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