Victor Martinez At Muscle Beach
Video I shot during a photo shoot for Bodybuilding.com. This was sometime back before 4k or even HD video. One of the all time best professional bodybuilders, Victor Martinez. At Muscle Beach Venice.
An Extraordinary Woman!
Behind The Scenes With Tammy At 56
Behind the scenes in a fantastic photo shoot. Tammy Neslund at 56 years old; fit and gorgeous and wonderful, mother of two herself, 29 and 27, and a Grandma of two! Photos from the actual shoot coming up.
At the amazing Coachella Movie Ranch. Hair and Makeup with Estee Lauder featured artist Blanche LeBeau. Hasselblad digital camera system, Broncolor lighting and some fun instant photos with Fujifilm Instax. Way up there as one of my favorite photo photos ever! Thanks!
Special Thank You to Levi Vincent with the Palm Springs Film Alliance for the location and shoot accommodations!
Fit At The Windfarm
One of my favorite photographs that I have ever shot. IFBB professional bodybuilder Tina Chandler after her appearance on stage at the prestigious Olympia in Las Vegas. Here in Palm Springs.
Love Training Delts With Ava
Training tip from IFBB Pro Figure Champion Ava Cowan…
Delts- The love of training them, and that I certainly do!
I prefer to explore all angles, hand positions and planes of motion. My goal is to target every single fiber, front to back equally, creating beautifully developed symmetrical shoulders.
In this exercise, the dumbbell front raise on incline bench, targets the anterior delts.
Incline front raises, using a pronated hand position (palms facing the floor) may be alternated with a semi-supinated (palms facing each other) grip.
-Start this exercise by lying supine on an incline bench set to 45 degrees.Â
-With the elbows slightly bent, raise the dumbbells using your shoulders until your arms are parallel to the floor or slightly higher.Â
-Keep a slight bend in the elbow and raise the weight.Â
-Stay in control of the exercise with a tempo of a count of two up and four on the way down. -Lower the weight under control to a dead stop before repeating.
Sets: 2-4
Reps: 6-10
Rest: 90 seconds
Fitness Journey
A thought from IFBB Professional figure competitor and fitness icon Ava Cowan from her magazine photo shoot at Palm Springs Fitness Center…
– The feeling of contentment to me is one of the most satisfying feelings in life. I can usually feel this to be present when I have arrived at and have become a higher version of myself, within my life’s journey, and fitness is a part of that journey.
– I thought to look up the definition. And after combing through several variations of the definition, this is a portion of one that resonated with me the most.
“Contentment is a mental or emotional state of satisfaction maybe drawn from being at ease in one’s situation, body and mind. Colloquially speaking, contentment could be a state of having accepted one’s situation and is a milder and more tentative form of happiness.”
– When I looked at this photograph last night, that is the exact emotion I see emitting through my eyes. I absolutely looked past the weight training aspect of the image. A moment in time and there I was… content.
– Contentment on my fitness journey in life captured in the moment.
Heavy Lifting
Some heavy lifting in a magazine photo shoot I did with IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Daniel Hill. At Palm Springs Fitness Center.
On To The Olympia And Arnold
He has gone on to stand on the stage of the prestigious Olympia and the Arnold Classic. Xavisus Gayden actually was first seen in bodybuilding magazines from a photo shoot he had with me at Palm Springs Fitness Center a few years back. Now a star in Men’s Physique, he is also to be saluted for being a United States Marine. Outstanding!
Deadlifts With Ava Cowan
An outstanding workout series I photographed over a few days with IFBB Figure Professional Ava Cowan. “Professional” for sure when it comes to Ava!
And be sure to “Like” the Facebook page for our gym shoot location Palm Springs Fitness Center, my favorite gym and to keep up with my posting over there as Social Media Manager. It helps me a lot and I promise to make it fun! Thanks!
Deadlifts done right with IFBB Professional Figure Competitor Ava Cowan…
Preparation:
With feet flat beneath bar, squat down and grasp bar with shoulder width or slightly wider overhand or mixed grip. Start with light weight to not only warm up but to determine what you are capable of lifting.
The addition of wrist straps can great improve your ability to perform multiple reps as well as more weight. If no straps are used, a mixed grip is a great way to grip the bar.
Start with 2 sets of 15 reps before moving into working weight.
Execution:
Lift bar by extending hips and knees to full extension, keeping the bar close to the body throughout the movement. Keep your back flat throughout the exercise and pull shoulders back being mindful not to round the shoulders. Also, keep knees pointing the same direction as your feet. Return and repeat.
The simplified version of the muscles used are:
The grip strength (finger flexors) and the lower back (erector spinae) work isometrically to keep the bar held in the hands and to keep the spine from rounding.
The gluteus maximus and hamstrings work to extend the hip joint.
The quadriceps work to extend the knee joint.
The adductor magnus works to stabilize the legs.
Core musculature remains braced to stabilize the spine.
Bicep Curls Done Right
From one of my photo shoots with IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Dan Decker. Dan has always been one of the most consistent and admired bodybuilders around and been published in more magazines than I am sure he can even tell you. At Palm Springs Fitness Center.
Middle Rear Delt
“This is an angle that enables you to target the middle and mid rear deltoid. The more angles that are targeted the more complete the development. It’s the middle rear delt that can be overlooked.”
– A more advanced training tip from IFBB Figure Pro, Ava Cowan. From a magazine workout series photographed by me right here at Palm Springs Fitness Center. Thanks!
Four Days In The Gym With Ava
One of my favorite photo shoots ever. Spending four days in a gym and evenings poolside photographing Ava Cowan. The best!
There is an actual purpose for all of those mirrors in the gym. Just like IFBB Figure Pro Ava is doing here. Watch your form, the movement of the muscles as you do your lifts. It will get you in touch with actually what is happening and also keep you doing things right.
Ava was here at Palm Springs Fitness Center week doing a photo shoot for a workout magazine series. One of the most respected and admired women in the fitness business. Thanks Ava Cowan!
Ever Ever
One of my all time favorite photographs I have ever shot ever. The incredible wonderful Tina Chandler during her Olympia bodybuilding competition.
Beautiful Fit Action!
Stacey Naito one of the most extraordinary women I have ever had in front of my camera. She brought her authentic Japanese Katana to the photo shoot. The sharpness, quality, curved, powerful and distinctive beauty of the sword is readily matched by that of Stacey herself. Thank You to Blanche LeBeau for her art of makeup and hair styling.
Reminder
I am known for photographing some of the most incredibly magnificent women on the planet. Sasha Brown is in that category many times over!
Also From A January 3rd
January 3, 2012… Starting out the New Year searching for words… “Magnificent Creature” crosses my mind! Ava Cowan from a photo shoot we did as she was first becoming known to everyone. Ava has gone on to be one of the most pre-eminent and respected women in the world of bodybuilding and fitness.
You see Ava in almost every magazine every month, she is hugely popular and deservedly so. Much more than just a great body built in the gym, she is a personality of tenaciousness that we can all admire. In only eight weeks from now you will next be seeing her on stage at the Arnold. Ava Cowan!
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