FitSugar

Get Lady Gaga's Booty With This Simple Workout

Zelana Montminy — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:31:29 PDT

Known for her crazy costumes and her cut abs, Lady Gaga also has quite a shapely backside. To get the scoop on her booty moves, we talked to her trainer Harley Pasternak. Here, he shows us three exercises you can do to tone your tush.

Are Sore Muscles a Sign of a Good Workout?

Shape — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:29:57 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

If your New Year's resolution to get in shape stalled out fast, you might be panicking right about now since bikini season is right around the bend. Making up for lost time with an aggressive workout routine will likely leave you sore, but begging for more once you see your thighs trim down and take form.

That burn you feel 24 to 48 hours after an intense workout is called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and it's enough to make you want to put down the Kettlebell and pick up a cocktail. But press on! We talked to fitness and nutrition expert Harley Pasternak, M.Sc., author of The 5-Factor World Diet, and trainer to celebrities like Lady Gaga, Megan Fox, and Halle Berry, about why (some) pain is good.

"The idea behind resistance training is that you're basically tearing something and creating a micro trauma in the muscle," Pasternak says. "When the muscle recovers, it's going to recover stronger and denser than it was before." So that soreness you feel the day after an upper-body workout-when you're hauling groceries into your car and you can hardly lift your arms-is good.

See Harley's tips for reducing DOMS after the break!

Harley Pasternak's Diet Tips For Brides-to-Be

Susi May — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:17:51 PDT

Harley Pasternak trains some of the hottest ladies in Hollywood, from Lady Gaga to Megan Fox. He's also helped a few starlets, including Hilary Duff and Katy Perry, get ready to walk down the aisle. Since Harley has a masters degree in nutrition, which complements his advanced degree in exercise physiology, he knows getting wedding ready is as much about diet as it is exercise. Here are some of his tips to help you get ready for your big day.

Don't waste calories on bevvies: Harley found that although many of his clients, brides-to-be included, would eat healthy meals, they chased the food down with a Jamba Juice or other high-caloric drinks. Instead of soda and coffee concoctions, those tasty but notorious calorie bombs, he recommends sparkling water, vitaminwater zero, FUZE Slenderize, or tea - unsweetened, of course. "These beverages are still delicious, still hydrating, and will keep you feeling full but are not too high in calories," explains Pasternak.
Snack wisely: Snacks are an important element of Harley's 5-Factor Diet. The eating plan consists of eating three meals and two snacks daily. The diet includes many snack options, but he suggests you "opt for something simple like nonfat Greek yogurt with berries or mix nonfat Greek yogurt with a little bit of peanut butter for dipping apple slices." Another option is a miniature open-faced sandwich with high-fiber crackers instead of bread. Wasa or Ryvita are two brands Harley recommends. Just remember to skip the mayo and use naturally low-calorie mustard as your condiment of choice.
Avoid the bloat: To keep your belly from pooching on your big day, Harley suggests "eating foods that are really easy to digest, like smoothies." Foods to avoid? "Beans and anything with a lot of roughage." It's also a good idea to minimize heavily acidic foods too.

Harley Pasternak's Tips For Easy, Healthy Living

FitSugar — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 13:56:40 PDT

Celeb trainer Harley Pasternak may have clients working out every day, but he also knows that often, the best ways to be healthy are also the simplest. Here are five tips straight from Harley himself that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine. No fancy gym membership required!

Go global with your diet - Exposing your palate to different cuisines can help you find foods that are nourishing, slimming, and never boring. Whether Greek yogurt, Japanese tofu, or Swedish rye bread, the world's healthiest countries take pride in a few very special ingredients.
The healthiest solutions are often the simplest ones - Like walking instead of driving, broiling instead of frying, and taking a daily multivitamin. Making common-sense decisions about the way you eat, move, and live can help you exponentially increase your health and wellness level.
Try to stick to low-sugar beverages and drink more water - Try all sorts of tea - black, oolong, and green - for an antioxidant flavor boost.
Every step counts - Walk everywhere, whether it's to the grocery store or to work. Take the stairs whenever you can. If you have to be on the phone, pace around while you talk, or do jumping jacks during TV commercial breaks. Regular movement has an infinite number of benefits.
Enjoy one free day a week - Indulge in eating a treat such as dark chocolate and sleep in late. It will motivate you to keep up a healthy lifestyle during the other six days.

Harley Pasternak Explains When Sore Muscles Are a Good Thing

Shape — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 04:11:21 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

That burn you feel 24 to 48 hours after an intense workout is called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and it's enough to make you want to put down the Kettlebell and pick up a cocktail. But press on! We talked to fitness and nutrition expert Harley Pasternak, M.Sc., author of The 5-Factor World Diet, and trainer to celebrities like Lady Gaga, Megan Fox, and Halle Berry, about why (some) pain is good.

"The idea behind resistance training is that you're basically tearing something and creating a micro trauma in the muscle," Pasternak says. "When the muscle recovers, it's going to recover stronger and denser than it was before." So that soreness you feel the day after an upper-body workout - when you're hauling groceries into your car and you can hardly lift your arms - is good.

Just make sure what you're suffering from is DOMS and not an injury. "A good way to tell the difference is if the pain is bilateral," Pasternak says. Having one very sore shoulder after you've worked both shoulders could spell injury.

If you feel normal soreness in a muscle, ligament, or tendon, it's DOMS and you can continue working out around it, Pasternak says. In the case of arms and shoulders, you can work your quads, abs, or glutes and then move back to your upper body in a few days.

Now learn how to avoid post-workout pain with more tips from Harley.

Harley Pasternak on Posture Principle For Brides

Susi May — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 04:09:16 PDT

Strapless and backless gowns give a bride an opportunity to show off her shapely shoulders. But a blushing bride doesn't want to look muscle-bound as she walks down the aisle, so one must be strategic when it comes to upper body toning. The trainer behind some of the hottest bodies in Hollywood, Harley Pasternak - he helped Hilary Duff and Katy Perry get wedding-ready - has some tips to help us all look stunning in this season's revealing necklines.

The trick to looking good in a strapless dress is posture. Standing tall with the aid of a strong upper back ensures that all those wedding photos turn out lovely. Harley recommends strengthening the rhomboids and triceps to "pull your shoulders back, give you a natural boob lift, and give you a nice long lean strong upper back and arms." Um . . . yes please! Here are four exercises he recommends to do just that:

Dumbbell rows to work the rhomboids.
Cable rows to strengthen the upper back. Here's a rowing variation using an exercise band if you don't have access to a cable pulley machine.
Lying dumbbell triceps extension for the back of the upper arm.
Single dumbbell triceps overhead extension will challenge your posture while toning your triceps.

See the exercises Harley suggests brides avoid.

Harley Pasternak: The Man Behind Hollywood's Hottest Bods

Michele Foley — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 16:35:01 PST

If Tracy Anderson has half of Hollywood on her client roster, Harley Pasternak has the rest. What started out as a side job has turned into a full-blown career - three studios and 12 trainers later, it's a rare day if Harley isn't jetting somewhere in the world to train a client. Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Robert Pattinson, Megan Fox, and Katy Perry are just a small dent of the A-list celebs who Harley works with, and for over 10 years, he's been developing his 5 Factor philosophy of diet and exercise: five 25-minute cardio circuits per week coupled with eating five times a day (three meals, two snacks).

Keeping with Harley's 5 Factor ways, let's take a look at five of the hottest female celebs he's currently training.

Source: WireImage

Jennifer Hudson Talks Body Image and Weight Loss on The Ellen Show

Michele Foley — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:00:00 PST

Jennifer Hudson is hard not to love, especially after seeing her recent appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. During the interview, Jennifer talks about going from a size 16 to six, but says that she's as happy now as she was then and always loved her body, regardless of its size. Jennifer slimmed down to play Winnie Mandela in the upcoming movie about the South African first lady. To lose the weight, she enlisted the help of Weight Watchers and trainer Harley Pasternak. She also had a little help from her adorable baby boy - watch the video to see how he keeps his mom in shape and the one thing that Jennifer says being slim makes "more fun."

Guess Who

FitSugar — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 17:30:57 PST

Can you guess which celeb spent the morning at the gym before her hair appointment?

How Well Do You Know Your Celebrity Personal Trainers?

FitSugar — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 08:00:24 PST

We challenged you on how well you know the ladies, and now it's the men's turn. How well do you know personal trainers to the stars (from left) FitSugar guest blogger David Kirsch, Gunnar Peterson, Harley Pasternak, and Jarett Del Bene? Take this quiz to find out!

Take the Quiz