I don't know http://amandapalmer.net/. I have never heard of her band. But I stumbled across this video as per usual when I am hunting the internet visiting my favorite websites. http://ted.com is one of them and this "art of asking" title caught my attention. Minutes prior I had asked a few friends on Facebook to "like" http://facebook.com/labenderprobikini. Back in the day, this would seem like a very vain thing to ask. "Why should I like/follow you, who are you?" Most people say "Oh I don't even pay attention to that stuff" First off, I don't believe you. And second, in this day and age social media is making a big difference in this world and it is beautiful-- embrace it! You will find fields of positivity and passion out there... Who wouldn't want more of that in their lives? Whatever you look for is what you will find. Social media is there to connect us and human nature thrives on feeling connected.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMj_P_6H69g

This video is so awesome because Amanda illustrates what I mean perfectly. The reason she is so successful is because she does a great job at making people feel connected- to her, her art, and to each other. When you find that and FEEL it, there's no stopping it. I just posted a quote (http://instagram.com/rachaellabender) that Maya Angelou said that sums it up quite nicely "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel" I encourage all of you to go out there and make someone smile- it's always a win-win

Thanks for reading and connecting with me!!

Well it is safe to say I am completely exhausted after the long weekend in Columbus. It was more fun than I could have ever imagined. Three days of high energy- you don't even realize until the day is over how exhausted you are. The energy in the expo is high and you can't help but feed off of everyone! Everyone is so happy and energetic that you can't help but have a permanent smile on your face But I will cut u if u try to cut the line!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEZjie3g7js]

Only kidding. I just loove me some Bon Qui Qui whenever I can get it

There are some awesome people at bodybuilding.com. Everyone's story is so unique and there is something to learn from everyone. It is so motivating! Also to see how bodybuilding.com has evolved over the years is incredible. They really are doing something right and I'm incredibly honored to be able to have the privilege of working with them.

Now that the show is over and the hype is dying down, the "hangover" is setting in. I'm starting to reflect on all the conversations I had with the athletes. All I can say is, from the bottom of my heart- I am grateful.

You can find pictures as well as a few videos on my http://www.facebook.com/labenderprobikini and http://www.instagram.com/rachaellabender

Thanks for reading..  xo

Another great day with Bodybuilding.com in the books! It was SO busy (no surprise there) and SO much fun. Although we didn't get as much face time with the fans today, as we were trying to get the lines moving as quickly as possible, I did get to meet and chat with a few people I knew through various social media outlets. It's such a cool experience to meet them face to face That's what makes all of this worth it- to meet YOU! So PLEASE introduce yourselves if we chat on the reg  

 I had a chance to check out the rest of the expo today and visit some friends at other booths- Muscle Milk, BSN, Quest, and Metabolic Nutrition. I also stopped at the Rouge booth to see if I could get in a CrossFit workout before they closed but I JUST missed them. 

 Got in a little cardio before dinner. Ordered a salad from a pizza place.. who knew?! 1. That pizza places had good salads and 2. That they deliver to hotel rooms! Never hurts to ask

Here are a few of the pics from the expo (you can find all of them on my Facebook page at facebook.com/labenderprobikini)

Thanks for reading! xoxo 

What a day!! It was so much fun meeting all the Bodybuilding.com fans. The line was about 2 hours long for most of the day so THANK YOU to everyone who stuck it out with us! We appreciate every single one of you! I hope everyone got plenty of supplements. One guy told me he gets 4 bags of goodies every year and it lasts him the WHOLE year! Awesommme. I hope everyone got to meet their favorite fitness models too  

I was doing "line control" today for a while and noticed a man who was people watching and taking notes. His name tag said Sports Illustrated on it so I inquired.. The next thing I know, he's doing a full on interview with me! So watch out for the next issue! He said if I'm lucky I'll get a quote in it lol. Lucky me huh

Went for a run outside tonight in the COLD! It felt good to get all the energy out of me... Well guys, it's time for me to go to bed so until next time! Have a great night! Dream big xoxo

If you’ve ever had a goal to get to your ideal physique, you know what it’s like to “diet” for it. You also might know a thing or two about temptations and a little guy I like to call the “green-eyed munchie monster”. I’ve been through many phases of dieting over the last 3 years so I’ve wrestled with this pllllenty of times.

A friend on Facebook sent me this message. She is 5 weeks out from her first bikini show:

“…I don’t know what to tell my crazy little mind to silence the crazy thoughts of how good a piece of pizza would be or an Oreo cookie!! Lol do you have any special tricks that u do or anything u tell yourself when u have these cravings?”

Holy amazing, I just made the best dinner! Check it out!

http://rachaellabender.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/pad-thai-noodles-and-shrimp/photo-1/#main

MMmm looks good right? Well it gets even better, cuz it’s only 205 calories, 22g PRO, 12 CHO (6g Fiber), 8g FAT

I wasn’t planning on posting this recipe because it was my first time trying this concoction and it was honestly the only stuff I had left in my fridge that made sense to put together and I wanted it to take less than 10min. I really wanted to finish off my bag of shrimp and I had some Shiritaki noodles that I hadn’t used yet.

Side note: If you don’t know what Shiritaki noodles are you can find out about their magic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirataki_noodles. The ones I used tonight were made from tofu, thus the calories. But you can find them at Whole Foods as “http://www.miraclenoodle.com/p-2-angel-hair-pasta.aspx#back” which are zero calorie and zero carbs, and they are made from some sort of fiber. Since I happened to be at Sprouts the other day, I had to make do with the tofu kind (not that a 40 calorie difference is life or death)

So here goes, my “recipe”.. (more like directions)

Start by boiling 3oz shrimp. At the same time you can rinse the pack of noodles in a strainer under hot water- do this for like 5 min, they STINK! But don’t let that scare you!

Next, start sautéing some chopped onion and minced garlic for like 30sec. Then add 1 tbsp peanut butter, dump in rice vinegar, a little bit of a dressing of your choice (I used Organic Sesame Tamari vinaigrette I found at Sprouts)  and a splash of braggs amino acids. I didn’t measure, I just eyed it to get the saucy-like consistency. So the calories might be a little off bc I THINK I used about 1 tbsp of the dressing (which is 70cal and 1 carb per 2 tbsp). You can also add cayenne pepper for a little kick and extra fat burning effects.

Then I added the noodles and shrimp to the sauce pan, stirred it all around, and wallah! You can get away with adding more or less shrimp or whatever protein you want.. I just did 3oz shrimp because that’s all I had. Also, adding chopped almonds on top would have been tasty but I didn’t think about that until now. Don’t you hate that? Like when you think of a good come back after it’s too late to say it.. Damn!

Ok back to the topic.

So it’s not a perfect recipe, but you get the jist. gyst? gist. Mmm so good. Filling and full of fiber!

Love, Rachael

Holy amazing, I just made the best dinner! Check it out!

http://rachaellabender.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/pad-thai-noodles-and-shrimp/photo-1/#main

MMmm looks good right? Well it gets even better, cuz it’s only 205 calories, 22g PRO, 12 CHO (6g Fiber), 8g FAT

I wasn’t planning on posting this recipe because it was my first time trying this concoction and it was honestly the only stuff I had left in my fridge that made sense to put together and I wanted it to take less than 10min. I really wanted to finish off my bag of shrimp and I had some Shiritaki noodles that I hadn’t used yet.

Side note: If you don’t know what Shiritaki noodles are you can find out about their magic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirataki_noodles. The ones I used tonight were made from tofu, thus the calories. But you can find them at Whole Foods as “http://www.miraclenoodle.com/p-2-angel-hair-pasta.aspx#back” which are zero calorie and zero carbs, and they are made from some sort of fiber. Since I happened to be at Sprouts the other day, I had to make do with the tofu kind (not that a 40 calorie difference is life or death)

So here goes, my “recipe”.. (more like directions)

Start by boiling 3oz shrimp. At the same time you can rinse the pack of noodles in a strainer under hot water- do this for like 5 min, they STINK! But don’t let that scare you!

Next, start sautéing some chopped onion and minced garlic for like 30sec. Then add 1 tbsp peanut butter, dump in rice vinegar, a little bit of a dressing of your choice (I used Organic Sesame Tamari vinaigrette I found at Sprouts)  and a splash of braggs amino acids. I didn’t measure, I just eyed it to get the saucy-like consistency. So the calories might be a little off bc I THINK I used about 1 tbsp of the dressing (which is 70cal and 1 carb per 2 tbsp). You can also add cayenne pepper for a little kick and extra fat burning effects.

Then I added the noodles and shrimp to the sauce pan, stirred it all around, and wallah! You can get away with adding more or less shrimp or whatever protein you want.. I just did 3oz shrimp because that’s all I had. Also, adding chopped almonds on top would have been tasty but I didn’t think about that until now. Don’t you hate that? Like when you think of a good come back after it’s too late to say it.. Damn!

Ok back to the topic.

So it’s not a perfect recipe, but you get the jist. gyst? gist. Mmm so good. Filling and full of fiber!

Love, Rachael

My training consists of a lot of HIIT workouts. Today my training partner and I went to our usual park in Phoenix to do some sprints and plyometrics. At the park we utilize the soccer field, the basketball court, the sand pit (where the swings are), and the dreaded "mountain" (about a 150 meter steep hill).  So this is what we did!

1. 2 warm up laps around the soccer field

2. Right side shuffles down the field and sprint back. Left side shuffles, sprint back. Back pedal (run backwards), sprint back. 1 Mountain. Repeat this sequence twice with no rest.

3. 8 short hill sprints with no rest in between.

Then we went over to the sand pit and basketball court area and did the following routine 3 times with a 30 sec rest between sets:

1. 20 box jumps- just found a step up from the sand pit area we could use to simulate a plyo box.

2. Lunges down half the court followed by squat jumps down the rest of the half. Down and back.

3. Sprint the length of the basketball court down and back. Rest 30 sec.

Repeat this sequence 3 times.

Then we finished off with 2 laps around the entire park (which I think is about 1 mile)

Both of us felt pretty exhausted before our park workout. But we busted it out anyways. Without either of us saying anything, we could both tell that we didn't feel on our A game. She asked me why we both felt slow today and I just said "Because some days are going to be slower than others. But you just have to try your best no matter what. You're not always going to be your strongest everyday, and that's okay."

We still got in a great 50 min HIIT workout! Was it the best workout we've ever done? No. But we still did the best we could today and that's all that matters. I can tell you, this was the first workout all month that hasn't felt like "OMG I am dead, that was our hardest workout ever!" So I think we're doing pretty good

Hey guys! Just wanted to post an interview I did with CutAndJacked! Hope ya like!

You can also check it out on their site--->  http://www.cutandjacked.com/CutAndJacked-Interview-Rachael-Labender

I set meaningful goals and make sure that I keep my mind, body, and spirit in balance. Having balance is key for avoiding burnout and staying motivated. Which, to me, means to always do things that make you happy. Making workouts fun by hiring a trainer and going outside works well for me. To stay motivated on my diet, knowing I want to perform my workouts well and have energy is motivation enough!  Whenever I find myself in a funk, I talk with a loved one and they help me put my head back on straight

How do you deal with cravings for junk foods, sweets and salty food?
Cry! Lol just jokin.. I try to get my mind to stop thinking about it by reading or something. When that doesn't work, I can get pretty creative in the kitchen. There's nothing a little stevia and cinnamon can't fix  

What are your top 3 favourite exercises?
That is such a hard one because there are SO many I love! But if I had to choose 3 they would be... Squat variations, pullups (specifically, to "in da club", and burpees. 

Ok so I HAVE to post the workout I just did because it literally makes your booty shake without your consent.. Earthquake! Haha if you can't tell I LOVE a good glutes n hams workout  

You will be doing each exercise one after the other in the form of a circuit. To boost fat blasting power, after each circuit run on the treadmill for 5 min. You will do this circuit/run 4 times and finish off with 30min of post cardio (I did 15min walking on a very slight incline and then 15min on the elliptical)

Notice that the first 2 circuits are exactly the same and the last 2 are slightly different. The point of that was to shock my muscles a little and also to tend to my self diagnosed ADD

First I will explain what every exercise is and how to do it, then I'll give you the workout. I will start off by saying that with every exercise you ever do, your knees should never go beyond your toes, back should be straight, and chest should be tall. Always have good posture! I know most of you know that, but as a trainer I have to say it!

Single leg deadlifts- Performed on the smith machine while standing on a bench. Doing this on the Smith is to help you stabilize and really target the glutes. Stand on one leg keeping your hip directly over your ankle (your hip will want lean out to the side, don't let it!) On your working leg, keep your knee slightly bent and stretch as far to the floor as you can while keeping your back straight, shoulders back, and your chest tall. Drive though your heel and activate your hamstring to stand back up straight.

Out and in squat jumps- Jump from a sumo squat to a feet together squat. Every time you are "out" is 1 rep. Keep your back straight, chest high, get low on every "out" and keep your weight on your heels. 

Leg press- Put your feet on the platform keeping your knees in line with your ankles. Drive through your heels to ensure glute activation. In this workout you will be doing partial reps (go all the way down and halfway up). 

Single leg press- Same positioning of feet, only reduce the weight and use 1 leg at a time. This time you will be doing full range reps.

Single leg squats- Looks like a lunge but your back foot is on a bench. Straight back, chest tall, knee directly above ankle, and weight on your front heel. Try to get your front leg parallel to the floor on every rep. The deeper range, the more you target the glute.

Hip abduction machine- Self explanatory.. I like to lean slightly forward on this one.

I always like to warm up with a 5 min walk on treadmill to contemplate and set my intent for the workout. I also did 30 sumo squat jumps to warm up my legs and hips. 

Circuit 1&2

Single leg deadlift- 20 in circuit 1 to get a feel for the movement. Increase the weight and do 10 on the 2nd circuit

Out and in squat jumps-30

Leg press half reps- 20

Single leg press- 10

Hip abduction- 30 

Circuit 3- Booty should be shaking involuntarily after this circuit!

Single leg deadlift- 10 

Out and in squat jumps- 30 **This time add in a plyo box with 2 risers. Your "in" jump will land on top of the box. 

Leg press half reps- 20

Single leg press- 10

Hip abduction- 30 

Circuit 4 -TOAST

Single leg squats- 20 

Out and ins w/box-30 

Single leg press- 10 (notice the change of order)

Leg press half reps- 20 (um ouch)

Hip abduction- 30  (last set!! YES)

Yes you still have to do your 5 min run before you start your 30min cardio. I find it helpful to save your favorite song on your iPod for this last push! Use the 30min post cardio to feel like a total badass and facebook me on how you feel! www.facebook.com/LabenderProbikini

Thanks for reading! Have a great day and train hard!! 

Hello! Happy Holidays! It's getting chilly outside and I don't know about you but I LOVE this time of year! Christmas music has been playing non stop in my car since Thanksgiving (maybe even on the iPod at the gym) And yes, I have been watching my favorite movie Elf as much as possible. Santaaaa! I KNOW HIM! Haha ok, anyway, I just wanted to update everyone with what I'm up to!  

The first show of the year is 10 weeks away and I'm so excited because it's here in Phoenix! What a great way to start the year with a competition right here in my hood After talking with my trainer, our goals with this show are to come in a little softer and with less muscle density. So prepping for this show will be unlike any other; it's strictly cardio, sprints, and newly added yoga. So basically I took out training and added in yoga. Sounds nice and easy but this is actually very hard for me! Without intense training with my trainer, it is hard to get in "show mode". I've gotten so used to doing the same routine and now that it's altered, it's changed my mentality like crazy! But what's life without a little challenge right? So I am on my own for this show- no trainer in my ear! I am really testing my abilities as an athlete and a personal trainer myself for being show ready. I have to hold myself accountable and keep myself motivated everyday. Kinda scary but that's how you get stronger as an athlete and a professional, so I'm excited.

It's hard to accept that I will be ready for the show without my regular training.. I think it's because I love it so much! But I have to stay disciplined and not even look at a dumbbell for a looong time. I have a lot of muscle for a bikini competitor and it's important I don't get too muscular, which is easy for my body type and can make me look shorter than I already am (5'2). So I'm focusing on just keeping up with conditioning through cardio and sprints and getting elongated muscles through yoga.

Yoga is something I've always wanted to get in to so I made it part of my show prep. My goals with that are to elongate my muscles, and improve my flexibility and mental strength. I found a great studio near my place with some amazing instructors. If you start seeing lots of wisdom-ish quotes on my facebook page, then you know I probably just got out of yoga lol!

My diet is per usual- 6 small clean meals a day consisting of mostly veggies, complex carbs earlier in the day, and lean proteins. I have noticed that healthy fats don't work well for me so I supplement with fish oil. This weekend will be a challenge- I am visiting my home town in Seattle for Christmas! Hello temptation! My family is fully aware that I am prepping and they are super supportive so I am thankful for that  I will give myself some leeway on Christmas day but that's it! 

So that's it folks! Like I said, this show prep is NOTHING like I've ever done before and I'll be sure to keep you guys posted with how I'm doing. Thanks for reading and happy holidays!  

Hey folks! Tis the season and Muscle Milk has your back with their seasonal Eggnog flavor! Leave it to me to come up with a tasty recipe- Enjoy!

Muscle Milk Eggnog Frappe

Combine in a blender:

2 scoops Muscle Milk Eggnog protein powder

1/2 cup brewed cold coffee (substitute with water if you don't like coffee)

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

6 ice cubes

Dash of nutmeg and cinnamon

I also tried it with 2 tbsp of pumpkin puree and it was AMAZING!

Get your hands on this delicious flavor at bodybuilding.com! http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/cs/milk.html

I've never posted a workout before, so I figured it's about time! My favorite days at the gym are glutes n hams days. It's the toughest area for women to get tight so it's important to work em hard! Here's what I did the other day, make sure to use weights that are challenging enough to where the last couple reps are almost impossible. The rest periods between sets are short-- intensity is important for the best results, push yourself! Also, proper form is vital here- never let your knees go over your toes in any movement, keep your butt back, and always push through your heels. Enjoy!

Warm-up- 50 walking lunges (25 each leg)

Set 1- 3x

Single leg hack leg-press w/foot on top of the platform - 12 reps followed by double leg- 12 full reps followed by 20 half reps (bottom to mid range)

SS 1 min. jump squats

Set 2 

Hip abductor 4x30 (15sec rest between sets)

Set 3- 3x

Set 4- 3x

Box jumps w/ hands on head x25

SS barbell straight leg deadlift x30 

Set 5

Hip abductors 4x30 (15sec rest between sets)

Finish with 30min fast walk on the tredmill- high incline and no hands!

Hopefully that makes sense lol.. And hopefully you get some sore buns of steel like I did from this Train hard!!

What is the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning?

I ask this question to a lot of people and had it up on Facebook and Twitter the other day. It’s always fun to see what people’s responses are and 99% of the time it’s about responsibility. The FIRST thing that enters most people’s mind in the morning is what they have to do that day, and hurry hurry hurry to get it done. Hello stressful/anxiety/not so fun day. Not to say that you automatically will have a bad day if you go straight into your responsibility thoughts, but you're probably not reaching your full potential of a great day if you do! 

While it is great to be a responsible person and all, why not take a second in the morning, Peter Pan yourself a little, and “think happy thoughts”? You have all day to think about what your next step is going to be. Why not use YOUR morning, first thing, and think about something random that makes you happy? You would be surprised the effect it will have on the rest of your day.

To jump start your brain, try leaving something around your bed that makes you happy so that when you open your eyes, boom there it is. Personally, I have a daily calendar on my nightstand with motivational quotes on each page. Reading those FIRST thing when I wake up in the morning helps me reflect on life for a few minutes, be thankful for everything I have, and then I’m excited to get out of bed and tackle the day! All the lemons life throws are caught, and made into lemonade! Bob Marley’s, “Don’t Worry be Happy” is the theme song for the day! You get the idea

I challenge you all to make an effort when you wake up tomorrow morning to think happy thoughts and reflect a little bit on all the great things life has given you. It can take as little as 5 minutes if you want! As your day goes on, you will start to notice that everything you have to do becomes everything you get to do. Your perspective switches gear and all of a sudden you’re having more good days than bad.

Having a great day is pretty simple. Starting it off right is just the beginning, but I promise it will make a huge difference!

Thanks for reading, have a great day!

For some reason, I've seen a lot of rah-rah about abs lately. All of it is very general information for the mainstream audience claiming to give you the "ultimate guide to 6 pack abs" where you do a series of different ab exercises. While those exercises have their place in any workout regimen, don't be fooled into thinking that the perfect ab routine is gonna get them poppin. The one constant that I 100% agree with (which is not always advertised) is that abs are made in the kitchen!! Let me give you the scoop on what MY body needs to SEE six-pack abs:

I have been well on my way dieting and training for the Phoenix Pro, August 27th, seeing my abs pop a little more every day. It was awesome! During a week where we went heavy, my trainer and I decided to add a SMIDGEN of extra oatmeal to my lunch (post workout meal) so I could restore glycogen and build muscle. After 3 days of this, goodbye lines in abs It is crazy how even a small amount of carbs made such a difference in my midsection (especially when I had been on very low carbs for the past 2 weeks). It's not like I completely lost definition, but it definitely smoothed me out. However, it did fill out my shoulders and made my workouts better (which was the point).

The reason I'm sharing this is because I want you all to know that abs are pesky little things (unless you are an ectomorph) that take a lot of discipline to bring out. For me, they take lots of depletion (carb AND sodium cutting) to really bring out definition. Yes, I would love to see them everyday, but I have to be realistic. No one wants to be depleted for too long, it's not efficient! The recipe that works for MY body to really bring out a six pack is this- asparagus and tilapia. Boom. Yeah it sucks, but that's what works for me! And let me tell you, when on stage or at a photo shoot, the last thing I care about is my diet. I want to look my BEST no matter what it takes. And when you have a stubborn body like myself, asparagus and tilapia is what it takes! Of course, it is not a long term diet, it is only for about a week. I am hoping, and very certain, that the more my body matures and the more muscle I put on, the less depletion it will take to maintain a lean physique. But for now? Depletion it is!

As always, feel free to post comments/questions! I love to chat