In life we all have goals and dreams, or just objectives and things we want to accomplish and do. Some of these are big and require a lot of our time and effort, and in order to achieve them we have to be focused and consciously set our minds, and bodies on the right course in order to succeed at these tasks which we have set in front of ourselves.

The same is true when it comes to our physiques and losing fat or gaining muscle. From the very start you have to make a conscious decision and identify what your goal or objective is. I want to lose x kg of fat or I want to gain x kg of muscle for example. You then need to set out and make it part of your everyday life, ensuring that each decision you make is moving you one step closer to your goal.

It is this conscious and consistent effort every single day which will allow you to succeed.

“FOCUS!” ~ Dwayne The Rock Johnson

No doubt, it is easier said than done. But one thing in life which has been proven time and time again, is that the easiest things or the easiest paths never stimulate growth, experience and wisdom. So if you are going through a tough time, remind yourself that at the end of it you will come out stronger and better than before. And that is what it is all about. Bettering yourself. Growth, and exceeding what you thought you were capable of.

“Tough times don’t last. Tough people do.”

To do this though, you need to also train your mind and ensure you have the proper mindset and attitude throughout your journey. Too many people start something very hastily without really giving it much thought and end up giving up or losing interest far too soon. You need to be focused every step of the way. What needs to be emphasised is that this mindset does not happen over night. On the contrary, it can take years, but in order for you to truly maximise it, it needs to become a habit.  It has to be ‘exercised’ every single day. After all, practice makes perfect and this is no different. Just like athletes train their bodies to be better at their sporting discipline, so to your mind needs to be trained. Discipline and self control, for example, have to be practiced in order for you to get better at them.

Your focus has to extend to everything you do. When you go to the gym or when you workout you have to be focused on what you are doing. Make a mental note when you start. Get zoned in by listening to music or whatever it takes for you. Do not just go through the motions.

“Never mistake activity for productivity.”

If you walk into any commercial gym these days and just take a look around, undoubtedly you will see many guys trying to push extremely heavy weights around. Most times their range of movement is so small or they are doing whatever it takes to lift the weight, swinging in every possible way. The word “form” or “good form” which everyone seems to talk about does not exist any more when they grab those heavy weights. When it comes to training a muscle, your movement should be focused and controlled to some degree to really target the muscle. To sculpt a muscle you need to isolate and work that specific muscle. This is where that age old phenomenon comes into play, “the mind muscle connection.”

To truly focus on the exercise and muscle you are working you need to feel and use the muscle, and make a connection with it through your mind.

A great starting point and one of the best ways to really train yourself to connect both your mind and muscle, is to do an exercise in a very slow and controlled manner. For this to really be effective the exercise should not be a fairly large compound one like dead lifts. It should be a bit more isolated such as seated Bicep curls or Tricep push downs.

If we take bicep curls, what you need to do is focus on all three phases of the exercise. Firstly the eccentric phase (curling the weight up); it should take you about 5 to 6 seconds, then the hold and squeeze at the top for about 2 seconds and then lastly the concentric phase (lowering the weight); should also last about 5 to 6 seconds.

Another great way is to practice posing. Everyone who starts to see results or starts gaining some muscle, no matter how humble, loves to flex their muscles and check themselves and their progress, out in the mirror every now and again. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but why not use it to your advantage. In between your sets and exercises (or after, if you are too self conscious) focus on isolating and flexing the muscle you are working on. Try to hold the ‘flex’ or pose for a few seconds. This will help to train your mind into flexing the specific muscle and thus translates into more focus on the muscle when performing an exercise.

Once you have mastered that, then you can start practising flexing a combination of muscles all at once. Trust me it’s harder and a lot more tiring than you think. Watch bodybuilders pose on stage and see how they flex and contract each muscle to get an idea of some of the poses that can help. Probably the most difficult one is the Lat spread, to really force your Lats to spread out. But if you can’t do it right away, don’t be discouraged, it will come with practice.

Another way to exercise your patience, mind control and focus is by doing something like yoga or stretching. It relieves stress and tension and forces you to become more aware of your breathing especially when you have to hold certain poses or stretches for a period of time. It is also a great ‘therapy session’ in a sense and allows you to focus your thoughts and exercise self composure.

What it all boils down to, is allowing your mind to be focused on the activity that you are currently pursuing without being distracted and letting your thoughts wander. Concentrate on the current moment and task at hand and give it everything you have. Forget about what will happen tomorrow or what happened yesterday, but focus on the now.

The post Be Focused! | How To Zone In On That Mind Muscle Connection appeared first on FitNish.com.

For more pictures check out the FitNish.com Facebook Page.

For the Ladies and other Divisions click here.

Mens Classic

Mens Model Fitness

Senior Men Under 60 Kg

Senior Men Under 70 Kg

Senior Men Under 80 Kg

Senior Men Under 90 Kg

Senior Men Under 100 Kg

Senior Men Over 100 Kg

The post H & H Classic Bodybuilding And Fitness Show 2014 | Picture Gallery Part 2 | Senior Men appeared first on FitNish.com.

“In order to succeed you must fail, so that you know what not to do the next time.” ~ Anthony D’Angelo

“What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail?” ~ Robert Schuller

“Don’t be afraid of failure.”

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The post Inevitable Failure | Female Fitness Motivational Video | Failure Is Not Final appeared first on FitNish.com.

“Life is not the way it is supposed to be. It is the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.” ~ Virginia Satir

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“To make an end is to make a beginning.”

The post Motivation – Week 45 (2013) appeared first on FitNish.com.

Miss SA Xtreme

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U/21 Beach Bikini

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U/35 Beach Bikini

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O/35 Beach Bikini

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Fitness

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Classic Bodybuilding

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Body Fitness U/163 cm

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Body Fitness U/168 cm

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Body fitness O/168 cm

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Fitness Bikini U/163 cm

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Fitness Bikini O/163 cm

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Video Gallery:

Fitness Bikini

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Beach Bikini

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Body Fitness & Fitness

The post Miss SA Xtreme 2013 – Picture and Video Gallery appeared first on FitNish.com.

U/21 Beach Bikini

1. Alex-Muad van der Westhuizen (Nr 7)
2. Thealize Maritz (Nr 3)
3. Kirstin Nel (Nr 88)
4. Elme Heymans (Nr 9)
5. Christy Griffiths (Nr 10)
6. Danica Venske (Nr 2)

U/35 Beach Bikini

1. Marissa McCabe (Nr 11)
2. Collette Johnson (Nr 18)
3. Bella Leitch (Nr 91)
4. Adelene Morais (Nr 15)
5. Monise Odendaal (Nr 17)
6. Hermi Demsey (Nr 20)

O/35 Beach Bikini

1. Karien van der Walt (Nr 26)
2. Vicky Keates (Nr 21)
3. Carol Anthony (Nr 25)
4. Lize Victor (Nr 22)
5. Schenda van Eeden (Nr 23)
6. Anita Brits (Nr 24)

Fitness

1. Phillipa Lamont Wilkie (Nr 32)
2. Sandra Bosman (Nr 31)

Classic Bodybuilding

1. Tessa Els (Nr 35)

Body Fitness U/163 cm

1. Michelle Guest (Nr 44)
2. Charlene Snyman (Nr 41)
3. Tanya du Preez (Nr 47)
4. Dina van der Merwe (Nr 46)
5. Chante Minnie (Nr 90)
6. Jacqueline Groenewald (Nr 45)

Body Fitness U/168 cm

1. Anneline Booysen (Nr 50)
2. Lanise Scholtz (Nr 48)

Body fitness O/168 cm

1. Delyse Botes (Nr 58)
2. Marcelle Collison (Nr 60)
3. Yolanda Kilian (Nr 59)
4. Mariet van der Merwe (Nr 56)
5. Catharina Alberts (Nr 57)

Fitness Bikini U/163 cm

1. Lizelle Horn (Nr 68)
2. Gitte Kietzmann (Nr 66)
3. Angela Pike (Nr 64)
4. Sandra Joubert (Nr 65)
5. Lynne Morck (Nr 63)
6. Linda Taylor (Nr 42)

Fitness Bikini O/163 cm

1. Michelle van Rooyen (Nr 19)*
2. Alex Dunwoodie (Nr 80)
3. Larisa de Swardt (Nr 78)
4. Alva Maree (Nr 76)
5. Priscilla Bornman (Nr 77)
6. Cindy Botha (Nr 81)

Miss Photogenic

• Michelle van Rooyen*

Check out come pictures and videos from the pre judging of the event, here.

Photography Credits

• RWPhoto

The post Miss SA Xtreme 2013 – Final Results appeared first on FitNish.com.

“If I can do it YOU can do it….Its Mental toughness, this is not about the body, this is a mind thing” ~ Jennifer Nicole Lee

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The post Bodybuilding & Fitness Motivational Video | Fit Girls Motivation 2013 appeared first on FitNish.com.

Quick Stats

Name: Lizelle Horn
Age: 27
Height: 1.58 m
Competition weight: 46 Kg
Current weight: 51 Kg
Current city: Pretoria, South Africa
Occupation: Professional Hair Stylist and Make Up Artist

How long have you been training consistently for and have you always lived a fit and healthy lifestyle?

I have been weight training for 6 years, but never really did the ‘healthy part.’  I started to add the ‘healthy part’ when I started my first competition preparation 3 years ago, and that then, was what made a huge difference!!

What do you love about it?

Being healthy makes me feel good on every level of my life.  It also gives me self confidence and keeps me disciplined.

What competitions have you competed in and your placing’s?

2011

• IFBB Gauteng North Provincials, Beach Bikini, 3^rd
• IFBB H&H Classic, Beach Bikini, 5^th

2012

• USN Face of Fitness, Top 12 Finalist
• IFBB H&H Classic, Beach Bikini, 6^th
• IFBB North West Provincials, Fitness Bikini, 2^nd
• IFBB South African Championships, Fitness Bikini, 1^st
• IFBB World Championships, Bialystok, Poland, Fitness Bikini, 12^th out of 23

Tell us a bit about your experience competing internationally in Poland, and the standard of the competition there?

I was very honored to represent my country and it was definitely an experience that I will never forget, and also a good learning curve.  Competing against very passionate world-class athletes was quite an amazing experience.  What amazed me even more was the different cultures and nationalities all having their own ways of reaching the same goals.

Your advice for someone wanting to start competing?

First be specific in terms of what your goals are.  Which division you want to compete in, as each division requires different nutrition and training.  Then set your goal and work towards it!

“Secondly, nutrition is most important and is the main role player and the biggest part in your overall success.”

Get to know your body and only take advice from someone you can trust, that also knows you and has first hand experience – “been there, done that”.

What are your future plans?

“To learn more; knowledge is power, and you can never have enough, because we learn something new everyday.”

I am starting a course in nutrition and supplementation soon and I’m looking forward to that.  I am also competing again this year, and would like to do another International competition as well.

Take us through an average day of yours:

• 04:30 – Wake Up
• 05:00 – Weight training session (30 – 40min)
• 07:00 – Breakfast
• 09:00 – Start work – Hair & Make Up is my other passion
• 16:00 – Get home from work
• 17:30 – 19:00 – Another cardio session
• 19:30 – Dinner

Do you believe in using supplements? If you do, with all the different supplements out there, what would you say are the most essential ones that need to be taken?

Definitely, supplementation will boost your performance in the gym and help you achieve the body you want.  I think your vitamins are very important.

• Multivitamins
• Omega’s
• Glutamine
• Whey Protein
• Thermo genic fat burner

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your training and on average how long do you workout for?

Off Season:

• 30 – 40 min weight training
• 40 – 60 min cardio per day

Competition Prep:

• 30 – 40 min weight training
• 90 – 120 min cardio per day

How do you measure your progress? And how often?

By Measuring body fat and weight, every two weeks.

What’s your favorite form of cardio?

Stepping machine, Treadmill and Rowing.

What would you say are the three best exercises women should include in their leg work outs to really develop their Quads?

1. Squats
2. Step ups
3. Low pulley glute extensions

Favorite female fitness icon(s):

Nathalia Melo

Favorite Quote:

“Never say never.”

Advice for someone wanting to change their lifestyle and achieve their ideal physique?

Its never to late to start.

Where can people get hold of you?

• Facebook:  Lizelle Horn

The post One on One With Professional Hair Stylist and Make Up Artist, and Fitness Bikini Champion, Lizelle Horn appeared first on FitNish.com.