MAX FITNESS

In honor of Valentines Day,

we are featuring our Team
Max Athlete Leah Ward and
her other half, Jackson Ritt,
both competitors, who have
given us their inside scoop
on overcoming the hurdles
they endure when it comes to
being in the kitchen as well
as hitting it hard in the gym.

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The month of February is a special

time of the year for us. Not only do
we celebrate Valentines Day in our
household, we celebrate Leahs birthday
on the same day. In case you are
wondering, yes, that does mean two gifts.
With that said, over the last few years,
especially during Valentines Day, we
often receive questions on how we have
managed a healthy lifestyle through
both the on and off seasons with the
popular topic including how to deal with
being hangry. Living ft and healthy
together defnitely has its challenges,
especially when it comes time to step on
stage. We have outlined a few tips that
have helped strengthen our relationship,
plus we are providing a killer couples'
workout.

Food: When it comes to food, we love to

shop, prep, and better yet, eat together.
Because diet is 80 percent nutrition,
we realized instead of shopping,
cooking, and eating solo, we might as
well spend it together. This has helped
us communicate better and hold us
accountable to healthier food options, as
well as create unique food concoctions.
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FEBRUARY 2016

RITT &
BY JACKSON

LEAH WARD

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMESPATRICK.COM

Things that were a chore for us before

are now looked at as a bonding event.
Do you ever witness the hangry
side of your loved one? Us too! This
is actually a great deal simpler to get
through than many people think. For us,
it is about communication. We inform
each other when our energy is down and
start feeling the hangry mode creeping
up on us. Plus, we apologize in advance
for any unkind words that could possibly
be said!

Going Out: It is important to make time

for going out, whether it be for dinner,
a movie, or just a friends house. We
make sure to enjoy time well spent with
family and friends as often as possible

and try to limit our dining out to one

to two times a week. Our advice is to
fnd healthy restaurants with good food
choices and take a peek at the menu
in advance so you can have an idea of
what to order when you get there. This
will help reduce your stress of what to
order and help you succeed in sticking to
your meal plan.

Motivating Each Other: Our last bit

of advice is to be there for one another
when motivation is lacking. Getting off
track is easy; the beneft of having a
'swolemate' is to have him or her there
to keep you accountable, motivated, and
to remind you why you started in the
frst place.

exercise: Believe it or not,

working out together can be a fun
experience! Below are a few of our
favorite exercises that you can do
as a workout together with your
swolemate. We suggest a 15-minute
treadmill warm-up where you walk
at an incline of about 10 to 15
percent and at a speed of about
2.5 to 3.5. This is a great time to
connect and start the workout on a
positive note. Put your phones away
and spend some time talking with
each other. Ready for the workout?
Here we go!

1. Elastic Band Bis, Tris, & Back

Do 3 sets of 10 reps
Using an elastic band, have your partner put the band under his/her feet while
you use the band to complete 10 curls. Have your partner move the band so it
goes behind his/her back for support while you pull the band, complete 10 rows.
Move the band back down to the feet. Facing your partner and leaning forward,
complete 10 tricep kickbacks with your palm facing your body (do one arm at a
time for more resistance) or both arms at once.

2. Partner Pull-Ups
Do 4 sets of 10 reps
Do these with a wide grip, palms facing away
from face. Need help? Bend your knees 90
degrees and have your swolemate stabilize
your ankles. You can use this as leverage to
pull yourself up!

3. Plyo Box Jumps

Do 4 sets of 15 jumps
Face each other and
place the plyo box in
the middle. Alternate
jumping onto and off
the box. Increase the
diffculty by jumping with
one leg at a time.

4. Medicine Ball Sit Ups

Do 4 sets of 20 reps
Using a weighted medicine ball, complete 20 sit ups doing the following
movement: have your swolemate stand on your feet while holding a
medicine ball. Complete a full sit up without the medicine ball. When
you reach the top of the frst sit up, grab the medicine ball. Holding
it behind your head complete another sit up handing the ball to your
partner at the top. Alternate with and without the medicine ball until
you reach 20 reps. Note: No medicine ball? Do 30-40 reps.
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5. Bench Pushups & Dips

Do 4 sets of 15 pushups & 15 dips
Using a bench, have one person get
in a pushup position with their feet
on the bench while simultaneously
having the other person use the
bench to complete dips. Perform 15
reps of each and then switch.

6. Mountain Climbers

Do 4 sets of 30 reps per leg

rnate bringing your
your arms fully extended, alte
In the pushup position with
stay stationary.
ning up a mountain. Arms
legs forward like youre run

8. Weighted Lunges
Do 4 sets 20 reps
(Not pictured) Each of you use a weighted straight bar and follow behind your
swolemate until you complete 10 walking lunges (per leg) without touching your
knee to the ground. The person in front is your motivation and also determines the
pace. After 10 lunges, turn 180 degrees and follow your swolemate back another
10 lunges. Hows the view?

9. Bicep Burn
Do one set each
This is a fun one! It is up to your
swolemate to decide what you need.
Here is how it works: You are now
the boss. The goal is to burn your
swolemate's biceps. Using multiple
dumbbell weights, put him/her
through a bicep workout until they
can no longer go. It is up to you to
adjust the workout based on their
speed and demeanor. Just remember,
youre up next!
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FEBRUARY 2016

Here is a good example:

Use 50-pound dumbbells and complete
10 bicep curls on each arm.
Use 30-pound dumbbells and complete
10 hammer curls on each arm.
Use 30-pound dumbbells and complete
5 half rep bicep curls on each arm.
Use 50-pound dumbbells and complete
4 hammer curls on each arm.
Use 10-pound dumbbells and alternate
between hammer curls and bicep curls
until I say STOP.

7. Kettlebell Swings
Do 4 sets of 12 front raises in unison
Both of you complete 12 front kettlebell swings in unison.