Page 110 - Demo

Muscle is not flexible by nature. As ladies who love to lift, we often forgo stretching for an extra set of iron. Stretching should NEVER take a back seat. It will be your best friend when you try to accentuate your lines for stage. Not to mention, stretching makes a huge difference in how your body will feel as you get older. Build beautiful, long, flexible muscle. Before you stretch anything you should be sufficiently warmed up. Attempting to bend a cold muscle is like pulling on a frozen rubber band. It will snap. My best suggestion is to stretch after your cardio or lifting and before your body cools down. Get at least a good ten minutes of running, jogging, or walking in before you attempt to pull, bend, or stretch anything at risk of injury otherwise.Which brings me to my last point. Cardio. The %u201ccool thing%u201d to do now is to bash cardio. Cardio bunnies are not cute.I disagree. When it comes to training you must have balance. You cannot strictly stay in the weight room or just on the treadmill. You must do both. Cardio keeps your heart in shape; the largest of your body%u2019s muscles. When you see a woman with great condition in her physique; I guarantee she did some kind of cardio to get herself there. Cardio is not a one size fits all, you need to find the version that is going to work best for your body type and that you also enjoy! Make cardio fun. Switch it up. Take the time to condition your heart. One way I love to complete my cardio is taking it outdoors. Enjoy a run in the park. Or a hike through the woods. Find something you will enjoy so you keep it up!Remember that we train for Life and not just for the stage. The more you remember that this is a journey to be absorbed, the easier it will be to take the first steps and keep going!