see coming this summer and fall? Are there any new trends, lengths, materials, tie-dye and gym-to-street wear that you’re liking?

Cindy: I think we will still be sporting a lot of bright fun colors, which I love as I think they are also motivating. Color just makes people smile. Even if you think you can’t pull off brights, you can! Trust me. Once you try it you will never reach for “all black” workout clothes again! Gym to street is already becoming more prevalent and I think it’s about time — we all want items that do double (or triple!) duty in our wardrobes, not to mention it just looks rad, too. I think in this recession, consumers think more about what they are buying and all the ways it can be used to get the most for their money.

Adriana: What’s next for you? Any new gigs or accomplishment you want us to highlight?

Cindy: I’m getting ready to work with an amazing workout company styling their catalogs and ads – as soon as I am allowed to divulge more you know I will! I am also launching the new blog in a few weeks so that is really exciting – we have been working on it endlessly. Last but not least, I am writing “basic” social media articles for The Workbook (http://www.workbook.com/blog/tag/cindy-whitehead) geared towards photographers, models, stylists and hair & make-up people who don’t understand why they may need social media and that it can be not only critical to their success, but really enjoyable!

Connect and Follow Sports Stylist® Cindy Whitehead Website / Facebook / Twitter /

—TUA

Best Exercises for Building a Better Butt

theurbanathletica — Fri, 04 May 2012 02:19:27 +0000

Define Your Behind

If you want to know how to groom a bodypart 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 her state-of-the-art secrets to building a better butt. Here Tiffany, with TUA’s very own Adriana Cesar, shows us how to strengthen, shape and tighten your glutes.

Tiffany uses glute training with group and individual clients and trains the powerful muscles extensively to get herself ready for the stage. “Ideally, we should train glutes a day every week, they’re such a strong, important muscle,” says Tiffany, who had a great finish at the Kentucky Pro this year and looks forward to hitting the national stage as a pro figure competitor in 2013.

Here’s a look at the leading glute exercises that helped her win The IFBB Kentucky Pro.

Glute Extensions: “Squeeze glutes at the top and lower your legs slowly. I like to do 15-25 nice, slow, controlled reps,” Tiffany says.
Side Lateral Lunges on a Bosu Trainer (using a 10 pd. weighted vest): “Make sure you have good form and concentrate on isolating glutes and you push through your back side and the center of your foot. Make sure your back is flat.” Again 15-25 reps recommended.
Sled: “One of my favorites is the sled, which I plate with a 45 pound plate. Make sure your hips are low and your rear is not in the air as you drive through the ball of your foot, pushing through the glutes and letting your them engage,” Tiffany says. You can run these fast or slow, depending on how hard you’re training that day.

Lunge-Throughs: I use a 20 pd. bar and lunge forward and then lunge back. Concentrate on the leg that is stable, which is the one that is doing the work. Watch the placement of your knee on these and keep it behind your foot. 20-25 reps on each leg recommended.
Hip Lifts With Leg Extensions on the Bosu Ball: If you want nice round glutes, this is an excellent exercise, Tiffany says.
Weighted Vest Box/Bench Jump: Tiffany likes to use the vest because it’s hands-free and allows her to use her hands for balance. Load low and squat soft on top and at the bottom, using a 90 degree angle.

Pair these exercises with sprinting, stair climbing or bleacher running and you have some amazing glute training, the mom of two young boys says.

Other secrets to a smoother derriere? Tiffany recommends drinking a gallon of water a day and clean nutrition. “You can’t train and change body parts if you’re not feeding and hydrating them properly,” she says. 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

–Tracey Longo

Booking Your First Shoot: Find the Right Photographer

theurbanathletica — Wed, 02 May 2012 00:40:58 +0000

By Mike Cadotte, Director of Photography and Tracey Longo

While the invention of digital photography has given birth to a landslide of new photographers eager to book your first shoot, getting the actual results you want takes a little more finesse than just picking your best friend’s neighbor’s photographer. I hear from disenchanted models, athletes and clients all the time who paid their money, went to the shoot, and never got the photos they wanted and needed. No one should walk away from their shoot disappointed-and you don’t need to. I’ve done more than 100 shoots with athletes, figure and bikini models and those just seeking good photos, and I’ve come up with a fairly straightforward planning checklist of do’s and don’ts to help you choose the right photographer to meet your needs:

Determine your goals. Why do you want or need photos? And what kind of looks are you interested in? Look at lots of photos online and save copies of the ones you like to show your photographer so you’ll be prepared to talk to intelligently about your posing, lighting and background needs and seek the photographer’s feedback. Whether you want high quality progress shots, want to enter an online fitness contest or jumpstart your modeling career or just want better Facebook photos, choosing the right photographer is the most important step in getting desirable photos. Include a part about needing images for their personal training business

Get Recommendations. “If you find photos you like, find out who took them,” ways Kerstin Zedalis Reinecke, a first-time figure competitor who vetted me heavily in an interview before booking a shoot with me late last year. Her photos appear throughout this column. Kerstin wanted photos of the remarkable transformation she had made to her physique. “I definitely had a very specific look I wanted to achieve in my photos,” Kerstin says. I saw Mike’s photos on another competitor’s page and was intrigued with the way he uses light to capture athletes’ bodies.”

” I wanted to capture my body as piece of art. You understood the hard work that went into my journey. I could see that in your work and it put me at ease to book my first-ever photo shoot.” – Kerstin Zedalis Reinecke

Pick the photographer who can meet your needs. Get referrals from friends, but go one step further. If you want to do action shots, don’t pick a photographer who specializes in lingerie shoots. Dig deep into their portfolio. Make sure they have plenty of examples of photos similar to the looks you want to achieve. Don’t assume because they take nice photos in general that they will be able to make you look the way you want to look. The lighting for shooting physiques is completely different from glamour photography. The photographer’s demonstrated experience and portfolio should tell you exactly what he or she can do for you.

Get a Price. You should expect to pay at least $300 for a good, quality photo shoot. But remember, that’s just the beginning of the “cost” discussion. Ask what you’ll get for you money, including:

How long will your shoot be?
How many pictures will you get and will they be high or low resolution? Prints or files?
Will the photographer take care of retouching? Is his or her editing skillful or do photos wind up looking unnatural?
Who will own the rights (will you be allowed to make prints from the files and send them to magazines? Will the photographer?).
Does the photographer decide which images you get to see and get or do you make your own selections from all the photos taken in a gallery?
Will photographer provide hair styling and makeup or do you need to bring your own?

What does TFP and TFCD mean? It means trade for print or trade for CD, which means that you’ll be exchanging modeling services for photography services. Not all photographer offer TFP. Many models ask if I will shoot TFP. Personally, I only use TFP shoots when I need to test out new effects, locations, and equipment. This is a business for me. In contrast, photo hobbyists shoot TFP because they don’t rely on shoots for an income. Beginning photographers use TFP to get their feet wet. Everyone has to start somewhere. But just because it’s free doesn’t always mean you’ll great results. Some photographers offer “free” photo shoots, but charge per photo, should you want any. Remember, too, that if the photographer is testing different locales and equipment, they may not be interested in shooting to your specifications.

Location. Location. Location. Does the photographer offer various kinds of settings for shoots, such as interesting, cool locations? Or does he or she only shoot in their studio or with a white background? A white background is fine, if you’re looking for commercial or advertising work. If you’re looking for natural settings and lighting, make sure you see such examples in the photographer’s portfolio.

Ask for referrals. You want to ensure that others have had good experiences with a credible, competent professional. You don’t want to diet down for a competition or the shoot itself, only to have the photographer bail at the last minute.

Set up a meeting. When you narrow down your list of potential photographers, ask for a meeting to discuss your needs and ideas for your shoot and ask him or her to bring their portfolio. If a photographer is too busy to do this, it’s a good indication he or she is too busy to meet your needs.” It was important that you called me right back and that we had good communication and dialogue right from the start,” says Zedalis Reinecke. “We met at a local bodybuilding show and I really liked the fact that you totally got that I wanted to capture my body as piece of art. You understood the hard work that went into my journey. I could see that in your work and it put me at ease to book my first ever photo shoot with you,” she adds.

What other expertise does the photographer have? Does the photographer have any other value-added skills that could also benefit you, such as magazine submission experience, advertising experience or marketing advice? Can he or she help coach you about self-promotion and building your brand, designing business cards?

Pose. It’s important for first-time “models” to ask if a photographer will help with posing, or if you need to come up with all your own posing ideas? If you plan to diet down and will be carb depleted, you may need more assistance than usual. Ensure you’ll get the services you need.

Get everything in writing. You don’t want to be surprised down the line. Make sure the photographer has a contract that specifies the photos and services you are looking for so your experience is surprise-free.

Be safe. With the increase in photographers who offer their wares online, take a friend or family member with you to the first meeting. Let the photographer know you’ll be bringing someone. It’s okay to bring someone to the shoot, too. Just be sure that anyone you bring understands you need to focus on the photographer and the shoot, not friends’ reactions.

Whether you’re goals are to launch a modeling career, capture a highpoint in your fitness journey or come up with headshot for marketing purposes, following these steps will help you find the right photographer and get the photos you need and want. MC

Look for my next column: Preparing for Your First Shoot

Simple Steps for Glowing Summer Skin

theurbanathletica — Tue, 01 May 2012 23:14:15 +0000

It’s easy to neglect our skin over the winter. Dreary cold days, layers of clothes and the desire to hibernate make it easy to forget how important clear, glowing skin is. As you start to think about getting your body bathing suit ready, it’s also a great time to remember to get your skin in shape too.

1) Exfoliate dead winter skin

I am sure you are all familiar with that dull ashy look your skin gets during the cold, dry winter months. Do your skin a favor and help accelerate its natural shedding process by doing an exfoliation treatment. For your face, I would recommend a microdermabrasion. This form of exfoliation is quick, painless, and effective in removing dead skin, which creates that dull, listless look. For your body, I love a sugar body scrub.

2) Find a good sunscreen

I cannot stress enough, that the sun’s rays are the worst thing for your skin! The sun causes more than 90% of all skin cancers. As an esthetician in a medical office, I have seen my patients loose entire pieces of their noses, ears and lips to skin cancer. It is scary stuff! I recommend Elta MD (www.eltamd.com) to my patients. It provides true broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection and comes in many formulations to fit your skin type.

3) Begin using a Vitamin C serum

Vitamin C is a fantastic antioxidant. The added benefit for Vitamin C applied to the skin topically, is that it is a tyrosinase inhibitor. What is tyrosinase, you say? In short, it is the oxidation of melanin caused by sunlight and other free radical exposure. Vitamin C stops or inhibits oxidation of melanin. So, if you want to stop those ugly age spots before they start, use a good medical grade Vitamin C serum.

4) Hydrate!

Good skin comes from within. So keep your body hydrated and your skin will follow suit. When we are dehydrated, not only does our body get thirsty, but our skin gets thirsty too. Think about dehydrated food. When you add water, it plumps right up. The same with your skin’s vitality.

5) See an esthetician.

An esthetician is a specialized expert trained to understand how your skins works and what it needs to look and feel healthy. Estheticians are also taught to understand how your type of skin will work with the variety of products and chemicals that are on the market right now. From peels and moisturizers to the latest fillers and injectibles, a trained expert can help you love your skin again this summer.

By Our TUA Beauty Columnist
Valerie Griffin LE
Valerie is a licensed esthetician at Patient Care and Surgical Coordinator at the Krupp Center
http://kruppcenter.com/

The Amazing Shrinking Act – NPC Bikini Athlete Kelsey Byers

theurbanathletica — Tue, 01 May 2012 16:00:22 +0000

How the Houston beauty went from overweight student to sponsored athlete and fitness model – By Lydia Michalitsianos with Tracey Longo //

This year at the Arnold Sports festival, The Urban Athletica was pleased to catch up with rising NPC bikini competitor and newly-sponsored Labrada athlete Kelsey Byers. Houston-based Kelsey had just finished two photo-shoots when we caught up to her in the Arnold exhibit hall, where we had the opportunity to ask her how she’s managed to launch such a meteoric career–both as bikini athlete and fitness model – all since entering her first bikini competition in 2011.Kelsey’s is a story of transformation, dedication and smart training. She told me she was pretty athletic and thin most of her life, having played sports up until high school. But that all changed in college when she began to make poor diet decisions and saw her weight zoom up 40 pounds to 178 pounds. “With colleges serving mostly cafeteria foods these days, it is hard for most people to stay on a proper, balanced diet,” she says. Her favorite food during college? “Velveeta shells and cheese.” Late nights and partying contributed to her weight gain. But when she looked at the scale after graduation and it zoomed to 178 pounds, she was shocked. “I didn’t know myself,” says Kelsey.

Kelsey Before in 2002

It was then that she decided to take action: She hired a nutritionist who she says helped her turn her meal planning and physique around. Kelsey credits Houston-based Nutritionist Kim Porterfield of Houston, Texas with teaching her how and what to eat to speed her metabolism and help her burn unwanted fat. Before working with Kim, Kelsey, like a lot of people, tried to create her own diet menus with “Lean Cuisine” and “Smart Ones,” only to find out that these meals will only get you so far. Now, Kelsey prepares and eats five smaller balanced meals a day, rich in protein and fresh vegetables, that she prepares at home for she and husband Ken.

She even started going to the gym to take part in Ken’s workout routines. Ken himself has competed in the NPC Men’s Physique Division, so fitness is a shared passion for the couple.

I asked Kelsey what the catalyst was for her to take that first step into making health and fitness part of her daily life. She said simply: “Seeing Jamie Eason” in a magazine. Eason has helped inspire an entire generation of bikini and fitness models. Kelsey said, after noticing a photo of Jamie, she knew that level of fitness was what she wanted. “I wanted to look like Jamie. I wanted my bikini body back,” says Kelsey, who fought hard to achieve her goal. Eason, who she eventually met, was also instrumental. It was the bikini icon who referred Kelsey to her nutritionist Nutritionist Kim Porterfield.

Kelsey has always competed in the “Bikini” division of the NPC organization and plans on sticking with “bikini” for her future shows. She just placed 3^rd at the NPC Texas Shredder Classic, her fourth bikini contest since 2010.

Despite working hard in the gym to maintain her bikini buff figure, Kelsey says clean eating is the most important piece of her fitness regime. “I am thrilled with my results and work hard every week on challenging myself in both the gym and the kitchen. It is amazing what clean eating will do for your.

Photo Credits: Satio Photography (All 4 photos)

ATHLETES WE WANT TO TRAIN WITH

theurbanathletica — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:27:24 +0000

THE URBAN ATHLETE

By Tracey Longo

NAME: Lynn Sambuco, winning bikini competitor, fitness model, trainer and mother of three

TRAINS AT: LA Fitness, Pittsburgh, PA.

CLAIM TO FAME: Lynn racked up a remarkable 10 bikini competitions, since making the commitment to compete in 2010.

HIGHLIGHTS: The 2012 Arnold amateur (6thplace), The 2012 Rock Star Bikini Competition (Top 3 Finalist) and 2011 Masters Nationals (2nd place). She’s an endorsed athlete, sponsored by SDC Nutrition/About Time. She’s the columnist, doing the “FrontRow Fit” column for FrontRowMonthly.com, a national online fashion and fitness magazine. Lynn is also a fitness model, signed with ADM Model & Talent Management. Lynn has been featured in Fitness Hers (standing next to Arnold Schwarzenegger at The Arnold, no less) and in PromotingWomen.com.

FAVORITE BODY PART TO TRAIN: Abdominals. It’s the most rewarding because I get the most feedback from it.

BODY PART THAT RECEIVES THE MOST ATTENTION FROM OTHERS: Stomach/Abdominals.“I am beyond blessed and happy to be able to maintain a 20″ waistline through diet and exercise” says the 40 year old mom of two, who is a size 0.

LESSON LEARNED THE HARD WAY: How to train her legs. “As a bikini competitor I have to make sure my quad-dominant legs don’t become too muscular,” says Lynn. “My legs respond best to plyometrics and long distance running. To counteract that, I squat deep and heavy to fire up my glutes and do lunges, to avoid engaging my quad.

NEXT UP: NPC Masters Nationals 2012 in Pittsburgh. July 2012. AVAILABLE FOR: Personal Training (person to person, on-line and Skype), as well as promotional, modeling, bookings and appearances.

Connect Follow Lynn Sambuco

WEBSITE / FACEBOOK / TWITTER

Mike Cadotte SVP, Director of Photography

theurbanathletica — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:32:12 +0000

Before taking over the photographic reins of UrbanAthletica.com and launching his own photography business – MidAtlantic Photography — Mike Cadotte started his photography career doing journalistic photography and commercial advertising for client’s such as Macy’s for more than a decade.

He specializes in shooting winning and professional athletes and competitors, as well as established and aspiring models, who want to book print, TV and online modeling work in the fitness industry. Beyond making beautiful photos for Urban Athletica.com, Cadotte sees his role as helping a growing number of models build commercially-desireable portfolios that launch their careers. His shoot of Erin Mogart in 2010 helped her land her new role doing a nationwide tour as spokesmodel for FitTV. Among other recent publications, he also shot fitness model and competitior Shera Ann for the winter, 2010 cover of Kettlebell Sport and Fitness Magazine.

Stylistically, Cadotte is known for using creative lighting to enhance models’ physiques and their surroundings. “I like using environmental locations whenever possible,” he says. Cadotte’s work encompasses everything from shooting models in action in cityscapes and at fitness and physique competitions to capturing the rhythm of models at Zumba events and in studio shoots.

With his deep advertising background and degree in photography and commercial advertising from Rochester Institute of Technology—the top photography school in the country–Cadotte is also a good choice for clients who want to land corporate sponsors. “I do photos so that bookers and promoters can see their products in actual ads. This really helps models market themselves,” the photographer says.

Cadotte uses his experience to create professional, commercially-desirable portfolios. “I’m used to helping people get started and build marketable portfolios. I’m as good at showing new models how to pose, as I am at making significant contributions to the portfolios of models who already have successful careers,” Cadotte says.

Contact info: info@MidAtlanticPhotography.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MidAtlanticPhotography

Adriana Cesar

theurbanathletica — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:55:33 +0000

ATHLETES WE WANT TO TRAIN WITH

theurbanathletica — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 01:49:59 +0000

THE URBAN ATHLETE

By Tracey Longo

Name: Rob Kreider, winning bodybuilder, trainer and entrepreneur

Trains at: Xsport in Alexandria. I train my clients at Fitness First Health Club in Alexandria.

Claim to Fame: Rob swept the NPC Met-RX East Coast Classic in 2010, winning first place, overall champion and best poser awards. A winning athlete and competitor, he’s competed in 27 bodybuilding shows to date. The creator of the mysupplements iphone app, Rob is also busy building his brand, RK Bodies, which includes supplements and apparel (www.rkbodies.com). He is sponsored by and a partner in Big Bitch Formula (www.bigbitchformula.com), which offers breakthrough protein powders with BCAAs and the highest percentage of protein by composition of any supplement out there

Favorite body part to train and why: Legs. It’s the largest muscle group in the body, which requires the utmost energy and focus. Leg training is always a love / hate relationship. Hate doing them sometimes, but LOVE the feeling of accomplishment that you get afterwards.

Lesson learned the hard way: Never settle in love, life, friendship.

Next Up: Rob is spending 2012 adding muscle to his already large-and-in-charge physique in order to move up a weight class and compete as a light heavy weight during the 2013 bodybuilding season. “I’ll do a few local competitions and a couple of national level meets, once again shooting for my pro card,” Rob says.

Available for: Personal training, off season nutrition/training planning, precontest nutrition/training planning, body building posing coach, as well as online training/nutrition/supplementation consultations.

Website: RobKreider.com , bigbitchformula