December 2003
Avoiding injuries
Hello Emmanuela,
I'm a fan. How long have you been training, and have you
ever been injured? I ask because injuries are common (my shoulders and knees sometimes).
Do you ever get injured? If not, how do you avoid it? If so, how do you treat them?
Tammy
Hi Tammy,
Thanks for writing. I've been working out for a little
over 11 years now. Luckily, I've never suffered any serious injuries. But sometimes I do
get some knee pain when doing squats or leg press, or shoulder pain with military presses,
but I just hold off from the heavy weights when that happens until the pain subsides. I
still work out, but I just use a lighter weight. If the pain is really bad, though, I
don’t recommend training that area at all. I think that is key when trying to avoid
any severe weight-training injury. If it hurts, stop and rest it. Never work a sore,
injured muscle or tendon. It hurts because it is inflamed. To keep working on it will keep
getting it inflamed. If it is chronically inflamed it will develop scar tissue in the
tendon, which will make it hurt all the time, developing tendonitis. The longer you have
tendonitis, the harder it is to treat.
In school, we're learning a lot of techniques for
treating injuries -- try seeing a Registered Massage Therapist for your current injury to
see if he/she can help.
To avoid any further injuries:
- I must stress the benefit of stretching. Stretch between
each set -- every set.
- Never work a cold muscle. Always do a few warm-up sets
with light weight just to get the muscle/tendon warm.
- Never try to lift more than you can with proper form.
People are usually surprised at the amount of weight I lift. Not that it's light, but it's
not excessive, either. Remember, form and execution are far more effective.
Hope this helps, and let me know how it works for you.
Emmanuela
Big biceps
Hi!
You are so muscular and so sexy!!! How big are your biceps,
and how much you are able to curl with one arm (max rep)? How old are you? (I know that I
shouldn't ask woman about her age, but you have great muscles and you look so young -- max
23 years old?) Sorry for my English, I'm a student from Poland.
Michael
Hi Michael,
Thanks! Actually, I have never measured my arms, or any
other body part for that matter. It's never really been an issue to see how
"big" I can get them. It means more to me to have them well-shaped and
proportioned. I haven't tried to do a max lift, so I don't know. But, when I do dumbbell
curls, I use 20-30 pounds. I know, that's not much, but it works for me.
I'm 28, going to be 29 on February 5th. Nice to hear
from you,
Emmanuela
Off-season dieting
Hello,
I've been coming to your website for some time now so I
thought I would get in on your question-and-answer session.
Different bodybuilders are often asked about their diet,
and usually respond in a similar manner, being detailed about their contest diet and
rather vague regarding an off-season diet. For myself, I have trouble eating enough
calories throughout the day on a cleaner diet. If I’m less strict with my diet,
I’m usually not hungry two or three hours later when I need to get in another meal
in. I know that people share my problem and I think that they might benefit from some
insight into your diet.
Thanks for reading,
Juan B.
Hi Juan,
Thanks for your question, and thanks for being a
regular to my site.
As for your dilemma, I wish I had that problem! I find
I get too many calories during my off-season. Of course, I probably weigh less than you
do, so what I need to maintain is likely much less than what you need. You don't
necessarily need a "meal" every 2-3 hours; a simple protein shake with water (or
milk) should be sufficient. Methex Whey from Sportlab (www.sportlab.ca ) is also beneficial -- it helps your body utilize
protein more efficiently.
I hope that answers your question. Feel free to write
back if I can help you any further.
Emmanuela
All about Emmanuela
What does your name come from or mean? What ethnicity are
you? So you're dating a husband potentially? Are you a college student as well? What do
you see yourself doing in the next 20 years besides competition? I just want to say hey,
you look great and stay strong.
Jeremiah
Hi Jeremiah,
Nice to hear from you. My background is Italian. I was
born here in Canada, but both my parents are from Italy. My name is from the Bible,
meaning "God is with us." I am currently in my third semester for massage
therapy. I hope to eventually work in the sports-training/rehab field. As for
competitions, that is on the backburner until I can get my career set. I'm still training
consistently though.
Thanks for writing,
Emmanuela
Training triceps and biceps
What routine do you use to get your triceps/biceps so big
and well-shaped?
Regards,
Ian
Hi Ian,
Thanks for writing. I actually get this question a lot.
I think it's a mixture of: perfectly strict form, stretching, and genetics.
I work my triceps once a week, usually supersetted with
biceps -- 4 exercises, 3 sets, 8-12 reps. I never do the same routine twice. I always
change either the exercise, the order, or the reps (high or low). And I always make sure
to stretch after each set, it makes such a difference, and no one ever seems to do it
enough. It helps to strengthen the tendons, which helps you to progressively lift more
weight. Stretching also lengthens the muscle, which will lead to more potential power, and
in addition, gives the muscle a very sleek, defined look.
Here's a sample of a triceps workout I've used:
- Rope triceps extensions
- Overhead triceps extensions
- Close-grip bench press
- Skull crushers
Starting with lighter weight to get the muscle warm,
and increase the weight to get to failure at around 8 reps. Always use proper form to
build the specific muscle you're working, and always train safely.
I hope this helps, and let me know how it works for
you.
Emmanuela
