FitSugar

Natalie Coughlin: From the Olympics to DWTS

FitSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:50:41 -0700

Last season on Dancing With the Stars, we saw gold medal gymnast Shawn Johnson win gold, and this year we're watching Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin compete on land.

She made it through the first week, dancing a salsa with Alec Mazo and wowed us last night with her quick step. Although busy dancing and rehearsing, Natalie took time out of her day to answer a few questions on topics ranging from Pilates to her opinion on the ban on high-tech swimsuits.

To learn what Natalie has to say, just read more.

FitSugar: I have read that you do Pilates. How does this method of exercise help your swimming? Since it is somewhat dance-based, do you think it will help you on DWTS?
Natalie Coughlin: Pilates is an awesome cross-training exercise for any sport because it focuses on functional movement. It relies on strength along with flexibility, which is perfect for both swimming and dance. My two favorite pieces of equipment are the Balanced Body Exo Chair and Pilates Arc. I personally own both, and they make a nice addition to my home gym.

FS: I loved your "I'm a runner" piece in Runner's World. Do you still run regularly? Do you ever participate in road races? Were you able to run before your wedding ceremony?
NC: My first and only road race was the H2O Audio Surf Monkey last month, which was a 5K run on a mixture of sand, cobbled rock, and pier. It was so much fun, although I had no idea how to run on sand or cobbled rock! A few days before my wedding, I got a little overzealous with my running and ended up straining my right obliques, which forced me to take a bit of a break. Oops! I still love running, but I'm currently spending five to six-plus hours dancing every day, so I'm taking a break. I don't think it would be a good idea to add any unnecessary stress to my feet or legs.

FS:Your swimming career has spanned two Olympics, and you're planning to compete in 2012 - how do you maintain focus in training over those four-year periods?
NC: My focus is constantly evolving. I took three months off immediately following the Athens Games and returned to competition with a series of two-day meets throughout the world. The short format of the meets along with the world travel kept me motivated and interested in swimming. After Beijing, I needed a much longer break both mentally and physically because I have been competing for 21 years now! Dancing With the Stars is providing me with an amazing competitive outlet in something so different than my sport.

FSWhat's your favorite core exercise?
NC: I use the TRX suspension system for strength training and I absolutely love the atomic push-up because it's a killer exercise that works your entire core and upper body.

FS: Is your running playlist different from your swimming playlist? If so, how?
NC: Nope! They're usually the same, but it changes depending on my mood. It can be anything from pop, rock, alternative, to hip-hop . . . and H2O Audio's new Interval lets me listen to multiple playlists in the water or while I'm out on a run.

FS: Swimming can be hard on the skin and hair. What are your go-to beauty products postswim?
NC: Oh dear! I love products . . . Pureology for my hair, Kinesys sunscreen for my face/body preswimming, Palmer's Cocoa Butter for my body post-swimming, and Oil of Olay SPF 15 for my face.

FS: How do you feel about the ban on high-tech swimsuits?
NC: I think it's a good idea because our sport can now get back to the swimming and eliminate the distraction of "who are you wearing?" Eliminating zippers and legs is strange because both have been a part of many of the suits for over a decade. Either way, I'm happy.

Kelly Osborne Plans on Dancing Her Body "Sick"

FitSugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 03:30:25 -0700

Dancing is an excellent form of exercise, and that's why Kelly Osborne is psyched about joining Dancing With the Stars. In an interview on Ryan Seacrest's KIIS-FM radio show, she said this:

"Dancing is something that I've always really wanted to be able to do, but never had the confidence and the technique, if you know what I mean. I'm not very graceful, so it's just something that absolutely terrifies me, and it's the main reason that I kind of wanted to do it. I wanted to do something different. I wanted to do something that scared me, and I don't think anything could scare me more."

Kelly is also excited to get in shape, and I love that she said, "My body is going to get sick."

Diet Tips From Dancing With the Stars

FitSugar — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 06:00:00 -0700

If you're following this season of Dancing With the Stars, you've probably noticed the dancers' amazingly toned and strong bodies in their sexy and revealing costumes. If you're wondering how they stay fit and lean, here are some of the dieting secrets they shared in a recent issue of Us Weekly.

Melissa Rycroft says, "I eat what I like in moderation and try to have a few small meals throughout the day."

Julianne Hough says, "I eat only until I'm full." She eats five small meals throughout the day, and during the show she tries to cut out carbs and sweets. She doesn't restrict herself entirely, though, and says, "If I want to have dessert, I'll have it. I know I'll work it off."

Shawn Johnson loads up on fruit and protein, but if she has an urge for chocolate she says, "I'll satisfy my craving and move on." She stays slim and muscular by dancing eight hours a day.

Denise Richards trained with her partner Makism Chmerkovsky and got her abs back after having two kids. She went from a size 26 waist to a 24 from all that training, and was still eating pizza and ice cream.

To see how the other dancers stay trim, read more.

Kym Johnson spends a lot of time doing core work to get her rock-hard abs. She also limits her carbs because she says, "I love fries and bread, but I see a real difference in my body when I don't eat them after 5 p.m." She'll still enjoy dessert when out to dinner with her boyfriend, but just a small portion.

Lil' Kim gets her meals and snacks from Freshology, a food delivery service. She eats a total of 1,200 to 1,400 calories a day, avoids heavy foods, and drinks a lot of water.

Lacey Schwimmer shed 10 pounds by ditching fatty foods and soda, and instead enjoys grilled chicken, steamed veggies, yogurt, and fruit. She recommends eating within an hour after working out.

Cheryl Burke dropped 10 pounds as well, by rehearsing eight hours a day, five days a week. She eats egg whites, whole grains, veggies, and lots of water. She also tries to avoid salt, and keeps snacks with her to avoid temptation.

Karina Smirnoff avoids meat but eats egg whites, fish, and salad. She has a tablespoon of olive oil on an empty stomach to help with digestion.

Holly Madison avoids liquid calories and drinks water instead.

Edyta Sliwinska sticks to 1,500 calories a day, eating foods such as cottage cheese, ground oats, berries, chicken salad, and cereal. She avoids pasta, bread, rice, and candy. She gets her toned legs from dancing in heels.

Source

Samantha Harris: A New Mom With Rock Hard Abs

FitSugar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:00:00 -0800

Samantha Harris, co-host of Dancing With the Stars, just gave birth a year ago, and now she's the cover girl of the latest edition of Muscle & Fitness Hers flaunting her lean and toned body. She told People magazine, "I really wanted to show moms out there that you really could get that body back." Holy rock-hard six-pack abs! It's amazing that she was pregnant 12 months ago.

How did she do it? To find out, read more.

Samantha wears baby daughter Josselyn in a BabyBjörn during her workouts while doing squats and lunges up steep stairs. Not only does it give them bonding time together, but the extra weight builds muscle and makes regular exercises even more difficult. To hear more about Samantha's routines, check out the November/December 2008 issue of Muscle & Fitness Hers.

Source

Cheryl Burke: "You Don't Have to Be Anorexic to Be Beautiful!"

FitSugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 03:30:00 -0700

Dancing With the Stars is in full swing right now, and I'm always impressed with how strong and toned everyone becomes over the course of the show. After the media pounced on her for potentially gaining a few pounds, Cheryl Burke is speaking out by reminding everyone that being confident is beautiful. The professional dancer recently told People:

I want kids or women out there to realize you don’t have to be anorexic to be beautiful. There’s a lot of pressure living this Hollywood life. People expect to see you at a certain weight and when you gain a few pounds then all of a sudden it’s the talk of the week.

People will always have an opinion about you, whether it’s good or it’s bad. But most important is to have a secure feeling about yourself and know that you’re beautiful regardless of what people think of you. When I was younger, I wasn’t stick thin. I wasn’t tall. I don’t have long legs. I wasn’t naturally skinny. As I grew older, I just became more comfortable in my own skin.

Cheryl is a strong woman and I'm pleased to see her standing up to the pressures to be super thin in Hollywood. Strong is beautiful, and there isn't a thing wrong with having a few womanly curves!

Pacific Coast News Online

DWTS Helped Jennie Garth Lose a Few

FitSugar — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 08:45:00 -0800

Dancing is a great and fun way to work out. Dancing With the Stars alums and contestants alike all praise the weight loss and health benefits they found in dancing. ~~Kelly Taylor~~ Jennie Garth is the latest of the DWTS' contestants to speak out on the fabulous benefits of dancing. Here's more:

The 35-year-old mom of three (Luca, 10, Lola, 4, and Fiona, 1) has found the alternative to dieting: “Rehearsing for six hours.”

Garth tells Us, "When I decided to do [Dancing with the Stars], I did Pilates three days a week and cardio twice. I hated it, but it helped. Once I started dancing, things changed faster than when I was just working out."

Garth says she's dropped 10 pounds since starting on the show, "but it's more about the inches and toning. My jeans were a 29 when I started, and I'm wearing a 27 now," she explains. "It's great to be able to go to the back of my closet and get the clothes I wore [pre-baby]."

Interested in getting your workout in by dancing? Check out the Dancing With the Stars DVD to do at home.

Source

Dancing With the Stars Dancing Workout

FitSugar — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 13:30:00 -0700

If you've ever watched a season of Dancing With the Stars, then you've seen how fit the stars get from dancing week by week. All that booty shaking can really burn a lot of calories (one hour of ballroom dancing can burn 300 calories). Two of the professional dancers on the show, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Cheryl Burke, demonstrated a dancing workout on People recently that looks like a lot of fun.
Here are highlights:

Dancing’sMaksim Chmerkovskiy, who, along with Seasons 2 and 3 champion Cheryl Burke, shows his moves below. “Working out on machines is so boring,” Maksim says. “This way, you can change the atmosphere, the mood – and you’re also learning how to dance.”

For a step by step guide for getting in a workout with three different dances, just read more

The Samba: 1. Stand with feet together, bend at the knees and bounce to the samba beat while contracting abdominals. 2. Step to the side and back to the center. This benefits your thighs, calves and abdominals, says Maksim. To increase intensity, bounce up on your toes as you move.

Paso Doble: 1. Swing your partner from one side to the other (as a matador swings his cape, which Cheryl represents). 2. Move your hips forward, twist your body and make a circle with your arms to stretch and tone abs and obliques. 3. Finish by swiveling your hips and allowing your partner to open her arms.

The Rumba & Cha-Cha: 1. For the rumba, lunge on one leg – great for thighs and glutes. Your partner leans in, working her inner thigh. 2. Now, the cha-cha. Spin your partner. To maintain her center, she keeps her abs tight throughout. 3. “Twist the body, extend the arm but don’t relax your abs or you’ll fall off balance!” Maksim warns.

If you're feeling this type of a workout, then you may also want to try the Dancing With the Stars DVD.

Source and Source

Goal of Dancing is Not Fame, It's Fitness

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 04:00:00 -0700

If you've been following Dancing with the Stars this season then you've seen Laila Ali strut her stuff across the stage...

Being the daughter of boxer Muhammad Ali certainly helps, but that girl is fit (and she can move too). Ali has announced that Dancing with the Stars is just the beginning of her upcoming fitness ventures including a boxing oriented fitness DVD series with Sugar Ray Leonard and a book. The DVD set includes Lightweight Beginner's Workout ($10.91), which is a series of warm-up exercises and stretches. The cardio-boxing routine has easy to follow combinations of punches as well as defensive moves. This DVD can help you get fit all while seeing the other, non dancing, side of Laila. It's refreshing to me that she is not looking to be club hopping with Paris and Nicole but rather, she’d like to set an example for young women and others about the importance of living a healthy life. Fame or not, with an outlook like that, she's got a fan in me.

Not a boxer but still want a hot Dancing with the Stars bod like Stacey Keibler or Cheryl Burke? You can get it at home with the Dancing with the Stars Cardio Dance DVD.

Source

Dancing With the Gym: Group Dance Classes

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 09:30:00 -0700

Dancing has really made its footprint in mainstream media. From Dancing With the Stars to J'Lo's Dancelife, we can't get enough of watching people dance on TV.

Gyms around the country are catching on to this theory and are offering dancing group classes to cater to our love of dancing.

Crunch alone has 40 or more dance related classes. Including Ballroom Blitz. Sashay the floor like Cheryl Burke and Drew Lachey in this heart-pumping, cardio class that combines classic ballroom formulas like swing, mergengue and foxtrot. No worries if you can't get a hot c-lister to be your partner, partners are not required.
Equinox is no stranger to dance classes either. They have classes like Rap-A-Tap, where you'll tap dance to Pop and Hip-Hop music. It's easy to follow, which means everyone can do it. Tap shoes (and top hat) optional. Or you can go more mainstream with Video Dance Jam, a class where you'll learn dance routines to the latest music videos.
For all you traditionalists out there Bally's Total Fitness offers Balletone/Ballet Sculpt, which is conditioning that incorporates exercises from traditional ballet choreography.
The Sports Club LA has a World Dance class that should awaken the mover, shaker or dancer within you. Soul dancing combines movement and music of varying cultures designed to blast away calories and you may even walk away feeling a little more cultured.

Not a member of any of the above clubs? See what classes are offered at your gym as I am positive they have some sort of dancing class too. Or you can check out the Dancing With the Stars Cardio Dance DVD at home.

Source

DVD: Dancing with the Stars Cardio Dance

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:45:00 -0700

Now that Dancing with the Stars is back in full effect, I have taken notice to how toned everyone seems to be as the show evolves.

Of course, dancing is known for burning major calories but it's not something we can just teach ourselves. The Dancing with the Stars Cardio Dance DVD ($11.89) features three of the show's pro-dancers Ashly, Kym and Maksim. You'll learn four choreographed dance routines (Cha-Cha, Samba, Paso Doble, and Jive) featuring some of the moves we've seen Stacey Keibler and Mario Lopez perform. Don't have a partner willing to do it with you? No worries as the dances are meant to be done without a partner. There is a bonus freestyle routine at the end that will test your new dance skills. You'll be sure to have fun while burning calories -- What's better than that?

You can do it in the comfort of your own home so that even if you don't dance like a star behind closed doors, you can look like one once the doors open. Buy it from Amazon.com.

Miss last week's episode of Dancing with the Stars? Check out Buzz's Buzz Reel.