Articles & Guides
Learn how to build muscle, burn fat and stay motivated.
8 Ways Women's Magazines Got Fitness All Wrong
“The One Trick to Improve Your Workouts Right Now!” “The Secret to an Instantly Flat Belly!” There’s good reason people roll their eyes at fitness magazines. They make outlandish promises claiming to have all the answers to your most pressing problems. Women’s magazines are notorious for eye-catchin...
Women: Shaping The Perfect Glutes
Next to a sleek and sexy, toned midsection, high, tight glutes are the focus and desire of many women. They want the hard muscles of a fitness model combined with the round derriere of a pop star. Women like fitness supermodel Jamie Eason and actress/singer Jennifer Lopez have a booty that is the en...
Women: 5 Tricks For A Great 30 Minute Workout
I did a little poll of my Facebook friends yesterday – probably the wrong forum, considering that half of my Facebook friends are physique competitors and the others just flat out know me too well and knew the answer already. The question was: You have only 30 minutes in the gym. Of these two which...
Why Women Should Deadlift
Deadlifts. They are by far one of the best exercises for producing overall strength. But even more than that, they can even help you improve your physical appearance too. So, before we get into the meat of this article, I want to explain why women in particular should do deadlifts on a regular, cons...
Why Cardio Can Negatively Affect Women's Fat Loss
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result. Unfortunately this could not be truer for the standard women’s fat loss protocol. For the majority of women, the fat loss battle is a multiyear process filled with yo-yo dieting and ultimate failure. I...
What You Need to Know About the "All In" Movement
Eating well, exercising regularly, and working hard are usually considered to be healthy habits. However, each of these three behaviors can become risk factors for a condition called hypogonadotropic hypogonadism1. In females, this may lead to hypothalamic amenorrhea2, which is characterized by a lo...
9 Important Things Women Gain from Strength Training
Alright ladies, it’s time to get serious. I’m not one to sugarcoat things, but suffice it to say you’re not going to get the body of your dreams by following the work of Tracy Anderson or Jillian Michaels. I’m sure you’re well aware of the hormonal differences which prevent you from ever resembling...
Weight Loss: Why The Scale Can Be Your Worst Enemy
A lot of people who start a diet are obsessed by the scale. However, the scale is not the most effective way to monitor your progress. I will prove during this article that the scale can be one of the bigger obstacles you face while trying to sculpt your body. I will also explain how to keep your mo...
Transform Your Tummy With These 8 Essential Tips!
The flat stomach. The sexy 6-pack. The washboard abs. The cover model midsection. Abs are one of the most obsessed over body-parts amongst both men and women. Whether it’s just getting them toned enough to see a hint of definition, or being so lean that you can see every striation and extreme vascul...
Train Like You Mean It, Girl!
As women, we must train like men to see results. That is, if you are intent on burning fat OR getting toned. If you are a woman who is interested in running or a woman who has no interest in building muscle gains, then you’ve probably stopped reading this by now. I encourage you to read on becaus...
The Progesterone Paradox: How Hormones Can Affect Women's Training
Did you know the root of the word “hysteria” means uterus (think hysterectomy)? This is because doctors originally attributed hysterical behavior to our womb. We know better than that in modern day medicine, but we have similar tendencies to attribute irregular and irrational behavior to “our hormon...
Super Berry Undercover: The Ultimate Fruit For Healthy Living
Chances are you’ve eaten this mysterious fruit before. You’ve probably thrown it in your salad, spread it on your toast or even rolled it into your burrito. Yep, you heard right – fruit in your burrito! The super berry I’m speaking about is the avocado. Avocados are a misunderstood fruit. For one th...
Suboptimal Estrogen: A Woman's Gym Performance Nightmare
Estrogens aren’t exactly anabolic hormones in the traditional sense, but recent studies revealed they have a massive impact on muscle mass, strength, and recovery in women. That’s exactly why sub-optimal estrogen levels can be a major reason for muscle loss and weakness in women, impairing their per...
Stroller Workout: 3 Exercises For Busy Moms
As moms, we have a lot to think about: When do I feed the baby? What do I do if they cry? And how do I get rid of those extra pounds packed on during pregnancy?? As a busy mom myself, I understand the mountain of obstacles that moms face when it comes time to burn that baby weight and get back into...
8 Strength Training Secrets for Cardio Bunnies
Attention all cardio bunnies. Yes, you, the cardio queen on hour 2 of elliptical training and a Real Housewives of New Jersey marathon. I’ve got something to tell you. There’s another world out there that can give you the body you want in a fraction of the time. It’s time to hit the weights. The wei...
Sleep, Sleep Deprivation And Good Health
I was that kid growing up who asked my babysitters if I could go to bed. I have always been a sleeper. As a kid, by about 8:00pm I was asking to go to bed if I wasn’t there already. In my adulthood, my need for sleep never went away. I think that, like everybody, whether you’re a night owl or a morn...
How Should Women Approach Weight Training and Exercise?
There are two opposing camps when it comes to the question of whether women should train like men. On one end of the spectrum, there are people who say that women should spend their time doing aerobic activities—like running and yoga—and leave the heavy lifting for men. The argument is that not only...
Sexy Health Equals Healthy Sex
Is your sex life suffering? Wish you were feeling a little friskier in the bedroom? Most of us know that exercise and fitness have numerous benefits. Among them: increased blood flow, increase in lean mass, decreased body fat, slow the aging process, improved body image and...increase in sexual desi...
Pip Speaks: What It Takes To Be A CrossFit Pro Athlete
Pip (Philippa) Malone is a Team NutriForce Sports sponsored CrossFit athlete. Philippa “Pip” Malone, a native of Sydney, Australia, was born in August of 1989 and has become a top-level CrossFit athlete thanks to her extraordinary mental fortitude and physical conditioning. Her recent 3rd place fini...
Video: Nichole Ohrablo - Nutrition for Women
NPC Fitness competitor, Trainer and Lifestyle & Conditioning Coach Nichole Ohrablo talks about the importance of nutrition for the woman just starting out on a training routine. Nutrition is where you get your results! Have any questions for Nichole Ohrablo? Post them below!
Video: Nichole Ohrablo - Supplements for Women
NPC Fitness competitor, Trainer and Lifestyle & Conditioning Coach Nichole Ohrablo talks about ideal nutritional supplementation for women. Supplements should be included to fill in the holes of a good diet. Have any questions for Nichole Ohrablo? Post them below!
Breaking The Myth: Increasing Testosterone In Females Equals Muscle Accretion, Strength Gains, And Fat Loss
There are many products in the supplement industry that are used in pursuit of muscle accretion, strength gains, or fat loss. One such product is a testosterone booster. Testosterone boosters are generally avoided by females (and sometimes recommended against), due to the fear that they will cause a...
My Experience With Diuretic Use
I wanted to write this article on my first-hand account of prescription diuretic use for competition because in my post-contest rebound, I Googled and I Binged and I could not find anyone else who had written about their first-hand account of diuretic rebound. I desperately needed to know if what I...
Weight Gain And Muscle Building For Women
Everyone wants to lose weight; for females this is even more so. There is so much information available regarding weight loss, but what if you are at the other end of the spectrum? What if you are a woman who wants to gain some weight and build muscle? Yes, you heard that right! Some of us actuall...