EVERYDAYHEROES

By Jennifer Cho Salaff

FUELED BY MAX MUSCLE

Athletes from different sports share who they are, how they succeed and what Max Muscle products they take to help them be the best they can be.
Though Ambrosia Anderson has played
basketball almost her entire life, it wasnt until recently that she had an A-ha moment about her sport. I had this epiphany, she says. I really love basketball. I know that sounds funny, but all my life I was told, Its something you do on the side, but now Im seeing the creativity of it, the fact that every day is different you can try a different move, you can affect your team in different ways and you can accomplish something different each time. For the 6-foot-1 Anderson, a former WNBA player who now plays forward for Elizur Netanya in the Israel Basketball Cup, this new appreciation for basketball comes as she reflects on her globetrotting career. From Hawaii, Colorado and Utah to Minnesota and Connecticut and then Greece, Portugal and now Israel, Anderson says its been quite a ride. It all started one afternoon in the fourth grade when she brought home a flyer from school. The local police athletic league was offering a basketball clinic for youngsters. Anderson, who was always one of the tallest girls in class, was intrigued. My mom said, Sure, you can do it, and I just fell in love, the 28-year-old Hawaii native remembers. A few years later, displaying obvious talent and passion for the game, Anderson and her mother moved to Colorado Springs to pursue basketball
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Ambrosia Anderson, 28 Professional Basketball Player; Laie, Hawaii

on a travelling team. As a star player for Thomas B. Doherty High School, she started getting noticed by college teams like UCLA, Stanford and Rice. Anderson, a devout Mormon, eventually chose Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. At BYU, she appeared in 120 games and averaged 10.7 points per game (PPG) and 5.3 rebounds per game (RPG) during her career with the Cougars. Anderson had a phenomenal senior year at BYU. She led in both scoring (18.7 PPG) and rebounding (7.4 RPG). In the Mountain West Conference, she was ranked second in scoring average and third in rebounding. As a result of her stellar season, Anderson was named Mountain West Conference Co-Player of the Year and All-Mountain West Conference First Team in 2006. She also became one of only 18 players in BYU womens basketball history to surpass the 1,000-point mark. She was also named a Kodak All-American Honorable Mention the same year.

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She was the 17th pick in the second round of the 2006 WNBA draft. All that summer, Anderson went through a whirlwind being drafted, picked, waived then traded. She had a brief career with teams like the Minnesota Lynx and Connecticut Sun, and by the winter of 2008, she was playing overseas, first for the Siemens team in Greece then the Portugal championship team, Olivais Coimbra. You get paid more, significantly more, Anderson says matter-of-factly. In a month and half overseas, you can make more than what you would make during a year in the WNBA. Anderson has found much success playing in Europe. She was named Portugal Player of the Year, Forward of the Year, Import Player of the Year and First Team Player. During the 20092010 season, she helped the Israeli team Ramat Hasharon to win the Championship and National Cup. Anderson says life in Israel feels familiar even a bit like her Hawaii home thanks to the sundrenched beaches and near-perfect weather. Its a little bit like a home away from home. I love Israel, she says. Its unbelievable, running on the beach with the dog. Its so gorgeous here. How does she stay motivated and inspired? Her faith is a big factor. Im very religious, Anderson says. I love reading the works of Jesus Christ. Its also a numbers game making sure her stats are desirable. You can have nine or 10 point games, its OK, Anderson says. But if youre starting to average that, its not so good. I have to stay 17 points per game so next year, I get the attention of more competitive teams. For me, Im a scorer. I love offense. Thats who I am.
Workout schedule: During basketball season, run two miles, three times a week (usually on the beach); lift weights three times a week (not to bulk up, but to maintain strength); practice on the court 1-1 hours, five days a week. Diet regimen: Pretty simple diet oatmeal for breakfast; turkey breast sandwich with apple, carrot, and a lot of water for lunch; take protein (Pro 360 or MaxPro protein powder); salmon or chicken breast with mashed potatoes for dinner; for snacks, usually pretzels, cottage cheese, rice crackers, raisins or trail mix. Favorite cheat meal: Pizza Hut pizza Favorite Max Muscle products: MaxPro (vanilla), ARM (strawberry), FBX, Xtinguisher (fruit punch). How has Max Muscle helped you? I get a sense of home whenever I see a Max Muscle store, be it in California, Oregon or Utah. The staff at Max Muscle are very informative. I learned a lot about my body and what it needs to perform at a very high level. Its a family that Im happy to be a part of. I love representing Max Muscle wherever I go and sharing the information Ive learned.
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Workout schedule: Work out in the gym with coach, two days a week (bench, squats, heavy lifting, etc.); I do my own workouts (hamstrings, shoulders, back) for 3-hour sessions, 2 to 3 days a week; throw discus four days a week. Diet regimen: I eat relativity clean and I usually eat every 2 to 3 hours. However, I also eat whatever else I want (luxury of being a thrower). Breakfast is usually 4 eggs and 4 pieces of turkey bacon, a bagel and a large glass of milk. Snack is a piece of fruit with peanut butter and a granola bar. Lunch is typically lean turkey, beef or pork with a green vegetable and rice. Afternoon snack is a MaxPro protein shake and a piece of fruit. Dinner is lean turkey, beef, pork or fish, green vegetable or salad, and rice with large glass of milk. Bedtime snack is a Max Gourmet protein shake, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or a small meal like I would have for lunch or dinner. Favorite cheat meal: Wendys or Popeyes chicken Supplements: 3-6-9 Fish Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Max Vit-Acell, Vit-Acell Energy, Joint Relief, L-Tox, Full Blown Extreme, EXT, CX3, BCAA powder, ARM, MaxPro (banana) Favorite Max Muscle supplement stack: Post-workout stack of ARM, CX3, BCAA What does being a part of Team Max mean to you? Its an honor to be a part of Team Max. Plus, getting the nutrition that I need, whether its in a pre-workout drink or a protein shake, I know Max Muscle's products are the best on the market and I dont have to worry about failing a drug test!

PERHAPS IT WAS written long ago that

Lance Brooks was destined to become a worldclass athlete. Born on New Years Day in 1984, the Illinois-native was 22 inches long and weighed a whopping 10 pounds. His remarkable entrance into the world included a footprint so big it barely fit on his birth certificate. As a child, Brooks was an Eagle Scout, a star baseball and basketball player, and competed in track and field, winning practically every meet he entered and breaking high school records in the discus throw. Today, at 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds with a Greek god-like physique, Brooks is the No. 3 ranked discus thrower in the United States and No. 24 in the world. Hes currently training to qualify for the 2012 USA Olympic team. One of Brooks lifetime goals is to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games in London this summer. The Olympics is one of those things that not many people get the opportunity to try, let alone make the team, says Brooks. I know I can do it. I have a lot of people supporting me. It makes a difference when you have family and friends rooting for you. Though Brooks missed making the 2008 Olympics for discus throwing by 26 inches, it only encouraged him to work harder to make this years team. His personal throwing best is 64.79 meters (212 feet) the length of more than two basketball courts. Whats special about throwing the discus? Its one of those things, the harder you try, the less you get out of it, says Brooks. You cant over think it. You want to stay relaxed. If youre not mentally ready, youre not going to perform well.
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Lance Brooks, 28, New Berlin, Illinois Discus thrower and Olympic hopeful

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Phil Kniep, 28, Lincoln, Nebraska CrossFit Athlete

Workout schedule: Monday: strength work; three CrossFit workouts throughout the day Tuesday: gymnastics work; two CrossFit workouts throughout the day Wednesday: strength work; three CrossFit workouts throughout the day Thursday: rest Friday: strength/gymnastics; one to two CrossFit workouts throughout the day Saturday: gymnastics work; one CrossFit workout Sunday: rest Diet regimen: Strict Paleo diet of entirely non-processed foods, lean meats (wild-caught fish, chicken, grass-fed beef), vegetables, fruits, nuts/seeds. No grains, legumes, sugars or dairy. Favorite cheat meal: Pizza Favorite Max Muscle products: Triple Whey Protein and Max ZMA What does being a part of Team Max mean to you? If it wasnt for the great team at Max Muscle Lincoln (Nebraska), I wouldnt be able to reach my full recovery potential to train hard every day. Im honored to be a part of Team Max.

is much more than a way to stay in optimal shape. Its a sport that takes his body to the edge of its limits. What the 28-year-old Lincoln, Nebraska resident loves is constantly training for the unknown. Youre pushing yourself not just physically, but mentally to finish these workouts, says Kniep, a top CrossFit athlete whose accomplishments include winning first place at the 2011 North Central Regional Reebok CrossFit Games. Im a very competitive person and this sport brings that element out of a person. Youre always wanting to beat your old score every single day. Developed nearly 20 years ago by a former gymnast from Santa Cruz, California, CrossFit is a conditioning program that mixes Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, calisthenics, gymnastics, plyometrics and other harder-

FOR PHIL KNIEP, CrossFit

to-categorize movements like climbing rope and carrying medicine balls. The workouts are typically short 20 minutes or less and intense, demanding all-out physical exertion. These elements are combined in various segments which CrossFit, athletes call Workouts of the Day or WOD. The WODs are constantly changing, making CrossFit attractive to those who get bored easily by long, monotonous fitness regimens. Thats the beauty of CrossFit workouts, Kniep says. You get amazing results in less time. Kniep, who played football at the University of Nebraska and later served as a firefighter for the Lincoln Fire Department, was first introduced to CrossFit in 2008 by a fellow firefighter. Kniep is the co-founder and co-owner of CrossFit Lincoln and is currently training for the Reebok CrossFit World Games in Southern California, a venue styled to determine the Fittest on Earth. Last year, Kniep competed in his very first Games and placed 37th. This year, he has his sights set on making the top 10. Whats his advice to athletes who aspire to compete at his level? There is something to be said about hard work, Kniep says. You have to put the time in to achieve your dreams. However, the work needs to be quality work. You have to be efficient in your exercises, practicing full range of motion. Otherwise youre wasting your time. MS&F
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