Latest news with #LIFT
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Yes, You Can Get Strong in Just 30 Minutes
People assume I spend hours in the gym. Sometimes I do. But often, I'm just like anyone else — squeezing in a workout between dinner and dishes, or ducking into my basement for a quick session after school drop-off and before a cascade of Zoom calls. As I explore in my new book LIFT, strength doesn't require endless time or fancy equipment. It's about building what you can, where you are, with what you have. And the truth is, 30 minutes is enough — if you move with intention. Here's my rule of thumb to make all your efforts impactful, no matter how truncated: Aim to feel like you're working at an 8 or 9 out of 10 by the end of each set. That's where real changes happen — not just physically, but mentally, too. I know it's easy to feel overwhelmed by fitness messaging. So much of it makes us believe we need more: more time, more stuff, more motivation. However, what I've learned competing as a professional bodybuilder at the age of 50 is that you don't need much to start feeling stronger and more connected to your body. In fact, when I began viewing exercise and nutrition as a way to nourish, build, and expand myself, instead of a means to slim down, everything shifted. You might think 50 is too late for real transformation, but my physical strength has grown, as has my confidence. Taking up space, in every sense, has brought more clarity, energy, and joy into my life. Strength is possible at any age. And in 30 minutes, you can begin to feel steadier, more energized, and empowered in your own skin. You can begin with just your bodyweight — or even a couple of soup cans. But if you're looking to add a few small tools, I recommend: A few pairs of dumbbells (5, 10, 15, and maybe 20 lbs) A resistance band An incline bench I like to keep things simple by following a 3-by-3 formula:3 exercises per workout3 sets of 10 repetitions It's a manageable, effective structure that anyone can fit into their day — no matter how busy, tired, or out of practice you might feel. Below is a 3-day weekly routine you can do at home or in the gym: Focus: Building upper-body strength Incline Dumbbell Press Targets: Chest, shoulders, triceps Overhead Dumbbell Shoulder Press Targets: Shoulders, arms Triceps Dips (use a bench) Targets: Arms, chest Optional Finisher:Push-ups: 3 sets of as many as possible. Regular or knees down. Focus: Strengthening your back and arms, improving posture Bent-Over Dumbbell Rows Targets: Upper back, shoulders Hammer Curls Targets: Biceps, forearms Superman Hold (or Lat Pulldown if at the gym) Targets: Back, core, posture muscles Optional Finisher:Try hanging from a bar for 20–30 seconds to stretch and decompress. Focus: Supporting mobility, balance, and everyday strength Goblet Squats (with or without weight) Targets: Legs, glutes, core Romanian Deadlifts (with dumbbells) Targets: Hamstrings, hips, lower back Plank Row (or modified version on knees) Targets: Core, back, arms Optional Finisher:Wall sit for 45–60 seconds—great for building endurance and stability. Rest: 30–60 seconds between sets Make it your own: Start slow, go lighter, or modify movements as needed Progress over perfection: The goal isn't intensity—it's consistency Anne Marie Chaker is a journalist, professional bodybuilder, and author of LIFT: How Women Can Reclaim Their Physical Power and Transform Their Lives, which Mel Robbins calls a 'game changer,' and has been praised by both Billie Jean King and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The post Yes, You Can Get Strong in Just 30 Minutes appeared first on Katie Couric Media.
The Standard
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Standard
Second phase of JC PROJECT LIFT reaches out to more grassroots families
HKSAR Government Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho (centre), Club Steward Philip Lo (left), and JC PROJECT LIFT Advisory Committee Convenor Clement Cheung (right) officiate at the 'LIFT Together LIVE Better: The new chapter begins with you' ceremony.
Barnama
19-06-2025
- Business
- Barnama
LIFT Rolls Out Traveller-friendly Initiative Ahead Of Borneo Flora Festival
LABUAN, June 19 (Bernama) -- The operator of the Labuan International Ferry Terminal (LIFT) is rolling out a traveller-friendly initiative to better serve passengers heading to mainland Sabah and Sarawak. Branded 'Kita Mudahkan Perjalanan Anda' (We Make Your Journey Easier), the campaign aims to encourage greater use of the passenger ferry service, which resumed operations on May 28. LDA Holdings Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Noor Halim Zaini said the ferry will operate daily until August 3, in support of the upcoming Borneo Flora Festival 2025, an event expected to draw thousands of visitors to the duty-free island.
Business Insider
17-06-2025
- Health
- Business Insider
A woman switched from a desk job to bodybuilding in her mid-40s with 4 simple strategies. It revitalized her life.
When Anne Marie Chaker felt like her life was falling apart, bodybuilding lifted her out of a slump. Despite a successful, prestigious career in journalism, Chaker said her 40s hit with "every kind of horrible, terrible thing that could happen": postpartum depression, severe insomnia, a growing drinking habit, and a disintegrating marriage. While traveling to coach at a tournament for her daughter's hockey team, Chaker decided to hit the treadmill at the hotel gym. She found destiny instead, in the form of a jacked hockey mom whose daughter was on the same team as Chaker's. "The combination of know-how, how she was crushing this workout, and her muscles, I thought, "that is what I want to be," Chaker said. After learning her new friend did bodybuilding competition, Chaker got the name of her coach and reached out. From there, she started moving heavy weights, eating more protein, and eventually competing in natural bodybuilding, ranking high enough she earned the right to enter pro competitions. The former Wall Street Journal reporter said the pivot changed her life, not just her physique. "I would hit the gym, come back to my desk and I could even hear it in my voice. I sounded much more confident," she told Business Insider. Chaker, now 50, is author of the new book " LIFT," which is part personal story, part deep dive into the history of women's fitness, and part roadmap to "beasting out," building muscle, strength, and confidence. Simple changes like strength training, eating more, and working with a coach helped Chaker learn to take up space for herself instead of striving to be skinny and demure. "As women, we should capitalize on our strength and stop listening to the bullshit that we need to be small and thin," she said. Ditching cardio and picking up weights Chaker said she was initially deterred from heavy strength training by the persistent myth that lifting weights will make women bulky (or that it's a bad thing for women to get swole). But when she started with the basics, like deadlifts, squats, and presses, it became clear that she was getting leaner and stronger without hours on a treadmill. And forget light weight, high reps for muscle "toning." "Cardio, which I thought was the main thing, that didn't even enter the picture," she said. "It was all about lifting heavy weights." Beyond the physical benefits, Chaker said lifting weights helped her stay focused and gave her a stronger sense of purpose too. "Finding strength training was really a way for me to connect not just to my body, but also to my mind and my spirit," she said. "I feel like a completely different person after a good lift." Eating more was a game changer Prior to bodybuilding, Chaker said her approach to food was as an afterthought, grazing on leftover bites from her kids' plates or whatever convenience meals she could find on the go. It was a shock to find consuming too few calories and nutrients had held her back from building muscle and strength, since years of diet culture had reinforced the misconception that eating less was healthier. "It didn't even occur to me that I wasn't eating enough," she said. Prioritizing whole food and plenty of protein made it easier to cut back on junk and even curb her drinking, according to Chaker. "Feeling satiated helped wean me off of craving alcohol," she said. Forget long weekend workouts — small bouts of daily exercise make the difference Chaker quickly learned that even as a competitive bodybuilder, she didn't need to drop everything for elaborate gym routines. Chaker said her current routine involves about an hour a day lifting weights. Most people, especially beginners, can see major progress in much less time. As little as two strength training sessions a week can help build muscle, and half an hour is plenty of time to make progress, according to personal trainers. "You don't need hours on end," Chaker said. "Having that time and space, you alone with the bar 30 minutes, is finding this primal thing in you that can really reshape your mindset." You can transform your body at any age Starting out (or getting back) in strength training can feel intimidating, particularly for women. But, Chaker said, it's never too late to focus on fitness. People in their 50s, 60s, and 70s can excel at exercise. Chaker said, in her experience, older athletes benefit from having more life experience: she's stood onstage next to women years younger than her in bodybuilding competitions, and won. "I had the advantage because you could see the years of athleticism on my physique. The muscles are more developed, they're tougher," she said.
The Courier
05-06-2025
- Business
- The Courier
Conman who bought £140k Perth house through fraudulent scheme given unpaid work
A crooked landlord who exploited a Scottish Government scheme designed for first-time buyers to purchase a £140,000 house in Perth has been ordered to complete unpaid work. Raza Hussain used fake bank statements and lied about his employment to secure funding from the government's LIFT initiative. The scheme was set up to help first-time buyers get on the property ladder. But 31-year-old Hussain already owned a house in Aberdeen when he applied for funding. He further duped the Nationwide Building Society into giving him a mortgage. A criminal investigation later uncovered the father-of-two had not moved into the property at Glengarry Road but was instead renting it out to someone else. Hussain, from Perth, previously pled guilty to running a fraudulent scheme between July 1 and September 26 2019. He returned to the dock this week and was sentenced to unpaid work. Prosecutor Emma Farmer told Perth Sheriff Court: 'The Lift scheme is a low-cost initiative to help first time buyers get onto the property ladder. 'Shared equity owners are not permitted to let out their property under any circumstances.' She said Hussain's application was assessed by a Scottish Government agent and approved on July 25 2019. 'He stated on the form that he was a first-time buyer,' said Ms Farmer. 'But this appears not to be true as he had previously bought a property in Aberdeen.' Hussain secured £48,300 of government funding for the three-bedroom home in Perth's Glengarry Road. He later secured a £82,800 mortgage from the Nationwide Building Society, and bought the property with a £6,900 deposit from his parents. Ms Farmer said attempts were made by the Nationwide's financial crime department to contact Hussain's employer. 'This was to verify his employment,' she said. 'However, this was unsuccessful.' His application was put on hold and payslips were requested to show his income. However, the funding for the mortgage had already been released and could not be recalled. The fiscal depute said: 'During 2020, a member of the Scottish Government was contacted by police in relation to an investigation into Mr Hussain, regarding concerns about his banking activity. 'It transpired he was on the landlord register and was renting out the property.' When quizzed about this Hussain said he had served notice on the tenant and that he would move in after they had moved out but he was unable to provide any proof of this. Hussain also produced bank statements to government officials, showing monthly salary payments of £1,992 from a company in Paisley. 'It later transpired that the true bank statements did not disclose this income,' said Ms Farmer. 'He declared an income of £30,000 per annum but could provide no evidence of this.' The court heard Hussain now faces Proceeds of Crime action, although this has been put on hold until later in the year to give Police Scotland's financial investigations unit time to complete their probe. A lawyer for Hussain said: 'He fully accepts what he did and faces up to his responsibilities.' Sheriff David Hall told Hussain: 'Clearly this is a serious matter. 'You were fully aware that what you were doing was fraudulent, due to the fact that you had already purchased a property and were not a first-time buyer.' He added: 'You have no criminal convictions and this offence is quite old, so I can deal with it today in a way that allows you to remain at liberty.' Hussain, of Fairies Road, Perth, was sentenced to carry out 235 hours of unpaid work as a direct alternative to custody.
