US Sports Fitness Featuring: Mother of Three Jaw Dropping Body and Mind Transformation

 

Mother of three jaw dropping body and mind transformation. Sarah had an “aha” moment that changed her life.

She decided she was ready for something new. She was 100% ready for change when she began her Hitch Fit journey with me (Coach Diana Chaloux-LaCerte). This amazing mother of 3 has been through it all. Addiction, homelessness, depression, she faced so many battles through her life, which has developed her into the warrior that she is today.

It has been amazing seeing her change, from the inside out. Day one, she was low on confidence, low on strength, and wasn’t sure she would be a success. But I saw that she had the biggest key she would need for success. The willingness to do the work, to follow the plan, no matter what. She was in it.

Are You Ready To Start Your Transformation? Click Here!

And she did it, day by day, one workout at a time, one meal at a time. And changes began to happen. She grew stronger and stronger in every way. When naysayers tried to derail her, she ignored them and kept right on working and following the plan. The changes added up!

Sarah is a completely new person. She walks into the room with her head held high. She is fearless! Her newfound fitness, health and confidence has already had a positive ripple effect into every other aspect of her life. Can’t wait to see what the future has in store for this incredibly human being!

Way to go Sarah. We believe in you!! You are an inspiration, and it has been an honor to be a part of your transformation journey.

Sarah’s Before and After Weight Loss Stats: 

Starting weight: 156

Ending weight: 128

Starting body fat: 37.07%

Ending body fat: 20.92%

Lost 9 inches off her waist

Lost 4 inches off her hip

Sarah’s Before and After Weight Loss Photos: 

jaw dropping bikini before and after

 

Sarah’s Hitch Fit Transformation Story and Review:

“I’ve fought a lot of battles in my life.

The hardest battles have been the ones against myself. The ones where it’s my heart vs. my mind. The mind plays tricks on you.

Sometimes, well a lot of times, through this journey, my mind told me that I couldn’t do this. “You’re never going to look good.” “Have just one more.” “I’ll skip today, I’ll finish early, you still look fat, you’re not enough.”

But my heart said, “Shut up and get out of the way and keep going.”

Somewhere along the way, my mind started following my heart. I could have never fought this battle without the ammunition Diana gave my mind, and the encouragement she gave my heart.

One person, believing in me, ignited the ability to change. I am forever grateful to her for that.

Growing up, I received a lot of sexual harassment from peers. Eventually, I gave up on myself.

I started doing drugs and hanging out with people that were on the same path.

I wound up homeless and alone.

Deep down, I knew there was hope.

That is the first time I learned to follow my heart and learned of my own strength.

I started my construction cleaning business piece by piece. Within two years, I had generated over $500,000.00 and had 40 employees. I worked like a dog!

I abused my body. I only got 3-4 hours of sleep and ate my first 1,500 calorie meal after 2 p.m. each day. I thought I was a bad ass, until I got burned out four years into the game.

I started having panic attacks.

I was so stressed and unhealthy.

When my first son was born, I shut the business down so I could heal mentally and physically. But I got up to 180 pounds and became super depressed.

I invented my company VAL, electronic locks, and decided to work on that business, but needed to generate income again.

I re-opened All American (cleaning business) and it was back to my old ways. I worked like a dog and never ate, losing almost 40 pounds with the good old stress diet.

Then came baby number two and three. My coping mechanisms became smoking a pack of cigarettes a day and eating 2 gallons of ice cream a week in bed.

I had gestational diabetes with my third pregnancy.

The doctor had a scary talk with me, stating that I had to cut out sugar or else. But that was it. I had no idea how to eat right. Like, zero idea.

After Duke was born, I couldn’t work like a dog anymore.

I couldn’t eat ice cream anymore. I couldn’t smoke.

I had pitching competitions for VAL and felt so insecure speaking in front of a crowd, and you wouldn’t catch me dead on camera.

That’s when I started to “stare.”

I would sit on the couch and stare at a wall for hours.

I was so lost, depressed and defeated.

Then one day, my friend told me about Hitch Fit.

I thought, “Good for you, that ain’t me.” I hate working out.”

Really I just didn’t believe I could ever do that.

But it stuck with me.

Out of nowhere, one day while staring, the thought came. F*@! This I’m calling Hitch Fit.

And I just knew, I was going to do it.

It was more than what I could afford, but I knew it was about life or death. So, I hustled and made it work.

I had NO time for it, but I squeezed it in, whether it was night or day.

I had no prior knowledge, but I learned.

I was so embarrassed to run in public, but I did it.

I met a bunch of neighbors I didn’t know before. Now when I run, I have a fan club on the block.

Little by little, I lost inches but gained confidence and gained heart.

When I started, I was only able to run for 7 minutes, now I can run for over an hour.

I haven’t smoked a cigarette since I began.

I made multiple videos for my business and can’t wait to pitch again.

Soon, I will be on a live podcast.

I still don’t care what others think of me, but I care what I think of me, and I finally have myself back.

My energy lasts ALL day and my ability to think clearly has never been better.

I have not “stared” one time since day one.

I have never had muscles in my life, until now.

My journey has just begun, and I will be making it known that I would never be here without the help of Diana and Hitch Fit.

This has been 100% life changing.

I never realized that I would gain ALL the things I have by doing this.

Some people on earth are truly agents of God. Not just say they are, but actually ARE.

And one of them is YOU, Diana.

Thank you!”

Program Choice: Lose Weight

US Sports Performance What is the Active Recovery Zone and The CFL Featuring Plays of the Week - Week 15 2022

 

• Author Rob Martin

Training today can be confusing with all the different information out there. Let’s talk about the Active Recovery Zone and whether it’s important or not. This zone’s intensity level is exactly what it's titled, you ride very easy, below your zone 2/endurance/magic zone, and you are able to get some movement in, blood flowing, and let your body recover at the same time.

When you get a hard workout in, let’s say on a Tuesday, that leaves you completely tired and fatigued, the best thing you can do after that is recover. There are two ways you can recover, active or passive recovery. Obviously active recovery means doing something to help with recovery, something active. Passive recovery involves a lot of laying around. Both of these forms of recovery have benefits, and maybe a little bit of both is the ticket! I would call for 20-30 minutes of active recovery after that hard workout on the same day, and then taking some time later on to do a little passive recovery.

Active recovery, very low intensity exercise, has many benefits that include increasing blood flow the the muscles, flushing out the lactic acid from the muscles, removing waste from the muscles, possibly speeding up the process of healing muscle tears and pain, boosting metabolism, elevating ones mood, better sleep, and improved cognitive function.

Active recovery is a great method to use between interval sets. Instead of stopping completely after an interval, keep moving in order to keep the blood flowing, which in turn can help flush things out and keep muscle groups ready for the next interval. Active recovery is also great after a workout that is high in intensity or a race. Simply spend another 20-30 minutes in that very easy training zone to again keep the blood moving and start the process of recovery. You can also take a day say after a big block of training and do a little active recovery day, and then take a passive recovery day after the active recovery day.

Great activities for active recovery can be walking, hiking, cycling, swimming, shooting a basketball, cleaning the house, yoga, foam rolling, stretching, massage, and many other light exercises. You should not feel fatigue during these.

I do believe that both active and passive recovery serve their purposes, especially when used together. I think that active recovery is a must between intervals and after hard workouts. Passive recovery is just as important and can be done after the active recovery. Find something that works for you, and I know you will feel the difference!

Rob Martin is a CSCS through the NSCA and is TRX certified. He also was involved in athletics throughout high school and ran at a division I college. He currently races mountain bikes at the elite level and coaches cycling athletes. He also has a podcast called Unpacking the Athlete available on most major podcast platforms. Improve your level of fitness and/or level of cycling with his success, knowledge, experience, & 4-year degree. Visit his website www.bikelifewithrob.com

Live Streams and Breaking Sports News!

The StrengthCast PowerShow 5 Simple Weight Loss Rules and Do you really want to lose weight now?

 

Do you really want to lose weight now?

• Author Anselm Anyoha

It seems that everybody wants to lose weight unless they are as lean as a chalkboard.

Hopefully, my weight loss story will inspire you to achieve your own weight loss goal.

For readers who do not know, I am a physician—a pediatrician, precisely. I’ll just point out the obvious: even physicians can get themselves into medical troubles. So, on a visit to my own doctor 10 years ago, I was diagnosed with hypertension because my blood pressure was elevated at 140/90. My doctor wanted to prescribe drugs for my condition, but I quietly disagreed. I had a plan of my own.

At that point, I weighed 183 pounds. For a man who stands at 5’ 8”, that gave me a BMI of 27 and put me in the overweight category. I went to work because truly, challenges are the mother of actions. I did some research and found with every 1 pound of weight loss, the upper number in a blood pressure reading could go down by 1 point. A ten-pound weight loss could lower an upper number by 10 points. “Let us do it,” I said to myself.

So, within 6 months, I lost thirty pounds. And as a result, my blood pressure was as normal as a teenage boy. My looks changed, too. My cheeks went from puffy to sculpted. My friends and family were both excited and worried. I assured them I was okay, and that I did it for my health.

I want my readers to know that I made easy lifestyle changes that did not demand much of my time. For example, instead of frying my eggs, I boiled them. Instead of eating out, I made my own food. Plus, I swapped beer and soda for water and more water. I used the holidays as another occasion to eat healthily and passed on junk food. I traded salt for herbs to season my food. And these little everyday changes made a big overall impact on my weight and my blood pressure.

We all have our different stories, our different life journeys, but I believe lessons can be learned from my experience. I was so happy about my accomplishment that I wrote a book about it, and I encourage you to pick it up. People spend thousands of dollars enrolling in gyms they will never attend and exercise equipment they will never use. But $10 ($3.99 on Amazon)  spent on my book could be one of the wisest investments you’ve ever made. Why this book you may ask? Because it is easy to read, full of good advice, and written by someone who actually lost thirty pounds.

Disclaimer: Please consult your doctor if you suffer from high blood pressure. High blood pressure has many reasons, and losing weight may not cure your own hypertension.

Get a copy of my weight loss book at:

https://amzn.to/3uG0myy

Best and Safest Strength Training for Young Athletes Presented on US Sports Net by BBcom

Best and Safest Strength Training for Young Athletes

• Author Ron Stratten, M.S.

Growing young talent is a delicate and risky challenge. Strength training for young athletes must be approached with caution. Parents often push their children who play on sports-specific travel squads toward weight training or, for some, personal trainers. But, what works best and what method is safest? Because the legs are the foundation for almost every outstanding performance, the focus should be on building leg strength, speed, agility and coordination in a youngster whose muscles and body are still developing. (continued below.....)

 This chest workout from Abel Albonetti can be done anywhere. He won't be using any machines or free weights, but will instead only use resistance bands and body weight. 

► Abel Albonetti's Maximum Muscle Training Program: https://bbcom.me/3eQP2bq 

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 ...(continued) Unfortunately, there has been no one approach that has proven effective and safe. For many years young athletes have looked for a simple way to build leg strength and speed by using ankle weights, resistance bands or weighted vests and time spent in the weight room with barbells and dumbbells. These solutions are cumbersome and often harmful.
A popular misconception has been that more is better. Adding more weight means more strength, more repetitions mean more speed. But more can mean problems for young bodies. Young athletes are developing at different rates and must be dealt with individually. Light to moderate weighted insoles can be an excellent answer for building young athletes' lower body strength, speed and coordination. The weight can increase as the athlete's body matures. Moreover, placing the weight below the body's weight prevents the harmful injuries caused by carrying it above young joints and allows the athlete to maintain a normal stride. Whether the athlete is playing football, volleyball, basketball, or soccer, or participating in track and field, speed, agility and the same overall athleticism are the qualities young athletes and their parents are seeking.
Weighted insoles allow the young athlete to play a specific sport while using them, unlike ankle weights resistance bands or weighted vests, which must be removed during practice or competition. In other words, you can take the weight room to the field or court!
Weighted insoles can be safer than other weight training approaches for young legs. Look for insoles that are light enough to accommodate younger athletes eleven or twelve years and up. Six ounces seem to work well with undeveloped beginners. As the young athlete practices and develops more skills and as the body matures, he or she can move up to the eight-ounce insole. Many companies recommend heavier weight to build strength faster. Unfortunately, maintaining a normal stride length (important for safe training) with more weight can be difficult. A well planned workout with age-appropriate weights is a good basis for strength training, just don’t go overboard!
Look also, for a tool that can stabilize the heel and ankle area. Early shoe choices are very important to parents wishing to insure the healthy participation of their child in the sport of their choice. The shoe companies oftentimes put their emphasis on the upper part of the shoe and neglect the part of shoe that has the most direct contact with the athlete: the shoe's liner or insole. Choose a weighted insole that is comfortable and focuses on foot and ankle safety by stabilizing the heel with a deep heel cup. The deep heel cup prevents the foot from sliding inside the shoe, which creates an unstable foundation for the athlete.
There is no quick and easy way to develop strength. Weighted insoles can make the journey safer, more convenient and more comfortable. Carrying a small amount of weight with every step can make a positive difference with each workout. They can be used in your favorite cross trainers, walking shoes or running shoes. Weighted insoles provide a training edge for any athlete who is striving to reach the next level safely!

Ronald Stratten is the Manager /Owner of StrataSoles Enterprises, LLC, and has served as NCAA Vice President for Education Services and former Portland State University Head Football Coach. StrataSoles Enterprises, LLC, is featuring the introduction of its weighted-insole system, The StrataSoles™ Training System.

BBcom Featuring: 10 Hacks to Look Leaner Now | Brian DeCosta and 2019 Men's Olympia Predictions

Bodybuilding.com athlete and natural bodybuilder Brian DeCosta explains his top to hacks to look and appear leaner in a short amount of time. 

► Transform Your Body with Brian: https://bbcom.me/2Zrp8aq 
► Shop Bodybuilding Signature Supplements: https://bbcom.me/2Ztsr0S 
► All Access 7-Day Free Trial: https://bbcom.me/2MGLKwO 

2019 Men's Olympia Predictions: Is This Brandon Curry's Year?

The biggest event in bodybuilding is almost here: the crowning of this year's Mr. Olympia! We've got the lowdown and predictions on all the men's Olympia divisions for the 2019 best-in-the-world competition.

There are a lot of revisions in place for the upcoming Olympia Weekend. This highly anticipated bodybuilding show and fitness expo runs from September 12-15 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Convention Center. For the first time ever, all eight Olympia Pro Division Finals will be held on the arena stage, among other innovations being created by Chief Olympia Officer Dan Solomon and his staff.
Another first—the defending Mr. Olympia champion will not vie for the Sandow—and the $400,000 grand prize. The last time this occurred was in 1998, when the Big Nasty (aka Ronnie Coleman) won the first of his eight Olympia crowns, one season after reigning champion Dorian Yates retired.
Last year's champion, Shawn Rhoden, was disqualified from the event due to rape allegations. Also, likely to be MIA is seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath, who was upset by Rhoden in 2018. Not a word from The Gift about competing in September, so, at least for now, Heath is not in the lineup.
For Kai Greene groupies, don't get your hopes up or give credence to the unfounded rumors tossed around on various website forums. He hasn't done the Olympia since 2016, so I would be stunned if The Predator competes.
There's a big difference in the Heath and Greene scenarios. Greene would have to apply for a special invite (not done as of August 23) and be accepted in order to get another shot at the coveted Sandow. Heath is automatically qualified for life, so he could be waiting to make a game time decision.         
Now, with those loose ends tied up, let's break down what we're working with at this year's Mr. Olympia!            

Category: Mr. Olympia

Current Champion: Shawn Rhoden
My Pick: Brandon Curry
Coming off his big win at the Arnold Classic USA six months ago, Curry is regarded by many as the slight favorite over William Bonac, Roelly Winklaar, and Dexter Jackson. The 5-foot-7, 240-pound Curry has a great balance of hardcore beef, beautiful shape, strong conditioning, and vastly improved wheels.

Brandon Curry

The 37-year-old from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, finished fifth in the Olympia last year, moving up three slots from his eighth-place landing in 2017. "Slowly but surely" has been Curry's theme since he turned pro with a win at the 2008 NPC USA Championships.
Still, his career hasn't been without hiccups. In 2016 he didn't even place at the Olympia, got spanked at several shows overseas, and could only manage eighth at the Golden State Championships in Sacramento. This gave pundits enough ammo to start the "it's all over" chants.
Hardly. Curry picked up three wins in 2017, then gave his greatest performance ever at the Arnold Classic this year. Let's see if he's on a hot streak!
Title Contenders: William Bonac, Roelly Winklaar, Dexter Jackson
Bonac, at 5-foot-5 and around 225-235 pounds, gave Curry a run for his money at the Arnold. Bonac won the contest the year before, and some people felt he deserved the nod again. Not the biggest guy in the show, for sure, but definitely a serious challenger for the Sandow.
Curry has better shape, Bonac thicker muscle. Shape won out at the Arnold Classic USA—will history repeat itself? A great rivalry has emerged.
Winklaar, 42, has the most muscle per inch of anyone competing, but a fairly slimmed down frame produced his best ever look last year when he slid into third place. So, bigger does not mean better for the man from Curacao, who has been as heavy as 265 onstage (at 5-foot-6) but sat at around 240 last season.
It's hard to believe I'm still writing about the chances of Jackson at the Olympia. I mean, the guy will only be three months shy of his 50th birthday when he slips on the posing trunks in Las Vegas this year. After falling to seventh in 2018, bodybuilding's version of Benjamin Button looked terrific in winning his record 29th IFBB contest at the Tampa Pro in early August.
He may be the oldest man in the field and definitely nowhere near the biggest at 5-foot-7 and 230 pounds, but without question, he's still one of the best. No Grim Reaper visits anytime soon for the Blade.
Top-Six Contenders: Josh Lenartowicz, Cedric McMillan, Nathan DeAsha, Steve Kuclo
Lenartowicz is one big fella, clocking in at around 6 feet tall and weighing 265 pounds. His best finish at the Olympia? Back-to-back ninth-place medals in 2016 and 2017. He took third at the Arnold Classic a few years back and scored his first IFBB win at the 2017 Tampa Pro. At his best, the "Thunder from Down Under" could battle the rest for a top-six landing.
Kuclo is another one of those powerful physiques set off by good symmetry. The former firefighter from Irving, Texas, has been in the top 10 at the Olympia before and defeated DeAsha at the California Pro a couple of years back. Carrying 265 pounds of beef on his 6-foot frame, Kuclo has plenty of quality muscle to hold his own in just about any show he enters. At 34 years old, though, there's no time like the present for Big Steve to make good on that potential. Conditioning, my man, conditioning!
The story rarely changes for Cedric McMillan. He could have the best body in the entire lineup at 6-foot-2 and 270 pounds, with a small waist and marvelous symmetry. McMillan was dubbed "The Next Lee Haney" after winning the NPC Nationals in 2009.
McMillan got a special invite to this year's contest, as he is an active member of the military based in Fort Jackson, South Carolina. I have no problem with this decision. Plus, he only missed qualifying by one point.
His victory at Nationals was in dominating fashion, but that was 10 years ago. McMillan is now 41, and we are all still waiting for him to show off that Mr. Olympia-worthy physique at the Olympia. I've used the word "if" too many times regarding McMillan's ability to win it all. And I will use it again. Maybe if he didn't have a full-time job and could concentrate solely on his prep, McMillan might have a Sandow or two in his trophy case.
Just thinking out loud.
I've always been impressed with the 5-foot-10, 240-pound physique of Nathan DeAsha, but have to admit I was a bit disappointed with his back-to-back eighth-place finishes at the past two Olympias. I had DeAsha as an X-factor two years ago, but he ended up being a nonfactor. Now is the time to prove you still belong in the upper echelon of the sport, Nathan!
Fighting for a Top-10 Spot: Juan Morel,c, Jonathan De La Rosa, Maxx Charles, Luke Sandoe, Michael Lockett
These gentlemen bodybuilders will certainly put on a battle as they each strive to make the top 10. Morel, 5-foot-11 and 250 pounds, has competed in a few Olympias, with his 10th-place landing in 2014 being his best. After scoring victories last year at the New York Pro and the Arnold South Africa, De La Rosa looks like a solid possibility for another top-10 finish.
Williams is known for his feats of strength as much as he is for his success on a bodybuilding stage. His best lifts are an 860-pound deadlift, an 840-pound squat, and a 550-pound bench press. Muscular Development magazine named him "The World's Strongest Bodybuilder," but the Olympia, unfortunately for him, is not a contest of strength.
The 5-foot-10, 260-pounder won the Tampa Pro in 2016 and last year had two narrow losses at the Muscle Mayhem and Toronto Pro shows. He finished 15th in his only crack at the Olympia a couple of years back.
De La Rosa, who won the Toronto Pro and the Puerto Rico Pro this year, has taken the Olympia stage on two previous occasions and didn't make the top 10, so this is another shot for him to prove he can hang with the best in the world.
Maxx Charles, like Williams, is a big dude—5-foot-10 and 265 pounds—and finished 13th at the Olympia a couple of years ago. He has the tools to be in the top 10 this time.
British star Luke Sandoe looked good finishing third at the Arnold Classic USA and second at the Tampa Pro, so keep an eye on this heavily muscled 5-foot-7, 240-pounder.
Michael Lockett is capable of beating all of the above. He looked solid when he successfully defended his Chicago Pro title this year, however, he must show up more conditioned than in the past. Lockett might be considered a longshot for top 10, but it's not out of the question.
Rounding out the lineup are Clarence De Vis of Belgium, Mohamed Shaaban from Egypt, Patrick Moore from the USA, and Lukas Osladil from the Czech Republic.
Hadi Choopan is on the Olympia list as well, but has had visa problems. The Persian Wolf, as they call him, has been unable to get to any contest in the United States in the past couple of years. His status was still undetermined at press time. If Choopan does somehow end up onstage, I would immediately move him into the Top-Six Contenders category.

212 Olympia

Current Champ: Flex Lewis
My Pick: Derek Lunsford
Competitors in this division were thrilled to hear that James "Flex" Lewis, after seven consecutive victories, has finally moved on to the open division, where he'll compete in 2020. Thus, a new champion will be crowned, and I feel it will be Derek Lunsford, who was a solid second to Lewis the past couple of years.
If not Lunsford, try Kamal Elgargni or Ahmad Ashkanani on for size. They looked outstanding, finishing third and fourth, respectively, last year. Both will put the pressure on Lunsford, and either of them could leave the arena with the $40,000 first-place purse in their pocket.

Derek Lunsford

Men's Physique Olympia

Defending Champion: Brandon Hendrickson
My Pick: Ryan Terry
Another "pick 'em" category. Last season Brandon Hendrickson won the $20,000 first-place award, and he's back again looking to duplicate his feat. Also returning: runner-up Ray Edmonds and third-place finisher Ryan Terry—and I like Terry for the upset against Hendrickson.
But the guy providing the most interest in the division will be Jeremy Buendia. For those not aware of Buendia's stellar career, he won the Men's Physique Olympia four years in a row before a surprising drop to fourth in 2018.

Ryan Terry

Can he come back to grab the title he owned from 2015-2017?

Classic Physique

Defending Champion: Breon Ansley
My Pick: Breon Ansley (by a hair)                          
If anybody can derail the Breon Ansley express, Canadian Chris Bumstead is the guy. Ansley has won the classic physique category (and $20,000) at the Olympia two years in a row, but not without a great push by Bumstead, who some felt could have taken the title in either of those showdowns.

Breon Ansley

George Brown is always a factor in this division, but a competitor who has also impressed me is another fella by way of Canada, Henri-Pierre Ano. New York's Arash Rahbar and California standout Dani Younan are a couple of other gents who could be in the mix for a top-five finish.
My sentimental pick is Danny Hester, the first ever Classic Physique Olympia winner in 2016 at 47 years old. Hester still looks terrific at 50 and could fight for a top-five landing. Though he finished outside of the top 10 last year, I predict Hester bounces right back with a vastly improved placing.

About the Author

Lonnie Teper

Lonnie Teper, an award-winning journalist and emcee, has been covering the bodybuilding, fitness and figure scene for more than 20 years.

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