Q & A

1) I am getting ready for a competition and I am extremely bored with my diet. Do you have any suggestions for a cookbook or something that may add a little "spice" to my strict eating habits?
Training for a competition is tough enough: add a strict diet to the whole program and it becomes murderous! Throughout my years of competing, I have developed many tasty recipes that have saved me through those tough training days when all I wanted to do was cheat! Some of my favorite recipes are listed on my web site (www.monicabrant.com), including egg white /oatmeal pancakes, turkey/chicken tacos, a chicken and rice bowl, and a few others. The key is to add flavor without too much sodium or calories-right?! For example, many people love ketchup, but you must be careful because it contains a lot of sugar, unless you find the no sugar-added kind! These can add up quite quickly to more calories than we thought. Have fun with some spices such as Mrs. Dashes flavors… garlic, onions, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Just be cautious of what you eat as your competition gets even closer. Make sure you read your food and spice ingredient labels! By the way, Universal Nutrition makes some great soy protein powders that mix with water and you can make pancakes!

2) I am a kickboxing instructor and I work out four or five times weekly. I train my abdominals every day and I have seen minimal results. I don't understand what I am doing wrong, my diet is extremely healthy and clean-at least I think it is! Can you give me any suggestions as to how I can achieve rock-hard abs?
Training your abs is similar to training other muscle groups. If you want to see results, you must vary your routines. Often people do the same exercises day after day and complain that they don't see results.. Try doing some totally different exercises than what you are used to and split your ab training to 2-3 times weekly instead. Maybe look into buying some "AB ORIGIONAL" by Brad Harris. You hook them onto a pull up bar and hanging by your arms, do crunches and straight leg lifts to strengthen lower ab region. It will take some getting used to but you will get the hang of it and soon see results! I like to do 3 sets of straight leg lifts first, then 3 sets of side raises-bent knees, and then 3 sets of straight up-bent knee lifts.. All sets to fatigue with maybe 20-30 seconds rest.

3) For the last nine months I have had a problem with junk food binges. I've gained 30 pounds and gathered more than my fair share of cellulite along the way. I want to eat clean and sculpt a tight, lean body. Right now I do 45 mins of cardio first thing in the morning (before eating breakfast) and about one hour of weights. I hit cardio six days a week and weights four times a week. How do I get rid of the cellulite on my legs and stomach? My dream is to compete someday, so I want to start looking my very best.
Ok you know exactly what you are doing wrong.. Bingeing! That has to stop first! Secondly, keep up with the training and cardio that you are doing. You will be so surprised with the results you will see if you continue to exercise this way after you stop the bingeing! Another suggestion is to write down everything you eat-this may help to serve as a countability factor for you to see what kind of calories you are taking in! For me, I did not want to see any bad calories written down, it would make me disappointed with myself if I cheated- so I ate much better so that the food I wrote down was all good stuff! You may need to slowly "back out" of the your eating habits..be consistent and disciplined! Maybe ask someone close to help keep an eye on you and your eating log.. This may further prevent you from eating bad because you now have a watchful eye! I also recommend trying some of Universal Nutrition's fat burners. We have many different ones to chose from I suggest you go to www.universalnutrition.com and check out all the different fat burners and what is in them. I personally like the Thermostack for the times I just want an easy amount of energy and Ripped Fast II for the times I need a lot of pick me up! Be tough on yourself-you are the only one who can make the difference!

4) I am interested in your training program for calves. My calves are the most stubborn body part that I have! I have trained them for years and I still don't see any positive results. Please tell me your secret for building nice calves!
I believe that calves can take years to grow! I also believe that they are very genetic too! I am blessed with decent calf size and actually don't take any extra time to train them at the gym. Even though I don't use weights I do A LOT of running- both at the track (sprints) and outside in the soft sand! I also do a lot of plyometrics - all of these exercises not only work your entire legs but also your calves! So indirectly I am working them!!! I do suggest "in the gym training" for those of you that want to build and strengthen your calves. There are so many different exercise just pick out a few and make sure you train those calves hard about 1-2 times weekly. Try using the donkey calf machine, seated calf machine, any standing machine or the leg press with only your toes doing the lifting! I would train them hard and use heavy weight. But be very careful when you are just getting started because if you train them too hard then you might be limping for a few days after! Use full range of motions and do some pre training warm up and stretches! As always I tell everyone to stay consistent and diligent in your training! The body will change but it takes time- so be patient with yourself and thankful everyday that you are capable of training!

5) I am 22 years old and have been seriously working out for two years. I want to take my training goals in a new direction and focus on competing in the new regional NPC fitness show in my area. My biggest fear isn't training or dieting-it's stage fright! How am I going to perform a dance routine in front of hundreds of strangers? Do you have advice as to how newcomers can overcome this phobia?
This is a very normal thing that you are feeling! Please don't feel alone in your fear! Every time I competed I felt some fear too. I started out in 1991 competing and I remember one of the first contests that I did I ended up with a migraine headache not even half way through the show! I thought I was going to get sick on stage right during the physique round! Since that horrible event I have learned to channel my fears to use as energy to perform and most of the time it works! Your nerves as supposed to be there to help you through the event so use them to your advantage and take control of them! Think of them as little kids that need discipline and you will find a whole new attitude about them! As far as getting through your routine, make sure you practice 100's of times before you ever get on stage.. I would have your family, friends, trainers, choreographers, (any one around even if you don't know them) come and watch you perform during the weeks before your contest! Have your trainer use a video camera during your practices so that you can watch yourself and be your own critique- be tough! Watch for your facial expressions and make sure you smile, smile, smile!!! Think of just how good you will feel when it is over and watch yourself go through the routine in your mind- I did this while I was doing my cardio. It made the time fly by! Listen to your music so that you know it by heart- invest in a walkman with a tape player if you don't have one now… these things should help your stage fright problem! If you still feel frightened to do the routine, maybe look for the new NPC Figure contest in your area and do this one first just so that you can get on stage. Figure contest are being described as Fitness without routines! If you don't know where these contest are, check out www.npconline.com or at the back of Flex magazine where they list all the contest. Or better yet, you may come and compete in my 2nd annual Monica Brant Fitness Classic or the BodyRock Figure contest! We would love to have you there!

6) I am intrigued with the changes that you have made in your physique. Obviously your determined personality and genetics play a role. I am hoping that you will share the diet and training changes you made to create such definition and hardness without the bulk.
Determination is the key word here. Through all the years of my competitions what has worked the best is consistent training and diet, and getting the proper rest. One of the most important tools that has helped me fine tune my physique is my journal. This enables me to refer back to previous years of training and competitions and then make appropriate adjustments. It isn't just one or two changes that I have made throughout the years, but a combination of everything that has ended up being the right prescription for obtaining my physique goals. Remember that everyone is different and will need different routes to their own goals, staying consistent and learning about your body will help you reach those goals faster!

7) I have been working out for five years and have recently toyed with the idea of fitness modeling. My family and friends think I should go for it, so I've decided to build a portfolio. Who should I send it to? Is sending out promotional packages the right approach or do you have a different suggestion?
A portfolio is a great way for you to show off to both agents and potential clients. You will need two books, one for your selected agent and one for yourself. Using laser technology will help with your costs. You should also have a 5X7 card made featuring your best shots- a headshot, swimwear, and one of you in your workout attire. You can design the card with more shots, but keep it limited so the actual images are large enough to view. Your agent will send out the cards to their appropriate contacts. You may also send out the cards to any company that interests you. Be sure to send a professional note along with your card with contact info. Be safe and send your pager # or better yet, your agent's number. Be sure to send your best shots as many others are doing the exact same thing! You can find the addresses of the mags in the front few pages and sending your info to an editor, owner, marketing, and even the creative designer will be best. You could even send a few to different people that way more than one person will see you! Find supplement companies address on the containers (or website) and send your info there too.. never know when Universal Nutrition is looking for another fit body!

8) I am constantly on the go. I can barely manage two or three meals per day. I know I need to eat more often, but how can I fit 5-6 meals into my workday?
Realistically it takes 180 days to changes a behavior into a new habit, so be patient! First, get organized by making a list of priorities with food preparation as number one. zInclude preparing meals, packing them in containers and storing them in a cooler. Start slowly by adding a fourth meal. Devise a plan to prepare meals the night before, so if your morning doesn't go as planned you are still food safe! I assume you are not training for competition.. in that case I believe you can do with 3 meals and 2 snacks and be just fine! For example: (1) breakfast-6 egg whites, 1 yolk, serving oatmeal with soy milk and cinnamon (2) snack-yogurt and nuts (3) lunch-chicken sandwich on whole wheat, small salad with oil/vinegar (4) snack-2 scoops Specialized Protein Fitness (by Universal Nutrition) with Flax 1000 gel-caps (5) dinner-Halibut/Orange Roughy filet with small red potato, and veggies-or no starchy carbs if late. See how fast 5 small meals adds up? You can substitute many other items in too.. be creative and have fun seeing the results of your work and diligence!

9) In one article I read you said you quit training your legs due to them being overpowering your upper body. I am interested to know if this helped you become more proportioned and if ceasing leg training will cause muscle atrophy or make the leg muscles susceptible to fat deposits.
I believe when you totally stop training any body part the stimulus for muscle tone is no longer available. So ceasing leg training altogether would cause muscle atrophy and possibly fat deposits too. YUCK! So with that in mind, I need to clarify that even though I tried the route of not training my legs with weights I was still running in soft sand for cardio, running stairs, and doing gymnastic training which involves the entire leg. I believe it was good for me to see that I maintained my genetic muscle development with proper diet of 1 ? gram of protein per body weight. I did focus on upper body and feel that it has "caught up" to my lower half! I only did this for about 9 months - I started weight training again but did have to be very careful not to overtrain while I was preparing for shows. Having a knowledgeable trainer helped loads! Now that I am no longer competing I still weight train legs very high rep and low weights, sometimes with no weight at all. Lunges, squats, sissy squats, leg kicks, jumps can all be done with no weight and work miracles! Don't forget the running!! One of my favs for staying fit!

10) Is high intensity or low intensity best for fat burning? I am so confused which will get me leaner faster??? Which exercises are best too?
Check D: All of the above!! Personally, I enjoy doing both. I try to base my cardio on the day at hand and what else I am going to do. For example, if I am training legs I would wait and do my cardio-which would be the treadmill at a slow pace and high grade- after my workout. This would enable me to train legs hard and then do an easy walk after while my body is in the fat burning mode! If I was going to train shoulders, I would try to get my cardio in first thing in the morning before breakfast.. which would consist of soft sand running with some intervals-say 6-10/ 30 second sprints. If I am only doing cardio for the day and my legs aren't too sore then I would run for an hour doing some walking kicks, plyometric jumps, and again some interval sprints during the hour or sometimes 1 ? hour session. I feel both types of cardio are affective for fat burning and should be done. If you can not run inside or outside, then I suggest you use a stairclimber or bike and do interval sprints on those. Wearing a heartrate monitor will help you rapidly see where your heartrate is without having to stop and try to take it manually. Knowing this, you will better be able to see the differences in your high/low intensities and not be as inclined to cheat by going to slow during your sprint!! Mind you everyone is different, but I keep my low rate at 135 and my high at 180. If I am doing sprints, I keep my heartrate above 170. You should experience the burning sensation in your lungs when you do intervals! Don't be afraid of them.. enjoy them and do plenty!!!

11) I am in my mid forties and am about 30 lbs. overweight.  I start my dieting each time by cutting sugary items and eating less (I heard eating less calories makes you lose weight). I actually start to weigh less but I become depressed and start eating again. Can you help?
I am sure you have heard before that old habits are hard to change.  As you have said “each time” you have tried this process and it never seems to really work for you.  So Yes, I would highly suggest trying something new! My first suggestion would be to not shock your system by eating less.  This introduces your body to “starvation mode” which translates to fat storage.  In my experience of competing (9 years worth) in Fitness competitions, I have found that eating more calories actually leans me out nicely! Although these calories come from all the healthy food choices: chicken, fish, eggs, oatmeal, potatoes, peanut butter, and let’s not forget a good quality protein powder (you could try Universal’s Specialized Protein for Fitness-yummy!).  If you eat more of the good stuff you will put your body into the etabolizing mode instead of the starvation mode! You will have to play with your calorie intake and see what works for you- mine is anywhere from 1600-2000 per day.My second suggestion is to realize that stopping the sweet intake could leave you depressed and “cravey” for sweets! This might take you 72 hours or so to physically get over the sensation- if it persists then it might be a mental and you will need to proceed with another method- maybe eating less (than normal) sweets or substituting sugar for some artificial sweeteners in coffee/tea or drinking diet. Make sure you are getting plenty of rest too as this will affect your ability to be disciplined!

12) I've been told that it's best to work out in the morning, before you eat breakfast. What's the reason behind this?
In order to answer this question, allow me to qualify my position on a morning work out, as everyone’s definition of “work out” may be different. For example, my preference upon waking is to pull on jogging apparel and a baseball cap, to apply sun block, to wear a heart rate monitor and sport sunglasses. Then out the door I go for 30-60 minutes of cardio in the form of brisk walk and/or jog. I have found this to be an ideal way to burn fat. Assuming that I have eaten appropriate amounts of protein, carbohydrates and natural fat the previous day, then my body’s metabolism process is in its prime time for the fat burning process!! To clarify, let’s backtrack a minute…after 6-7 hours of sleep the body has become depleted which means the carbohydrates consumed from the previous day have been properly used (hopefully we haven’t eaten a whole pizza the night before!). Bear in mind that carbohydrates are noted to be the body’s best source of energy. Although protein and fat have some energy worth, this value is nowhere near carbohydrate amounts.  If you were to jump up in the morning and quickly go for cardio in a depleted state of energy, the body would have to locate and metabolize energy from somewhere. This is where our stored energy comes into play!! I hope we all know what stored energy is—FAT!! Now imagine your body finding its stored energy (fat) to burn. How exciting!!

13) I have heard that you have been running some distance and sprints to keep your legs in shape. Do you think that is better than leg training in the gym?
I have enjoyed both workouts tremendously. For years I have been training legs in the gym with a wide variety of exercises and routines thus finding gym workouts to be very productive. I have also found running to be quite efficient and have seen great results with this activity. Honestly, I cannot say one is better than the other so I have to admit a program with both is probably best. Currently, I have been doing sprints at the track 2-3 times weekly and I have been very happy with my leg tone and strength.  At this point I am not trying to gain any muscle, only keeping some shape and conditioning. I would recommend trying sprints for development and also to get a fresh change in your workouts. If you haven’t been running lately you will need to start slowly and work your way up to a full workout, especially if you are going to continue to train in the gym with weights. Make sure you listen to your body and try to avoid “over training”, get rest, and eat plenty of food for the extra workouts!!

14)  I have been trying to eat fat free or very low fat for a long time now.  Recently I have been hearing that I should be taking in some essential fats- would you please give me some samples of healthy fat?
Regardless of your fitness level, it’s extremely important to obtain a healthy balance of different fats (Essential Fatty Acids-EFAs). Personally I try to take in some healthy fats with every meal-usually between 3-10 grams. For example, I eat one egg yolk per breakfast, 2 capsules of Flax 1000 (Universal Nutrition product) with whey protein shake for snack, avocado (1-2 oz.) with chicken and corn tortillas, and natural peanut butter or nuts with my next meals.  Keep in mind that nuts can be very addicting so it is best to take out the amount you want to eat and then put the can away!!  EFAs are important because they can actually help lower cholesterol levels and maximize fat burning.  Also, they will help you to slow your rate of absorption during lo carb/ high protein dieting trends. Don’t forget these good fats!!

15) I have a problem with my neck and back- I am not sure it is from training or work... I work at a desk most of the day!  Any suggestions?
I feel your pain!!!!!!!! I actually have some similar pains in my neck and back! The best advice I have is to make sure you get up during the day and move around- maybe even walk upstairs or around the block depending on your work situation. Posture is very important too! Maintaining proper back position could help. I try to remember to keep my shoulders back and down while sitting at the desk. If you are on the phone a lot make sure you have a proper headset so that you don’t have to hold the phone with your shoulder/head!! Talk about cramps!!!!!! Let’s not forget the proper placement for your keyboard and mouse- you might need to do some research here and find what is most comfortable for you. Stretching during the day will help and when you finally get to the gym, make sure your warm up a good 10 minutes and stretch the muscles you want to train. Most people (me included!) do not give stretching the quality time your body deserves! Stretching relaxes muscles, relieves knots, and gives you a refreshed feeling. The last suggestion I have is to dedicate a time each 10-15 days for a good, sports massage. Trust me when I tell you, this makes such a difference in your training, work, and off time! You deserve the body treatments and you will wish you had been doing it long time ago. Treat yourself sometimes!if