Snapshot + Universe + 1979 Article

silver SANDY BEACHES that melt into crystal-blue waters. Long, lazy days depleted basking in the warm island sun. Luaus boasting feasts fit for a king. Yes, the Hawaiian islands are an idyllic place to vacation, a place so nice that you may even wish you could stay there forever as you wistfully board your plane back home.

But living in this beautiful island paradise hasn't sheltered Hawaiians from a thoughtful fight texture waged on the mainland--the battle against obesity. In fact, The Centers for infirmity Control and Prevention report that 66% of native Hawaiians are considered either weighty or obese.

"I work for a health-care organization, and we didn't have a fitness center," says Kristi about the conjunction. "The students again wanted to retain a center, so we collaborated and opened one at the high school. I train the students during the day so I can tolerate passage [to the facility] for my district programs." (In the afternoons, Kristi leads company members through a program that includes strength screenings and activities like walking, jogging, perimeter training, Pilates, yoga, kickboxing, flexibility, hull pump and step aerobics.)

Kristi teaches two classes a day, each class made up of 10 students. "Since it's more for weight deprivation, the . teachers will send me whoever needs to grow. In the class they ask for volunteers, and accordingly out of the volunteers they pick who would benefit most."

While Kristi admits that participation varies from class to class (and that the girls are generally more accommodating than the boys), the program boasts some impressive success stories, including one novice who lost 60 pounds. "He was a freshman and pretty overweight when he first started coming to the fitness center," she recalls. "We don't train him here anymore, but he has continued running on his own."

She again teaches a especial-education aerobics class each day. These students, some of whom comprehend developmental as well as physical disabilities, have high levels of ambition. "They all have voluminous attitudes, but keeping them on task is the biggest challenge," she says. "They're all excited about it; they all have so much intensity."

MAKING heaven HOME

Kristi originally came to Hawaii in 1999 to squire Brigham Young University. disposed the choice between the university's Utah and Oahu campuses, the arbitration was easy for this Oregon native. And once she met Pati, a native Western Samoan whom she went on to marry, the deal was sealed--she distinct to compose the islands her home, and they settled in Oahu.

Her eventual invasion into NPC Figure competition began during an internship at Gold's Gym, when the maid who would later become her trainer, Debbie Bullman, suggested Kristi compete in the 2001 Hawaiian gale harmony Challenge. That contest, run by NPC bodybuilding antagonist Chris Faildo, includes a physique round and an obstacle course. Kristi, a high school athlete in basketball, volleyball, softball and track (rod-vaulting, high hurdles, low hurdles and relay), won both to take the overall title.

She went on to win Ms. Hawaiian Islands 2002 and placed fourth at the 2003 crew nature in the Figure short class. "I like the difficulty of dieting down, meeting challenges and having goals," she says of her string of early contest successes. decided to get her pro card, Kristi is instruction now for the 2005 company Universe.

She may be the ultimate fitness role model to the myriad students she teaches, but even Kristi has a deficiency that rears its head particularly during contest prep: a raging sweet tooth. "I was on a camping trip, and everyone was roasting up s'mores," she recalls. "I was dieting, so I put my protein bar at the end of a stick and roasted it so I could feel like a part of the group."

And just what does a roasted protein bar taste like? "Not too good," she says with a sigh. Good to know, Kristi. Good to know.

RELATED composition: SNAPSHOT

BIRTHDATE: Feb. 7, 1979

BIRTHPLACE: Dayton, Oregon

HEIGHT: 5'2 1/2"

WEIGHT: 104 pounds contest

MARITAL consequence: married to Pati Tauti

CURRENT occupation: Laie, Oahu, Hawaii

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2001 Hawaiian Hurricane health Challenge, overall champ; 2002 NPC Hawaiian Islands Figure champ; 2003 NPC company Universe Figure, 4th, short class.

TO CONTACT:

similar ARTICLE: 5 WAYS TO BATTLE BACK

1 Be a form junkie. You may enjoy construe it here a million times, but I can't stress it enough--if you're a beginner, start with a light, downy gravity and really accumulate on the form. Instead of worrying about how much weight you're lifting, focus on the feeling of the contraction in the targeted muscles. Of course, this is usually more of an issue for men than for women (in fact, women may repeatedly err too much on the side of lighter weights even when they're more progressive), but everyone should be a stickler for good exercise form.

2 Get in touch. If you have a friend, see him or her touch the center of your back during rows and pulldowns; concentrate on squeezing his or her assistance between your back muscles. This helps you absolutely shift your scapulae rearward, ensuring that your back muscles are working through a good range of motion.

3 Know your goals. Since my lower body is larger, I cultivate to go heavy when instruction my upper core to make my physique more balanced overall. But these are my goals. You should select rep and set ranges to follow what you want to perform. For instance, if you tend to gain muscle easily in your upper crux, compete for 12-15 reps per set instead of dropping into the 6-10 range. If a real bodypart lags behind the others, go at it with a mix of efficacy-oriented set and rep schemes (pyramiding up the weight while dropping reps from 10 to eight to six, for example) and additional exercises.

4 see a method to your madness. I start my back training with the twitch-up because it's the hardest of the five exercises I do. I finish with the deadlift because it targets my lower back. I need to maintain my lower-back vitality throughout the rehearsal so I can hold that legitimate arch in my spine during the fresh moves. Thus, it makes sense to save the direct work on that area until last.

5 Ban your biceps. Yes, it's fine to racket your biceps, but not at the value of your back. While you cannot perfectly reject the biceps kicking in during back moves (any exercise that involves bending the elbows will inherently engage them), you can minimize their activity with a few simple psychological tricks. On back moves, think of your artillery as simply "hooks" that connect your back muscles to the weight; keep your focus promptly on the action of your back as it flexes. And on pulldowns and get-ups, save your elbows pointed outward; don't let them track in and forward--that's a sign that your biceps are trying to take over (the closer your grip, the more your bi's are activated).

THE ROUTINE

EXERCISE SETS REPS

Pull-Up 3 10
One-Arm Dumbbell Row 3 10-12
Seated Row (cable or apparatus)* 3 12-15
Pulldown to Front* 3 10-12
Deadlift 3 12-15

*Not shown

education SPLIT

DAY BODYPARTS TRAINED

1 Shoulders, abs
2 Back
3 Abs
4 crate
5 Legs
6 Blceps, triceps, abs
7 Off

Kristi does some form of cardio every training day.

BY KRISTI TAUTI

pertinent ARTICLE: ONE-ARM DUMBBELL ROW

SET-UP: Stand to the nice of a flat chair. Place your liberal knee on the chair and lean forward from your hips until your torso is parallel to the chair. Place your progressive hand on the chair and grasp a dummy with your right hand, allowing it to dangle straight down from your shoulder. At this site your back should be positioned as shown and your abs should be pulled in to stabilize your torso.

MOVE: wrench the dummy up toward your side, your nudge pointing up (picture a tier from the ceiling to your shove, pulling it up) as your bear moves back and your shove blade shifts inward. Hold at the top for a count; accordingly lower the dumbbell back to the start. Complete all your reps on the equitable side, accordingly switch to the left.

similar ARTICLE: PULL-UP

SET-UP: Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than your shoulders, and execute from it with your arms straight. If your bar is low to the ground, bend your knees and cross your feet so that you clear the floor. Hold the arch in your back and angle your chest up so that your upper pecs are in a direct trajectory with the bar.

MOVE: Focusing on the contraction in your lats, pull your text up, aiming your chest toward the bar. Once you reach a apex as great as you can go, reverse the move, returning to an elbows-extensive, hanging position. Take the family slowly and control it--don't just drop into the bottom position, which would place extreme stress on your shoulder and shove joints. employ broad control on the way up and the way down.

RELATED ARTICLE: DEADLIFT

SET-UP: Stand with your about legs hip-diameter distant, feet flat, toes pointed out slightly. Bend your knees and lower your hips so that you're in a deep squat, with your hips lower than your shoulders. Grasp the bar using an overhand grip, lightly wider than where your shins touch the bar. Look forward and lug against the bar so there's no "slack" in your arms.

MOVE: Keep your abs tenacious and your back flat as you stand erect, holding the bar close to your legs as you drive your hips forward. From the top, reverse the motion and touch down for only a second before starting the next rep.

Carey Rossi is a freelance writer and editor living in Los Angeles.