Want Photogenic Legs for the BET Hip Hop Awards Weekend?

Ladies, the 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards has descended upon Atlanta, and it is a weekend full of parties, networking and awards. With a schedule that is jam packed with appointments and last minute wardrobe decisions, it can be easy for you to forget the detail that can give you that added “boost” of confidence as you stroll the entry way into the BET whirlwind.

What is the added “boost” that I am referring to? It is your legs. The image of fit legs captures the attention of onlookers and cameras. It sends the message that you mean business and are about your business.

So what happens if you haven’t invested the time and attention into prepping your legs to be on display this weekend? Well, this is where I come in. I have listed below two exercises that you can do to give the illusion that you haven’t missed a beat at the gym.

Chair squats: Grab a chair. With your feet together, sit down in the chair and stand up. Repeat this motion for one minute. Spread your feet wider apart, and repeat the same motion. By alternating the positions of your feet, you can do a variety of squat motions that will help to build different muscles in your legs.

Leg Extensions/Curls: If you have access to a gym, you can do leg extensions and curls on the machine. Set the resistance to a level that is comfortable for you, and do a high number of repetitions. If you don’t have access to a gym, you can use leg weights instead. Sit down in the chair and extend your legs up and down. To complete your leg curls, lie on your stomach and curl your legs inward.

In between each of these exercises, make sure you are running in place or continuously stepping up on a box so that you can include cardio in this training routine. The weight training from the two exercises above combined with cardio will allow your muscles to look more toned.

For those who want to take it a step further and receive the “diva treatment” like Ciara or Khandi Burruss, swing by Energy Fitness on Friday, October 9th from 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. We are offering FREE body specific training so you can be fit for BET Hip Hop Awards Weekend. Energy Fitness is located at 1021 Northside Drive, inside the Complex ADC building.

FIT FOR THE BET HIP HOP AWARDS RED CARPET

The 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards has pulled a fast one on you! A few months ago, you made a promise that you would be at your best for the red carpet. However, life happened. You lived in the studio. You were too busy chopping it up at business dinners. Or, you were just too tired to drag yourself to the gym.

Now, it is 48 hours before the big event weekend, and you are feeling a little less confident about turning heads and getting numbers. I am here to tell you that it is not too late. I have a few tricks up my sleeve that can make you “appear” to others that you have been putting in your time in the gym. There is not a one-size-fits-all strategy so I have listed below the training program I would give to 3 of the biggest bosses heading to the 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards this year.


Akon:

For Akon, we can do a total body, circuit training session. It will target every muscle in his body and sculpt those muscles. Alternating between push-ups, stepping on a box and doing body squats will make sure the muscles bulk out a little bit more.

T-Pain:

With T-Pain, I will place more emphasis on the cardio than the body weight workout. On the weight portion of his workout, we will have him doing high repetitions on bench press, curls and dips. The high repetition weight training, combined with a variety of cardio exercises, will minimize the swelling in T-Pain’s muscles so he has more of a lean effect.

Jazze Pha:

My training plan for Jazze is to do strictly cardio. I don’t want his muscles to swell, and I don’t want his posture to lengthen out (from weight training) which would cause his weight to protrude. The goal is to engage him in strenuous cardio to get him breaking a good sweat while monitoring his response so we can avoid triggering any pre-existing health conditions. Lastly, I would encourage Jazze to spend the day drinking at least 1 gallon of water and make a quick trip to the sauna. If you have more water in your body when you go to the steam room, you will sweat more which will cause you to release more toxins and lose more excess water weight.

For those who want to take it a step further and receive the “boss treatment” like Akon, Devyne Stephens and TI, swing by Energy Fitness on Friday, October 9th from 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. We are offering FREE body specific training so you can be fit for BET Hip Hop Awards Weekend. Energy Fitness is located at 1021 Northside Drive, inside the Complex ADC building.

E-Fit Nation Player of the Week: RB Rajion Neal

After much deliberation, we have settled on a selection for E-Fit Nation's 1st Football Player of the Week. The golden pigskin goes to running back Raijon Neal of Sandy Creek High School. Courtesy of GA Varsity.com, I have included the details of Rajion's breakaway game.

Mississippi State RB commit Rajion Neal scored five total touchdowns and had around 150 rushing yards in his Sandy Creek (Ga.) team's 43-6 shellacking of Whitewater.

Neal got off to a hot start and never really slowed down, notching four touchdowns on his first five touches of the first half.

The four-star running back commit is one of the state's top prospects and he certainly showed why. Three of his touchdowns came on the ground and two of his scores on long kickoff returns.

Neal is 5-foot-11, 210 pounds, and reportedly runs a 4.44 second forty yard dash. He runs with speed and power (he can squat 500 pounds and benches 350).


He is one of 2010's top players, but he took himself off of the market with a commitment to Mississippi State back in August. He also held offers from East Carolina, Kentucky, Louisville, Middle Tennessee State, Southern Miss, Troy, Tulane, and Western Kentucky.

He now has over 700 rushing yards on his senior season.

His Fighting Patriots are now 4-1 and ranked fifth in Georgia's 4A classification.

Best Cellars Dinner Raises Money for Cancer Research

On Saturday, I joined some of Atlanta’s top wine collectors to sample wines from their private collections at the inaugural Atlanta’s Best Cellars Wine Dinner. The event was held at the Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead, and the evening included a gourmet four-course meal and silent auction. Proceeds from the event raised money for the T.J. Martell Foundation’s cancer research fellowship grant at Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute. To learn more about how you can participate in this charitable event next year, go to www.BestCellarsDinner.com

Pro Figure Competitor Melody Melton Gets Lean at Energy Fitness

A little while ago, Melody Melton began training at our gym. I always like when we have female professional athletes come to our facility. They always have their own special way of raising the bar for all of the clients that watch or train alongside them.

Melody is a professional figure competitor. She stumbled into the sport while training with Carlos Jordan of Ultimate Bodies. Since participating in her first tournament, Melody has placed 1st at the 2006 NOPI Nationals, 2007 World Bodybuilding & Figure Championships and 2008 Southern NGA Regional Championship.

Melody’s training goal, for her participation in tomorrow’s 2009 NOPI NGA World Bodybuilding & Figure Championships, was to shock her body with added cardiovascular and plyometric training at Energy Fitness. I am confident that the judges and audience will recognize that she has upped the ante for this year’s competition.

I had a moment to catch up with Melody so she could give the readers insight into her experience at Energy Fitness and advice as to how you can one day join her on the stage.


How did you find out about John and why did you decide to add him to your fitness preparation for your upcoming competition?

My good friend Devyne Stephens suggested that John may be a good addition for my regiment so I could shock my body and do some things that I wasn’t used to doing. I have the weight training under control. However, John’s training concept is very different. When you are weight training, you are restricted to working one muscle at a time, but with John you are working several muscle groups simultaneously so I think it has helped me as far as leaning down.

For those who are interested in becoming a figure competitor, what are the steps that they should take?

1. You need a good weight trainer who knows how to properly train a woman’s body for figure competition. There are a lot of good trainers out there, but they may not know the training style that is needed to develop a woman’s body for a figure competition.
2. Your diet is really big. It is important to stay on a strict, really low carbohydrate eating regiment.
3. Get with a figure coach. Presentation is everything on stage for women. You want to get out on stage and look like a professional, hitting your mandatory poses on point. Your figure coach will assist you with your presentation, poses, smiling. It’s hard to be on stage smiling and holding these poses. It takes a lot of practice. Women think that we are on stage and it’s easy. No, we are up there in pain. It hurts holding those poses. We are tired and cramping up. We have these beautiful smiles on our faces when we really just want to eat!
4. Go out there and try to have fun. When you get to a point where it is stressful for you and you are not competing for the right reasons, it’s not fun anymore. It’s your sport. It’s your hobby. Just do your best.

Catch Melody in action at the 2009 NOPI NGA World Body Building & Figure Championship tomorrow at the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center. Competition begins at 6:00 p.m.

DJ Mami Chula Works It Out!

NFL Rookie Duke Robinson Returns to Prepare for the Panthers

I had the pleasure of meeting Duke Robinson as a senior in high school. My goal was to get him ready for the next phase of his athletic career-Offensive Lineman at Oklahoma. A few weeks ago, he returned to the gym to get prepare for his new team, the Carolina Panthers. Duke stopped by to share his thoughts on my brand of training and how other athletes can follow in his footsteps.

How did John’s training help you transition from a high school player to a college player? John showed me and prepared me for my college training. It was tough, hard nosed. He had me ready when I went to school, and I started all four years.

What are some of the reasons that you are still working with him? I need challenge, physical toughness and that push that he gives.

How is his training different than other trainers that you have worked with? John’s training is more intense. He isn’t going to let you get off easy, give up or stop. At most places, they let you chill out for a minute and then come back. John doesn’t want to hear all that. He wants you to get in the mix right now.

What are some of your individual goals going into camp and the upcoming season with the Panthers? My goal is to get in and play a big role, which is something that I think that I can do right off the bat. Also, I want to go there in the best shape of my life. I think John’s training will have me mentally and physically ready by the way he pushes me, the things he’s telling me and showing me(my footwork, hand placement, etc.). A lot of places train you just as an athlete, but John covers all aspects

What advice do you have for some of the younger offensive linemen? My biggest thing is to never give up, no matter how hard it gets, because it’s going to get hard. It isn’t easy, and at every level there will be challenges. [You must] have a lot of self-motivation, and surround yourself with good people