FitSugar

Get Lifted: Dumbbell Crunch

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:00:00 PST

If you have tired of regular abdominal crunches, you might want to up the ante by adding some weight to the move. The Dumbbell Crunch variation makes a basic crunch more challenging and saves you time - you need to do less in order to achieve the same results.

Grab a set of dumbbells and

From the Community: Blake Lively Video Workout

Fit Community — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 02:38:11 PST

Want to get a long and lean body like Blake Lively? FitSugar reader FitFabCities developed this video workout based on a circuit from Blake's celebrity trainer.

Blake Lively is in amazing shape; she has great muscle tone while still keeping some curves - a combo that looks killer in all those fabulous outfits she wears. To get in shape for The Green Lantern, Blake worked with one of my favorite celebrity fitness trainers, Bobby Strom, who is also responsible for Jessica Biel's Blade Trinity body and Britney Spears's "Oops I Did it Again" body. Together, Blake and Bobby did lots of circuit training where they worked the core, then upper, then lower body. You can tone up like Blake, too, with this workout video inspired by those circuits . . . grab a set of dumbbells and a stability ball (or chair) and you are good to go!

Learn more about this workout after the break!

Quick Tip: Keep Your Shoulders Down

Leta Shy — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 02:25:39 PDT

So many things to think about when strength training, like where to place your feet, how to keep from arching your back, and not overdoing it on the weights. I'm constantly reminding myself to do all these things, but one main thing that commonly plagues me, whether I'm doing a squat or a bicep curl, is how not to hunch my shoulders.

I'm not alone; rounded backs and hunched shoulders are one of the most common mistakes people make at the gym. It can lead to neck or muscle strains, imbalances, and injuries, so it's important to remember to keep your shoulders down when you are working out (even when you are doing cardio). If you have trouble remembering to keep your shoulders down, read on for two easy ways to remember to stop hunching.

Skip Crunches and Try These Ab Exercises Instead

Susi May — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 02:35:06 PDT

When you think ab work, the first move that comes to mind is often the classic crunch. This move might tone your middle but it's not so good for your back. Repeatedly rounding the spine in a crunch sets the stage for a disk injury, and the crunch doesn't help your posture either. Neither are crunches functional movements, meaning this movement will not help anywhere but the gym. Have I convinced you yet to try some new moves to tone your tummy?

When talking safety and effectiveness, the best way to work your abs is stabilize your torso against motions. Here are some of my fave ways to work my entire core - front, back and sides.

The elbow plank is the perfect beginner ab exercise, since it works the extensor muscles, which line and stabilize the spine, in combination with the abs. Adding leg lifts to your plank, while keeping the pelvis and ribs stable, will take the plank to the next level. Keeping your torso stable is all about the abs.
Free Weights: Working with free weights, moving from a squat into an overhead press, will work your abs too. Work one-armed to force your obliques to kick into action. Basically, anytime you're working with free weights (dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, etc.), you should pay attention to your abs and they will help keep your form solid.
Medicine Ball: Keeping your torso stable while moving the weighted medicine ball is great for building an integrated core. I like to "write" the alphabet with a four- or six-pound medicine ball while focusing on keep my rib cage centered over my pelvis.
Bridging: You might think of this exercise as strictly a lower body exercise, but once you add a leg lift with your pelvis in the air you start to challenge your abs and core. To keep the pelvis level while raising your knee in glute bridging with knee raise you must work your abs in tandem with your back.

How do you work your abs?

Maria Sharapova Talks Tennis, Travel, and Her Sweet Tooth

Self — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 06:45:09 PDT

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

It's official, NYC has tennis fever! The courtside champs have been spotted around the Big Apple as they're in town for this week's US Open Tennis Championship.

Selfers mingled with tennis greats at the 12th Annual BNP Paribas Taste of Tennis including James Blake, Rafael Nadal, Mardy Fish, and Vera Zvonareva were also in the house.

I caught up with Maria Sharapova and Novak Djokovic at HEAD's Head-to-Head event (say that 10 times fast) to help kick off their new campaigns, including one where number-one ranked Djokovic does his best courtside Sharapova impersonation.

Sharapova, a self-proclaimed bag lover, recently designed a few stellar tennis bags (pictured after the break) for the premium sports equipment company HEAD. Her favorite part is that they don't automatically scream "I'm a tennis bag;" they'd also work as a cute weekend (or overnight bag the way I pack!).

She sat down to share some of what keeps her going during tournament season.

Read on for Self's interview with tennis star Maria Sharapova.

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!

Freshen Up Old Exercises by Closing Your Eyes

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:10:47 PDT

We rely on our eyes so much when we exercise that if you take your sight away briefly, it forces your body to tap into its senses of hearing and touch, which can help you become more aware of your body and how it's moving. Doing certain exercises with your eyes closed is also more difficult when it comes to balance, not to mention a little scary, so it can bring new life to boring exercises you've been doing for years. While certain types of exercise are too dangerous to try blindfolded, here are three you should try "in the dark."

Yoga
Since yoga is very visually driven, it's easy to get caught up in what a pose is supposed to look like. Closing your eyes allows you to ignore your preconceptions of how straight your leg should be or how much you can arch your back, and it helps you tap into the true meaning of yoga, which is to connect your breath with your movements.

Try this: Step onto your mat and move through one Sun Salutation A with your eyes open. Then close your eyes and try moving through the same series. Focus on grounding your feet and moving slow enough to keep your balance. Become aware of each breath you take, linking your inhales and exhalations with each controlled movement. At first you'll feel extremely unstable and stressed at not being able to see what your body is doing since you're used to your drishti (focal point) helping you stay balanced. After becoming comfortable with this technique, you might prefer practicing yoga with closed eyelids. I find it has such a calming effect on my mind and really helps me connect to my strong and even breath.

Keep reading to see the other two exercises to try with your eyes closed.

Kim Kardashian Gets Strapless-Dress Ready With This Move

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 11:44:34 PDT

Like most brides-to-be, Kim Kardashian focused on toning her arms and back for her much-anticipated wedding. To shape her arms and upper back, Us Weekly reported that Kim is doing free-arm exercises, "where I'm changing the movements all the time." Instead of doing repetitive movements in a straight line as in a triceps kickback or a shoulder press, you continuously vary the angle and direction of your movements, making them more creative. For example, instead of doing a basic bicep curl where you draw the hand weight or resistance band toward your shoulder, you pivot from your elbow and slowly move your hand in different ways (like you're drawing in the air), which not only targets the biceps but also tones the forearms, triceps, and shoulders.

This concept reminds of how Shiva Rea approaches core work. Rather than doing basic crunches, she has you explore lifting and swaying your torso and legs in creative, dance-like ways. It may seem a little weird to have such free and seemingly unintentional movements, but they're actually really effective. It keeps your muscles guessing, and the varying movements end up targeting every part of your muscle. This technique can be used with just about any dumbbell or resistance band exercise. I recommend using a lighter weight or tension as it doesn't take much to feel this type of movement working, and you don't want to risk injuring yourself.

Home Gym Basics No Matter How Small Your Space

Leta Shy — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 02:58:12 PDT

I like things easy. And easy means a convenient way to stay fit but doesn't take too much time out of my day. Easy solution? A home gym. What's not to love - all the equipment you need to stay fit, no gym membership required.

It's hard, however, to keep a home gym as equipment-ready as your neighborhood gym if you don't have the space (or the money). Luckily, just a few basics are all you need for a full-body workout. No matter how much space you have, read on to find out what you should have to outfit your home gym.

Exercise ball. This will take up the most space, but trust me, it's also one of the most versatile pieces of gym equipment you can own. Work your whole body with just a stability ball. Check out this video for two advanced moves that work your abs (no crunches required) and backside, and after you're done, relax your back with this spinal twist move. But before you buy, make sure you get the right size for your body; use these guidelines to find a fit.

Read on for more home gym basics 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.