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Should Women Train Differently to Men?

Generally speaking, no. Women should apply the same core training principles as men: applying progressive overload, using a variety of exercises to achieve structural balance with emphasis on the...

RECIPE: Super Greens Smoothie

Boost your nutritional intake & feed your good gut bacteria with my Super Greens Smoothie from my e-book The Transformation Recipe Book. Loaded with nutritious green goodies & quality...

Estrogen Dominance & Stubborn Fat Loss

Estrogen dominance (or oestrogen dominance) is a state in which the body contains too much estrogen compared to progesterone. Both hormones play crucial roles in a woman's health & menstrual...

Stop Emotional Eating with Mindfulness

What if there was a way you could eliminate emotional, out of control eating from your life for good? You can -- thanks to a practice called 'Mindful Eating'. Most of us are unaware when we are...

CLIENT SPOTLIGHT: Finding Her Fierce

Only 18 months ago Carlee was discharged from hospital suffering debilitating anxiety and depression. Throughout our time working together she has cultivated a healthier body image, a more balanced...

RECIPE: Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Meet your new favourite guilt-free dessert: Crustless Pumpkin Pie.Low fat, low carb, mouth-wateringly delicious AND refined sugar free! Makes 2 large, or 4 small...

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@IAMANNAFITNESS & @ANNA_MCMANAMEY

May 30

Body transformation is about far more than the hou

Body transformation is about far more than the hour you spend in the gym. It's the decisions you make the other 23 hours of the day that will have the greatest impact.💥⠀⠀
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Are the choices you're making today in line with the goals and dreams you have tomorrow?⠀
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Work hard towards self control this week.💪 #makeithappen

May 30

Why you keep “falling off the wagon” & how to

Why you keep “falling off the wagon” & how to fix it👇 You know the story... you’re training hard and following a diet to the latter for months on end, then you take a few days off - maybe to go on vacation or celebrate a milestone - which triggers a downward spiral. Before you know it you’re back where you started & cannot find the motivation to “get back on track.” 𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣? I think a lot of us who first embark on a diet and training regime to change our bodies are motivated first & foremost by a degree of pain: “𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘴.”
“𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩.”
“𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴.”
“𝘐’𝘮 𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘭𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘩.” I know I certainly was. So we hire a coach or purchase a program to help us change our diet & lifestyle to remove that pain. The driving force is not about the value or enjoyment the program adds to our lives, but about the pain & fear it is taking away. From the very start, we’ve adopted a scarcity mindset that leaves us feeling deprived, resentful & depressed instead of empowered & liberated. Yet you push on, because you’d rather “suffer” through the pain of dieting & training than being overweight. It’s the lesser of two evils, but we know it won’t last, because everyone gives up on the things they dislike eventually. The fix?
Change your mindset. Turn your motivation to be more about the value & enjoyment training & healthy eating ADDS to your life, rather than what it takes away. 👉The way exercise & healthy eating lifts your mood.
👉The feeling of accomplishment when you set a new PR.
👉Improved energy & digestion from making better food choices.
👉The way exercising keeps you connected & part of a community of like-minded people. When you focus more on all the positives healthy living brings to your life, you start to fall in love with the process & the journey, & eventually, the destination takes care of itself.💫 #makeithappen

May 28

BFR Training 🏋🏼‍♀️ is perfect for lock

BFR Training 🏋🏼‍♀️ is perfect for lockdown home workouts! Why?⁠
⁠
Because it allows you to train HARD using less weight - just 20% of your 1RM is enough to completely fatigue your muscles, activating both type I and II muscle fibers. Type II are normally the hardest ones to activate unless doing heavy training.⁠⁠⁠⁠
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The 30-15-15-15 protocol is most commonly used with BFR training. Here’s the breakdown:⁠⁠
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1️⃣ 30 reps / 2020 tempo⁠⁠
2️⃣ Rest 30s⁠⁠
3️⃣ 15 reps / 2020 tempo⁠⁠
4️⃣ Rest 30s⁠⁠
5️⃣ 15 reps / 2020 tempo⁠⁠
6️⃣ Rest 30s⁠⁠
7️⃣ 15 reps / 2020 tempo⁠⁠
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If you’re unable to complete >50 reps, reduce the weight until you can complete all 75 reps.⁠⁠
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To make it harder, increase the occlusion pressure (Max 80%) or the weight.⁠⁠
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👉 When you return to gym training, you’ll get even better muscle-building results combining BFR as an accessory to a traditional strength or hypertrophy program.⁠⁠⁠
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I’m using the @sagafitness.official BFR Cuffs which are fully wireless and automatically calibrate to your unique occlusion zone. They can even be controlled by your smartphone device via the SAGA Fitness app!🙌⁠⁠⁠
⁠
🎉GIVEAWAY🎉⁠
⁠
WIN a set of @sagafitness.official BFR Cuffs ~ valued $249!!😱⁠
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See my previous BFR Training post for details on how to enter. Be quick - competition closes midnight TONIGHT⏰ (AEST)⁠
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As always you can save $$$ off your order at @sagafitness.official with my code ANNA10💞⁠
Link in bio.⁠
⁠
#sagafitness #bfrcuffs #bfrtraining

May 28

In the spirit of all things #NationalBurgerDay 🍔 Here’s how to eat burgers & not get fat: 👇 1️⃣Realise that it is not the burger itself that makes you gain weight, it's eating in a calorie surplus. Because burgers are usually quite high in calories, it is easy to overeat if you have not factored that meal into your daily requirements. On the contrary, if you eat a burger in a calorie deficit, you will lose weight #winning ✊🏼 Which leads me to step 2...⠀⠀ 2️⃣Chances are you're going to have to pull calories from other meals in order to make your burger "fit" your daily calorie targets. This may come at the cost of your satiety that day. If mentally you don't think you can handle the thought of eating less, maybe pass on the burger.⠀⠀ 3️⃣When tracking your burger, enter the ingredients individually into your macro diary: the bun, the meat, the cheese, etc. Unless you're prepared to whip out your kitchen scales and weigh your toppings, you're going to have to guesstimate. Over-estimate to be safe, remember to factor in cooking oil for the patty, and don't kid yourself into thinking there's only 1 teaspoon of mayo on that sucker...😉⠀⠀ 4️⃣If you want to save some sneaky macros, ask for your burger with no sauce and bring your own low fat mayo, or opt for leaner meat varieties like chicken breast, or even go bunless.⠀ 5️⃣As you eat your burger, savour the flavours. Relish its deliciousness. Let the juices drip down your arm and enjoy your meal free of guilt or regret.⠀ 💬What are your favourite burger combos? COMMENT BELOW👇🏼 Mine would have to be anything with grilled chicken & aioli, and if it’s a beef burger, I love me some grilled pineapple.🍍🤤 ⠀ Happy burger smashing! 🍔💪🏼

May 27

@switch_nutrition is turning 4! 🥳🎂 Score 20%

@switch_nutrition is turning 4! 🥳🎂 Score 20% off EVERYTHING when you use my code “ANNA10”during their Birthday Sale🎁 Direct link in bio! I love ALL of their products but here’s my personal stack I take daily:
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▪️ #VitalitySwitch super food greens formula for digestive health, immune support & general wellness. My fav is Chocolate.
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▪️ #AdrenalSwitch recovery formula for sleep & stress support. The Chocolate is to die for! ▪️ #AminoSwitch BCAA + EAA formula for pre/intra/post workout recovery & performance. The Raspberry flavour tastes like red frogs!⠀ ▪️ #CoffeeSwitch performance coffee/ mushroom elixir for increased energy, mood & mental clarity. I love the Espresso in the morning, and the Mocha as an afternoon treat/pick me up! ▪️ #EstroSwitch for improved detoxification & hormonal balance. ▪️ #Essentials - Creatine, Glutamine, Carbs, Beta Alanine, Citrulline & Carnitine - for increased workout performance, endurance, recovery, muscle growth & fat loss. Check out my SUPPLEMENTS highlight 👆 for more info on each product & how to take them. This weekend only, get an EXTRA 10% off the usual discount when you use my code “ANNA10”. That’s 20% off EVERYTHING!🤑 What’s on your Switch wish list?👇 #switchnutrition #flicktheswitch

May 26

Stop worrying about "how" it's going to happen and

Stop worrying about "how" it's going to happen and start believing that it will. Do the work, stay consistent, hold the vision and trust the process. #makeithappen⠀ 📸 @snipershotsphotography

May 25

My favourite way to back extension.👌 These will

My favourite way to back extension.👌 These will light your booty UP!🔥⁠
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Technique pointers:⁠
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👉 Position the pad beneath your hips.⁠
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👉Turn your feet out to hit more glutes.⁠
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👉Keep your abs braced to minimise extension through the lower back.⁠
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👉Keep tension in the glutes and hamstrings by driving your hips into the bench pad and stopping once your glutes are fully extended - before your back starts arching.⁠
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👉 Flex your butt HARD in the top position, like you’re “crushing walnuts” between your cheeks!⁠
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Do 3 sets of 20-30 reps as a finisher to your heavy Hip Thrust or Deadlift days and enjoy the burn.😈⁠
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Coaching Enquiries:⁠
www.iamanna.com.au⁠
⁠
@iamannafitness

May 24

I get at least a handful of pet photobombs in my c

I get at least a handful of pet photobombs in my clients’ check in photos every week... so here’s a pet photobomb of my own feat. @frankthewienerdog 🐶😂 Introduce your fur babies below!👇

May 23

GIVEAWAY!!🎉 Have you tried BFR training? It’s

GIVEAWAY!!🎉 Have you tried BFR training? It’s a great way to supplement your strength/hypertrophy programming without beating up your joints and CNS.💪⁠
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BFR (blood flow restriction) works by restricting part of the blood flow from your arm or leg in order to provoke muscle adaptation.⁠⁠⁠
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It restricts venous return while still allowing arterial flow, resulting in a substantial increase in muscle hypertrophy (muscle growth) and stimulation of muscle protein synthesis. The exact science is obviously a lot more detailed than this but that’s the basic premise.⁠⁠⁠
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Here’s why I like BFR training, especially if you’re dealing with injuries/niggles:⁠⁠⁠
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▪️Train with less weight - 20-50% of your 1RM which means that less stressful heavy lifting is needed to increase muscle growth.⁠⁠⁠
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▪️Maximise output in less time - this type of training fatigues your muscles faster, activating both type I and II muscle fibers. Type II are normally the hardest ones to activate unless doing heavy training.⁠⁠⁠
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▪️Shorter recovery time - BFR training techniques also have much faster recovery times, meaning DOMs aren’t going to get in the way of your next workout.⁠⁠⁠
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🎉THE GIVEAWAY🎉⁠
⁠
WIN a set of @sagafitness.official BFR Cuffs ~ valued $249!!😱⁠
⁠
All you have to do is...⁠
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1️⃣FOLLOW: @anna_mcmanamey @iamannafitness & @sagafitness.official⠀⁠
2️⃣LIKE this post⠀⁠
3️⃣TAG 3 friends + tell me your favourite body part to train!⁠
⁠
2 WINNERS will be chosen at random next Sunday 30th May AEST.⁠
⁠
Entries close midnight Sat 29th May AEST.⁠
⁠
Remember you must be following ALL THREE pages to be eligible!😉⠀⁠
⁠
As always you can save $$$ off your order at @sagafitness.official with my code ANNA10💞⁠
⁠
#sagafitness #bfrcuffs #bfrtraining

May 23

Hard truth👉 no amount of supplements, drugs or

Hard truth👉 no amount of supplements, drugs or fancy fitness tech will help you in achieving your physique goals unless you have these key areas mastered:⁠
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💤SLEEP⁠
Sleep deprivation is a major driver of hormonal imbalances like low testosterone, estrogen dominance & elevated cortisol. If you are not consistently getting 7-9hrs of quality sleep per night you will eventually hit a wall & progress - muscle growth, fat loss, strength gains - will stall.⁠
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🤯STRESS⁠
Chronically elevated cortisol is another contributor to hormonal imbalance, weight gain & muscle loss. Stress can be either "real" (eg. a near miss in traffic) or "perceived" (eg. a looming deadline). Even training is a form of real physical stress. Either way, you must find a way to manage your stress levels if you want to improve your health & body composition.⁠
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🍽DIGESTION⁠
The physiology of fat loss & muscle growth are highly nutrient dependent. If you cannot absorb & utilise the food you eat, you increase your chance of nutrient deficiencies. Symptoms such as bloating, gas, slow/fast bowel motility, reflux & food sensitivities are signs that something is not right.⁠
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🍎NUTRITION⁠
The quality & quantity of the food you eat will profoundly impact your ability to lose fat, build muscle & improve your health & wellbeing. Stick to foods that are closest to their natural form & ensure you are meeting your daily macronutrient requirements for your body & goals.⁠
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🏋🏼‍♀️TRAINING TECHNIQUE & EFFORT⁠
If you aren't using proper form or training with enough intensity of effort to force your body to adapt & change, then your training is not going to produce a very good result. Recovery is important too - too much or too little training & you won't make progress either. Your program should be customised with your sleep, stress, diet & experience level in mind.⁠
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Finally...⁠
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🌟Doing all of the above CONSISTENTLY. At least 80-90% of the time to see reasonable progression - but be aware that the magnitude of your deviations will matter as well.⁠
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Unsure where to start? Invest in an experienced coach who can help you.🙋🏼‍♀️⁠
⁠
1-1 Coaching link in bio.
@iamannafitness⁠ Outfit // @ryderwear “ANNAM10”💸

May 21

Procrastination😖 We’ve all been there... T

Procrastination😖
We’ve all been there... The meal prep you’ve been putting off...
The workout you’ve been dreading...
The pile of washing you’ll do later...
The test you need to study for... You say you “don't have time,” but really it’s just the pain of getting started. When we procrastinate and think of doing something that you would rather not do, you activate the areas of your brain associated with pain. Your brain then looks for ways to escape this pain by switching your attention to something more pleasurable - like eating, watching TV, playing with your dog, or scrolling socials.🤳🏼 You could call this 💢PROCRASTI-PAIN💢 The good news is there’s an easy way to overcome this discomfort... 👉Just START. Stop thinking about it.
Make like Nike and #justdoit ✔️ Researchers have found that not long after someone starts working on a task that they would rather avoid, the neural discomfort disappears. For example, if you’ve been putting off going to the gym all day, tell yourself you’re only going to train for a limited time – say 20, 30 minutes. By committing to a limited time frame, it’s a lot easier to get started, and once you get to work, you’ll find the discomfort disappears and you may end up having a killer session.💪 Do you struggle with procrastination? How do you over come “procrasti-pain”?

May 20

Whoever first declared #pantsoffFriday clearly nev

Whoever first declared #pantsoffFriday clearly never owned a pair of @ryderwear Off Duty track pants because I never want to take these off (but I will because that would be unhygienic). Get yours 10% off: ANNAM10🤑
Link in bio!☝️

May 19

An important question to ask yourself if you’re

An important question to ask yourself if you’re trying to grow your Glutes:⁠
⁠
“𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦-𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘴?”⁠
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A lot of the time when someone struggles developing a muscle group they also have a hard time “feeling” the target muscle working. This means they are likely not contracting the muscle very well, and you cannot maximally stimulate a muscle if you are not good at contracting it.⁠
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If your glutes won’t grow, despite training them hard and frequently, chances are you suck at contracting them - this is no surprise considering many of us spend our days sitting on our butts at desks, in cars, in front of the TV, etc.⁠
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If your glute mind-muscle connection is weak, the first step is training your nervous system to be more efficient at recruiting and contracting your glutes.⁠
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A simple technique is using isometric holds or “squeezing your glutes” during sets. Slowing down the tempo can also make it easier to focus on the contraction.⁠
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If all else fails, and you STILL can’t feel your glutes, then maybe that exercise just isn’t suited to your biomechanics. We all have different structures and movement patterns and just because a particular exercise is recommended by experts on the ‘gram does not make it the right selection for you. Go with what gives you the best mind-muscle connection, then train it hard.😤💥⁠
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Coaching👉 www.iamanna.com.au

May 18

I still remember the day I purchased my first @oxy

I still remember the day I purchased my first @oxygenmagazine - so many inspiring stories and bodies... I remember thinking, "Wow. What I would give to sculpt a body like that!" My goals felt so out of reach at the time, and NEVER did I think for a second that 3 years later I would land my first cover. I get asked a lot by aspiring fitness models how I managed to break into such a competitive industry, and the truth is, I never set out to deliberately be a "fitness model" or "land a cover". These opportunities presented themselves as a result of my passion and unwavering commitment to my craft. Anybody can build a great body, and it seems everybody has abs on Instagram these days, but few have a message to back it up. Integrity goes a long way, so be real, work hard, do what you love and success will inevitably follow. Forever grateful to @lindyolsen @dallasolsenstudios and the entire #OxygenAu team who helped turn this dream into a reality. #makeithappen

May 17

Restoring your cycle post-comp ⭕️ ⠀ When wo

Restoring your cycle post-comp ⭕️
⠀ When women lose their cycle to under-eating it’s called hypothalamic amenorrhea. It's extremely common for female athletes, especially those in physique sports or sports that require meeting weight (bodybuilding, gymnastics, dance, fighting, figure skating) to lose their periods. Why?⠀
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1️⃣NOT EATING ENOUGH⠀
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Body mass, vs High amounts of energy going out (via training), vs Not enough energy coming in.⠀
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Especially not enough CARBOHYDRATES.
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When energy availability is low, the body will start to shut down certain functions to preserve energy for survival. Reproduction is one of those functions. If you don't have enough to feed yourself, how could you sustain the life of a foetus? Too few calories (or too few carbs like a low-carb or keto-diet) can cause the hypothalamus to stop sending signals to the ovaries, shutting down ovulation.
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2️⃣STRESS⠀
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It could be physical stress (dieting, training, lack of sleep), emotional (worry, depression, anxiety) or traumatic. Problem is, the body cannot differentiate between acute stress from being chased by a lion, or chronic stress from a comp prep. The physiological response is the same. High stress = bad time to make a baby.⠀
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So how can you get your period back after comp? Eat more. A daily intake of (on average) 2500 total calories including 200 grams of starch should restart ovulation and see your period return within six months. However, everyone has their own ovarian "set point" which means it may take longer for some, while others never lose their cycle at all. Here’s a check list I use for myself and my female
competitors for restoring a healthy menstrual cycle post comp: 📈 Gradually restoring body fat to healthy levels.
🍠 Incrementally increasing calories, focusing on nutrient dense sources of starch carbs & healthy fats.
🏋🏼‍♀️ Reduce overall training volume.
🧘🏼‍♀️Ensuring adequate sleep & stress management.
🍃Natural supplementation to help support healthy hormonal balance: Chastetree (Vitex), Withania (Ashwagandha), Magnesium, Zinc, B Vitamins.
Periods may not be "convenient" but a healthy, regular ovulatory cycle is vital to female health.❤️

May 16

SHE DID IT AGAIN!!🏆🥇🤩 @nikou.ahmadi took

SHE DID IT AGAIN!!🏆🥇🤩 @nikou.ahmadi took out Fitness Model Overall Champion yesterday at the @icn_victoria All Female Classic. We worked hard between her last show to bring an even tighter package this time around and it sure paid off!
This was her second Overall title in only her first season competing & I am beyond excited for what the future holds for this little pocket rocket. She has an extremely bright future in this sport!🌟 @iamannafitness
www.iamanna.com.au

May 16

A total overhaul isn’t always necessary when it

A total overhaul isn’t always necessary when it comes to changing your life. Often the best approach is changing one thing 100% instead of 100 things 1%. One positive behaviour added at a time will eventually leave no room for the negative. Name one thing you’re doing differently this week? 💬👇🏼 #makeithappen

May 14

Kinda wanna look good in a bikini👙 but also kin

Kinda wanna look good in a bikini👙 but also kinda wanna eat my weight in burgers.🍔 Kinda mad I have to choose one. 😤 #weekendstruggles⠀

May 13

Want to build bigger hamstrings?🍖⁠ ⁠ ⁠ Th

Want to build bigger hamstrings?🍖⁠
⁠
⁠
The muscles that compose the hamstrings have two functions: bending the knee (knee flexion) and kicking the leg back (hip extension).⁠
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To tap into the most amount of muscle fibres possible, you first want to train the hamstrings through both of these movement patterns.⁠
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Hip extension: RDLs, Back Extensions, Good Mornings.⁠
Knee Flexion: Leg Curls, GHRs, Nordic Curls.⁠
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So what about reps?⁠
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Contrary to popular belief, the hams are NOT primarily made up of fast twitch muscle fibres, but rather an even mix of both fast and slow fibres.⁠
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Fast twitch - heavier loads, lower reps⁠
Slow twitch - lighter loads, higher reps⁠
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Because of this, you’ll find incorporating a mix of low, moderate and high reps will achieve better growth.⁠
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And don’t forget your eccentric work. I’ve had some of the best results with Nordic Curls and GHRs. They are badass choices for growing bigger, stronger hams.💪⁠
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TAKEAWAY👉 To build the most amount of hamstring muscle possible, you want to use equal volume on hip extension work as you do on knee flexion work, with a variety of rep ranges: low, medium, and high. Use eccentrics and other intensity techniques like dropsets, 28’s and partial reps and enjoy the burn.🔥⁠
⁠
In this video:⁠
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▪️Seated Leg Curls, 28’s (7 full, 7 bottom, 7 top, 7 full)⁠
▪️GHR’s x8⁠
▪️Horizontal back extensions x15⁠
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...ouch!!😖😭🤢⁠
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Looking forward to getting back into these smash sessions again with @coachreeceadams once my knee has recovered.😈💪⁠
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@redefinedfitnessau
@iamannafitness⁠
@prorawgym

May 12

When things don't happen right away, remember it t

When things don't happen right away, remember it takes 6 months to build a Rolls Royce, and only 13hrs to build a Toyota. Beautiful and well built things take time, and YOU are a Rolls Royce.🌟 #makeithappen

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