FitSugar

Tone Your Middle With the Kettlebell Windmill

Susi May — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:27:14 PST

Swinging kettlebells around at the gym makes me feel like a super toughie. But I do love the sassy feeling I get doing slow and controlled windmills, a move I just learned from my Equinox trainer Lauren. Like most kettlebell moves, this is a full-body exercise, but the work is at your waist, toning the obliques and stretching the sides of the torso. The shoulders and arms are worked nicely, too.

If you're a beginner, try this exercise with no weights. Once you feel familiar with the sequence, add one five-pound dumbbell into the mix, holding the weight in the hand that remains held above the head. When you're ready, progress to using a set of four-kilogram (8.8 pounds) kettlebells.

Start toning your love handles now; bikini season is right around the corner.

Gym 101: Strength-Training Warmup

Susi May — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:12:55 PST

A solid warmup sets you up for a solid workout. When it comes to prepping for strength training, an active warmup primes the joints and muscles, prepping them for the heavy lifting. Lauren, my Equinox trainer, introduced me to these moves, and after a little light cardio - for me, it's five minutes running on a treadmill at a 6 mph pace, but the elliptical or a little jump rope would work - Lauren has me do three out of these five moves. Mix and match the exercises however you please, or do them all for a very thorough warmup.

Rocking Lunge
Give an active stretch to both your hips and hamstrings with the rocking lunge. Start in a deep lunge with your right leg forward; you can even bring your left knee to the floor. Straighten your right knee to rock your weight back and onto your left foot to lengthen the hamstring. Flex your right toes as you rock into the hamstring stretch. Return back to your deep lunge and repeat for a total of 10 times on each side.

Toy Soldier
A walking kick, the toy soldier stretches out the back of the leg, both hamstrings and calves. Step forward on your right foot, and kick your left leg forward, bringing your left toes toward your right hand. Step onto your left foot and kick the right leg, bringing right foot toward left hand. Take 20 steps total.

Keep reading for three more moves.

Mistakes You're Making on the Pilates Mat

Susi May — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:51:53 PST

Mat classes are the most affordable way to reap the benefits of Pilates. Taught across the country at gyms and private studios, group classes mean you don't have an instructor cuing and correcting your every move. Make the most of your time on the mat and be mindful of these common mistakes I've seen in classes over the years.

Not Going Deep
There are many benefits to Pilates, but getting in touch with the deep abs, aka the transverse abdominals, is, to me, the most important. If the deep abs are working, then all four layers of ab muscles will be working right along with it, making for a very stable torso. In class, use every exhale as opportunity to reengage your abs and pull them into your spine with a little lift up. If the abs are pooching outward, you're only working the top layer of the abs and training them to pull away from the spine - the opposite effect of what you want.

Momentum Is Not Your Friend
Deliberate pauses are built into the choreography of many Pilates exercises to prevent momentum from taking over the motion. The Pilates method was originally named Contrology (the study of control) to emphasize this very concept. Going slowly is key. Jayme Boyle, the group fitness coordinator and Pillates mat instructor at the SF Equinox, explains the importance of forgoing momentum like this: "Slower pace means you’re turning on stabilizing muscles and you’re creating more isometric contractions." And I have to agree. Pilates is not a race.

Keep reading for more common Pilates mat class mistakes.

RX For Shin Splints: Ice Massage

Susi May — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:39:21 PST

Shin splints are the bane of many new runners. The tight calves that accompany mileage increases can spell pain for the lower leg. If running causes any discomfort, take time off to allow your shin splints to heal. But you need not sit idle on the sidelines while you recuperate: ice massages help, too. A serious runner, my Equinox trainer reminded me of the healing combo of ice and massage to decrease the inflammation around the tibia (anatomy speak for shin), caused by this overuse injury. The technique is simple, but first you need to make the ultimate tool: the icing cup!

Make Your Own Icing Cup
Used in gyms and physical therapy clinics, an icing cup protects your fingers from freezing and provides a perfectly sized contact point for massaging troubled spots. Take six Dixie cups, fill them with water, and freeze. When it comes time to ice, peel back the paper and begin the massage.

The Massage
Starting by your foot, place your icing cup on the outside of your shin, on the tibialis anterior muscle. Making long strokes toward your knee, massage the muscle with an amount of pressure that feels good. Mix up your massage strokes and try small circular patterns, once again starting at the ankle and working up toward the knee. After five minutes of massaging, finish your 20-minute icing cycle with 15 minutes of static icing by placing an ice pack (or frozen peas or corn) on your shin. Aim to massage and ice twice a day.

If you're not up for an ice massage, you can always show your shins some foam roller love. Do keep stretching your calf muscles, and once the pain diminishes try these easy exercises to strengthen the tibialis anterior.

Full-Body Move: Turkish Get Up

Susi May — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:48:42 PST

Imagine lying on your back and then getting off the floor to a standing position, over and over again. Imagine holding a weight over your head as you do it. This mental image should give you a basic sketch of the Turkish Get Up. This classic strength-training move is all about functional fitness involving every major muscle group as you make your way to being upright and return back to the floor.

To start, try the exercise with no weights. When you've mastered the choreography, graduate to a five-pound dumbbell or kettlebell. Popular in boot camps and CrossFit, the Turkish Get Up can be done holding serious poundage above your head, but I find the move challenging sans weights, too. It is crucial, especially when working with heavier weights, that you keep your eyes on the weight the entire time. This helps keep your arm in the correct position so it doesn't drift off behind your head, putting your shoulder in a dangerous position.

Terry Richardson's 2012 Equinox Ad Campaign: What Do You Think?

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:31:44 PST

Terry Richardson's photos for Equinox's latest ad campaign are creating the same sort of buzz-building controversy as last year's shots. The famed pop culture photographer keeps to his classic aesthetic for the gym's ads, featuring provocatively dressed models in risqué poses.

Critics of the series argue that the photos have nothing to do with fitness, while others find the shots artistic and clever. Click through the slideshow to see the controversial photos - plus what the executive creative director says about the shoot. Then tell us what you think of the campaign.

Two Quick Cardio Workouts

Susi May — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:35:26 PST

Who doesn't feel pressed for time between the major holidays? I asked my Equinox trainer, Lauren, for a couple of quick cardio workouts to burn up the calories. She gave me a rowing workout - a great machine that always seems to be available - and an incline workout on the treadmill. Even though you might be short on time, you don't need to give up your sweat sessions. Try these quickies.

Rowing Machine Workout
Set resistance between two and five; anything higher and you're likely to hurt your back.

Warmup: Row for three to five minutes at 50 percent of max.
Sprint: Row at 90 to 100 percent of max for 100 meters; rest for 15 seconds, repeat for a total of 10 reps.
Cooldown: Row for three minutes, at 50 percent of max.

This is a great workout to add into circuit training for a nice cardio kick. Be sure to read up on tips for using the rowing machine before heading to the gym.

Not feeling it for the rowing machine? Keep reading to check out the treadmill incline workout.

Sit-Ups Three Ways

Susi May — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:21:08 PST

Whether you love 'em or hate 'em, sit-ups are here to stay. But like all staple exercises, they can lose their luster and shine. Bust the boredom as you bust your gut, and give your sit-ups a makeover. After mastering the basic sit-up, experiment with these three variations using a medicine ball that I just learned from my Equinox trainer.

Get Medical
Once the basic sit-up feels rote, add a 4 kg medicine ball (a little over 8 lbs) to the move to take it to the next level. Hold the ball close to your chest as you sit up and roll down. The ball makes it more challenging for two reasons, the obvious one being that the medicine ball increases the amount of weight you're working against. Secondly, holding the ball to your chest means you can't throw your arms forward and use momentum to reach the top of the sit-up. Do 20 reps for three sets.

Toss It
Rolling up to sitting holding a medicine ball is fun, but tossing the ball once you make it to the top doubles your pleasure. Throwing the ball once you're sitting up not only means you're now working your arms along with your abs, but your core is forced to stabilize itself as you throw the ball. This is more work and makes for a stronger torso, and a stronger you! Do 20 reps for three sets.

Learn my favorite move when you read more.

Burn It Up: 30-Minute Circuit Workout From Equinox

Susi May — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:33:36 PDT

Circuit training is one of my favorite ways to get my sweat on. You torch calories by getting your heart rate up while building muscle with strength training - a win-win workout. My Equinox trainer, Lauren, likes 'em too. Recently she put me through the paces of the following circuit workout, and I just had to share the fun. Get ready to sweat!

There are three circuits of four exercises each. Do 15 reps of each exercise, and keep rolling through the four exercises for 10 minutes. Between each circuit, rest (stretch and hydrate) for one to two minutes. To warm up, run on a treadmill for five minutes. This workout uses 12 kg. kettlebells and a variety of dumbbell weights. As always, work with a weight that is appropriate for your strength level.

Circuit One

Exercise	Reps	Equipment	Notes
Jump squat	15	Body weight move
Squat thrust deadlift	15	12 kg. kettlebells	Place hands on kettlebells to jump back into plank; come to standing lifting kettlebells.
Single-arm kettlebell swings	15 each arm	12 kg. kettlebell	Really pop your hips to get that kettlebell up!
Plank with reverse row	15 each arm	10-15 pound dumbbells

Keep reading! There are two more circuits after the break.

How to Push Past a Fitness Plateau: Get Unstable

Susi May — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:41:57 PDT

Once you've mastered the basic moves of strength training - like squats, lunges, and planks - gym time can become a little dull. Workouts creep by slowly due to boredom, and if you don't push yourself to the next level, you may find your fitness level stalling as you coast onto a plateau. When the going gets boring, it's time to get unstable.

Performing seemingly simple exercises on an unstable surface creates a whole new set of challenges for you to master. Fitness tools like the BOSU, balance pads (sponge-like pads, two to three inches thick), rocker boards, and exercise balls can help you work out harder by disrupting your sense of balance. If you're ready to experiment with instability, here are a few exercises my Equinox trainer has recently taught me.

Plank on the rocker board: There are a wide variety of rocker boards, but for this move the one we use looks like an over-sized skateboard with a cylindrical piece attached in the middle. I place my hands equidistant from the center and hold a plank, trying not to dip to either side. When that becomes somewhat easy, add alternating leg lifts. This move seemed impossible to me at first, but once you find the zone on the third set you feel a core master.
Hold the plank for 30 seconds; do 10 lifts on each leg.

Learn two more moves after the break.