FitSugar

Get on the Ball: Bicycle Crunch

FitSugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:30:00 PDT

Not having a ball while you work your abs? Then try this fun variation of the bicycle crunch. It will not only work your abs and obliques, but since you're holding an exercise ball with your feet you'll work your hamstrings and inner thighs, too. Talk about an effective exercise. I highly recommend wearing sneakers to help you grip the ball.

Music: "The Moldau" by Bedřich Smetana

To learn how to do this ab exercise

Stand in front of an exercise ball. Lie on your back on a mat or rug with your knees bent, and your feet straddling the ball. Lift your feet off the ground and gently squeeze either side of the ball.
Bend your elbows and bring your hands behind your head for support.
Now engage your abs and lift the ball off the ground with your knees bent. Keeping the ball between your feet, slowly draw your right knee in toward your chest and extend your left foot away from you. Twist your torso and cross your left elbow to meet your right knee. Then extend your right leg out, bend your left knee toward your chest and touch your right elbow to your knee.
Do 20 to 25 reps total, alternating between each side.

No Equipment Necessary: Bicycle Crunches

FitSugar — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 04:00:00 PST

Looking to get that six-pack? You can do regular crunches until the cows come home, but that can get pretty boring for you and your abs. Bicycle crunches are a great way to target the rectus abdominis (the "six pack") and the obliques (the "spare tire") in one easy exercise.

To learn how to do them just

Here's how:

Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground (pull your abs down to also target your deep abs).
Put your hands behind your head.
Bring your knees in towards your chest and lift your shoulder blades off the ground, but be sure not to pull on your neck.
Straighten your right leg out to about a 45-degree angle to the ground while turning your upper body to the left, bringing your right elbow towards the left knee. Make sure your rib cage is moving and not just your elbows.
Now switch sides and do the same motion on the other side to complete one rep (and to create the "peddling" motion).
Do three sets of 20 reps.

Fit's Tips: Speed is not the name of the game here, go slowly to focus on your form and your breathing. Also, it is not necessary to touch your elbows to your knees as this could cause strain in your neck.

Source

5 Ways to Spice Up Traditional Crunches

Lizzie Fuhr — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:09:58 PDT

If crunches are part of your regular fitness regimen, you may feel like this basic move could use fresh inspiration. If your ab routine is feeling a little dated, but you're not ready to give up crunches just yet, have no fear. Here are five easy ways to spice up everyday crunches.

Take a twist on the tradition: Crunches are even better when you mix up the movement to target different areas of your abs. Target obliques by doing a few sets of bicycle crunches or seated Russian twists.
Grab a partner: If you typically go it solo, find a friend and bring some new motivation to the exercise. Your partner can grab your feet and make sure you've got the right technique that will engage your core and tighten things up. Or, do crunches side by side for a little healthy competition!
Bring out the ball: It's been proven that crunches on the exercise ball are the most effective, making abs work at least 24 percent harder than being on the mat. You may have dropped crunches on the ball from your workouts, but there's no better time than now to hop on board and make them part of your routine. Work your upper abs by doing crunches on an exercise ball.

Keep reading for two more ways to freshen up your crunches.

One Leg Is Less Flexible, Is This Normal?

Jenny Sugar — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 19:34:36 PDT

Is one of your legs always stiffer and won't stretch or move as far as the other one? You're not alone. Flexibility and range of motion differences between the sides of our bodies is very common. The problem is, this can set you up for an injury.

In general, we all have a dominant leg just as most folks have a dominant hand. If you notice one leg is more flexible than the other, it means you're overusing it, putting extra stress on that leg's muscles, joints, and the soft tissues surrounding them. This leads to tight muscles and a postural imbalance that can cause pain or a repetitive stress injury, aka an overuse injury.

Being aware of the discrepancy is the best way to start. Practicing yoga and Pilates are great tools, as they will encourage you focus on strengthening and stretching each side of your body. None of us are symmetrical, but these two forms of exercise help correct faulty alignment and posture. If you can spring for it, see a yoga or Pilates instructor for a few private sessions. A good instructor will help you understand where you're tight and where you're weak, and suggest moves to target those areas.

In the gym, one-legged strengthening exercises can help your weaker leg catch up with the one that's stronger. Try One-Legged Balancing Windmill to even out your legs, and if one of your arms is stronger, try these variations of Side Plank. Rolling out tight muscles with a foam roller might also help. And don't forget about your core. Do exercises that target the sides of your torso, like the basic Bicycle Crunch, to ensure your abdominal muscles are as balanced as possible.

The Biggest Reasons Your Ab Exercises Aren't Working

Prevention — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 04:25:40 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

If you're struggling to see your six-pack, you could be making one of these mistakes.

By Jenna Bergen, Prevention

As the weather warms and Spring break approaches, we're all forced to do that same rather scary thing: unearth the bathing suit and take a good, hard look in the mirror. I did it just last week and was relieved to see that my job as the fitness editor at Prevention had kept my abs from going too far south. Still, given all the hours I clock at the gym, I wouldn't mind seeing a little more definition. That's when I realized I needed to fine-tune my game. If you've been putting in the effort and still don't have the abs you're after, take heart - you're not alone. Here are four top slipups that mess with your six-pack - plus expert fixes to get you back on track.

Your Form Is Sloppy
"The wrong form can turn an effective move into one that won't do anything for you," says personal trainer Jessica Smith Gomez, costar of the 10 Minute Solution: Best Belly Blasters. A few of the most common mistakes: pulling on your neck (which allows your abs to slack off), using momentum rather than muscle strength (again, a freebie pass for the abs), sagging your hips in plank, and not keeping them pulled in during every move. "You must control your abdominal wall to get any real benefit," says Erin O'Brien, creator of Kristi Yamaguchi: Power Workout and Strong Body Ageless Body. Not sure how you're doing? Check your form in a mirror.

Keep reading for two more reasons your ab exercises aren't working!

Banish That Belly in 3 Easy Steps

Michele Foley — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 02:00:25 PST

Belly bulge. Muffin top. Love handles. There are a lot of names for that extra jiggle in the middle. Instead of nicknaming belly fat, let's get rid of it! And while having a flat, toned stomach may seem like a quest for the Holy Grail, it's not. First you need to understand why you have belly fat. After that, follow these three basic tips to banish it for good.

Eat the right foods. Having a healthy diet is an easy first step to banishing the bulge. Practice portion control, eat whole foods, and make sure your diet is a healthy balance of carbs, protein, and (good) fat. There are also foods, like whole grains, which help people lose belly fat.
Cardio, baby! If you want to slim down your midsection, it's time to step up your cardio in a major way. High-intensity activities like spinning, interval training, and running are all good ways to get a handle on your love handles.
Tone up. Listen closely: limiting yourself to ab exercises does not make a flat belly. It's a healthy diet and a solid routine of cardio that is going to help you drop the pounds. But toning your midsection and back area will sculpt your body, which helps you look slimmer. And by the time you drop all your belly fat, you'll be left with a drool-worthy six-pack. Zing!

Simple Ways to Make Sure Your Bike Fits Your Body

Susi May — Wed, 11 May 2011 09:00:00 PDT

The merry month of May is also National Bike Month. So hop on your bicycle to celebrate. Don't worry if it has been years since you pedaled about town, because the good thing about cycling is ~~it's just like riding a bike~~ that you never forget how to ride one. However, the proper fit can make your return to two wheels much more pleasant. Here are few simple ways to size up your cycle.

Bike Height: Let's start with the bike itself. You should be able to stand over the bike without making contact with the top tube while both feet should be on the ground. If this is not the case, the bike is probably too big for you, and this can compromise your safety.
Seat Height: Adjust the seat of the bike so when you're pedaling your knee is just shy of being totally straight on the down stroke. Your knees should never lock! If this seems too simple, there are at least three different equations for determining seat height should you feel like crunching some numbers before your next ride. My inner geek finds these methods fascinating, but I just measure the height with my knees.
Saddle Comfort: Saddle is "bike-speak" for seat. You want a saddle that cradles your pelvic bones. You might think a cushy, soft seat is the way to go, but these can restrict blood flow due to compression and cause unwanted numbness. We like the leather saddles by Brooks. They're good looking, stiff, and mold to your bum.
Bike Helmet: You want your helmet snug but not too tight; if it's too small you can end up with a headache. You can customize the pads on the inside of the helmet to get a sweet fit. Do make sure the chin strap is not too loose; you should only be able fit one finger between your chin and the strap.

Enjoy the ride!

Tone, Sculpt, and Burn: Diesel Motivation at Crunch

Michele Foley — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 01:43:18 PDT

Fans of circuit training will love the latest class offering from Crunch Gym: Diesel Motivation. The hour-long class is fast paced, challenging, and, best of all, a total-body workout. Expect to leave sweaty and sore.

If you're not familiar with circuit training, exercises are performed one after the other with no rest in between the moves. In Diesel Motivation, that breaks down to a mix of strength training moves intermixed with sets of high-intensity cardio. For the class, each student needs two sets of dumbbells (both a heavier and lighter set), a Bosu ball, a barbell, and a gliding disc.

Though no class is exactly alike, the same formula is always followed: class starts with a five-minute warmup consisting of light cardio and dynamic stretches followed by the meat of the workout and then a short 10-minute cooldown consisting of deep static stretches. Between the warming up and cooling down, the instructor leads the class through a series of back-to-back strength moves that focus on one area of the body, which is then followed by an intense two-minute burst of cardio (usually 30-second sets of jumping jacks, ice skaters, jump rope, and boxing moves). This intense cycle continues for about 45 minutes; the idea is that by the end of the class, you'll have worked every muscle group of the body. As for the strength training moves, it's about maximizing results - supersets of compound exercises. Some typical moves are lunges with bicep curls, sumo squats with arm raises, and push-ups performed on the Bosu.

See what I think of Diesel Motivation after the break!

7 Ways to Maximize Your Strength Training Workout

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:01:41 PDT

Before heading to the office, you have just enough time to hit the gym for a strength training session. Since you don't have time to mess around, here are ways you can get the most out of your toning workout.

Lift at least twice a week. Once a week is better than nothing, but in order to reap the benefits of strength training, put the time in at least two days a week. Avoid more than three lifting sessions a week as it won't allow enough recovery time in between workouts, which is essential in building muscle.
Lift enough weight to make it worthwhile. You'll know you have the right set of weights when your muscles feel fatigued after three sets of about eight to 12 reps. Don't be married to this size dumbbell. Respond to your stronger muscles by gradually increasing the weight you lift over time.
Multitask. Exercises that target more than one group of muscles such as bicycle abs with pec fly or plank opposite limb extensions are big time savers.

Read on for more strength training tips.

Work Out With Beyoncé

Self — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 05:13:30 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar!

Queen B released her fourth album - appropriately titled 4 - yesterday and, surprisingly, it's more slow-burning ballads than booty-shaking anthems. Still, the always-inspiring singer knows how to motivate us in the gym.

Beyonce, who has graced our cover no less than three times, has told us plenty about how she gets her bootylicious bod into shape. When she's gearing up for a tour (she killed it at England's Glastonbury Festival just this weekend), she works out five days a week with her trainer, and practices her choreography for nine hours a day, seven days a week--while wearing 5-inch stilettos. Her just-keep-going secret? The singer keeps a painting of an Oscar at the gym, so she's literally running towards her next goal. "I look at it, and I'm like OK, I have to stay in shape," she says. So download B's latest album, stick a picture of the chart-topper in your iPod case for extra motivation and hit the gym with this exclusive workout inspired by the singer.

Cardio
First, let's start with the cardio: for a quick, 15-minute warm-up that will get your heart pumping, kick off your jog with the Kelly Clarkson-channeling kiss-off "Best Thing I Never Had," followed by the percussion-driven "End of Time," the reggae-tinged, high-energy "Countdown" and, of course, B's new anthem, "Run The World (Girls)."

Get the rest of the workout after the break!