An Interview with Miss Bahamas World 2009 on Inner Beauty

“the only way I know how to cultivate that inner beauty is by loving God and allowing Him to teach me how to develop that inner beauty on a daily basis.”Listen in on an Interview on Inner Beauty with Miss Bahamas World 2009, Joanna Brown. This interview is also available to read in the current edition of LiveLiving Christian Health and Wellness eMagazine, pages 11 and 12.

Skull Crushers

This exercise may not crush your skull but it will definitely tone those triceps to take care of that extra tissue hanging around on the back of your arms. This exercise when done correctly will add beautiful shape to our triceps.

Here is how:

Step 1: Lie on a flat bench and take a light bar bell overhead with your arms extended. Your palms should be facing the roof.

Step 2: Shift the weight backwards so if you were to drop it, it would land on the floor behind your head and not on your head (skull crusher).

Step 3: Your triceps / elbows should be pointing the same direction of your legs and feet. In this fixed position slowly lower your hands and barbell down towards the ground until you get a deep stretch in the back of your arm.

Step 4: Slow press the weight back up towards the ceiling squeezing your triceps.

Repeat 8-10 reps for 3 sets!

Warning! Always start with a light weight that is easily manageable until you have mastered the form!

A Perspective of Inner Beauty from an Unguarded Man

Athlete. Valiant. Statesman. Spiritual.

“a man who is comfortable expressing love, valor, understanding and caring, and at the same time being able to receive the same, has overcome his guardedness and machismo.” Read Joe Sasso’s full article in LiveLiving Christian Health and Wellness eMagazine, page 10.

Abdominal Stretch

Once you have worked up a sweat in the gym and it is time to stretch, try this abs stretch over a stability ball. Most of us spend all day hunched forward creating shortened musculature on our fronts and stretching out our back muscles. This stretch will open up the front of the body and is a great counter-pose to how we spend most of our time each day.

Step 1: Begin by sitting on the floor, you knees bent in front of you, feet flat and your back resting against the side of the ball. Leaving your hands at your sides for balance, very slowly push back onto the ball as you straighten your legs.

• Your arms should be relaxed, whether open at your sides or overhead.
• Keep your neck relaxed.
• Keep your feet hip-width apart, flat on the floor. If you begin to lose your balance bring them further apart.

Step 2: Coming out of the pose: bring your hands to the sides of the ball; holding on lightly, bend your knees up and roll forward until you’re sitting on the floor again, with your back pushed into the ball.

Warning: Do not perform this exercise if you are pregnant or have high blood pressure due to the full stretch position with your head toward the ground.

Ten Steps to Building Spiritual Muscles

1. Your spirit being needs exercise.

2. The challenges, tests, hard times, adversities whatever you prefer to call them are your weights…..Read the full blog by Etta Malcolm at Embodied Spirituality.

Kick Up the Intensity with the Hip Thrust

This exercise targets the gluteus maximus muscle otherwise known as the butt. Strengthening the gluteus maximus muscle can ward off pain in your back, hips, and lower leg. This muscle plays a big role in walking, standing and lowering your body to a sitting position. Most people try to spot reduce their hips and legs, while others are looking to put some shape in their flat backside, however there is no such thing as spot reducing those trouble spots. Kick up the intensity on your cardio routine to decrease your overall body mass index, but to strengthen your glutes try adding this simple exercise to your daily routine. The best thing about this exercise is that it can be done in the gym or at home.

Execution of the hip thrust:

Step 1: Lie on your back on the floor with your feet comfortably apart (shoulder width). For added resistance add a weight plate across your pelvis, holding it in place with your hands.

Step 2: Lift your hips as high as possible, squeezing your glutes for 5 seconds. Slowly lower and repeat the lift again.

Step3: Your feet can be flat on the floor or you may choose to keep only your toes on the floor. Coming up on your toes position will activate additional stabilizer muscles in your core and isolate the hamstrings a bit more than the flat-footed version

3 Steps to Attain Inner Beauty

“What is real beauty? If the only definition of beauty is a certain facial structure or body type that only a miniscule percentage of people will ever attain, we’re all in trouble!” Read the full article, 3 Steps to Attain Inner Beauty” by Stacy Blackmon in the current edition of LiveLiving Christian Health and Wellness eMagazine, pages 8-9.

The Pose of a Warrior

This yoga pose is a great way to tone your waist, hips, and legs. This pose not only provides you with a stretch, but helps build strength and endurance throughout your lower body. Yoga poses can be very relaxing but are also used as an immense source to burning calories.

How to execute the warrior pose:

Step 1: With an exhale, step forward with your left leg, bending your left knee.
Step 2: Pivot your back heel (right foot) inward. (Your toes should point out at a 45 to 60 degree angle.)
Step 3: Raise your chin and look slightly upward as you raise your arms up over your head, with your palms facing each other. Hold for four deep breaths.
Step 4: Repeat with the other leg stepping forward.

Tip: Try doing this pose two times with each leg leading.

Becoming Acquainted with the REAL You

“God created you form the inside out; therefore you must look inside to see that beautiful, intricately created being.”Read more of Inner Beauty: Becoming Acquainted with the Real You by Pamela Randolph, Ph.D. in LiveLiving Christian health and wellness eMagazine, page 7.

Inclined pushups

Incline pushups are a great way to target your shoulders, core, and triceps in addition to the chest. The inclined pushup can be performed in two manners; (1) with your feet upon an exercise ball or solid surface such as an exercise bench; or (2) with your arms / hands on an exercise ball. Remember an exercise ball provides a very unstable surface requiring more recruitment from your abdominal muscles! When you are at an incline with your feet elevated your shoulders will be required to hold more of your body weight up against the pull of gravity which aids in strengthening your shoulders. Finally the positioning of your arms can help isolate your triceps. By keeping your arms by your side when coming up and your elbows pointed towards the ceiling you are able target the triceps. Incline pushups can add variety to your workout by using them as a warm up to your chest routine or as a burn out at the end of your chest routine.

Here is how:

Using an exercise ball, securely position your hands directly on the ball and get your body into a pushup position. Slowly complete a full pushup bringing your chest down towards the exercise ball and then back up to the starting position while keeping tension on your chest muscles throughout the range of the exercise.

For the extra burn do three sets of incline pushups to failure at the end of your workout. To warm up with the incline pushup perform 3-4 sets of 12 -15 reps.

Progression: Doing incline pushups with your hands elevated is a good starting point to work your way down to incline pushups with your feet elevated.