By: Anthony Lee

10 Fitness & Nutrition Mistakes Made By Women

While I initially specialized in fitness and nutrition for men, a growing number of female friends, acquaintances, and potential clients have been soliciting my advice and services. Given women's markedly different fitness needs and goals, I began to incorporate my knowledge of nutrition and exercise to build regimens and routines for the fairer sex.

Through casual conversations and comprehensive discussions with women, I have found that the same misconceptions are reiterated by fitness novices and experts alike.

While these misconceptions surely exist among men, they seem more common among women. Perpetuated by the media, fads, and fashion magazines that carelessly dispense fitness advice, these mistakes are almost ingrained and therefore hard to shake. Below is my response.

1. I Need To Lose Weight

TP: What is your athletic background?

JH: I have been dancing since I was 2 years old. OR I should say "showing off" since I was 2 years old. I danced point, tap , jazz for years and when I reached High School I started focusing on cheerleading and gymnastics. From there I continued that info my College years. Now I am fortunate to still be able to do things I could do when I was 21 at age 36. Who would have thought?

TP: With your phat camps and competing, how do you balance time for yourself and your family?



JH: I focus on those 3 things, camps, family, show. My friends have to understand. I try NOT to take on any additional projects or get myself involved in to much. I have a great husband who has a flexible schedule also so it helps with my traveling. We get to spend a lot of time together most people don't know about. We are very blessed to be able to do all we do.

Kathy Johansson, Fitness model, Female Bodybuilder

By: Dr. Rick Silverman

Currently, many women who engage in bodybuilding and fitness activities are seeking breast augmentation. One of the down-sides of bodybuilding, in fact, is the gradual loss of breast tissue with increased lean body mass and decreased body fat. Just what you wanted to hear, right!? But never fear. If you've lost your girlish curves as you've trained and toned, you can consider breast augmentation as a safe way to restore some fullness to your figure. Most of the issues pertinent to all patients undergoing breast augmentation remain pertinent to fitness fanatics. I hope to provide a little more information specific to women who enjoy weight training and are considering breast implants.

Q. Should I have implants under the muscle or over the muscle?

By: Mauro Di Pasquale

Weight training offers women a number of benefits including weight loss and fat burning, improving muscle tone as well as fighting osteoarthritis and osteoporosis.

Training with weights offers many benefits. First of all, because of its short and long term effects on metabolism and fat burning, it can both help you lose weight and body fat and keep it off. Since you lose less protein and more fat, you'll retain the body tone that others lose when they go on a diet.

Numerous studies have shown that weight training can enhance physical and mental health,decrease musculoskeletal disorders and some of the problems associated with aging, such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and muscle wasting, and improves mobility and function.

Weight training results in increased hemoglobin levels - 25% in both men and women, and increased stroke volume - more blood circulating at any one time. As such, it increases exercise tolerance and decreases fatigue.

An Interview With Valentina Chepiga

Q. Hi Valentina. For the record, how tall are you, how old are you and what is your contest and off-season weight?

I'm 5'5, 42 years old, and my off-season weight is 160 lbs, but not right now. I'm competing in the light-weights at 135lbs, and I'm getting closer to this weight.

Q. Where were you born?

I was born in Kharkov, Urkaine.

Q. Is Kharkov a big town?

Yes, it's a fairly big town with over 1 million people.